Female Entrepreneurs Shine Brightly at the TIES Inspiring Showcase: Christmas Edition

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Excitement was definitely in the air at the TIES Inspiring Showcase 2024: Christmas Edition on November 30, featuring the amazing journeys of immigrant (and other) female entrepreneurs.

“It’s so fulfilling to support women entrepreneurs in my work and be able to see their journey from when they start with just an idea and grow all the way to realizing their businesses and making it happen in the real world,” Vivian Escorsin, TIES Entrepreneurship Program Manager said.

This was the third Inspiring Showcase put on by The Immigrant Education Society with each edition bigger and better than the one before.

This one featured a total of 25 business booths specializing in fashion, beauty products, coaching, education, food, renovations, tech and much more.

The women behind these entrepreneurial endeavors -- all graduates of TIES Entrepreneurship Programs – New Immigrant Women Becoming Entrepreneurs (NIWBE) and Integrated Women’s Entrepreneurship Project (IWEP).

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“It means a lot to us to be able to showcase our business today. It allows us to network with like-minded people and showcase our business and capabilities,” Keyla Marmol with Kainos Renovation said.

“TIES has been instrumental in our growth, and we are happy to be here today.”

“TIES was eye-opening for me,” added Tosin Marcel-Falase from The Work Genie. “I’m an immigrant woman, so it really helped me understand the lay of business in this country.”

“The ability to provide financial service to people to help them achieve their goals is one of those things that inspires me and keeps me going -- knowing I can make a difference in their life and their relationship with money."

“It’s not about selling. It’s not about money,” Celestine Tshulu, owner of Celo Mode Couture pointed out. “It’s about women coming together.”

“That’s what’s very important. Every woman that comes in here, they all went through what I went through. TIES opened doors for us so now we can showcase to everyone what we are capable of doing.”

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As well as a Christmas Market, the event also featured a keynote speaker, networking opportunities, live music, Santa Claus visit, and an exciting pitch competition.

Attendees were captivated by Shannae Delancy's keynote address, where she shared her incredible journey from nursing to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the power of asking. Her willingness to ask for help, advice, and opportunities played a crucial role in her success, leading her to found two thriving businesses, Nurse Kelli-Sue’s Naturals and Care in a Pinch On-Site Event Childcare.

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Six businesses competed for the top prize in the pitch competition. Up for grabs, is a chance at a cash prize of $2,000 for 1st place, $1,000 for 2nd, $500 for 3rd and another $500 for crowd favourite!

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Natchaya Yodpan, with MAR Café & Creative Space, wowed the crowd and the judges winning both the top prize and crowd favourite! Regine Siamen of Safehaven Care Inc. placed second, and Monique Hung of SyncSelf placed third.

TIES would like to thank all the participants along with our funder: the Government of Canada Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES).

We also deeply appreciate our event sponsors: ATB Financial, Easymax by ENMAX Energy, and our in-kind sponsor Platform Calgary.

Thank you as well to Global Calgary for the wonderful media coverage leading up to and on the day of our event, and to CBC Calgary for also providing us with a much-welcome voice.

GLOBAL NEWS: Dreams in action: Calgary entrepreneurs empowered by TIES program

GLOBAL NEWS: Calgary Immigrant Women Showcase Entrepreneurial Spirit

CBC NEWS: Calgary Immigrant Organization Showcases Women Entrepreneurs (5:18 to 6:45)

TIES looks forward to the next Inspiring Showcase!

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