CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: Meet WBE Canada’s 2022 Award Winners

WBE Canada’s Excellence Awards showcase and celebrate achievements in supplier diversity amongst our certified WBE community and our corporate and government members. This year’s Excellence Awards Ceremony took place during the 2022 National Conference November 10th before an in-person and very enthusiastic audience. We are pleased to introduce this year’s awards recipients who have graciously shared with us their thoughts on what it means to be a successful women-owned business in Canada and the state of supplier diversity in Canada’s corporate and government organizations - what the future holds after two long years of supply chain disruptions and persistent challenges.

TRADE COMMISSIONER SERVICE (TCS), GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA 2022 PRESIDENT’S AWARD

The TCS has been a long-time champion of women-owned businesses and an incredible partner in supporting Canadian WBEs through export opportunities, education and support on the ground in global markets. The TCS team is dedicated to making a difference for women entrepreneurs, always going the extra mile, challenging the status quo and ensuring that Canadian WBEs are not discriminated against when crossing borders. (WBE Canada)

WBE Canada: The TCS provides services and support to small, medium and large-sized exporters while at the same time supporting DEI in trade through a number of initiatives. What do you see as the most important focus for 2023 and how can women-owned businesses capitalize on fair and equitable opportunities on the international stage?

TCS: The Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) understands that the full and equal participation of women in the economy is essential to Canada’s future competitiveness and prosperity, but barriers persist for women who want to participate in international trade. That’s why supporting companies owned and led by women continues to be a top priority for the TCS in 2023.

Leveraging the Government of Canada’s offices across Canada and around the world, our network of Trade Commissioners in more than 160 cities worldwide are there to help women-owned and women-led companies to find new opportunities and make valuable business connections in foreign markets. The TCS provides a range of valuable (and free!) services to help Canadian companies grow and succeed in international markets. We focus on providing tailored and practical advice that can help companies make the best decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

We offer women-specific programming, including trade missions and business delegations. Participating companies are supported every step of the way by dedicated Trade Commissioners, from pre-travel briefings to business-to-business meetings on arrival in the target market. Business delegations and Minister-led trade missions are particularly powerful ways to learn more about new markets, share best practices and find partnership opportunities. The TCS also provides training and preparation through accelerator programs, and many other activities and initiatives.

Through the popular CanExport program, we also offer funding to help companies grow in new international markets and we offer a “concierge service” to provide enhanced support and guidance to companies owned or led by women interested in applying for CanExport funding.

Of course, we don’t do this alone. We are very happy to work with incredible partners already active in this space. Supplier diversity programs present enormous opportunities for women-owned companies, and the TCS will continue to support this area of growth, including by helping to cover the cost of certification for SMEs.

We look forward to hearing from you! Please reach out to us for more information on TCS services and our women-specific initiatives and visit our website at tradecommissioner.gc.ca

JEN McAVOY 2022 TOP VOLUNTEER

Jen McAvoy is the Vice President of Client Engagement at Cotton Canada and has been a WBE Canada Board Director since 2016. As the Chair of the Certification Committee since 2018, Jen has taken the committee from reviewing 50 applications a year, to over 130 applications in 2022. Under her leadership, the Certification Committee developed and revamped the WBE Certification Policy and spearheaded process improvements resulting in increased efficiency and transparency.

WBE Canada: Why is volunteering for WBE Canada important to you? As Chair of the Certification Committee, you are seeing a steady growth in the number of women-owned businesses who are choosing WBE Certification. What strikes you as the key reason behind this increase in certifications and why is it so significant?

Jen: It’s no secret that women-owned businesses are still the minority, and that they face enormous hurdles when it comes to arranging funding or building support networks to help them succeed. Owning and managing your own business is definitely the road less traveled, and I have a huge amount of respect for these entrepreneurs.

In my five years chairing the WBE Canada’s Certification Committee, I think the percentage increase has been well over 200%, which has been fantastic to see. I believe more and more women are discovering that certification gives them an edge in helping to open huge doors in both the private sector as well as government business.

Being certified doesn't guarantee anything. However, it does provide you with a recognized, and wellrespected designation. It also leads to connections and increased visibility. In addition, it provides access to relevant education and networking opportunities that would never happen otherwise.

Word is getting around, and anyone who has attended WBE Canada events can attest to the undeniable magic that is happening in the room. I'm dating myself here, but it's like that old shampoo commercial where you tell two friends and they tell two friends. Social media and the digital world are definitely getting the word out about the great things WBE Canada is bringing to the table. And those numbers are only going to go up and up.

Ann Baiden 2022 Wbe Leader

Ann Baiden is a Community Builder, Team Leader, Innovative Entrepreneur and Customer Service Master. As the President of her promotional products company, Innovatex Solutions, Ann goes above and beyond to not only help other businesses find solutions in their workplace, but she is also instrumental in supporting local charities and initiatives.

WBE Canada: You are someone who always goes above and beyond including taking time to support local charities and initiatives. Why is it important for you to take time out from your busy promotional product business to help other business owners?

Ann: I have always been a believer in helping others, and that belief translates into our work and philosophy at Innovatex Solutions. Over the last 25 years, and through my association with WBE Canada and GroYourBiz, I am extremely fortunate to have built a strong network of business colleagues, clients, and friends, many of whom even work for competing companies in the promotional products industry.

Still, I am happy and willing to support when I can, and it is extremely rewarding to see others succeed. Competition can be friendly, and we all benefit. I don’t give with the expectation of getting something back, but I do believe that giving is circular. As a leader, I strive to improve personally, but thrive in assisting the lives of others. I take pride in others’ success and am always willing to help.

I remind myself that success is based on relationships and if you want support from others, you need to also provide it.

Take the time to learn from those around you.

There’s enough business for everyone and it’s a twoway street.

Go outside your comfort zone.

Doing something that scares us helps to push us forward, but when you have the support of others it doesn’t seem quite as scary.

Maryse Benhoff 2022 Wbe Leader

Maryse is no stranger to the WBE community, having certified her company in 2009. As President of her Quebec based translation company, Maryse is a true champion of women-owned businesses, sharing her knowledge and expertise with other WBEs, supporting WBE development, engagement and WBE Canada strategy and as a member of the Supplier Advisory Committee (SAC) for the past 4 years.

WBE Canada: You supported WBE Canada’s Supplier Advisory Committee over the past four years, including two and half years as SAC Chair and Board Director. Your commitment to supporting WBE Canada and the WBE community through the pandemic is greatly appreciated. You have also championed WBE to WBE opportunities, even signing a contract with another WBE at the 2022 Conference! What is the key to WBE to WBE connections, why should WBEs consider each other for opportunities?

Maryse: Business is always about people first. Knowing that another company holds the same values as you do, opens the door to working together. We also recognize our realities as women business leaders, and naturally want to create business relationships in which empathy, collaboration, and a common cause are always present.

Being part of WBE Canada helps bring the right relationships to the right opportunity, it provides a fertile environment for trust, collegiality, learning and serious business all under one roof. To have been part of the infrastructure of WBE Canada for 4 years gave my team and I, a very comprehensive understanding of the diversity space from every angle of the prism.

Diversity is not one thing, it is an agglomeration of many actors all working to the betterment of society that makes this work. From the large corporations and the thousands of employees to the work of WBE Canada who performs the vetting of WBE Certified companies, to Certified businesses having the courage to risk growth at warp speeds, when it would be very comfortable to stay the course of a “small company”.

Being a WBE certified company, as either a supplier or a customer, reduces risks that may arise in other types of business relationships. When WBE-certified companies work together, we share the assurance that we are dealing with responsible people and organizations that can more easily recognize our needs and our capabilities and react with greater ease, speed, and diligence.

At BG Communications, we’re always eager to create business relationships with organizations that share our ideals and that face or have faced similar challenges; this allows us to achieve mutual gain in our agreements and contracts while increasing competitiveness and growth for both parties.

Thanks in no small part to the mentoring and support provided by the team at WBE Canada, WBE-certified companies can more easily develop and hone best practices that benefit the entire commercial and supply process within their organization. Also, speaking the same language when sharing ideas makes communication more effective and allows us to reach agreements and form strategic alliances more quickly.

Marte Belise 2022 Wbe Leader

Marte Belisle, President of SommEvents, is well known to the WBE Community from her enthusiastic participation in WBE Canada Events and as a veteran leader of many WBE Meetups. She actively supported the WBE community through her engagement in the Supplier Advisory Committee for the past 4 years and is currently supporting the Atlantic Canada Mentorship Program as a WBE Mentor.

City Of Toronto 2022 Wbe Canada Champion

The WBE Canada Champion award recognizes individuals or organizations that refer WBEs and/ or Corporate Members to WBE Canada. The City of Toronto, a corporate member since 2014 is a tireless advocate and partner in WBE Canada’s efforts to help women-owned businesses grow and scale, educate buyers on the benefits of diversifying their supply chain and promote the importance of supplier diversity to Canada’s economic recovery and growth.

WBE Canada: The City of Toronto’s Social Procurement Program launched in 2017. Since then, the City has been championing diverse procurement, advocating for DEI across all of its departments. What are the biggest challenges municipal governments face in creating and ensuring equal access to the vast procurement opportunities that exist across such a huge organization such as the City?

City of Toronto: The City of Toronto procures goods and services for 44 divisions with unique mandates. Business areas range from externalfacing services such as shelters and long-term care homes, community programming, and construction and maintenance of municipal infrastructure, to internal-focused services such as technology, fleet, and professional services. Identifying diverse suppliers that can meet this wide range of business needs is a challenge, and the City relies on suppliers expressing their interest in doing business with the City to build a comprehensive diverse supplier list. Inquiries on business opportunities with the City can be sent to socialprocurement@toronto.ca

In addition, the City of Toronto, like many municipalities, has both centralized and decentralized procurement functions. This means the Social Procurement Team is responsible for educating buyers and promoting supply chain diversity across the entire organization. While internal education is a challenge, the process for diverse suppliers to navigate this complex procurement environment is a more significant barrier to successfully diversifying the supply chain. As an advocate for inclusive supply chains, the City is working to simplify system navigation to ensure diverse suppliers are included in procurement opportunities.

Jessica Grey 2022 Top Supplier Diversity Leader

Jessica Grey is the Supplier Diversity Lead at RBC. She started this role in 2021 and in this short period of time she has been able to create impressive recognition of supplier diversity internally, building supplier diversity champions across the organization. She has coordinated countless buyer-supplier meetings and even developed and launched a mentorship program for diverse suppliers in IT. Jessica’s commitment to supplier diversity is mirrored in her participation in WBE Canada’s training, networking and advocacy events and innovative ways of supporting Canadian WBEs.

WBE Canada: Since 2021, you have been able to create impressive recognition of supplier diversity at RBC internally, building supplier diversity champions across the organization. At the same time RBC has been relentless in its advocacy of women-owned businesses, most recently partnering with WBE Canada to provide a Financial Education series for certified WBEs. As we celebrate #EmbraceEquity as this year’s focus of International Women’s Day, what must women entrepreneurs do in order to not just compete but succeed in supply chains?

Jessica: Speak up, amplify your voices and clearly articulate your abilities!

I do believe, in order to succeed, WBEs should continue to share their visions, speak up, and always do so with confidence. As women, we fall victim to stereotypes, that make us feel we need to prove our equality. Put that aside, and step up and in with the confidence to indicate we know why we’re here. Move from the defense to offense, and when you’re sharing your vision, speak to your competitive value, rely on your knowledge and exude the confidence

I know you have. There’s power in numbers, and we’re a stronger force together. “It starts with us” demonstrates community, solidarity and the need for us to advocate for one another. I challenge us all to share best practices, visions, and aid each other to succeed.

I will leave you with this quote from a women business entrepreneur who has been a mentor to me throughout life:

That came from Eloise Burke, an Organizational Development Practitioner, an Executive Coach, and she happens to also be my Mother. She reminds me time and again how important it is to stay focused, be confident and stick together. We can accomplish much more as a team than any 3 billion individuals.

I think it’s very important to attend the various networking events because it keeps a familiar face in front of people and because you never know when an opportunity is going to come up for their product or services. Contacts change at companies so it allows you to keep your information updated and also gives you the chance to re-engage with companies.

Swoon Staffing Ulc 2022 Wbe Rising Star

Swoon Staffing ULC is an award-winning staffing agency with an innovative method to recruitment that has earned them a proven track record of placing the best and brightest talent with temporary and direct-hire opportunities at Fortune 1000 Companies worldwide. Swoon has implemented a leadership accountability program that holds its leaders responsible for undertaking diversity and inclusion efforts focused on increasing the representation of people of color and women.

WBE Canada: As a successful and rapidly growing women-owned business, Swoon is also dedicated to investing in communities, supporting diverse businesses and fostering an environment where everyone can be themselves. Swoon’s leaders are responsible for diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts. Where do you see the commitment to diversity and inclusion in all facets of business heading and what can be done to further support women-owned businesses within the focus of D&I?

Swoon: The commitment to D&I will become an integral part of business growth in the future— extending further than just a way for companies to demonstrate their ethical values. At Swoon, we’ve been a women-owned and led company from the start and continue to prioritize our D&I efforts both internally and externally. We have seen impactful business growth for our clients because of the shared commitment to building a diverse workforce.

Companies genuinely dedicated to diversity and inclusion build a stronger culture, which in turn attracts top talent and higher retention rates. Furthermore, the representation of diverse viewpoints allows companies to reach new audiences, create additional revenue streams, and build brand loyalty with a bigger demographic— directly impacting the bottom line.

Supporting women-owned businesses doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional. Start by actively seeking out womenowned businesses as vendors and suppliers. Working with the WBE has been instrumental in our success in this area, as the connections we’ve made have led to some of our strongest partnerships.

Celebrating the successes of other women-owned businesses is powerful, too. We believe that embracing the mentality that “a rising tide lifts all boats” will accelerate the progress of women-owned businesses in the future.

When more people feel valued and respected regardless of their gender, race, age, or sexual orientation, then communication, ingenuity, and productivity improve company-wide. We know that D&I initiatives aren’t simply a feel-good box to be checked but a key component of driving business results.

Abc Technologies 2022 Most Improved Supplier Diversity Program

Under the leadership of Edet Umoafia as Lead, Supplier Diversity Development Program, ABC Technologies overhauled their reporting to keep internal clients better informed and executives more engaged in what is happening through their supplier diversity efforts. Edet did a great job of reviewing what was working and necessary given their auto industry reporting requirements while also providing other insights that will help with obtaining additional FTE and support beyond what Ford, GM, and Stellantis require. In 2021, ABC Technologies’ WBE Canada Certified suppliers accounted for $32.2M with 36 certified suppliers representing 49% of their total diversity spend.

BG COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL INC. 2022 TOP WBE SUPPLIER

BG Communications International is one of the first Certified WBEs in Canada. Their commitment to growth and customer satisfaction was tested during the pandemic with massive need for their services and unprecedented growth. BG Communications continues to evolve and innovate while taking a no-excuse approach. While continuing to expand and improve, their team never shies away from supporting the WBE Community, WBE Canada and other organizations.

WBE Canada: As one of WBE Canada’s first certified WBEs, you’ve witnessed an exciting evolution in supplier diversity creating new opportunities for women entrepreneurs that your company has been able to benefit from. What are some of the most important improvements you’ve seen unraveled during the past couple of years and what is their impact on women-owned businesses?

BG: Having joined WBE Canada in 2009 the changes in the past 5 years have been radical. As many businesses and organizations have come to understand the importance of supplier diversity programs and now actively encourage minorityowned businesses, including women entrepreneurs, as is our case at BG Communications. The evolution we’ve observed is a change in attitude in the breadth and scope of mandates and large capacity contracts with which large corporate clients are ready to get involved with diverse suppliers. The clear call to action of the diversity spend movement and the effects to business growth is undeniable.

At BG communications, we have been reaping the benefits of increased supplier diversity opportunities over the past few years, even with the pandemic and post-pandemic collateral effects that continue to affect the business world.

Congratulations to all the 2022 Excellence Award Winners. We applaud the incredible accomplishments of Canadian women-owned businesses and the outstanding progress our corporate and government members are making by creating opportunities for Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) in their supply chains and helping drive Canada’s economic recovery and growth. Nominations for 2023 Excellence Awards will open in June 2023.

Some of the, not-so-visible effects, are such things as strengthening of diverse companies with stable clientele, which in turn creates growth year over year, allowing diverse companies access to more capital investments and loans. The trickle down of this is the ability to create stable work environments with less turnover. This provides diversity suppliers the ability to pay better salaries to staff, who in turn get to better their lives and those of their families. The list is long of the middle ground effects.

By encouraging supplier diversity programs among our clients as part of their efforts to promote, achieve, and maintain high moral and ethical standards, it creates a synergy between our organizations—we benefit from increased business and visibility and they benefit from improved quality, lower costs, and, perhaps most importantly, a more flexible, agile, reactive, and resilient supply chain.

We have improved our visibility among major companies that would not have considered us in their procurement processes otherwise. We have expanded our knowledge and enriched our internal processes through the mentorship and training investments made by our clients to meet their standards. We have strengthened our relationships with our clients and expanded our portfolio offering, making our services more relevant to them.

Finally, we have grown our company in numbers never seen before, which has enabled us to create our own diversity initiatives, at our scale, and to broaden the impact of supplier diversity, inclusion, and equality across the social and economic ecosystems that we are part of.

Bmo 2022 Top Corporation

BG Communications International is one of the first Certified WBEs in Canada. Their commitment to growth and customer satisfaction was tested during the pandemic with massive need for their services and unprecedented growth. BG Communications continues to evolve and innovate while taking a no-excuse approach. While continuing to expand and improve, their team never shies away from supporting the WBE Community, WBE Canada and other organizations.

WBE Canada: BMO has long been recognized as a leader in driving supplier diversity efforts in Canada. One key initiative BMO’s Elevate program provides the opportunity for diverse business owners to elevate their businesses through networking, education and mentoring. Why is it important for womenowned businesses to take advantage of opportunities like BMO’s Elevate especially in light of the post-pandemic world?

BMO: The business landscape has become increasingly competitive, and it can often be challenging to build lasting relationships and “get your foot in the door” to showcase your strongest value propositions.

In addition to leveraging networking events and matchmaker meetings hosted by advocacy councils like WBE Canada, participating in corporate supplier development programs can help diverse businesses advance to the next level and gain relationships within a large organization, like BMO.

BMO Elevate provides a 10-month, comprehensive curriculum to selected suppliers, where they benefit from one-on-one mentoring with a BMO executive, including tailored coaching conversations, guidance navigating the organization, and support establishing new connections. Participants also experience a hands-on communications workshop focused on “perfecting your pitch”, preparing them for a pitch panel to BMO executives. Other educational and interactive masterclass sessions include topics like cyber security, return to work, talent retention, marketing presence and growth through mergers and acquisitions.

The program is designed to Connect > Mentor > Educate diverse business owners, their businesses and their employees for a more inclusive society and sustainable future along with the opportunity to grow the good together.