Twenty-One Remarkable Women Entrepreneurs Named 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Finalists

TORONTO, ON – Today, Women of Influence+ proudly announced the finalists for the 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. Marking 32 years of honouring excellence, this year’s nominations came from all corners of the country, showcasing the incredible talent and innovation of women entrepreneurs across Canada. From a pool of remarkable candidates, 21 leaders have been selected as finalists across seven award categories. Additionally, five dynamic entrepreneurs will receive the Ones to Watch Award, celebrating impressive achievements in businesses that are less than three years old.

This year’s finalists represent a broad spectrum of industries, including film and television, construction, economic reconciliation, hospitality, job training, work placement, artificial intelligence (AI), medicine, and law.

“The 2024 finalists exemplify the remarkable impact of women entrepreneurs in today’s business world,” said Dr. Rumeet Billan, CEO, Women of Influence+. “They lead with purpose, inspire through action, and demonstrate the power of vision and commitment. We are proud to spotlight their achievements and pave the way for a new generation of leaders who will continue to drive meaningful change.”

The winners will be announced and celebrated in person at the 32nd Annual Awards Gala, on Friday, November 8, 2024. This inspiring red-carpet event will take place once again at the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto. During this special event, nominees, executives, dignitaries, and notable industry guests will come together for an evening of celebration and meaningful connection with business and nonprofit leaders from across the country.

Attendees will have the opportunity to gain insights from business leaders, participate in engaging discussions, and network with professionals dedicated to fostering growth.

The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards recognize women business owners and nonprofit leaders from across Canada who make impressive and substantial contributions to the local, national, or global economy. These awards spotlight exceptional businesswomen from three major regions across Canada: East, Central, and West.

Presenting sponsors for the 2024 awards include RBC, Telus Health, and Bell, with Deloitte as the official Due Diligence partner. Gift sponsors are Bulova and Dean Davidson.

“We’re proud to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our 2024 award finalists,” says Sean Amato-Gauci, Group Head, Commercial Banking, Royal Bank of Canada. “It’s inspiring to witness the vital influence of women entrepreneurs across Canada who are leading in their industries while mentoring others and creating opportunities that uplift entire communities. Recognizing and supporting their success is essential to fostering a more inclusive business environment and encouraging the next generation of women entrepreneurs to turn their visions into reality.”

All nominees are required to submit thorough applications, which are reviewed and judged by a panel of prominent business leaders, and subject to a due diligence review conducted by Deloitte.

2024 Recipients of the Ones to Watch Award:
Michele Tung, homed Modular Building Technologies Corp.
Geena Jackson, Bears’ Lair TV (Sparkly Frog Clan Productions)
Stephanie Curcio, NLPatent
Melissa Munro, Hero Care
Marie-Claude Vaillant, Van Trotter

2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Finalists: 

Micro-Business Award
West:  Meghan Duffy, Black Watch Entertainment
Central: Judy Lui, Your Story Counselling Services 
East: Nadine Bernard, Indigevisor

Start-Up Award
West: Robyn Mair and Monika Scott, Mint Cleaning
Central: Emily Hosie, Rebelstork
East: Norah Galea, Knock Thrice

RBC Momentum Award
West: Amber Gunderson, ChamClad
Central: Nuit Regular, PAI Restaurant Inc.
East: Dr. Lesley Steele, Steele Veterinary Group

Social Change Award: Regional Impact
West: Marcia Nozick, EMBERS
Central: Stachen Frederick, Weston Frontlines Centre
East: Erika Shea, New Dawn Enterprises Ltd.

Social Change Award: National Impact
Central: Rosalind Lockyer, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise
Central: Kelly Hoey, HIEC
East: Carolynn Dubé, Fertility Matters Canada

Innovation Award
West: Sandra Phillips, movmi
Central: Shari van de Pol, CATTLEytics
East: Wenwen Pei, Marine Thinking

Excellence Award
West: Rain Emily (Shi Yu) Zhang, Willowest Enterprise Co. Ltd.
Central: Danielle Iampietro, Scarfone Hawkins LLP
East: Isabelle Côté, Coffrages Synergy Formwork

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About the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards
The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the country’s leading women entrepreneurs. The awards are an initiative of Women of Influence+, an award-winning global organization dedicated to advancing women in the workplace.

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 100,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 18 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

About Women of Influence Worldwide Inc.
At Women of Influence+ (WOI+), our ethos is rooted in making meaningful and impactful change. We do this by placing ourselves and our community in positions of influence and power — places where we can drive transformation. We are dedicated to sharing and elevating the unfiltered success stories of a diverse group of role models. We know that when done right, from the podium or the page, these stories not only inspire, educate, and connect — they start to redefine our perceptions of gender roles and abilities. We are changing the narrative.

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For interview requests or further information, please contact:
Amanda Kruzich, Program Director, Women of Influence+, ak******@wo**************.ca
Lauren Ng, Corporate Communications, RBC, la*******@rb*.com