2024 RBC CANADIAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

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TORONTO, NOVEMBER 8, 2024 – The 32nd annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, presented by Women of Influence+, announces seven winners of the 2024 awards. These award recipients join the five recipients of the Ones to Watch award category, announced in September of this year. 

The winners in each of the award categories are true role models who have demonstrated what it takes to be successful in today’s rapidly changing economy. This year’s cohort of recipients spans sectors that include film and television, construction, economic reconciliation, hospitality, job training, work placement, artificial intelligence (AI), medicine, law and beyond.

“On behalf of RBC, congratulations to all of the winners of the 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards,” said Sean Amato-Gauci, Group Head, Commercial Banking, Royal Bank of Canada. “Their success stories inspire us and serve as powerful examples of how women entrepreneurs are breaking barriers, driving innovation, and reshaping the business landscape. We’re incredibly proud to partner with Women of Influence+ to highlight their achievements and provide a platform that recognizes the lasting impact they continue to make in their fields and communities.”

Now in its 32nd year, the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards program recognizes the country’s leading women entrepreneurs and organizational leaders who have made impressive and substantial contributions to the local, Canadian, and/or global economy. The judging panel of the awards program comprises 15 judges who are notably some of Canada’s top business leaders. These include: Cher Jones, Founder, Socially Active Training; Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, CEO & Co-Owner, Bouchier; Laura Williams, Managing Partner, Williams HR Law; and Sylvia Morin, Corporate Director / Executive Committee Member Institute of Corporate Directors – Québec. 

The official announcement of the 2024 award recipients was made at the 32nd Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards gala, which was held at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto on November 8th and hosted by Marcia MacMillan, Anchor, CTV News Channel. 

This year, thousands of nominations were received recognizing women entrepreneurs and leaders of non-profit organizations from across the country. 

The 2024 award winners are:

• Nadine Bernard, Indigevisor, Sydney, N.S., Micro-Business Award 
• Emily Hosie, Rebelstork, North York, Ont., Start-Up Award
• Dr. Lesley Steele, Steele Veterinary Group, Fredericton, N.B., RBC Momentum Award
• Stachen Frederick, Weston Frontlines Centre, Toronto, Ont., Social Change Award: Regional Impact
• Kelly Hoey, HIEC, Burlington, Ont., Social Change Award: National Impact
• Dr. Shari van de Pol, CATTLEytics, Hamilton, Ont., Innovation Award
• Rain Emily (Shi Yu) Zhang, Willowest Enterprise Co. Ltd., Richmond, B.C., Excellence Award

The gala also honoured the recipients of the Ones to Watch Award: Michele Tung, homeD Modular, North Vancouver, B.C.; Geena Jackson, Bears’ Lair TV (Sparkly Frog Clan Productions), North Vancouver, B.C.; Stephanie Curcio, NLPatent, Toronto, Ont.; Melissa Munro, Hero Care, Toronto, Ont.; and Marie-Claude Vaillant, Van Trotter, Lévis, Que.

“In every industry and on every stage, women entrepreneurs are redefining success through innovation, leadership, and bold ambition,” said Rumeet Billan, Ph.D., CEO, Women of Influence+. “Their impact is shaping the future of business and social impact, proving that when women lead, meaningful change and business momentum happen. “These entrepreneurs are catalysts for change, who lead with courage, creativity, and vision. It is an honour to celebrate them.”

The 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are presented by Women of Influence+. Award presenters include RBC, TELUS Health, EY, and Bell, with Deloitte as the official Due Diligence partner. Gift sponsors are Bulova and Dean Davidson and the VIP reception is sponsored by Lume Women + Health.

For more information on this year’s award winners, visit www.womenofinfluence.ca/rbc-cwea.

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