SECONDARY STORY
Centre for Women in Business celebrates 30 year anniversary Plus: 2022 International Women’s Day video contest showcasing local entrepreneurs By Emily Bednarz IMAGE CREDITS: MICHELLE DOUCETTE PHOTOGRAPHY
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or 30 years, the Centre for Women in Business has helped their women entrepreneurs launch, develop, and maintain thriving businesses. Tanya Priske, Executive Director at the Centre for Women in Business, joined the team 18 years ago with the goal of making an impact. “It was somewhere else that I could make a difference,” says Priske. “Working with women business owners in Nova Scotia and helping them start and grow their businesses — that was something I was passionate about, as an entrepreneur myself.” With support from Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the centre first opened in 1992. “The need was something that Mount Saint Vincent saw at that time,” says Priske. “In order to grow our economy, we needed more entrepreneurs. So, how do we get more women starting businesses?” The university joined forces with ACOA to develop a series of business development centres, including the Centre for Women in Business. While much has changed in the business landscape for women since the 90s, the centre’s mission remains as relevant as ever. “I think the premise is still the same,” says Priske. “We want to continue to help women along the full continuum of entrepreneurship: from idea generation straight through to succession planning. We want to make sure that they have the resources they need in order to succeed.” Programs at the Centre work to support women entrepreneurs at every stage of their business development. “We recognize that there are many stages of entrepreneurship at the Centre,”
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says Priske. “The Blueprint for Success Program has helped women start a business and introduce or diversify their product lines, and the Advanced Management & Mentoring Program is for that next stage of growth. Say you’ve been in business for three years and you’re hovering at $250,000 in sales. How do you scale up your business to reach that $1 million mark?” The Centre has also expanded its activities to work with women entrepreneurs when they reach revenues over $1 million. “Our Greater Heights of Growth program is something that we’re very proud of,” says Priske. “We just took that program national, so we're not just working with women here in Nova Scotia — we're working with women across the country.” The Centre’s focus on export and procurement has made an impact on MARCH 2022
women-owned businesses. “We look at what skills can help women grow so that they can export, and we help develop export readiness by leading trade missions,” says Priske. “Introducing supplier diversity to the region, really engaging women in the supply chains of corporations and governments and working with our national certification bodies has really been a game changer for a lot of women.” The RBC Alliance of Young Women Entrepreneurs Program is designed to get more young women interested in entrepreneurship. “We see 50 women a year who are starting side hustles as they're taking their degree,” says Priske. “And to us, that's exciting.” The Centre saw its membership grow over the course of the pandemic, which has prompted a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion for the Centre
