The Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes outstanding women in business who also just happen to be mothers.
Since 2008, I have been a business owner. I am customer service, marketing, sales, accounting and development rolled into one. However, imagining someone who can manage all of that (and more) on top of being a parent is something that I truly admire. This past year I have also met some talented women through such events as the Enterprising Mom’s Network conference and the YummyMummyClub Tweetup. Having the drive, ambition, and vision to excel in business while taking care of others and ensuring they can do the same in their lives, is remarkable.
Savvy Mom is a nation-wide online network of resources to help you learn about health, share, shop, eat, and get the most out of your city’s resources by connecting with other mothers. They have a collection of writers across the country and this contest serves to recognize individuals who have excelled in their field.
Two current nominees have contacted me about the event so I thought it best to highlight each of them.
Sandy Gerber Co-Founder, 3 Degrees West – Nominee Bio.
3 Degrees West Design & Communications was born when Karley Cunningham and Sandy Gerber merged Twist Multimedia and ThreeKids Media in 2005. Since that time they have been offering e-marketing, strategies for corporate presentations, website management, and other aspects of branding and corporate development. 3 Degrees West also believes in giving back as Sandy worked with a poverty relief project in Nicaragua, Bridges to Community.
Natacha V. Beim CEO, Core Education & Fine Arts (CEFA) – Nominee Bio.
Since 1998 CEFA has been providing pre-Kindergarten education in several core learning areas, from mathematics to visual arts. Natacha is a teacher who specialized in European Junior Kindergarten who wanted to bring those same principals and core learning opportunities to our region. She has been preparing to franchise the CEFA method so that schools can be setup around BC and soon, across Canada. There are currently almost 10 CEFA schools around the Lower Mainland.
Past winners of the Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award include, Martha Scully of Canadian Sitter Inc (bio), and the team from Mabels Labels (bio). Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit of yoyomama (bio) won last year on behalf of the BC & Territories region.
“Winning the SavvyMom award last year for great for us,” Annemarie told me. “We were only just over a year old, so it was great for increasing our national awareness and credibility. Plus the prize came in handy as well. We approached winning like it was a campaign – figuring out how to best position it as a plus for us and for our readers. Which it truly was. It’s not enough to just post a button on your site and hope to win, instead you need to spread the word and ask for votes in a way that’s compelling for all parties.”
If you know an exceptional woman who handles both being a mother and running a successful business, nominations are still being accepted and voting is open until September 13, 2009. The winner will also receive over $15,000 in prizes and professional services.
On October 1st, 2009 the Vancouver Farmers Markets are presenting RIPE: the first annual evening of local food and libations.
The event aims to raise funds and support of the organizations and initiatives surrounding eating local. “This includes the establishment of a Farmers Nest Egg Fund, and the creation of the recently announced New City Market, Vancouver’s first permanent year round farmers market.”
RIPE will take place on Granville Island and you’ll be able to connect with local producers, listen to speakers, meet the chefs, and of course eat some tasty homegrown creations.
Tickets are available for purchase online, in person at Barbara-Jo’s Books To Cooks and Edible BC, or by calling the Vancouver Farmers Markets office at (604) 879-3276. Tickets ($90 for members, $100 for non-members) will be on sale until September 29th.
With your ticket purchase you’ll receive a one year membership for the Vancouver Farmers Market, food, drinks, entertainment for the evening, and access to a silent auction and a raffle draw.
Burns Bog is the largest domed peet bog on the West Coast of North America and is vital to our entire region’s ecosystem. Over the last 40 years, it has been used as a landfill by the City of Vancouver although what they are now proposing is even more vile. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
This year’s Deep Cove Daze festival will happen this Sunday, August 30th, from 11:00am until 8:00pm at Panorama Park.
The festival, that will have a Caribbean twist, will have free admission, a free bike valet, the Cayman Island Artisan Alley, the Barbados Beer Garden, a cardboard kayak race, and plenty of entertainment for the entire family. Things kick off with a Kids Parade in the morning. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes for this opening ceremony. They will also run Deep Cove Idol, a talent search for 13-19 year olds, and also 12 year olds or younger. The winner will receive a 3hr demo recording session. Auditions are already taking place but you can email info [at] musart.com for more information.
You can get to Deep Cove by transit (which may be recommended as parking could fill right up) by taking the 290 Deep Cove bus.
I have promoted this post to the front page of my site for October 4th, 2009. Scroll down to see updates from the 2009 Run for the Cure.
The CIBC Run for the Cure has a special place in my heart. After the second year that I ran it, I came home, showered, and hopped in the car to go pick up John from the airport. That was the day he moved to Vancouver and soon after he became my husband. The following year, we did the run together and I raised funds for the first time through my blog (2006, 2007).
The Run for the Cure is an amazing event with such a great vibe that raises funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It recognizes battles, it celebrate lives, and it joins people across the country on a single day for a single cause. This year’s run takes place Sunday, October 4th. You can sign up for the kids run (1km loop) or the main run (5km) which you are welcome to walk.
You can sign up online, place a donation, or read the Finding Hope blog for inspiration.
Update, Sunday October 4th 2009: This morning John and I headed down to Concord Pacific Place in False Creek to cover the CIBC Run for the Cure. Thousands showed up to run, walk, cheer, and participate in this inspiring event.
Survivor Tracy Di Venanzo gave a motivational talk on stage after Premier Gordon Campbell welcomed everyone to the event. All around us were people walking and running in honor of a loved one (or the loved one of someone else).
There were numerous dogs (and even a cat), countless strollers, children running in honor of their grandparents or mothers, and thousands of others wearing costumes or proudly displaying their “I’m running for” badges.
I stood at the finish line and clapped as people completed the course and was almost moved to tears whenever someone wearing a pink “survivor” t-shirt went by.
There were also several local celebrities taking part, including news anchor Pamela Martin (CTV), Dave Genn (54-40) and his wife Tamara Taggart (CTV). I also heard that Bif Naked, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, was doing the run as well.
This is the 18th annual run and over 1 million people have participated in the Run for the Cure since it began. In 2009, Canadians in 56 communities from Victoria, BC to St John’s Newfoundland took part.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation can be found on Twitter (@CBCF_Run) and also over on their Finding Hope blog. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is the perfect reminder for women to get themselves checked.
You can view the rest of John’s amazing photos in his Flickr set.
