About this event

Calling all women entrepreneurs, founders, and business owners! We are excited to welcome Joanna and Shelley from W Venture to host and facilitate a 2-day training session around strategy development and implementation.

Ticket

This mid-year Strategy Sprint is an agile approach to your strategy with a focus on assessing opportunities to pursue and problems to solve. Industry experts and like-minded peers will give you a fresh perspective on how to propel your venture forward. Over the two days, participants will cover strategy development sessions, peer engagement, spot coaching, feedback and refinement, and an opportunity to build your growth strategy for the second half of 2024.

Who Should Attend

You identify as a woman, leading or building a business in the Okanagan with a strong desire to grow and make a big impact. Your dreams are big and we are here to help them become a reality.

Food and drink will be provided over the two-days. This training has been highly subsidized to reduce barriers to participation. The ticket costs help to cover your catering for this 2-day training.

About the Facilitators

Shelley Voyer is a visionary strategist who excels at simplifying complex issues, uncovering gaps, and devising bridge-building plans. She has catalyzed growth for numerous startups as an EiR at VIATEC and Foresight. Shelley’s contributions extend to her role as the driving force behind W Venture, a game-changing entrepreneurship program for women in BC. With a background that includes launching an acclaimed Zuzee online community for girls and working with industry giants like Nokia and Vivendi, Shelley’s expertise shines through as co- founder of Forge Experience Design & Research, a leading UX/UI consultancy.

Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber is the go-to strategist when companies, organizations, and funders want to weave social purpose and sustainability right into their core. With a passion for turning visionary ideas into impactful realities, Joanna champions innovative solutions that bolster businesses to drive profound social change. She built multiple accelerators including League of Innovators, W Venture and the iHub. She actively contributes to a tangible future as the founder of Ideas for Impact Sustainability Agency, Chair of the Scale Institute, Executive in Residence at the University of Victoria Innovation Centre, and advisor to many impact startups.

This event will be hosted in-person at Accelerate Okanagan’s Kelowna Office in the Situation Board Room. Please come a few minutes early to check in and get settled.

DOUBL unveils an innovative solution to the age-old problem of ill-fitting bras with the introduction of the first made-to-measure bra that can be ordered and fitted directly from a smartphone, all from the comfort of one’s living room. After extensive research and speaking to thousands of women, DOUBL has uncovered a common truth: bras, as they currently exist, simply suck.

The standard sizes offered in the market, typically ranging from 32-42 with 2-inch increments and cup sizes A-DD/E, do not adequately cater to the diverse range of women’s bodies. To complicate matters, the inclusion of “sister sizes” adds unnecessary confusion. DOUBL is here to serve those who don’t neatly fit into these predetermined categories, as well as those who are entirely left out.

DOUBL employs cutting-edge technology to capture precise body measurements discreetly through a smartphone app. These measurements are used to generate a soft-body avatar that mirrors the shape and size of each customer’s breasts. The result? A perfectly fitted bra designed just for you. Customers can expect to receive their
personalized product a few weeks after ordering, without ever having to leave their homes.

“We are on a mission to provide comfort and convenience to all women,” says the team at DOUBL. “Our product is the answer for new moms who don’t have time for in- store fittings, for mature women tired of years of discomfort, and for anyone seeking a bra that truly fits. Let’s face it, who isn’t?”.

The official launch of DOUBL will take place through a Kickstarter campaign on April 30th 2024, inviting supporters to join the movement towards comfortable, custom-fit undergarments for all. For more information about DOUBL and its ground-breaking made-to-measure bra, visit www.mydoubl.com

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DOUBL

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Big things are happening! Are you ready to be a part of it?

National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is a professional association for angel investing, with 4000 members who have invested $1.54 billion in more than 2000 companies. They are leading the way with their National Women’s Initiative, dedicated to mobilize angel capital for women led-companies. The National Women’s Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada through the Inclusive Women’s Venture Capital Initiative, a key part of Canada’s first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NACO 

To support the initiative, NACO had partnered with organizations across Canada, including Accelerate Okanagan (AO) and OKGN WMAN. The initiative provides opportunities for connection, knowledge sharing, and storytelling. In return, we hope to strengthen the capacity of women entrepreneurs to access funding and contribute to increasing the representation of women in innovation ecosystem.

Share Your Feedback

The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) is a Federal initiative committed to advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. WES are looking for women-identifying founders to participate in a survey to help better understand and support their goals.

PARTICIPATE IN THE WES SURVEY

NACO and AO are hosting a series of roundtable discussions and a community networking event, Capital Connections, in celebration of International Women’s Day. The purpose is to listen and learn about the experiences of women entrepreneurs and investors in the Okanagan region.

Capital Connections will be hosted at the Kelowna Innovation Centre on Thursday, March 7, the eve of International Women’s Day. Attendees will have a chance to network and listen to a fireside chat with AWS’s Becky Troelstra, hosted by Lawson Lundell’s Valerie Mann. During the fireside chat, Becky will discuss the benefits and challenges of growing a business in BC, her experience raising capitals, and founder fatigue.

Capital Connections

Fireside Chat & Networking

Join us on the eve of International Women’s Day for networking and a fireside chat. AWS’s Becky Troelstra and Lawson Lundell’s Valerie Mann take to the stage to share lessons learned and answer audience questions during the Q&A.

SAVE A SEAT
Join e@UBCO, BDC’s Thrive Venture Fund for Women, and Accelerate Okanagan for the next instalment of the 4F Females Founders, Funders, and Fortifiers event in celebration of International Women’s Day.

BDC, e@UBCO, and Accelerate Okanagan have joined forces to celebrate women leading the way in technology and entrepreneurship. International Women’s Day is recognized globally on March 8th every year. It’s a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. The day also serves as a call to action for gender parity and equity. All who are willing are welcome to attend this 4F speaker and networking event. 

SIGN ME UP

Krista Mallory, Manager of the COEDC, will lead a panel discussion with three women entrepreneurs who will share stories of what it’s like to build a business here in the Okanagan. They will be diving into topics like leadership, innovation, and resiliency. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear their first-hand experiences.   

Attendees will also have plenty of time to network and connect with other participants before and after the panel discussion. It all takes place at Sandhill Wines in downtown Kelowna on Wednesday, March 8.


Meet the Panelists

Vanessa Lo

Panelist

Vanessa Lo is a fourth-year nursing student at UBCO and holds multiple positions within the academic and research community. She is also a co-founder of VanTech Medical, a startup that is presently enrolled in e@UBCO‘s Mentor2Market program.

Amanda Holyk

Panelist

Amanda Holyk is the Founder and CEO of iMaster Health. She is a certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Most recently she participated in the OKGN Angel Summit, reaching the semi-finals. 

Tasha Da Silva

Panelist

Tasha Da Silva founded Infuse I.T. in 2012. She joined the Accelerate Okanagan VAP program and committed to developing her first proprietary software. In 2022, Tasha decided to shift her focus and offer a distinct viewpoint to the City of West Kelowna’s council, leading to her first term in office as a city councillor.

Krista Mallory

Moderator

Krista Mallory leads the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission in Kelowna BC. She strongly believes in the power of collaboration, and her efforts aim to support Canada’s fastest-growing metro region by fostering connections for businesses and entrepreneurs to local resources and networks.

Mark your calendar, grab your ticket, and join us at Sandhill Wines in downtown Kelowna on March 8th for this exciting event! The event is a great opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs and leaders in our community and to network with like-minded individuals in #OKGNtech.

You Can Sip With Us!

Join us for this special instalment of Female, Founders, Funders, and Fortifiers. It’s all happening at Sandhill Wines in downtown Kelowna from 4:00-6:00pm on Wednesday, March 8th.

Ticket includes a glass of wine and light appetizers. 

GET YOUR TICKET

A special thank you to our partners at BDC’s Thrive Venture Fund for Women and e@UBCO for their collaboration and financial support of this event. 

Accelerate Okanagan, University of Victoria, and VIATEC alongside the Digital Supercluster, continue to advance innovative entrepreneurial women in British Columbia through W Venture.

W Venture is an entrepreneurship program for women-led tech-enabled companies that is being offered again this fall for women in Victoria and the Okanagan who are ready to accelerate their business. Participants will gain the necessary skills to confidently address their unique business challenges, giving these women-led companies the greatest chance of success. This is done through personalized, hands-on support from curated mentors and subject-matter experts while connecting with a community of peers from across the province.

Applications are open now until July 29th, with the program kicking off on September 12, 2022.

APPLY FOR W VENTURE

“When we launched W Venture in the Fall of 2020 in the height of COVID, we couldn’t have predicted the program would have such a positive impact on women entrepreneurs in BC.,” says Program Manager Shelley Voyer. “The first cohort of W Venture leaders continue to make significant strides building successful ventures. With 97% of them saying they would recommend W Venture to someone they know, we’re thrilled to be able to run the program again and continue to help women thrive and build remarkable companies in BC.”

W Venture is an intensive 12-week program that pulls together mentors and experts to apply hands-on support to solve the most critical barriers to growth that each venture faces. “I have participated in numerous accelerator programs since 2012. W Venture was by far the most impactful on my business and my development as a woman entrepreneur”, Angela Nagy CEO, GreenStep Solutions Kelowna, BC.

“Finding my community as a woman in Cleantech has empowered me to push my limits as a CEO. The support and encouragement from my fellow female leaders inspires me to think big, act boldly and work harder to achieve the success that women before us could only dream of achieving” Susan Blanchet, CEO, Origen Air, Victoria, BC.

“I can’t recommend this program highly enough. It’s like nothing else in terms of how hands-on it is in helping women-identifying entrepreneurs succeed. If we ever want to diversify the startup ecosystem, we must have more women at an executive level, and there is no better way I can think of for that to happen than to continue to support women founders via W Venture.” Eve Olynk, CEO, MeepMeep, Victoria, BC

“W Venture has given us a breadth of clarity in terms of what it means to properly develop our company! It feels like we’ve just completed business school and are ready to continue forward with more knowledge than we ever expected. We will be forever grateful. What a community! Because of W Venture, we’ve made connections with people we would have never dreamed of meeting.” Jess Devenport, CEO, Paintillio, Sechelt, BC

W Venture will be delivered remotely to allow women entrepreneurs from across British Columbia to access the program.

For more information about W Venture and to apply, please visit www.wventure.ca.