The community of practice corresponds to best practice in knowledge transfer: focused on user needs, it relies on social interaction, mobilizes different types of knowledge and combines various strategies.
The Femmes entrepreneures community of practice is mobilizing to support women-owned businesses in its area.
The aim is to accelerate and support the growth of women-owned businesses by mobilizing the entrepreneurial ecosystem to provide an accessible environment conducive to innovation.
A community of practice in action
Grande Rencontre IMPACT Femmes Entrepreneures de Laval (GRIFE)
On May 23, 2023, the Grande Rencontre IMPACT Femmes Entrepreneures de Laval was held to bring together female entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners to discuss the basis for sustainable, innovative solutions to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs in Laval. A study carried out and presented by Tania Saba identified the support needs, obstacles and systemic biases faced by women entrepreneurs in terms of intersectionality.
Nearly 80 participants brought together different areas of knowledge to create new and unexpected combinations of ideas.
Growth + path
The Parcours Croissance +, the only one of its kind in Quebec, was developed jointly by Anissa Kherrati, coordinator of Laval's entrepreneurial community, and the Réseau des Femmes d'Affaires du Québec to provide Laval's women-owned businesses with the tools and support they need to integrate the supply chains of major prime contractors. Through various workshops, 10 Laval women entrepreneurs, each offering different and/or complementary products and services, were able to perfect their knowledge. At the networking workshop, the last in the series, they had the opportunity to meet with major prime contractors such as the Ville de Laval, Couche-tard and Morehouse, and to present their statements of capabilities.
In a group mentoring format, women entrepreneurs benefited from meetings guided by an experienced mentor, stimulating exchanges with the aim of helping them progress and motivating them. These meetings enabled the women to share their experiences, support and encourage each other.
Developing the knowledge of the community of practice of women entrepreneurs
Overview of women entrepreneurs in Laval
Laval économique commissioned Tania Saba, BMO Chair in Diversity and Governance and Director of the Knowledge Portal for Women in Entrepreneurship (PCFE), Pôle Québec et communautés francophones du Canada, to carry out a study enabling business players and women entrepreneurs to better define their issues and identify new avenues for solutions.