Women’s Enterprise Centre Wins National Not-for-Profit Award

BC-based organization recognized as using ‘Business as a Force for Good’ from INSEAD

September 14, 2020, Kelowna – Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC), a BC-based non-profit organization, has been honoured with a national award for its work supporting women entrepreneurs to start, lead and grow their own businesses in BC.

Women’s Enterprise Centre provides business loans, advisory services, training, mentoring and a supportive community to thousands of women business owners all over BC each year.

The third annual “Business as a Force for Good” awards are an initiative led by the INSEAD National Alumni Association Canada and the INSEAD Alumni Fund. Each year they recognise six outstanding Canadian companies that are making a positive impact on the world, and Women’s Enterprise Centre has won this year’s Not-for-Profit award.

(Jill Earthy, CEO of Women’s Enterprise Centre, accepts the Business as a Force for Good Award on behalf of the organization in a virtual ceremony on September 11.)

“The team at Women’s Enterprise Centre is honoured to receive this award, and it’s even more incredible to be named alongside these other impressive organizations,” says Jill Earthy, CEO of Women’s Enterprise Centre. “This is wonderful timing, to be recognized for our impact when we’re also celebrating our 25th year of serving the women entrepreneurs of BC!”

Since 1995, WEC has provided over $72.8 million in direct and leveraged financing, which has created over $2.18 billion in economic activity in BC and has helped create or maintain over 3,300 jobs. They have hosted over 38,800 training participants in nearly 2,100 workshops. Since 2007, they have matched over 1,250 women with mentors. Last year alone, WEC staff responded to over 19,000 inquiries from current and aspiring women business owners in BC and held over 2,100 complimentary one-on-one business advisory sessions.

“When we reflect on our success, it can’t be narrowed down to one big action, but a consistent commitment to our clients, understanding their needs and collaborating with our partners,” says Earthy. “The best part of our job is watching our clients go on to become leaders, mentors and award-winners themselves.”

 

The rest of the 2020 Business as a Force for Good award winners are:

 

  • New Technology or Service in Response to Covid-19 (Large Corporation): Accenture
  • New Technology or Service in Response to Covid-19 (Small and Medium-size Business): Dialogue Technologies Inc.
  • Non-Profit Organization: Women’s Enterprise Centre
  • Small- and Medium-size Business: Benevity
  • Large Corporation: Shopify
  • Start-up: Loop Mission

 

Women’s Enterprise Centre was recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on Friday, and they celebrated with former WEC CEO, Laurel Douglas, who forged the connection between INSEAD and WEC, and encouraged their nomination. The event was broadcast internationally across the INSEAD network, thus providing a unique global visibility to the award winners.

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About Women’s Enterprise Centre

Women’s Enterprise Centre is a non-profit organization devoted to helping BC women start, lead and grow their own business. Their full range of services includes business loans up to $150K, with access to up to an additional $100K through a partnership with BDC. WEC has fueled the success of women-led businesses since 1995, providing business advice, skills training, mentoring, practical resources and a supportive community to help women business owners gain the skills, mindset, financing and networks they need to realize their business potential. Funded in part by the Government of Canada through Western Economic Diversification Canada.