There has been a fair bit of criticism lately about “marketplace feminism” (New Republic, Huffington Post, In These Times, and even a hilarious spoof of the concept from the New York Times). Marketplace feminism in these cases can be loosely understood as the commodification of feminism and female empowerment for commercial gain. The conversation has …
The Solomon Effect
We can all name the people in our lives who have inspired, influenced or otherwise taught us the most. For us as impact entrepreneurs and social change leaders, there are few who meet this profile more strongly than Joel Solomon. We discovered Joel not long after we fatefully met one another while attending a Community …
5 insights from a Facebook-free month
I am admittedly a bit of an odd duck: I love new ideas, people and conversation and am part of a couple of organisations that rely heavily on digital marketing to build community and get the word out about our products and events. You would think that, given this, I would be a social media …
Lessons learned as a Roller Derby parent
When I found out that I was pregnant in the summer of 2004, one of my first concerns was about what I would teach my child: after all, how much did I really know? One of the more pleasant surprises of the actual experience of parenting is how much I am learning from her, including new …
Dancing with the demons
“You ladies are killing it!”, “Congratulations: so well deserved!”, “Rock stars!” There’s a odd thing coming up for me these happy, successful days. We are on a major winning streak – SheEO, New York, speaking gigs, awards and so on (you will love what’s coming up around the corner for that matter, but I digress ;-), …
A funny thing happened on the way to the Opera
What is it about the idea of opera that is so compelling, such a uniquely elegant and dramatic happening that one feels an irresistible frisson saying “When I was at the opera” that is planets away from, say, “When I was at the grocery store”? As someone who has never in her life had any …
The hidden truths behind Success and Failure
There’s a lot of talk these days about how awesome failure is: I have seen failure panels and even failure parties come into small business vogue in recent years. Which is fantastic: there is tons to be learned in every effort that we make, and it’s good to see it validated alongside its traditionally shinier …
Sisterhood in Business
As un-fond I am of this classic cliche, I have found myself thinking a fair bit lately that there are two types of women in the world: ones who have your back (aka Sisters) and ones who – let’s be gentle – are playing by different rules (the ones that Madeleine Albright famously said “have …
Lessons learned from our SheEO Sisters
It’s no secret that we are longtime champions of women entrepreneurs in general, with a special fondness for those who find their inspiration in the social impact realm. We were especially touched and impressed by our SheEO Radical Generosity cohort, who, chosen from among 230 companies across Canada based on their overall business merits, also happened to …
Forget unicorns: the ladies are coming
As small business owners, we sometimes feel a bit neglected in a world that seems to prefer big things: it seems like the tide is finally starting to turn, at least when it comes to recognizing the value and promise of women entrepreneurs. A recent article in the Toronto Star about the SheEO Radical Generosity fund spells it …