The 5 elements of the CWB Way

The 10-week program is designed for 10 women in business looking to work in an intimate and supportive environment with a focus on pushing them out of their comfort zone and growing their business. The program’s facilitator helps participants increase their business connections, learn from other growth-minded businesses, brainstorm or mastermind with business owners from different industries, and learn new skills and how to apply them. Participants bring their experiences and questions to the program as peer advisors. They also receive one-on-one consulting sessions as well as monthly follow-ups for six months after the course ends.

Kalie Wang is a co-owner of Urban Grow Farms. She runs the Sydney-based family business with her husband, Daniil Titov, and his parents.

“ In 2021, I started the CWB’s Business Growth Mastermind program. I knew I needed to get serious about my microgreens-growing business. I needed to talk to other entrepreneurs. I knew at that point in my career I wanted to take my business to the next level; the CWB has coached me and provided me with so many resources.

I didn’t know the process of getting products into a grocery store. I spoke to the Mastermind group and they connected me with a CWB business advisor.

After working with the CWB, I feel more confident being an entrepreneur. Now I know what I want from my business.

I came to Canada in 2012 from China to study business. My husband came from Ukraine to study in Canada. We started our microgreens-growing business in 2019.”

Funmilayo Odeniyi

is an Afrocentric fashion designer and owner of MichNat Fashion.

“When we decided to leave Nigeria in 2016, I told my husband, “When we come to Canada, I will do what I love to do.” I’ve always loved fashion with a passion. In Nigeria, I was making clothes for myself and my family, but I worked for more than 10 years in the financial industry. I am trained as a chartered accountant. In 2018, after the birth of our fourth child, I went to the CWB and I met with the CWB’s business advisor for start-ups. She gave me advice and a list of people outside of Nova Scotia who were doing what I wanted to do.”

Hannah Chisholm

is the founder and CEO of Eggcitables, a plant-based, egg alternative product.

“Growing up in Antigonish there weren’t a lot of options for someone with food allergies. I was in university when I wondered why someone hadn’t developed an alternative for eggs for omelettes, scrambles, and quiches. So I developed the working recipe using chickpea flour myself. From the age of 11, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I launched this product in 2018 at a farmer’s market.

COVID hit me and my business hard. In 2021, I really started to use the CWB as a resource when they put out a call for the Mastermind Program, a year-long program where female entrepreneurs across Nova Scotia get together and learn a lot about leadership development skills and wellness practices. That kickstarted my growth as an individual and getting back on track with Eggcitables. We just hit 85 retailers and we’re finalizing the process of getting listed with a distribution company, which is super critical. This will give us access to upwards of 300 more stores in Western Canada, Ontario, and Quebec.

Meeting with other entrepreneurs, and the coach who led the Mastermind Program, was very insightful. I developed a lot more awareness regarding my behaviour, my productivity, and how I can make myself a better individual so I can be better for my business. After getting active on TikTok, I’ve been getting a lot of requests from customers based in the United States. There are certain regulatory requirements for us to sell in the U.S. I didn’t know where to start. I reached out to the [CWB Advisor] and she got me in touch with several people in government who have been able to help me and provide resources. She’s a really knowledgeable person. If she doesn’t have the answer to my question, she can 100 per cent put me in touch with someone who does.”

The Atlantic Canadian Women in Growth

Partnership is a project between the CWB, the Prince Edward Island Business Women’s Association, Women in Business New Brunswick, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs. It is a three-year project funded by the Government of Canada under the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation - Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Eco-system Fund to address gaps and build capacity in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for women.