- A total of ten $10,000 grants
awarded to help women-owned businesses make real financial
progress.
TORONTO, Oct. 2, 2024
/CNW/ - BMO, in collaboration with Deloitte
Canada, today announced the 2024 recipients of its
Celebrating Women Grant Program. For the fourth consecutive
year, BMO awarded $100,000 in
grants to ten Canadian women-owned businesses – empowering them to
make real financial progress.
"Women-owned businesses continue to drive change in their
industries and BMO is committed to helping power their progress,"
said Sharon Haward-Laird, General Counsel, BMO, and Executive
Sponsor of BMO for Women. "By supporting women-owned businesses, we
advance economic growth, innovation and sustainable initiatives.
Each of these impressive recipients demonstrated a commitment to
driving economic impact and contributing to their communities."
"The BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program provides critical
funding to female entrepreneurs throughout Canada and the U.S. and
helps incredible women-owned businesses bravely take risks, fuel
thriving businesses and drive innovation and productivity," said
Emmy Babalola, Partner, Deloitte Canada. "I am truly humbled by the grit
and determination of these women, who are raising the bar to new
heights. Congratulations to all of the participants and finalists
of this amazing program!"
The 2024 BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program recipients
are:
- Liz Cripps, WACADS Group Inc.,
Ontario
- Andreanne Dandeneau,
Anne Mulaire, Manitoba
- Katie Gamble, Nature Bee, British Columbia
- Bilqees Grant, Helius Originals,
Ontario
- Raquel Hughes, Sparkle &
Sheen, Alberta
- Dr. Jean Kim & Lilit Simonyan, LYP Program Inc., Ontario
- Thao Nguyen, Bonbon Collections,
Québec
- Seema Sanghavi, Cooks Who Feed,
Ontario
- Aashima Verma, AV Marketing
Inc., Ontario
- Mishel Wong, Bo | Reusable
Packaging, Québec
Each grant recipient will be awarded $10,000, receive support from a BMO business
advisor, and receive an invitation to attend a summit in
Toronto. The summit will give
recipients an opportunity to meet BMO leaders and partners and gain
access to additional tailored resources to support their business'
financial progress.
Inspired by BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in
business and life, and the bank's commitment to double support
for women-owned businesses, the BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program was created in 2020. So far, it has supported 56
women-owned businesses across North
America, providing more than $500,000 to the program's grant recipients and
connecting them to business advisors and a vibrant professional
network.
BMO has a longstanding commitment to breaking down barriers to
advance women's empowerment, advocate for their growth, and foster
inclusivity by meeting their unique needs. Notable initiatives
include:
- A commitment to increase the number of women-owned businesses
supported across the bank's Canadian footprint. As of 2023, BMO
supported more than 146,000 women-owned businesses in Canada, with more than $10 billion in loans.
- Established customer programs including BMO for Women,
which focus on advancing gender parity for the bank's clients,
supporting the growth of women-owned businesses, and empowering
women to feel confident about their finances and financial
futures.
- A partnership with 1871, which has led to the development of
the WMNfintech program. As North
America's largest nonprofit fintech accelerator focused on
women-founded and women-led startups, WMNfintech is a
catalyst for change, helping women entrepreneurs drive innovation
and make a tangible impact in financial services.
- Proudly supporting The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, the
largest English-language literary award in the world for women and
non-binary writers. The award celebrates creativity and excellence
in fiction in Canada and
the United States, while aiming to
help address inequalities in literary reviewing, reading and prize
culture.
To learn more about the BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program, visit bmoforwomen.com and join the social conversation
using #BMOforWomen.
About BMO for Women
Officially launched in
2016, the BMO for Women program is dedicated to empowering
women in business through tailored resources, community building
and improved access to capital. In addition to the BMO
Celebrating Women Grant Program, this program oversees a
nationwide group of Advocates – Commercial and Business Banking
Relationship Managers trained and committed to working with women
business owners and entrepreneurs. This team is augmented further
through partnerships with key organizations such as the Women
Presidents Organization, GroYourBiz, Women Business Enterprises,
and Women Get On Board.
About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the
eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets
of $1.4 trillion as of July 31, 2024. Serving customers for 200
years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged
employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial
banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking
products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the
United States, and in select
markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the
Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving
positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving
economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.
About Deloitte
Canada
At Deloitte, our Purpose is to make an impact
that matters. We exist to inspire and help our people,
organizations, communities, and countries to thrive by building a
better future. Our work underpins a prosperous society where people
can find meaning and opportunity. It builds consumer and business
confidence, empowers organizations to find imaginative ways of
deploying capital, enables fair, trusted, and functioning social
and economic institutions, and allows our friends, families, and
communities to enjoy the quality of life that comes with a
sustainable future.
Deloitte provides industry-leading consulting, tax and legal,
financial advisory, audit and assurance, and risk advisory services
to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private
companies. We bring together world-class capabilities, insights,
and services to address clients' most complex business
challenges.
Deloitte LLP, an Ontario
limited liability partnership, is the Canadian member firm of
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Deloitte refers to one or more of
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by
guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a
legally separate and independent entity. Please see
www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal
structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member
firms.
To learn more about Deloitte
Canada, please connect with us
on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, or Facebook.
SOURCE BMO Financial Group
