MEET THREE WOMEN OF INFLUENCE // WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
There are some very smart people with some cool ideas here,” says Williams. “I know the trials and tribulations in this business and I have full respect for these individuals who take on that challenge. I love meeting them.” A mother of two navigating a highly male-dominated industry, Williams has attended conferences with 10 women and 500 men. Now she is seeing up to 20 per cent female representation. “There are still not enough women in finance and the investment space. We’re working on that,” she says. “I’d never thought about this in Sweden, only about who is best qualified for the job.” Williams mentors female MBA students and is involved in Board Ready Women, a networking organization supporting women to achieve greater board representation across the province. “If I can inspire one young female professional to take that step, that’s my goal,” says Williams.
I going to write about besides complaints and frustration? That’s not where my energy and demographic exist.” Within months, Toms envisioned bigger things for her publication. Established to promote local event listings, it had quickly grown by demand into a robust arts, culture and entertainment magazine. “I didn’t want to give up on what we had built,” says Toms. “I realized if there was ever a time artists needed promotion, it was at that moment.” A lifelong artist with promotional marketing roots, Toms’ passion for publicizing independent artists in the Muse began close to home but is quickly expanding. “Edmonton has always inspired me with the incredible amount of talent residing here,” she says. “When I was creating the Edmonton Muse, it seemed a lot of people didn’t recognize this.” She sees Edmonton as an up-and-coming music and arts city. “All the genres – film, art and music – are constantly growing,” says Toms. “The issue lies in why it’s not growing further and that artists feel they have to move away to advance their careers. Maybe we can change that.” Working on Edmonton Muse, Toms and her busy team of 23 were extremely active in the local arts scenes. Monthly issues of the magazine were constantly growing while promoting hundreds of artists and events to over 36,000 viewers each month. When they hit the COVID wall, she decided it was time to take that momentum across Canada.
Jessi Toms, CEO & Founder, Muse Canada
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“If we could do what we did for Edmonton, why not create more across Canada?” says Toms. “We could revitalize what we had lost by gathering all the artists from coast to coast into one spot, help each other grow, create new ways of communicating and promote people from east to west.”
When pandemic restrictions left the Edmonton Muse short on local entertainment stories and event sponsors, Jessi Toms, founder and CEO, didn’t give up. She got creative.
In Muse Canada, Toms and her team created a platform maintaining their media base, and included business-enhancing tools. A $5 monthly membership gives artists access to grants and branding information. A listing directory includes corporate partners offering legal advice or tech support.
“People had no idea when their events would be back on and all the artists were stuck at home,” says Toms. “What was
“We’re increasing understanding in how to bridge the gap between being an artist and a business,” says Toms.
MARCH 2022 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM