It is a well-known fact that when women succeed, families, communities and economies are positively impacted. Stephanie Fontaine witnesses this reality every day in her role as the North American Regional Director for WEConnect International, an organization whose mission is to help drive money into the hands of women business owners by enabling them to compete in the global marketplace.
Most people don’t realize this but only 1% of the large corporate and government procurement contracts are held by women-owned firms, a reality despite that women-owned businesses account for 17.5% of all private sector businesses in Canada in the second quarter of 2022.
According to multiple sources, gender equality in business and the workplace is not only a moral imperative but also has tangible economic benefits. Companies with diverse voices, including women in decision-making roles, improve their bottom line by 26%. The equal participation of women in Canada’s economy could contribute an additional $150 billion.
As large buyers of goods and services, Canadian government and corporate supply chains have an opportunity to move the needle and many have done so by creating strategies and programs whereby the objective is to increase their purchases with diverse-owned suppliers.
Stephanie works at the core of these efforts as a connector for the buyers and suppliers, helping women business owners secure that first meeting with procurement representatives in what would otherwise be a complex world to navigate.
Stephanie’s experience in procurement is a key advantage when she speaks to suppliers. She knows what large supply chain buyers are looking for in terms of supplier due diligence and she knows how to position an offer to stand out while hitting the lesser-known requirements like sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and innovation that can put a supplier at the forefront of a long list of bidders. Every day Stephanie meets with business owners to share opportunities they didn’t even know existed and she helps them prepare before making those important introductions to buyers.
When people learn about Stephanie’s work, the first question they often ask is “How did you get that job?”. It’s understandable as this is not a job that existed in Canada 20 years ago, nor was it something that was in Stephanie’s career plans earlier on. Stephanie has a unique background, going from a psychology degree to co-launching a restaurant, to getting an MBA, to working in food and facilities management operations for global brands. Throughout, Stephanie had a deep fondness for learning from the ground up and an attitude for continuous improvement. Always one with an entrepreneurial spirit, she said yes to interesting projects, new roles and opportunities to help others. That approach served her well to develop vast business experience and build a network spanning across multiple industries.
Stephanie’s passion is to help business owners grow by offering knowledge and practical advice. In her day job Stephanie connects and works with women business owners and even outside of her formal role, she is always happy to meet local business owners in the Hamilton community. Stephanie is a regular visitor to the Cotton Factory where she enjoys serendipitous conversations with entrepreneurs.
If you’re a woman business owner and you’d like to know more about supplier diversity programs, free resources, or how to become a vendor to national and global brands, join us in March in CoWork.
Date: March 6, 2024 Time: 66 PM – 8 PM
Venue: CoWork at the Cotton Factory
