The Scotiabank Women Initiative Exceeds Commitment to Deploy $3 Billion in Capital to Women-Owned and Women-Led Businesses

TORONTO, Sept. 2, 2021 /CNW/ - The Scotiabank Women Initiative™ today announced it has successfully fulfilled its commitment to deploy $3 Billion in capital to women-owned and women-led businesses in Canada.

The program has in fact surpassed the $3 Billion target this month, deploying $3.2 Billion – ahead of its forecasted deadline – towards helping thousands of women pursue their best professional and financial futures.

"When we launched The Scotiabank Women Initiative in December 2018, our sole mission was to help advance women-led businesses in Canada," says Gillian Riley, President and CEO, Tangerine Bank, and executive sponsor of The Scotiabank Women Initiative. "In only three years, we are well on our way to realizing that mission, and have expanded the program to new heights, integrating it into several of our key business lines. Women-owned businesses are essential to the health of the Canadian economy, and I'm extremely proud of how The Scotiabank Women Initiative has played a part in guiding so many of them to success."

In addition to surpassing its capital deployment goal, The Scotiabank Women Initiative has accomplished the following key milestones since inception:

• Engaged +6,000 women-led entrepreneurs across the country through Un-Mentorship Boot Camps™ and Mentorship sessions that help women increase their business savvy by networking and exploring business challenges
• Collaborated with +15 organizations including Disruption Ventures, The Forum, Réseau des Femmes d'affaires du Québec and MNP
• Launched The Scotiabank Women Initiative Digital Hub in collaboration with Shopify, Google Canada, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook and HubSpot to deliver key resources to help women entrepreneurs adapt to uncertain economic times
• Expanded into Global Banking and Markets (GBM), Global Wealth Management (GWM)

Many of these goals were accomplished throughout the uncertain economic environment imposed by the pandemic. As much of the world grappled with transitioning to a new virtual reality, and women in particular faced unprecedented economic challenges, The Scotiabank Women Initiative was able to continue to help advance women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses across Canada.

As part of its newly expanded mandate, The Scotiabank Women Initiative will continue to help women in more ways to pursue their best professional and financial futures by providing unbiased access to capital and tailored solutions, bespoke specialized education, holistic advisory services, and mentorship.

For more information on The Scotiabank Women Initiative, visit www.scotiabankwomeninitiative.com 

About The Scotiabank Women Initiative
The Scotiabank Women Initiative is a signature program designed to increase economic opportunity for our clients who identify as women or non-binary to be successful, now and in the future. This globally expanding, unique offering helps thousands of women pursue their best professional and financial futures by providing unbiased access to capital and tailored solutions, bespoke specialized education, holistic advisory services and mentorship. Whether supporting women to take their careers and businesses further, collaborating with inclusion-focused leaders and companies, providing women-owned and women-led businesses with equitable access to funding or helping women take charge of their finances, The Scotiabank Women Initiative breaks down barriers to empower women to succeed on their own terms. For more information, visit scotiabankwomeninitiative.com.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future" we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of approximately $1.2 trillion (as at July 31, 2021), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank

Stephanie Cangelosi, Global Communications, [email protected]