Free Coaching for Women-led Social Enterprises

Free Coaching for Women-led Social Enterprises 

January 6, 2021 

A free coaching program for women-led initiatives that address a social, cultural, or environmental concern is launching through NORDIK Institute’s Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE) initiative. The program provides tailored one-on-one coaching for individuals or organizations at various stages in their entrepreneurial journey, from startup, to pivoting in response to COVID-19, to scaling. Program participants will be coached by experienced women social entrepreneurs from Northern Ontario. 

“Research indicates that women are a key component of community economic recovery and regeneration; however, it also reveals that the gender gap between men and women in access to education, finances and technology is negatively impacting women’s potential,” states NORDIK Institute’s Social Innovation and Community Developer, Maureen Strickland, referring to recent studies undertaken by the Women’s Entrepreneur Knowledge Network, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Diversity Institute. 

“Helping women entrepreneurs succeed is essential to ensuring a strong and sustainable economic recovery for all Canadians,” says the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. “Our government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, as well as the collaborative efforts between Pillar Nonprofit Network and WOSEN, are crucial to helping women entrepreneurs to overcome the challenges they face – giving them the tools and support they need to rebuild and succeed for years to come.” 

The laser focus of a one-on-one coaching program supports women’s unique needs in advancing their part-time or full-time entrepreneurial initiatives. Participants select a coach with the expertise they are seeking and schedule the sessions’ duration and frequency according to their availability. The program allows for up to ten hours of coaching that must be completed by March 31, 2021. 

Register now for the Free Coaching for Women-Led Social Enterprises. 

The program is part of the Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN) project that supports women and gender non-binary people, typically underrepresented in business, to

create and grow enterprises that embed social values into their business model, such as through cooperative, non-profit, as well as both for-profit and not-for-profit social enterprises. 

WOSEN is a collaborative led by Pillar Nonprofit Network in partnership with NORDIK Institute, the Centre for Social Innovation and Social Venture Connexion (SVX). NORDIK’s SEE is the lead for the Northern Ontario region. Pillar Nonprofit Network is supported through the Government of Canada’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). 

NORDIK (Northern Ontario Research, Development, Ideas and Knowledge) Institute is an innovative community-based research hub that has evolved from the Community, Economic, and Social Development (CESD) program and research at Algoma University. It is committed to the practice of holistic community development and has established strong links with other research institutes, universities, and colleges. NORDIK is committed to the practice of holistic community development and building local research capacity by working closely with its community partners and providing mentorship to new researchers and community development practitioners. For more information, please visit www.nordikinstitute.com. 

Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE) is an initiative led by NORDIK Institute to support the development of the social economy through the building capacity of social entrepreneurship by strengthening the ecosystem. For more information please visit www.seethechange.ca. 

Pillar Nonprofit Network supports over 610 nonprofits, social enterprises and innovators by sharing resources, knowledge and connections across the three pillars of nonprofit, business and government. 

Centre for Social Innovation Toronto is home to 1,000 nonprofits, charities and social ventures and provides these members with the spaces, knowledge, tools, resources and connections they need to grow their impact. For 15 years, CSI has been female-led. 

Social Venture Connexion (SVX) is a non-profit financial services firm that designs strategies, manages funds, and mobilizes capital for social purpose organizations and investors. We work across sectors that deliver meaningful social impact to society, including cleantech, health, education, food, and social inclusion. SVX has operations across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. 

FedDev Ontario works to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects.

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Media contact: Maureen Strickland, NORDIK Institute’s Social Innovation and Community Developer 

Phone: (705) 207-1913 

Maureen.Strickland@algomau.ca 

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