TORONTO — The Banff Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media today announced it has received additional funding through the government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) to support women entrepreneurs through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Banff Spark received an initial federal funding commitment of more than $1.9 million through WES to create a multi-year program “to address the systemic gender gap in ownership roles of companies of scale within Canada’s media industry,” says today’s press release.
Now the project is receiving an additional $275,000 in federal funding, which will enable Banff Spark to provide the 100 participants currently taking part in the program with tailored programming, training and resources to address both immediate and long-term strategies for tackling business challenges associated with the current pandemic, says the release.
The additional programming and resources will roll out in the coming months, and will include: practical workshops with industry experts and advisors; a database and networking platform; and a comprehensive Covid-19 special report and guide.
“A dedicated stream of recovery programming and tailored resources will equip these women business owners, who represent some of the country’s most impressive and promising media companies, to navigate and sustain operations during this period of uncertainty, as well as prepare their businesses for a post-pandemic landscape,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of the Banff World Media Festival, in the release.
Banff Spark’s core program provides a tailored business planning curriculum, mentorship and access to potential strategic business partners to participating women from Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Over the course of three years, Banff Spark will support up to 200 women entrepreneurs with the goal of advancing gender equality across the media sector and bolstering the economic success of all women. With a strong mandate to champion diversity, the program is especially designed to empower women of colour, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ women and non-binary individuals.
For more information, please click here.
