Canadian Manufacturing

Stacy’s Rise Project announces class of Canadian grant recipients in support of women entrepreneurs

by CM staff   

Financing Human Resources News Women in Manufacturing Canadian grant recipients women entrepreneurs


This announcement marks the first time the program has awarded Canadian grant recipients in the brand's effort to support women entrepreneurs across North America.

SRP Canadian Winners (Photo: CNW Group/PepsiCo Foods Canada)

MISSISSAUGA —Stacy’s Pita Chips inaugural Canadian Stacy’s Rise Project class is a grant and mentoring program for women entrepreneurs. For the first time, the Stacy’s Rise Project opened its applications to women founders based in Canada, expanding the impact of the program beyond the U.S. with the help of a new Canadian partner, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC).

“Women-owned businesses in Canada receive an estimated 4 per cent of VC funding and women entrepreneurs continue to face a variety of barriers when seeking capital to start and grow their businesses,” said Alison Kirkland, CEO of Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada. “Programs like the Stacy’s Rise Project, that offer direct funding paired with ongoing mentorship opportunities, can be game changers for women entrepreneurs and we are proud to have been part of selecting the first Canadian class to benefit from this opportunity.”
Introducing the Canadian Stacy’s Rise Project Class

The Stacy’s brand is recognizing four women founders across Canada, enabling them to join the community of Stacy’s Rise Project winners in North America.

  • Carolyn Simon (Toronto, ON), founder of Choose Life Foods, the home of plant-based Caribbean Goodness. Choose Life Food’s mission is to create nutritious plant-based alternatives to the Caribbean’s most beloved dishes so consumers with different dietary restrictions can enjoy them.
  • Elaine Tan Comeau (Coquitlam, BC), founder of Easy Daysies Ltd. These award winning daily visual schedules are proven product solutions with the goal to help children, adults and families have happier and easier days.
  • Jolene Johnson (Tobique First Nation, NB), founder of Wabanaki Maple, a completely Indigenous, women-owned and unique maple syrup company located in Neqotkuk (Tobique) First Nation. Wabanaki Maple provides a twist on tradition with a signature line of barrel aged maple products that include flavours of bourbon, whisky, rum and Oak syrups.
  • Kristyn Carriere (Edmonton, AB), founder of 7 Summits Snacks, a women-owned and led superfood chocolate company. 7 Summits Snacks provides purposeful chocolate products designed to ‘fuel your next adventure’.

With the support of WEOC, the grant recipients were selected from applications received from across the country. Each founder will receive a $15,000 CAD grant, and gain access to a mentorship opportunity with PepsiCo Foods Canada and Frito-Lay leadership.
In addition to the grant, these women entrepreneurs will participate in a mentorship program where they will be paired with PepsiCo executives for one-on-one counseling.

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“There are more than one million women entrepreneurs in Canada who are in need of more opportunities to receive the funding, mentorship and support they need to grow their business,” said Jess Spaulding, Chief Marketing Officer of PepsiCo Foods Canada. “We’re so thrilled to extend the Stacy’s Rise Project to support women entrepreneurs across North America and know that announcing our first-ever class of Canadian winners is just the beginning of recognizing the incredible women founders in this country.”

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