Women
Thank You for Making International Women's Day 2026 in Hanover a Success!
On behalf of the organizing team, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our International Women’s Day event in Hanover on March 12th. Your presence, enthusiasm, and support made the day truly special!
A special thank you to:
- Jenn Walker, from Dive Heart First our inspiring keynote speaker, for sharing her insights and motivating everyone in attendance.
- Ani's Kitchen for the delicious catering that kept us energized throughout the event.
- All the vendors who set up booths and showcased amazing products and services.
- Our Saugeen Connects partners for all their hard work in arranging the event.
- Saugeen Economic Development Corporation, our generous sponsor, for helping make this celebration possible.
We are so grateful for this incredible community of supporters and look forward to seeing you at future events!
BIZGrowth
What is it? If you are an existing women owned business looking to grow, scale-up, or expand, BIZGrowth may be for you. Businesses may have difficulty moving their business to the next level and this program is designed to help businesses increase and capitalize on market opportunities to grow and expand. The purpose is to assist businesses to expand into new markets. BizGrowth Can Help Your Business!
- Expand to New Markets: including plans supported by participating at key trade missions, conferences, and trade shows.
-Product Development and/or Business Enhancement: including needed equipment, training, and certification costs.
- Utilization of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
BizGrowth will cover 50% up to $2500.00 (not including taxes) in assistance towards approved costs in the above categories.
Advancing Women Economically (AWE) Loan
The Saugeen Connects/SEDC Advancing Women Economically (AWE) loan product was developed to assist women entrepreneurs that face the following barriers: are older, that are clients of social services, are disabled or indigenous. This loan product was designed to address the needs of this targeted segment of women.
It is our hope that through this product we can provide women in the Saugeen Connects catchment area with help assessing and acquiring the skills required to build and sustain a successful business, develop more confidence and be provided with support to overcome a good portion of the barriers they face. Saugeen Connects strives to support women in business and the AWE Loan product can be used to achieve this.
Advancing Women Economically (AWE)
Webinar Series -APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED
Advancing Women Economically (AWE) invites women entrepreneurs to join a free, five-week Lunch & Learn webinar series designed to help you start, grow, and scale your business with confidence. Running Thursdays from March 19 to April 16, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., each session is led by expert facilitators and covers practical topics such as turning passion into profit, building confidence, marketing, collaboration, and money management.
Participants who complete all sessions are invited to a complimentary catered networking breakfast, with early registrants also receiving a special discount to AWE’s International Women’s Day event.
Applications now closed.
An AWEsome Program for Women
By: Anna Proctor
Women in the Saugeen area are shining a little brighter these days, thanks to an AWEsome webinar series called AWE (Advancing Women Economically), the brainchild of Saugeen Connects.