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THE 2011 E-SERIES SPECIAL EDITION
Aon the toast to the FWE e-series occasion of the Women in Wine Gala
W
omen entrepreneurs looking to take their high growth businesses to the next level have been turning to the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) since 2002 for networking support and mentorship, access to valuable industry resources, leadership advice and professional training and programs. Of its many programs, the e-series program has become known as FWE’s signature program with over 120 women completing this comprehensive entrepreneurial training in the past 9 years. Each year, 15 women are selected to participate in the intensive 26-week program, which includes sessions with business leaders and
industry experts on topics ranging from marketing, sales, financing, public relations, human resources, legal and cross-border issues. As wine gets better with age, so do entrepreneurs with high-growth sustainable businesses. Many of the past graduates of the FWE e-series program have continued to grow their businesses, some selling or acquiring additional businesses, and others who have become successful serial entrepreneurs. One common trend among the FWE alumni is that they are grateful for the lessons and experiences gained through the e-series program and are now helping newcomers to the business community by
About FWE Forum for Women Entrepreneurs of British Columbia (FWE) celebrates all who are entrepreneurially-minded. Its mission is to provide tools, energy, education and support to all women, encouraging them to become wildly successful entrepreneurs. All of its eight (8) leading-edge professional programs aim to build long-term relationships and foster a strong bond between our members, advisors, speakers and high-caliber members of the business community. For more information, visit www.fwe.ca.
E-SERIES 2011 PROGRAM SPONSORS: GOLD SPONSORS:
FWE Speaker Zahra Mamdani (Owner, Wear Else), and Chair & Founder of FWE, Christina Anthony
providing mentorship and advice. A graduate from the inaugural e-series class in 2003, Cybele Negris is the co-founder and president of webnames.ca, one of the country’s leading Internet solutions companies and a multi-million dollar business. Cybele is grateful for the support she received as an e-series participant and in return she chaired the e-series program committee from 2007 – 2010. She continues to support women entrepreneurs as a member of the FWE Board of Directors and believes there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses in British Columbia. Nicole Stefenelli is the founder of Urban Impact, a commercial recycling company that diverted 100,000 metric tonnes of materials to recycling facilities last year and expanded its operations to Calgary. In 2010, Nicole was recognized by Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the
Year Awards in the category of Cleantech. Nicole believes that her participation in the 2003 e-series class inspired her to raise her game and accelerate Urban Impact’s growth. In the past 2 years, she has acquired two businesses, one to expand her Mixed Container service line and customer base, and the second for expanding geographically into Alberta. After successfully launching and selling two previous businesses, e-series alumni, Alix Cameron and Cindy Ball are now focused on their latest venture, Eat Drink Be Local (eatdrinkbelocal. com), a free online guide that offers insider knowledge on BC food and drink directly to your email inbox. They credit the e-series program for giving them the confidence to sell one business and to start another and for giving them access to an amazing group of talented individuals who are always open to discussion. Caren McSherry is a cookbook author and owner
SILV ER SPONSORS:
of Gourmet Warehouse, a gourmet grocer and kitchen equipment store in east Vancouver that has experienced double-digit growth in the last three years. Caren took the e-series program in 2005 and recalls her classmates were a tremendous source of inspiration as their stories, successes and challenges made her want to build a better company. A graduate of the 2008 e-series program, Lisa Will is the owner of Stonz, a company who locally manufactures high quality outdoor gear for kids, and distributes her product worldwide. She believes that through the stories of others there is so much to be learned. And even more so from those that ended up unsuccessful in the end. From every guest speaker during the e-series program, she can remember a valuable takeaway that she has been able to apply to her business, to help grow it successfully. Building on the success
of the e-series program, FWE has developed additional programs to support female entrepreneurs. The a (advanced) series program provides a forum for women in the more advanced stages of business development who meet quarterly for an engaging discussion with a local high profile and successful entrepreneur. The recently launched k (knowledge) series program assists women in the first three years of business focused on building a platform for growth. The popular HSBC FWE Mentor program matches entrepreneurs for a one-onone mentoring experience with experienced men and women from the business community who volunteer their time to help these businesses thrive. FWE also encourages the sharing of ideas, opportunities and challenges through its Regular Member Forums (random groups of members) and Peer Advisory Circles (consistent groups of 8-10 women in a similar stage of business). Twice a year, FWE makes its popular Roundtable events available to the business community where entrepreneurs and business professionals delve into a specific and timely business topic creating a valuable educational and networking experience. Each year, an annual Gala (this year, February 21, 2011) brings together the local business community together to celebrate women entrepreneurs in a specific industry ◆ Article written in collaboration with FWE, Nicola Wasson & Natalie Brown
MEDIA SPONSOR: