This year’s EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women are…

Across Canada, women own just 16% of small and medium size businesses, and fewer than 2% of those owners break US$1 million, or about $1.4 million, in revenue.

To help female entrepreneurs grow their companies, EY created the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program in 2008. For 2016, the program has inducted 14 entrepreneurs into its North America class.

That list includes three Canadians, and they are:

• Jennifer Kelly, c0-owner of Petit Pehr in Toronto;
• Rebecca Perren, also co-owner of Petit Pehr in Toronto; and
• Mabel Lee, owner of Velour Lashes in Toronto.

“The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program [will] help these women put the processes in place to expand their companies, as they emerge from the start-up phase and face a crucial inflection point in their growth journey,” says Carrie Marchitto, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women leader in Canada.

Read: Women in Capital Markets announces award winners

This year’s class of female entrepreneurs average US$9.8 million, or about $13 million, in annual revenue, and have an average three-year combined annual growth rate of 42%. They also have an average of 45 employees.

Since its inception, the Entrepreneurial Winning Women program has spurred growth among participating entrepreneurs. According to an independent impact assessment directed by the Babson College Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership, 2014 revenue for participating companies was 54% higher than before they joined the program–winners also report increased confidence and growth goals.

Read: Who is Canada’s top female entrepreneur?

Here’s a list of the rest of the members of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2016:

• Katie Warner Johnson, owner of clothing company Carbon38, Los Angeles, California.
• Kristi Alford, owner of tech company E2 Optics, LLC, Englewood, Colorado.
• Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, owner of media company Her Campus Media LLC, Boston, Massachusets.
• Leen Kawas, owner of pharmaceutical company M3 Biotechnology, Inc., Seattle, Washington.
• Anastasia Gentles and Zawadi Bryant, owner of pediatric services company NightLight Pediatric Urgent Care, Sugar Land, Texas.
• Neetu Seth, owner of tech company NITS Solutions, Novi, Michigan.
• Donna L. Milavetz, owner of healthcare services company OnSite Care, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Merrilee Alexander Kick, owner of alcoholic beverage manufacturer Southern Champion/BuzzBallz LLC, Carrolton, Texas.
• Rita Gurevich, owner of cybersecurity company SPHERE Technology Solutions, Jersey City, New Jersey.
• Katerina Vorotova, owner of global food delivery company Try The World, New York, New York.

Read:

IMF: Equal pay for men and women boosts growth

Gender wage gap won’t close for 170 years

Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.