IEF NEWSLETTER ISSUE #14

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April 2023 Issue

Welcome to Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation’s (IEF) March 2023 Newsletter!

Check out the exciting news, events, and resources made available by the charity to inspire you and support your business.

What’s in this Issue

News

• For Mental Health Awareness Month, Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation launches free Mental Health Resources for entrepreneurs, in partnership with Green Shield Canada.

Business Tools & Resources

• Jelly Academy Digital Marketing Bootcamp: 25% discount for IEF Community

• She’s Next Grant Program, empowered by VISA: Application deadline May 15, 2023

Events

• Free Interactive Mental Health Workshop for IEF community, Thursday, May 18th, 2023

• Startup Canada Tour & Global Pop-up Pitch Competition: Halifax, NS, May 2, 2023, and Vancouver, B.C. May 11, 2023. 50% discount for IEF community.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, IEF is proud to provide its network access to mental health resources and supports designed specifically for entrepreneurs. The charity’s commitment to offering mental health supports for entrepreneurs is in response to addressing the higher prevalence of mental health challenges among business owners.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) studied the mental health and well-being of our nation’s entrepreneurs. In their Going It Alone study, their top recommendation from their findings was to develop flexible and relevant mental health support for entrepreneurs. CMHA cited that “entrepreneurs need mental health information, resources and supports that are tailored to their needs and work situations.” 

With the growing need of our network, and the personal lived experiences of mental health challenges among the charity’s team members, all of whom are founders, IEF was compelled to act on CMHA’s recommendations. 

IEF has collaborated with culture-fit therapists who specialize in entrepreneur and corporate mental health to deliver in-demand resources, education workshops, therapy sessions and peer group talk sessions. IEF’s mental health supports will continue to launch throughout the year, beginning with our first free mental health virtual workshop on May 18th, 2023.

Jelly Marketing’s Seven Week Digital Marketing Bootcamp

Whether it’s you – the business owner, or a member of your team, businesses require the most current Digital Marketing training to retain existing customers, capture new business, and drive revenue. The Jelly Academy 7 Week Digital Marketing Bootcamp will give you and your business the most meaningful and up-to-date skills needed to stay competitive in this constantly evolving landscape.

In 2022, 46.2% of revenue generated from Canadian businesses was the result of a website search. An additional 26.1% of revenue was generated through businesses’ social media activity (source: Made in CA Digital Marketing Statistics in Canada Report, 2023).

With ~94% of Canadians using the internet daily, we know that up-to-date literacy in digital marketing is vital for Canadian entrepreneurs to survive and thrive. 

Access the Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation 25% off discount for the Spring 2023 Semester HERE!

She’s Next Grant Program, empowered by VISA: Application deadline May 15, 2023

Back for its fifth year, VISA is offering its She’s Next program to women entrepreneurs. 

Women entrepreneurs are invited to apply for the opportunity to receive a $10,000 cash grant, customized coaching, and mentorship to grow their small business. Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2023, and women business founders are invited from all sectors to apply. You can access the eligibility requirements and the application here.

Free Mental Health Workshop for Women Entrepreneurs: Keep Your CEO-self in the Driver’s Seat, Facilitated by Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCIP.

Presented by Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation and in partnership with Green Shield Canada, this free interactive Mental Health Workshop will take place Thursday, May 18th from 2:30pm to 5pm ET via Zoom.

Mental health is key to a sustainable and successful business. Having a mental health plan is just as critical for entrepreneurs as having a business plan.

In this workshop, Shulamit will guide you to:

• Understand the 7 factors of risk to entrepreneur’s mental health.
• Understand why mental health is key to sustainable success in business.
• Understand the role of the nervous system in mental health.
• Learn about the key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of mental health.
• Learn how to draft and implement a mental health plan.

We are pleased to have Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCIP lead and facilitate this impactful workshop.

Shulamit is the Entrepreneur’s Therapist and co-founder of the Business Therapy Center. She works with women business owners to care for their mental and emotional wellbeing in an era of relentless stressors.

Shulamit has been an entrepreneur for over 27 years and has more than 22 years of professional experience applying therapeutic, coaching, and somatic tools to support women’s mental health and personal growth. In addition to working with clients 1:1, Shulamit teaches in private and university business programs and speaks locally, nationally, and internationally about the intersection of mental health, trauma, financial psychology and entrepreneurship.

Register today! Capacity is limited and tickets are moving quickly.

IEF is proud to partner with @ Green Shield Canada to deliver mental health resources and supports for women entrepreneurs!

The Startup Canada Tour! Next stops, Halifax, N.S., May 2, 2023, and Vancouver, B.C. May 11, 2023

Our friends at Startup Canada just wrapped up their first of five stops across Canada in Whitehorse, Y.T. of their Startup Canada Tour, and are now off to Halifax and Vancouver! 

Startup Canada Tour, Halifax, N.S.: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at the Canadian Museum of Immigration, Pier 21.

Starup Canada Tour, Vancouver, B.C.: Thursday, May 11, 2023 at The Nest at UBC. 

IEF community can register here to receive 50% off tickets! Register here with the promotional code STARTUPTOUR50. 

The Startup Canada Tour provides an incredible opportunity to meet with investors, build your network with business mentors and entrepreneur support organizations, learn from industry experts, and drive your businesses forward. 

Entrepreneurs are also invited to participate in the Startup Global “Pop-up” Pitch Competition as part of the Startup Canada Tour, an in-person opportunity to win a cash prize of $3,000 at one of the five Tour stops.

Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) is a national charity dedicated to supporting, educating, and celebrating entrepreneurs and innovators belonging to racialized and/or equity-deserving groups as they navigate the unfair barriers of institutional, structural, and interpersonal biases.

IEF releases a monthly newsletter on the last Friday of each month to provide you updates to our programs, share information about tools, resources, and services that may support you and your business, and to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship across Canada. Subscribe HERE. See something missing from the newsletter? Let us know what content you want to see at info@ief-fie.ca.