Stop #3 on the WeBC Virtual Road Trip was Campbell River, BC!

This fall, we are taking a road trip around BC to spotlight all the amazingly talented local women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and fantastic local Partners who support women in business.  Our WEC hosts on the ground shall introduce you to one region at a time, visiting a number of different women-owned businesses in their area so you can see just what is available all around BC.

MEET THE HOST

Introducing Pauline Stevenson, she is a Regional Ambassador for WeBC and the Founder and President of Excel Career College. Thirty-three years ago, Pauline Stevenson launched Excel Career College in Courtenay after identifying a niche market.

Originally the business provided training support for regional businesses. Changing with times, the business transitioned into an accredited college at the end of the 1990s. Since then, it has been constantly growing its inventory of training programs, offering career-oriented diploma programs, courses, as well as corporate training.

MEET THE FEATURED BUSINESSES

InWater Tech

Location: 1580-A Willow Street, Campbell River, BC.  V9W 3M7

Underpinned by decades of experience, InWater Tech designs, builds, distributes and services smart and dependable equipment for industries that rely on water. These industries include: Aquaculture, environmental monitoring, fisheries stock enhancement, life support systems and laboratories, university and research facilities, and water water treatment. 

After 15 years in science and research, Stephanie King, Co-Founder and CEO of InWater Tech,  started on a new path that led her to InWater Technologies and the best job in the world. Manufacturing Point4—the versatile water quality monitoring and control system she is able to provide reliable protection and peace-of-mind across a range of different industries.

Learn more & connect with InWater Tech:

Instagram – @inwatertech

Website – https://inwatertech.com/

Westcoast Wildflowers

Location: Unit C – 975 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC. Right around the corner from the ferry terminal. 

Westcoast Wildflowers is an Indigenous and woman owned business offering high quality, local products from Vancouver Island, BC. Their mission is to support small shops, women in business, and Indigenous small business owners. They offer local and high-quality products for women and children including apparel, jewelry, home decor, artwork, and more!

Ali Assu is a creator and owner of the beautiful Westcoast Wildflowers. From the Wet’suwet’en First Nation and second-generation immigrant, Ali is an advocate of supporting local and works towards stocking her store with 75% local products. She works with a range of small shops, women in business, and has developed The Indigenous Collective, offering a space that highlights Indigenous business owners across British Columbia. The collection includes traditional medicines, jewelry, artwork, home décor, and more.

Learn more & connect with Westcoast Wildflowers:

Instagram – @westcoast.wildflowers

Website – https://wcwildflowers.ca/

Session Taproom, Kitchen + Spin

Location: 926 Island Hwy Campbell River, BC V9W 4C5. Across from Robert V. Ostler Park. 

Session combines a modern, fully equipped spin studio with a beautifully designed artisanal taproom + kitchen. With an emphasis on supporting local, the aim is to make all aspects of our business accessible and welcoming to all Campbell River residents, giving the community a new space to gather together. 

Owner Aletta Clarke and her co-founders, Claire and Cody, have been friends since their early days in Campbell River, BC. Growing up on Quadra, Cortes, and in town respectively, these three spread their wings after graduation in search of excitement, travel, bigger cities, and new experiences. Never did they think nearly 20 years down the road, they’d be returning home to open a spin studio and taproom together.

Learn more & connect with Session:

Instagram – @sessioncr

Website – https://www.sessioncr.com/

RavenSong soap and candles

Location: 103 B – 2266 South Island Hwy Campbell River, BC V9H 1C3. 

A Touch of Mother Nature from Haida Gwaii – RavenSong Soap & Candle is about small batches, created with care using an ancient method that allows Valeria, as the soap maker, to choose each premium natural ingredient to suit skin care benefits and desired scents. This luxury soap is made entirely by hand in the cold process tradition. 

Specializing in luxury handmade soaps, Valerie and her team produce small batches in the cold press tradition using luxury ingredients. Also stocking candles and gifts, RavenSong is a must visit when in Campbell River. 

Learn more & connect with RavenSong Soap + Candle 

Instagram – @ravensongsoap

Website – https://ravensongsoap.com/

Thanks to our partners!

Let’s not forget WEC’s fantastic partners on the ground during this trip, Community Futures Strathcona and Campbell River Economic Development

Community futures Strathcona

Location: 760-B Island Highway Campbell River, BC V9W 2C3

Community Futures is a community-driven, economic renewal program that has one of largest footprints of any Canadian federal government program. Community Futures Strathcona has disbursed $43 Million to over 910 small businesses in the Comox Valley and Strathcona Regional Districts. These investments have benefited the local economy by fostering the creation and or maintenance of 3,600 jobs together with improving diversity among the small business community through our support of start-ups.

Proud of the work they do, their team is pleased to see the positive community impact a small organization such as theirs can have; simply providing a little encouragement and financial assistance to entrepreneurs willing to incur the risk of operating a small business.

Learn more & connect with Community Futures BC – Strathcona 

Instagram – @communityfuturesbc

Website – https://cfstrathcona.ca/

Campbell River Economic Development

Location: 301 St. Ann’s Road, Campbell River, BC, Canada, British Columbia

Campbell River’s economic development activities focus on relationship building, connecting and collaborating with First Nations, local businesses and developers, industry, educational institutions and community groups to help yield strategic programs that promote economic growth and ensure the City has the tools necessary to respond to a marketplace that has become increasingly global in nature.

The City of Campbell River encourages sustainable growth in innovative businesses that embrace future technology.  The City’s Economic Development Officer, Rose Klukas, works collaboratively with Council and City Departments to assist business development.

Learn more & connect with Campbell River Economic Development  

Facebook – Campbell River Economic Development

Website – https://www.campbellriver.ca/business-economy/overview

The next stop on the #WeRoadTripBC tour is Courtenay, BC. Join us on our virtual road trip by following @wecbc on Instagram and discover the amazing female businesses throughout the province!

Next Stop

The next stop on the #WeRoadTripBC tour is Courtenay. Join us on our virtual road trip by following @wecbc on Instagram and discover the amazing female businesses throughout the province!

The post #WeRoadTripBC: Shopping Local in Campbell River appeared first on WeBC.

Stop #2 on the WeBC Virtual Road Trip was Prince George, BC!

This fall, we are traveling around BC to spotlight all the amazingly talented local women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and fantastic local Partners who support women in business. Our WEC hosts on the ground will be introducing you to one region at a time and a number of different women-owned businesses in their area so you can see just what is available all around BC.

MEET THE HOST

Introducing Bobbi Carpino, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at WeBC, who is going to be hosting this leg of the road trip. Born and raised in Northern BC, Bobbi will be showing us the talented and driven women-owned businesses in the North!

Having spent most of her childhood and youth working at her father’s grocery store, it came to no surprise that she, too, would start her own ventures. Bobbi is the owner of a home-based photography studio and campground and spends her spare time giving back to the community by volunteering as a mentor at WEC, as well as a firefighter, first responder, and training officer at her local fire hall. Join her in showcasing these amazing women and their businesses!

Meet the Featured Businesses

Salmon Valley Campground

Location: Located along the beautiful Salmon River, 25 minutes North of Prince George, just off of Highway 97. 3865 Salmon Valley Road, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada V2K 5X3.

Salmon Valley Campground is the destination for families and couples seeking a peaceful paradise away from home, where they can relax and enjoy the calming sounds of nature and the scenic views of beautiful Northern BC. Start your day at their Coffee + Treat Wagon with a hot and fresh espresso and treat before heading out to your next outdoor adventure. With tons of fun activities in place for their 2021 season, it’s no shocker that their campsites get booked quickly. Make sure to book a site early if you want to snag a good spot!

Learn more & connect with Salmon Valley Campground:

Instagram – @salmonvalleycampground

Website – https://www.salmonvalleycampground.com

Articles – More about Bobbi Carpino; How the Tourism Resiliency Network Gave Me Hope For My Business written by Bobbi Carpino

Modern Match Lingerie Store

Location: Visit their online store at https://modernmatchlingerie.com.

When it comes to women empowerment and building self-confidence, Modern Match Lingerie is no stranger! Committed to their mission to create the freedom for women to embody their own sensuality, comfort, and confidence without having to sacrifice femininity, this lingerie business doesn’t only shake up the status quo, but they want to create a culture around female empowerment.

Shauna Allan, founder and owner of Modern Match and The Bra Bra Sisterhood, is not only an amazing business woman and peer mentee in WEC, but she’s also an inspiration for others to feel confident in their skin, no matter what shape, size, or color. Join Shauna and her team in defining what it’s like to be unapologetically YOU!

Learn more & connect with Modern Match:

Join The Bra Bra Sisterhood – https://www.facebook.com/groups/332622014056886

Follow them on Instagram – @ModernMatchLingerie

Check out their blog – https://modernmatchlingerie.com/blogs/bra-bra-sisterhood

Busy Boss Communications

Location: Visit her website for more info – https://busyboss.ca.

Being a “busy boss” herself, Holly Keech knows a thing or two about trying to juggle running a business, being a mom, travelling, reading, learning and growing. That’s why she started her own online social media marketing company, Busy Boss Communications, to help other “busy bosses” simplify their digital marketing and grow their online presence. Based in Prince George, BC, Holly works with an array of clients both locally and remotely, across British Columbia, and beyond. As a WEC mentee herself, she understands the importance of surrounding yourself with other successful business women.

Learn more & connect with Busy Boss Communications:

Website – https://busyboss.ca

Instagram – @busyboss.ca

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/busybossbreakthroughs

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/busybosscommunications/

4Paws Pure

Location: 1823 1 Ave, Prince George, BC V2L 2Y8. Check if there’s a 4Paws Pure in your area: https://4pawspure.ca/pages/retail-stores.

It all started when owner and founder of 4Paws Pure and WEC mentor, Gwen Arrowsmith, started making homemade dog treats for their rescue dog, Tara. It was through Tara’s unfortunate death from a stomach torsion caused by a commercially processed treat, that gave Gwen the idea and inspiration to start her own foods and wellness company for pets. 15 years later and 4Paws Pure is now a successful e-commerce and retail business that’s impacted thousands of pet lives across Canada and continues to develop the best and purest treats for our furry friends.

Learn more & connect with 4Paws Pure:

Website – https://4pawspure.ca

Instagram – @4pawspure

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/4pawspure/

Back Forty Lifestyle Co.

Location: 1255 4th Ave Prince George, BC, V2L 3J5

Back Forty Lifestyle Co. is a Canadian outdoor lifestyle brand and boutique for those that #livewidely. Shelly Mattison, along with her life partner, Sheldon (also Shelly), share a love of all things outdoors — hiking, snowshoeing, quading, camping, and more! It’s no wonder that they would one day open up their own brick and mortar where they could sell their outdoor lifestyle brand and feature other Canadian brands and products that do the same. Since they opened their storefront in November of 2019, Shelly continues to grow and learn as a member of the Taking the Stage Program at WEC.

Learn more & connect with Back Forty Lifestyle Co:

Website – https://backfortylifestyleco.ca

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/backfortylifestyleco/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/backfortylifestyleco/

Thanks to our partners!

Let’s not forget WEC’s amazing partners during this trip, Community Futures Fraser Fort George (CF FFG) and The Prince George Chamber of Commerce!

Community Futures FFG is a community-based economic renewal initiative that provides services and program support to entrepreneurs and owners of small to medium sized businesses. Along with their LEAP for Women in Business initiative, they are hosting their 2nd annual LEAP Conference on October 26-28th in a hybrid fashion, where they’ll have Dragon’s Den celebrity judge, Manjit Minhas speak on Achieving Business Success in Male-Dominated Industries, as well as 5 other successful business women. Sign up for this incredible 3-day event at https://cfdc.bc.ca/leap-conference-for-women-in-business/. Make sure to also follow them on Instagram, @leap.forwomeninbusiness, for updates!

This would also not be made possible without The Prince George Chamber of Commerce! They are committed to “Engage, Connect, and Enhance” their community by giving their members an opportunity to showcase their businesses in an affordable way. Visit their website to see what events they have in store next month: https://www.pgchamber.bc.ca.

The post #WERoadtripBC: Where to Stop & Shop in Prince George appeared first on WeBC.

This fall, Women’s Enterprise Centre is taking a virtual road trip around BC to spotlight all the amazingly talented local women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and fantastic local Partners who support women in business.

Visiting one region at a time, our WEC hosts on the ground will be introducing you to a number of different women-owned businesses so you can see just what is available all around BC!

The first stopover on our virtual road trip was Whistler, BC – a year round resort town and playground for adventurers!

MEET THE HOST

Our WEC host for this leg of the trip was Jacquie McLean, WeBC’s Marketing & Communications Coordinator.

Jacquie’s love of snowboarding, hiking, camping, paddle boarding and aerial arts has kept her in this beautiful mountain town for almost 7 years.  With a genuine love for her community, she showed us just a few of the fantastic women-owned businesses and support organizations in the area.

MEET THE FEATURED BUSINESSES  

The Velvet Underground

Location: in Function Junction, between Coast Mountain Brewing and The Sk8 Cave. 5-120, 1208 Alpha Lake Road, Whistler, British Columbia.

The Velvet Underground is an online and in-store vintage clothing shop owned by Amy Rafferty who is a WEC Mentee! In her own words Amy is on a mission to:

create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression through fashion, art, and music, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet.

What better way to do this than repurpose, upcycle and sell vintage clothing? Not only does she own and operate The Velvet Underground, she also runs a vegan cafe, The Velvet Cafe, at the same location. 

Learn more & connect with The Velvet Underground: 

Instagram – @shop_velvetunderground

Read her full story on the WEC website Amy Rafferty – The Velvet Underground

Soles Nail Lounge and Footwear

Location: In Whistler village, between Stonesedge Kitchen & Fat Tony’s Pizza. 12-4122 Village Green, Whistler, BC V8E 1G9

Soles Nail Lounge and Footwear is a dream come true for owner Liz Caruso, who is a WEC loan client. Liz was able to combine two of her passions into one with Soles Nail Lounge and Footwear, which is a manicure and pedicure lounge that hosts special events like birthdays, bachelorette parties and girls nights (or boys nights). The space also features a retail section that keeps fashion and comfort in mind. Soles carries a wide range of distinctive and stylish footwear for every shoe lover. 

Learn more & connect with Soles Nail Lounge and Footwear:

Instagram –  @solesnailloungewhistler

Read her full story on the WEC website Liz Caruso – Soles Nail Lounge and Footwear

Treeline Aerial 

Location: In Function Junction, next to Blacktusk Fire & Security and RONA. Unit 103, 1330 Alpha Lake Road V8E 0R6, Whistler, BC V0N 1B1

Dani Duncan’s passion and love for circus started when working as a dance instructor for a summer camp where she then became a flying trapeze instructor. For five consecutive summers she joined the circus and completely fell for aerial silks. Dani’s love for circus arts took her on an entrepreneurship journey through America and Ireland, finally landing her in Whistler BC. 

Her silk was kept neatly folded under her bed for months after arriving, and when an opportunity came up for her to start teaching aerial again in 2015, she jumped on it. This was the beginning of Treeline Aerial, which is now a full-time operation offering kids, teens, adult beginner and intermediate classes throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor. 

Learn more & connect with Treeline Aerial:

Instagram – @treelineaerial

Website – https://www.treelineaerialbc.com/

Heidi The Artist 

Location: The unceded traditional territory of the Lil’wat Nation. 

Heidi is a professional artist, designer, art teacher and mom to two awesome boys. After receiving her BFA from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design and Teaching Certificate from SFU she pursued a career as a high school art teacher. Once she started her family she decided to leap into the world of entrepreneurship. 

Starting and running her business  from home she has never looked back! Heidi’s original art, designs and art classes are available on her website with 1% of all Heidi The Artist sales given 50/50 to POW (Protect Our Winters) & the SLCC (Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre). 

Learn more & connect with Heidi The Artist: 

Instagram – @heiditheartist

Website – https://www.heiditheartist.ca/ 

With so many amazing women-owned businesses, partners and support organizations in and around Whistler, we only had time to visit a few. However, two stand out organisations doing fantastic things for women in business are:

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce

The Whistler Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to championing their community they have made a conscious effort to support Whistler’s women in business.  

Understanding that a crucial step in reaching equality is to celebrate women’s achievements and increase their visibility, the chamber has even created a directory where you can find women-owned businesses in Whistler!

Check it out on their website at: https://www.whistlerchamber.com/membership/whistlers-women-in-biz-directory/

Providing support for all Whistler Businesses, The Whistler Chamber also annually hosts the Whistler Excellence awards.  In Celebration of Whistler’s innovators, trailblazers and community cultivators, the virtual business and community awards aim to build brands and honour local legends.

Women of Whistler

Known locally as WOW, this is an inspired network of businesswomen, connected to learn, mentor, and share ideas in a supportive environment.

What WOW does:

WOW enhances the development of women in the areas of networking, learning and mentorship, through access to local, national, and international resources

WOW’s Purpose:

To connect and inspire women in our community.

To find out more and join the WOW network:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/womenofwhistler/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/womenofwhistler

The post #WeRoadTripBC Roundup – Women-Owned Businesses You Need to Visit in Whistler appeared first on WeBC.