Visa empowers Canadian women entrepreneurs. We’ve partnered with IFundWomen to provide $10,000 grants and a year of business coaching to women entrepreneurs across Canada. Learn more about some of the grant recipients below.
She’s Newsworthy
Jennifer Singh
She’s Newsworthy is Canada’s resource for women entrepreneurs looking to be heard through the media. In just six years, the company has helped over 60 women-led enterprises navigate the industry and garner much-deserved national media attention for their business. Speaker/CEO, Jennifer Singh used the funds to invest in branding, grow her team, and upgrade some very long-overdue office systems.
Monday Girl
Istiana Bestari
Rachel Wong
Monday Girl is Canada’s career platform for professional women, offering subscriptions and memberships. They help young women advance and diversify their career through networking opportunities, connections, mentorship and training, resume reviews, courses, job boards, and a lot more. With the funds, Istiana and Rachel were able to upgrade their website, hire their first part-time employee, and are looking to invest in new marketing initiatives to raise awareness of their Social Club.
Remix Snacks
Jamie Lee
Isabelle Lam
The story of Remix Snacks is that of two Dieticians, Jamie and Isabelle, and their desire to create simple, healthy snacks that are as good for people as it is for the environment. With an unwavering dream, the duo now has their high-fibre, protein-rich, bean-based chocolate goodies selling nationwide at over 150 grocery stores. The She’s Next grant has helped them invest in digital advertising, a new order of packaging bags, and product launches across Ontario.
Milksmith Inc.
Siuleen Leibl
Milksmith Inc. reimagines the way you eat ice cream, creating an experience with their offerings. Through the funding, Milksmith Inc. was able to develop new packaging and deliver their beautiful treats straight into their customers’ homes. Plus, they were able to launch their Local Love Boxes, sustaining their mission to support other small businesses by sourcing only locally-made ingredients.
Brave Soles
Christal Earle
Brave Soles is a company that designs footwear and accessories from upcycled materials — namely discarded tires, reclaimed leather, and cast-off aircraft seats. Founder/CEO, Christal Earle and her team are using the grant to build a personalized, small batch production model to continue to pursue their goal of responsible production and consumption. The funds were also used towards launching a campaign for their accessory collection as they transition to 100% upcycled leathers and materials in 2022.
Amoda Tea & Wellness
Tegan Woo
Amoda Tea & Wellness is firmly rooted in the power of plants and its healing effects on body, mind, and mood. They curate ethically-sourced, all-natural selections of teas and herbs from various independent makers across North America. Co-founder of Amoda, Tegan Woo, used the grant opportunity to revamp their packaging to better serve their online customers. They were also able to target an entirely new segment of retail stores and have since noticed a surge in sales.
The Plot Market Garden
Emily Harris
The Plot Market Garden is a quarter-acre bio-intensive market farm located in Saanich, BC, and is home to Owners/Operators, Emily and Tyler. They follow sustainable, regenerative practices to pick, pack, and deliver the freshest roots and veggies for restaurants, grocery stores, and local residents. The grant has helped them build bigger, better greenhouses, which will help bring quality produce to their local community for a longer growing season.
EarthPup
Lucy Cullen
EarthPup is a Toronto startup that prepares natural, delicious dog treats from simple ingredients and nutrient-dense food waste. Founder Lucy and her partner, Adam, an acclaimed Toronto chef, are using the grant funds to develop new, 100% plastic-free packaging and to rename all their products with restaurant menu-inspired titles. The fresh, colourful brand redesign tells the tale of their mission to end food waste and give every dog owner the joy of treating their pet to a special night out.
Nuba
Amal Soliman
Logaina Elkattan
Based out of Oakville, Ontario, Nuba is a mother-daughter business that makes freshly brewed, ready-to-drink hibiscus tea. Their blend contains organic hibiscus flowers and natural ingredients, sourced from small-scale farmers in Nuba, a region in the south of Egypt. Amal and Logaina used their grant on sourcing supplies and various digital marketing initiatives. They’ve also successfully launched their products at one of Canada’s largest grocery chains in the fall of 2021.
Wink and Wave Inc.
Aimee Sloggett
Wink and Wave Inc. is Toronto’s first mobile beauty salon to provide services in the privacy of your home, offering an array of beauty services for body, face, hair, lashes, and nails. Their flexible hours and extended availability provide an added convenience. The grant made it possible for owner Aimee Slogget and her team to expand the shop’s product range, advertise and hire new recruits, and build their booking software.
CurlShoppe
Rowan McAnoy
No two curls are ever the same, that’s why CurlShoppe focuses on the unique curly hair care needs of all types and textures, to patrons all around the world. As recipients of the Visa Grant Program, they were able to upgrade existing systems, purchase product labels, and refurbish their facility with new product racking and filling machines.
Start your business
Starting a business involves figuring out funding and startup costs, setting up a website and deciding what kind of payments you’re going to accept.
Run your business
Learn more about managing your finances, selling your product or service, optimizing your website and getting on online marketplaces.
Grow your business
Fine-tuning your efforts, discovering new strategies and managing your online reputation can help grow your business.
Digital Downloads
Learn more about the digital landscape and transforming your business digitally.
Visa has also teamed up with a number of organizations including Google, Shopify, and WordPress.com as well as Visa’s own payments platform Authorize.Net, to provide offers and educational resources for small business owners.
