Two local women-led businesses work to grow their businesses and close the gap as models for female entrepreneurs
May 16, 2019 - Mahone Bay, NS - Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Supporting women-led organizations to succeed is one of the most effective ways to advance gender equality and help women participate in all aspects of the economy and society. That is why the Government of Canada is advancing women's economic empowerment with the first ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a $2-billion investment that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025.
Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for South Shore - St. Margarets, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), announced funding for two local women entrepreneurs to celebrate and share how the federal government is helping women succeed.
Minister Jordan announced an investment of up to $100,000 in AtlanTick Repellent Products Inc., a business led by Lisa Ali Learning in Mahone Bay, to boost the production of its natural tick repellent products. The funding will enable the company to pursue market opportunities within Canada and internationally as the tick population continues to grow globally and reported cases of Lyme Disease and tick-borne illnesses rise.
Minister Jordan also announced up to $100,000 for Passive Design Solutions, a business led by Natalie Leonard in Hubley, for marketing activities in national and international markets. The funds will enable the firm to hire key technical and advisory support to increase sales of "passive house" and "net zero" technology for energy efficient home designs.
The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy complements the Government of Canada's efforts to advance gender equality, which include addressing pay equity, providing more affordable childcare and putting an end to gender-based violence.
"Our government believes that women's economic empowerment is not just the right thing to do; it's good for the bottom line. That's why we launched the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a strategy that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by increasing their access to financing, networks and advice. It's a smart investment with an economic and social return."
- The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion
"The women entrepreneurs and business leaders of rural Nova Scotia make incredible contributions to our economy and communities every day. As Minister of Rural Economic Development, I'm proud to be part of a government that takes women's economic empowerment seriously. From tackling pay equity to modernizing parental leave, this government is taking action on gender equality, and that's good for Canada and good for our region because when women succeed, we all succeed."
- The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for South Shore - St. Margarets, on behalf the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA
"Ticks are not going away. Now is the time to find healthy solutions for preventing tick bites and the diseases they can spread. The Woman Entrepreneurship Fund will give us the boost we need to continue our research, grow our production capacity, and propel us through to the finish line with Health Canada."
- Lisa Ali Learning, Founder & CEO, AtlanTick Repellent Products Inc.
"As a small company, this funding provides critical support for us to reach a larger market. We have engineered building solutions that are proven to be cost effective methods to drastically reduce energy use in our homes. We are ready to bring our products to the mainstream market- so we can make a significant contribution in the fight against climate change."
- Natalie Leonard, Vice President & Owner, Passive Design Solutions
Quick facts
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AtlanTick Repellent Products Inc. offers safe, effective, natural-based tick repellent sprays, tick removers, accessories and tick safety resources for pets and people.
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The founder and CEO of AtlanTick Repellant Products Inc., Lisa Ali Learning, is an experienced entrepreneur who has owned and managed several small businesses successfully over the past 20 years.
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Passive Design Solutions (PDS) is an architectural engineering design firm working exclusively with passive house and net zero technology to design and build high-performance homes, reducing the energy use of buildings by 65% to 100%.
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PDS owner Natalie Leonard is a licensed professional engineer with over 30 years of experience and is passionate about applying her technical knowledge and expertise to the fight against climate change.
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The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) will help women start and grow their businesses by improving access to financing, talent, networks and expertise through an investment of nearly $2 billion.
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The strategy will help the Government of Canada achieve its goal of doubling the number of majority women-owned businesses by 2025.
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In Atlantic Canada, the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy is delivered through ACOA.
