The PAROBiz program, run by the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, receives $1.24 million over three years to help low-income women start and grow their own businesses. The program provides resources, mentorship, and a supportive network to women across Ontario.
A program designed to empower low-income women through entrepreneurship is receiving a significant financial boost from the Ontario government. The $1.24 million injection over three years will support the PAROBiz program, which provides resources and guidance to women seeking to launch or expand their businesses.
The program, run by the Thunder Bay-based PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, operates across various regions of Ontario, including northern, eastern, central, and the Greater Toronto Area. \Denise Atkinson, founder and CEO of Tea Horse and Tipi Horse Connects, a Red Rock Indian Band member, credits the PARO Centre with being instrumental in her journey as an entrepreneur. She transformed her passion for tea into a thriving business, leveraging the centre's resources and mentorship. 'As women, we do so many things. We wear so many hats and multitask, and a lot of the things that we do, we don't realize that that can be a business,' Atkinson shared. 'Having PARO to have business counsellors talk to you about the skills that you already have and skills that you may need to focus on, it really helps women to be empowered to start their own businesses.' \The funding announcement was made in Thunder Bay by Charmaine Williams, Ontario's associate minister of women's social and economic opportunity. Williams highlighted the importance of supporting women in entrepreneurship as a pathway to financial independence and community well-being. 'Sometimes starting a business is the way you become financially independent. Sometimes having something in your home because of kids, it makes it much more effective for you to be able to have that financial stability when you have a business from home,' Williams remarked. Rosalind Lockyer, CEO of the PARO Centre, emphasized that the program aims to create a space where women's voices are heard, valued, and supported. 'If women have a space, a place in their communities to be heard and valued and have the social connections and the economic finances that they need to thrive, the community thrives. The economy thrives,' Lockyer stated. 'A lot of people don't realize that — and that has to be a priority.'
Women's Issues Parobiz Women's Entrepreneurship Ontario Government Funding Financial Independence Community Development PARO Centre For Women's Enterprise
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