Canada NewsWire
TORONTO, May 9, 2022
Building on the success of the previous editions of the Visa Grant Program, Visa awards another 10 Canadian women entrepreneurs with $10,000 CAD each and business coaching to grow and expand their businesses
TORONTO, May 9, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Visa Canada announced the 10 recipients of the third round of its She's Next Grant Program in Canada. The She's Next Grant Program supports women entrepreneurship, empowering growth and innovation, through a grant of $10,000 CAD and one-year of business coaching, in partnership with IFundWomen. Through the grant program and IFundWomen's network of women-owned businesses and mentors, recipients will gain access to funding, coaching, and connections to help expand their businesses.
In what was expected to have an economic recovery year, coming out of the pandemic, less than 50% of businesses in Canada finished 2021 fully open with no restrictions. As we look ahead, however, there is growing optimism among small businesses with more than four out of five (86%) feeling optimistic about their future coming out of the pandemic1. However, nearly half (45%) of Canadian businesses continue to require some form of financing2. This is particularly true for a growing number of women business owners3, and Visa remains passionate about supporting these entrepreneurs.
"Women entrepreneurs deserve the funding and support needed to allow their businesses to flourish," said Stacey Madge, president and country manager, Visa Canada. "Women-led businesses were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and we hope our continued support will help build on the growing optimism we are seeing. This year's recipients continue to embody the creativity, perseverance and perspective required of successful small business owners. In addition to being innovators and job creators in their own right, they are truly an inspirational and diverse group of women who represent the backbone of our economy."
This round of She's Next Grant Program recipients span diverse industries from fashion, beauty and wellness to education and social services, each with unique offerings:
Since the start of 2020, Visa has awarded over US$1.6 million dollars in grants and coaching memberships to women across the globe through its She's Next Grant Program. In Canada, Visa furthers its commitment by way of its extended Canadian grant program, and with initiatives like the Visa Canada Small Business Hub which has programs and solutions to support small businesses in driving efficiency and sales through the expansion of e-commerce, digital payments, marketing, and more.
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.ca.
1 Visa Back to Business Canada Study 2022 |
2 Maru Canada BizPulse Q4 2021 |
3 Maru Canada BizPulse Q4 2021 |
SOURCE Visa Canada
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