Women of Influence Inc. organized another winning RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneurship Awards. Held at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, 19th Annual Awards Gala was hosted by Diane Francis, editor-at-large for the National Post, whose warmth and wit added character and charm to the ceremony.
“RBC is proud to honour this group of extraordinary women who have shown passion, discipline and perseverance in their quest for business excellence,” says Andrea Bolger, head, Business Financial Services, RBC. “The number of female entrepreneurs now represents more than half of all small business owners in Canada – it is inspiring to see this growth.”
The statuettes
A record high of more than 3,000 women entrepreneurs were nominated for the Awards. Each candidate was required to complete a thorough application and after a due diligence process completed by Deloitte’s Private Client Services, the winners were selected by the judges.
Carolyn Lawrence, president and CEO, Women of Influence Inc., stated, “Each Winner is an inspiration to professional women across the country.”
The six award winners represented the North, West and East regions of Canada and were selected because of their contributions to the local, Canadian and global economies.
Winners of this year’s awards
The Awards went to:
Deloitte Start-Up Award
Jenny Munford – Creative Bube Tube
HKMB Hub Impact Award
Kim Rudd- Willis College – Cobourg
RBC Momentum Award (tie)
Munira Jivraj – Millennium Dental
Gloria Rajkumar – SIMAC Canada Inc.
TPH Sustainability Award
Susanna Carson – BSI Biodegradable Solutions
Bell Trailblazer Award
Gabrielle Chevalier – Solutions 2 Go Inc.
PROFIT Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship
Betty Anne Latrace – Henderson Airline Hotels
Highlights of the night included a teary and heartfelt speech by Gloria Rajkumar which began with a shoutout to her mother and then told the story of her immigration to Canada and her appreciation for what her adopted country has given her. Rajkumar made $1.2 M in her first year as an entrepreneur and wants to help mentor other women from third world countries.
Diane Francis also shared interesting data with the audience, including the fact that only 1 out of the 75 billionaires she has interviewed for her book Who Owns Canada Now: Old money, new money and the future of Canadian business made his or her money in his or her hometown.
Carolyn Lawrence with Laureen Harper
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Canada’s Minister for Status of Women and Minister of Public Works and Government Services, stated that Canada was the #1 country in the G-20 for entrepreneurship.
The guest included included a Who’s Who of Canadian women in business. Laureen Harper, wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, also graced the occasion with her presence.
The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the nation’s leading female entrepreneurs. An initiative of Women of Influence Inc., an organization dedicated to the advancement of Canadian women in business.
