The Spotlight
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Explore authentic stories from Canadian women shaping innovation and investment
We're passionate about increasing investment in Canadian women-led ventures, and nothing inspires action like hearing directly from remarkable women founders and investors. Presented in partnership with The Scotiabank Women Initiative®.
Rebecca Kacaba
Founder
Rebecca Kacaba is the co-founder and CEO of DealMaker, the capital-raising tech platform behind some of the largest online raises in North America. A securities lawyer by training, Rebecca left her partnership at the world's largest law firm to launch DealMaker, a bold bet on modernizing the way companies raise money. That bet paid off.
Rebecca has been named one of Canada's Most Powerful Women, one of North America's most innovative lawyers by the Financial Times, and Waterstone's Most Admired CEO. But it's not the accolades that define her, it's her mission. She's a relentless advocate for founders, especially those traditionally left out of capital markets. And she's helping founders across sectors, from sports to entertainment to tech, use retail capital as a strategic edge in the new capital stack.
Sarah Jordan
Angel Investor
Sarah Jordan is a purpose-driven leader, board director, and angel investor with a passion for building high-performance teams and creating possibilities for the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
Sarah has held senior leadership roles across retail, consumer & financials services brands, leading large teams through growth, transformation, and innovation. Alongside her executive career, Sarah has become an active supporter of entrepreneurs and emerging leaders. She believes leadership is ultimately about uplifting others—creating environments where people and ideas can thrive.
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Gillian Riley
Angel Investor
Gillian Riley is a financial leader and champion for Canadian innovation. As the former CEO of Tangerine Bank, she managed $50 billion in assets and led Canada’s digital banking revolution. Driven by the gaps in female-led financing, Gillian founded The Scotiabank Women Initiative®, which has made access to capital, education and mentorship a priority to 40,000+ women entrepreneurs globally.
Now an active angel investor and Chair of RoyNat Capital, Gillian focuses on fueling early-stage tech and building the robust ecosystems necessary to drive productivity and economic growth.
Dr. Donna Gasparro & Candice Raic
Co-founders
Blending deep medical expertise with sharp business acumen, sisters Dr. Donna Gasparro and Candice Raic are redefining the standard of care for women in Canada. They are the co-founders of Femme Women’s Wellness, Medical & Cosmetics Clinic, a holistic sanctuary that challenges traditional healthcare silos by integrating medical, wellness, and cosmetic services under one roof. By combining Dr. Gasparro’s patient-first medical philosophy with Candice’s strategic operational leadership, they are actively building a community where women feel heard, supported, and empowered at every stage of life.
Kathryn From
Angel Investor
As a successful consumer products entrepreneur turned impactful angel investor, Kathryn From is actively shaping Canada's entrepreneurial ecosystem by backing the next generation of women-led ventures. She is the founder of both Wonderment Ventures, which provides capital and expertise to a select group of startups across various consumer sectors, and The Wonder Collective, a group of female funders dedicated to supporting female founders.
“The Scotiabank Women Initiative® is incredibly proud to collaborate with Women Funding Women on The SWI Spotlight series. Showcasing inspiring entrepreneurs and investors directly aligns with our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the growth of women-led ventures in Canada."