Canadian women business leaders and entrepreneurs have made significant contributions across various industries, showcasing innovation, leadership, and resilience. Their influence and success empower women and girls while contributing to the Canadian economy. -By Karen White
Women in Canada are business leaders and entrepreneurs, and their contributions to innovation and the economy are measurable. Today’s leaders and business founders are carrying on the legacy of women entrepreneurs who have impacted the Canadian economy for more than 150 years. Women’s entrepreneurship is not a new idea. Did you know that the popular Moosehead Breweries Limited in New Brunswick has roots in a backyard shed? Susannah Oland began brewing beer in the shed to support her family financially, and in 1867, the Turtle Grove Brewery was established. She managed and grew the business over her lifetime, and today, family members still own Moosehead Breweries.
Mothers who have purchased the Jolly Jumper for their babies are buying a female-inspired historical invention. An Indigenous woman, Olivia Poole, used materials on hand to invent a device that allowed babies to bounce using their legs. Her inspiration was the cradleboards she saw women use on the reservation. The Jolly Jumper was born in 1910, perfected by Poole, and by the early 1950s, was being mass-produced. She applied for a patent in 1956, making her the first Indigenous woman to patent an invention in Canada. Eventually, Poole established Poole Manufacturing Co. with her son to manufacture the Jolly Jumper. The company was later sold but is still producing this inventory.
Today, women in Canada continue the long history of leadership success in their unique ways. Like the early entrepreneurs, they see opportunities others may miss and bring unique perspectives that lead to success. They are CEOs, executives, inventors, entrepreneurs, and growing companies that make significant contributions to the Canadian economy.
Mandy Rennehan is the Founder and CEO of Freshco, a retail construction and maintenance company based in Burlington, Ontario. She is known as the “Blue-Collar CEO” because of her ability to maneuver through the white and blue-collar worlds. The self-made millionaire’s story is one of resilience.
From Nova Scotia, she grew up in a family that struggled financially. She left home in 1994 in search of construction work to help her family. As she says, “I worked my paws here to the bone. I didn’t have employees for years because I knew the banks would just not give me the money if I didn’t have the money.” Through the years, Rennehan grew her business into Canada’s top full-service reconstruction and retail maintenance provider, serving some of the world’s largest companies. She is a brand ambassador for North America for the Jill of All Trades program for girls and a proponent of the 4-H Club. She firmly believes in “building people” that society has not been good to, telling women and girls they have what it takes to succeed within them.
Michele Romanow, born in 1985 in Calgary, Alberta, attended Queen’s University in Ontario, graduating with Civil Engineering and MBA degrees. While attending the university, she founded The Tea Room, the first coffee shop producing zero consumer waste. That netted her the university’s highest honor, called the Queen’s Tricolour. Romanow is now called a “serial entrepreneur,” having started six businesses before she was 35. Romanow co-founded Clearco (originally Clearbanc), a Canadian unicorn. She stepped down as Clearco’s CEO in 2023 but shares an executive chairman role to lead external relations and fundraising. Clearco funds direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands as an alternative to e-commerce loans, which are so difficult for new businesses to access. The startup grew to invest more than $5 billion in over 10,500 companies in 13 countries. Romanow is passionate about helping startups because of her belief that entrepreneurs are the only people able to solve the world’s toughest challenges. Previously, Romanow founded a vertically integrated commercial fishery, Evandale Caviar, and co-founded SnapSaves, which Groupon bought. Also on her list of accomplishments was co-founding Buytopia.ca, which acquired 10 competitors. With Richard Branson, Romaow co-founded the Canadian Entrepreneurship Initiative to encourage women women to pursue their business goals.
Heather Reisman is a prominent Canadian businesswoman and philanthropist, best known as the founder and CEO of Indigo Books & Music, the largest book retailer in Canada. Born in 1948 in Montreal, Reisman graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from McGill University and initially worked as a caseworker. She later co-founded Paradigm Consulting, a strategic change consultancy, and served as its managing director for 16 years before heading the Cott Corporation, a soft drink company, from 1992 to 1994.
In 1996, after a failed attempt to partner with the American bookstore chain Borders, Reisman launched Indigo Books & Music. She is also known as the co-founder of Kobo, a global e-reader maker that was sold to Rakuten in 2011. The first Indigo store opened in Burlington, Ontario, in 1997. In 2001, she acquired the competing book retailer Chapters, making Indigo the dominant book retailer in Canada. Under her leadership, Indigo diversified its offerings and successfully transitioned into a cultural department store for book lovers. Reisman is known for her philanthropic efforts. She founded the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation in 2004, which has donated millions to Canadian schools to support library resources. Alongside her husband, Gerald Schwartz, Reisman has made significant donations to various educational and healthcare initiatives, including a $100 million donation to the University of Toronto to establish the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus and the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. Reisman has been included in the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
Paving the Path into Business
and Boardrooms
The women named are successful but also generous, giving of their time and resources to encourage women and girls to pursue dreams and supporting startups and entrepreneurs unable to access financial assistance through traditional means.
There are many more Canadian women to name who are founders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. For example, Christiane Germain is the Co-President of Germain Hotels and was named Grand Québécois in the economic sector by the Québec Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Now a Senator, Paulette Senior is currently the President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and previously was the CEO of YWCA Canada. She has led, managed, and operated shelters, employment programs, and housing programs in Toronto, and has sat on the Board of Directors of several Canadian equity-focused organizations. Sophie Brochu is the CEO of Hydro-Québec and a strong advocate for renewable energy. She is a leader of L’effet A, an initiative whose aim is to promote the participation of women at all organizational levels.
The list of influential and successful Canadian women could go on and on. These women exemplify Canadian women's diverse contributions and leadership to the entrepreneurial landscape, paving the way for future generations. Among their many roles is a critical one for girls and young women: role model.