The Squamish Chamber of Commerce is launching a free peer mentoring group for women entrepreneurs. Applications are still open for women over 19 who own a local business.
According to the Key Small Business Statistics 2024 Report, women-owned businesses have higher failure rates than male or equally owned businesses, a gap Anne MacKenzie, the Squamish Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, hopes to bridge by offering local businesswomen practical support that she says women have historically lacked.
MacKenzie said she is “confident that we’ll have a full cohort.”
The first session will begin Friday, March 6, and is offered in partnership with WeBC, a B.C. business resource organization for women entrepreneurs.
Each of the multiple monthly sessions will be led by facilitator Katrina Carroll-Foster, a longtime Squamish local and entrepreneur. Her experience includes founding Kollectively, a strategic technology marketing firm, and serving as a board director for The Forum, a Canadian charity that supports women entrepreneurs.
Carroll-Foster will lead the group, helping local businesswomen share knowledge with each other, while also offering her own insights. To ensure safe and confidential discussion within the cohort, WeBC interviews every candidate to rule out competing businesses.
MacKenzie says this knowledge sharing is crucial, noting that entrepreneurs often start businesses on their own and can face issues or roadblocks that other business owners have already navigated.
“This is an opportunity to give you real-time insight and feedback on how to approach that,” she said.
Applications are open through the WeBC website, with only eight spots available in the cohort.
