The Innovation Hub was excited to partner with the CUSA Women’s Centre and CUSA to bring back the Female Founders Street Market on March 25th, 2024 from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, right on campus in the Richcraft Atrium. Female founders filled the atrium with their homemade and handcrafted products such as jewelry, haircare, clothing, baked goods, art, and more. The event featured over 20 women-owned businesses, henna artists providing free henna, live music performers, a keynote address from MP Anita Vandenbeld, Rodney the Raven taking pictures, and a giveaway! It was fulfilling to see so many people come by to support their local female founders and women entrepreneurs. Through collaboration and support, events like the Female Founder Street Market pave the way for a future where gender equality and entrepreneurship go hand in hand.
Member of Parliament Anita Vandenbeld discussed some of the barriers that women entrepreneurs face:
“If you look at men and women and the export sector, it’s extremely dominated by male entrepreneurs and women are not exporting. Now it depends on what you have, muffins may be harder than some of the other products, but I think that it’s really important that women are given that opportunity to scale their businesses.”
The CUSA Women’s Centre is a welcoming space dedicated to providing support, education, and resources for individuals who identify as women, as well as anyone interested in gender-based issues. It is the only women’s-only space on campus, where all women are invited to use this peaceful sanctuary for studying, resting, prayer, breastfeeding, and self-care. The Innovation Hub plays a crucial role in supporting entrepreneurship on campus by providing programs at no-cost to student founders and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in starting or growing a new business venture or social innovation. The Hub connects its program participants with resources, mentors, and investors in the Ottawa entrepreneurship ecosystem that can help them to design, launch and scale their own businesses.
The Female Founders Street Market was made successful once again as a result of the CUSA Women’s Centre, the Innovation Hub, all of the talented vendors, and the members from the Carleton community who came out to show their support. The Female Founders Street Market is empowering because it provides a platform for women to showcase their talents and skills, while making connections with others in the Ottawa area. Attendees were about to have meaningful conversations to get to know the vendors and their businesses on a more personal level. When we put our money towards local and women-owned businesses, we’re directly supporting individuals in our community and encouraging them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Female Founders Street Market, we hope to see you again next year!