Create. Connect. Collaborate. Commercialize.

Awesome Program

Designed to grow and advance women-owned businesses in the food processing sector.

The goal of the AWESOME’s Program is to Advance Women Entrepreneurs through Skill-development, Opportunity-identification, Manufacturing-advice and Export-marketing. To advance your development, growth and expansion, this program offers customized business services. We provide growth and development consulting, skill development training, coaching, networking and other related services that will advance your business.

The Program is available to women entrepreneurs located in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. AWESOME is offered as an initiative of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. (Food Centre), with funding provided by The Government of Canada through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) Eco-System Fund.

AWESOME Program will help you through the steps of Developing Your Idea, Planning Your Business and Taking Action.

www.BeAwesome.ca

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Skill Development

Customized programming will be offered to address the essential skills that are needed to start and grow a successful food processing business. Skills training, offered in each of the three Prairie provinces, will cover the topics of Food Safety, Regulatory Requirements, Labeling and Packaging, Human Resources, Marketing, Exporting, Financial Management and other relevant topics.

Mentoring and Networking

Aspiring women entrepreneur will be given the opportunity to learn from successful business owners with like-minded interests and experiences. Networking events will be held to provide opportunities for women to make meaningful connections with business owners in the food industry. Where possible, AWESMOME will match new entrants to the Food Processing Sector with mentors who can provide valuable guidance and advice as women entrepreneurs work to develop their food business enterprises.

Business Development Advice and Coaching

Women entrepreneurs will have access to business advisory services designed to address issues such as: business planning; strategic planning; domestic marketing; exporting and other important business development issues. Technical assistance during product development will be available to program clients on a fee-for-service basis by contracting the provincial Food Centres that are partners in the planning and implementation of the AWESOME program.

All this and more! The program will be offered to women entrepreneurs in the Food Processing Industry and who are interested in the development, expansion and/or marketing of a food product. Specific groups of women who are underrepresented in the food processing sector will be targeted. Women working with food processing ventures in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta will be eligible to participate.

AWESOME Team

Shenuka Wickramasinghe, Program Manager email Shenuka
Carly Beckman, Program Coordinator email Carly
Brynn Krysa, Marketing Specialist email Brynn

What's new with AWESOME?

AWESOME Virtual Accelerator – Cohort 4

The AWESOME Accelerator provides 10 weeks of focused learning, sales development and connections for women entrepreneurs in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba with emerging food processing businesses.

Program Details

During the 10 weeks you will:

Meet with your cohort for a 3 hour session once per week

  • Work through your individual barriers of branding, processing, distribution and product development in a group setting with experts, seasoned entrepreneurs and your peers
  • Be required to prepare for and participate during each session
  • Be expected to progress through your own business development goals between each session
  • Have opportunities to pitch and sell in a variety of practical scenarios
  • Be assigned your own “board of directors”, and you will meet with them twice during the 10-week period

For more information on the Virtual Accelerator, visit the AWESOME website.

AWESOME Achievement Award Recipients

The AWESOME celebrates inspiring women agri-business owners who are making an impact in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  AWESOME’s 2021 Achievement Awards went to:

Listen to the audio stories from these 2021 recipients as they talk about their challenges and successes.  LINK

Become a Member - FREE to Join!

To access the programs offered through AWESOME, you will need to become a member.  Access expert advice, special funding programs and a network of other women entrepreneurs in the food industry!  Membership is currently FREE.

Visit www.BeAwesome.ca for more information on this program for women entrepreneurs.

Join