Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs: 5 Years of ELLA
Join YSpace ELLA, in partnership with Desjardins and the City of Vaughan, for an unforgettable evening during International Women’s Day week as we celebrate five years of empowering women entrepreneurs. This event is a tribute to the creativity, resilience, and innovation of women who are redefining the future of business.
Prepare to be inspired by the remarkable journey of ELLA, meet the dynamic Altitude 2024 cohort, and reflect on key milestones from the past five years. Engage with ELLA mentors, alumni, and partners who have helped shape this thriving community.
The evening will feature an inspiring keynote address by Coach Carey - get ready for a thought-provoking talk that will leave you motivated and energized.
Adding to the excitement, visit the ELLA Demonstration Zone to connect with ELLA Alumni and Altitude cohort members, hear their stories, and celebrate their achievements.
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business leader, or someone passionate about supporting women in business, this event is your opportunity to connect, celebrate, and champion the incredible contributions of women entrepreneurs. Don’t miss this inspiring celebration.
Register now to avoid disappointment – limited capacity!
Event at a glance
Agenda:
5:00-6:00pm Networking, registration and refreshments
6:00-7:30pm Main programming and keynote speaker
7:30-9:00pm Networking and refreshments
Speaker Bio
As a 3x Certified Life Coach, speaker, and EDI consultant Coach Carey is passionate about encouraging others to tap into the confidence they never knew they had. After overcoming various hardships, she was able to transform her mindset and begin a career that empowers others to do the same. By openly sharing her triumphs and tribulations, Raia’s vulnerability helps foster a welcoming and safe environment in every room she enters. She strives to inspire and lead those around her by providing unwavering support, guidance, and motivation.
By equipping clients with tangible tools to implement in their daily lives, she steers her community towards self-awareness, resilience, and sustainable success.
About Desjardins
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the sixth largest in the world, with assets of $464.7 billion as at September 30, 2024. It has been named one of Canada's Best Employers by Forbes magazine and by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, its online platforms, and its subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and one of the highest credit ratings in the industry.
About York Region
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to over 1.25 million residents and 57,000 businesses with more than 629,000 employees. Strategically positioned in the Greater Toronto area, York Region is Ontario’s third largest business centre and is among Canada’s largest Information and Communications Technology, Life Sciences and Financial Services business clusters. It is also an innovation hub and a rich pool of talent for established businesses and new ventures. York Region supports economic development with a pro-business environment offering a range of investment assistance and resources for businesses and non-profits both large and small.
About City of Vaughan’s Economic Development Team
Vaughan Economic Development provides a robust list of services for entrepreneurs, including:
business planning support, including marketing strategies, financial forecast and cash flow, and general business development.
information on the development process, regulations, zoning, licensing, permits, business registration and legal structure.
end-to-end site selection support.
connections to funding sources, financing and grants.
connections to business professionals, organizations and resources from various levels of government.
research and business intelligence support.
business development and marketing support for tourism organizations.
business workshops, seminars, events and networking opportunities.
For more information, additional resources or to book a consultation, visit vaughanbusiness.ca.
About YSpace
YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. Our programming spans across scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like ELLA powered by Desjardins for women-led businesses and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) for Black-led businesses. Additionally with our Start-Up Visa program, we are building a robust ecosystem, driving positive change and empowering entrepreneurs to shape the future. We are also home to two physical hubs in the City of Markham and the Town of Georgina.
Venue information and Parking details
For your convenience, please refer to the attachment for venue information and parking details at Vaughan Studios and Event Space.