Boss women are leaving their mark on the world in amazing ways and seriously changing the game. Female entrepreneurship is incredibly important for our future and for closing the gender gap.

The following Canadian women have created their own successful businesses and want to empower other women to do the same.

Eva Wong, Co-Founder & COO – Borrowell

Eva is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Borrowell, a Canadian fintech company that helps consumers make great decisions about credit. She provides leadership to the Product, Engineering, Design and Data teams and is a member of the Executive Team. Eva’s career has spanned both the private and not-for-profit sectors, including roles at The OTF Group (a Monitor spin-off), Maple Leaf Foods, UNDP and Oliver Wyman. She has studied or worked in the US, Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Eva is an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 award winner in Ontario and was named one of the Standout 35 globally on the 2018 Women in FinTech Powerlist. Eva is a frequent speaker at events and was named one of 20 Canadian tech start-up founders to follow by Twitter Canada. Eva holds degrees from Harvard University and Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, where she serves on the Advisory Board.

Shahrzad Rafati

Shahrzad Rafati is the founder and CEO of BroadbandTV, a Vancouver-based digital entertainment company that is the third-largest video property in the world, following only Google and Facebook. Entrepreneurship is in Rafati’s blood; her parents and brother are also entrepreneurs, and she started her company right out of school when online video was still a new concept. Realizing the need to connect content owners, content creators, audiences, and advertisers, BroadbandTV pioneered the technology and a business model in which all parties benefit. Her passion lies in empowering this generation of content creators by giving them the tools they need to succeed.

Stephanie Ciccarelli

The co-founder and chief brand officer of Voices.com, Stephanie Ciccarelli first developed her business idea with her husband, David, on the back of a napkin in their kitchen. The company, headquartered in London, Ontario, is now the world’s largest online marketplace for voice actors and voice-actor employers. Ciccarelli is considered one of the most connected people in the industry and for more than two decades has used her voice to empower women through spoken word, written word, and song. Her podcast, Sound Stories, brings high-profile creatives together to help others improve their craft.

Joanna Griffith, Founder And CEO Of Knix

“Reinventing intimates for real life.” It’s Knix’s slogan and Joanna Griffiths’ main goal when creating bras, sports bras, bodysuits and underwear that help women embrace their bodies as they are. With her body-positive advertising campaigns and innovative pieces, she recently launched the Catalyst sports bra with adjustable band and straps that boast major support without an underwire. She is changing the intimates game one item at a time.

Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski, Founder And President  Of Rock-It Promotions

Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski started her boutique PR firm, rock-it promotions, 18 years ago from her parent’s bedroom. Since then, her team has grown at breakneck speed and now serves a wide range of Canadian clients such as Casper, Hudson’s Bay, Toronto Fashion Week and the Junos, as well as mega-brands like Adidas and L’Oréal Paris. The company has been ranked in the Growth 500: Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies for the past three years. 

For more inspiring women entrepreneurs check out Culture Trip.

Published on HOLR Magazine.