Stories that Shift Systems: Lessons from Canadian Women Entrepreneurs
Every October, Small Business Month in Canada celebrates the creativity, resilience, and determination of entrepreneurs: the people turning ideas into movements and purpose into business.
For me, it was an opportunity to reflect on the kinds of stories we hear - and the ones we often don’t. Women entrepreneurs remain underrepresented, underfunded, and too often overlooked.
In Canada, only 18% of businesses are owned by women, and women-led companies continue to face systemic barriers to funding, mentorship, and visibility.
That is why, throughout October, I chose to use my platform to spotlight five Canadian women founders whose work reminds me what leadership with purpose looks like in action. Because storytelling is not simply a communications tool - it is a form of advocacy and amplification.
When women share their stories with clarity and authenticity, they do more than promote their work. They challenge the systems that have long limited their voices and redefine what success can look like.
These stories make invisible work visible. They remind us that entrepreneurship can be grounded in empathy, equity, and collaboration rather than competition alone. And they expand the definition of success beyond growth metrics to include integrity, inclusion, and community impact.
What Women’s Leadership Looks Like in Action
Throughout the month, I featured five women on LinkedIn whose businesses and missions reflect this balance of courage and purpose. Together, their stories paint a powerful picture of what women’s entrepreneurship in Canada truly looks like: values-driven, innovative, and deeply human.
Christina Anthony, founder of The Forum, built one of Canada’s leading organizations supporting women entrepreneurs through education, mentorship, and community. Since 2002, The Forum has helped thousands of women start, scale, and sustain businesses by surrounding them with the support networks they were often missing elsewhere.
Jenn Harper, founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty, created an Indigenous-owned cosmetics brand that blends sustainability, representation, and social impact. An Anishinaabe woman from Northwest Angle 33 First Nation, Jenn founded her company to create high-quality beauty products that also give back to Indigenous youth and communities—challenging industry norms and showing that profit and purpose can coexist.
Melissa Sariffodeen, co-founder of Canada Learning Code, has worked to close the digital divide by making technology education accessible to women, girls, and underrepresented groups. Her organization has empowered millions of learners across Canada to gain digital skills and confidence, ensuring that the future of tech includes everyone.
Madeleine Shaw, founder of Aisle (formerly Lunapads), has been redefining menstrual care and sustainability for more than two decades. Long before eco-friendly products became mainstream, Madeleine was building a business rooted in feminism, environmental responsibility, and dignity - proving that innovation can emerge from values, not just markets.
Alyssa Atkins, founder of Lilia, helped women take charge of their fertility decisions through an egg-freezing concierge service that makes the process more informed and empowering. Inspired by her own experience navigating fertility options, Alyssa created Lilia to give women the tools and confidence to make proactive choices about their futures.
Each of these women brings something unique to Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape, yet their stories share common threads: courage, purpose, and the determination to build something that makes life better for others.
Lessons from Five Founders and the Ecosystem Around Them
Looking back on Small Business Month reaffirmed something I have long believed: stories drive systems change.
Each of these women has built more than a business. They have built ecosystems of possibility.
From Christina, I learned how community accelerates growth - because mentorship and connection can shorten the distance between ideas and impact.
From Jenn, I was reminded that representation is not symbolic; it is systemic. Seeing someone who shares your background at the head of a company changes what entire generations believe is possible.
From Melissa, I saw that empowerment begins with access - when we teach skills and create confidence, we unlock potential that transforms communities.
From Madeleine, I reflected on how values-driven innovation can reshape entire industries when profit and purpose are not in conflict but in partnership.
From Alyssa, I learned that some of the most powerful businesses start with personal stories - when a founder’s lived experience becomes the spark for social change.
Yet beyond these individual lessons lies a broader truth: women’s entrepreneurship still operates within systems not designed for us.
Women continue to receive less than three percent of global venture capital funding. Many juggle caregiving responsibilities while leading teams, often without the same safety nets or recognition afforded to their male peers. And far too often, women’s stories are labeled as “niche” rather than necessary.
That is why visibility matters. When women’s stories are told and shared widely, they normalize success that looks and feels different. They create pathways for others to follow.
Storytelling as a Tool for Change
Sunflower team in Antigua (2022).
When I founded Sunflower Communications, I had no investors, no savings, and no road map - just a vision of helping purpose-driven organizations communicate their work more effectively. Like so many women entrepreneurs, I started small, teaching English on the side while building an agency from the ground up.
Storytelling was the tool that helped me grow.
It allowed me to connect with aligned partners, clarify our mission, and build trust in a sector where communications has often been considered a luxury rather than a strategic necessity.
Now, years later, that same belief fuels the work we do at Sunflower: helping entrepreneurs and social impact organizations turn meaningful work into stories that move people and systems forward.
Because when stories are told with heart and purpose, they do more than inspire. They create belonging, attract opportunities, and spark systemic change.
Storytelling is not just about visibility - it is about vision.
Looking Forward
Small Business Month may have ended in October, but the work of building, amplifying, and supporting women-led enterprises continues all year long.
Every story shared helps shift what is possible - for the storyteller and for the women watching quietly from the sidelines, waiting for permission to take their own leap.
To every woman building something meaningful: your story matters.
Tell it. Share it. Let it be seen.
Stay Connected
At Sunflower Communications, we help purpose-driven entrepreneurs and organizations turn meaningful work into stories that create clarity, confidence, and impact.
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