Our Journey
The seed of SAWIB Magazine was planted more than a decade ago, when Ms. Aaloka Mehndiratta dreamt that ‘women should be empowered to transform their creativity, skills and talents into business endeavors’. No one had the slightest idea that what all be required to nurture and grow this seed into a tree. Little did we know that the Universe had already set a path to make this dream a reality. And as they ‘It’s all About the Journey’……
The journey which began with women entrepreneurship skills development funding application in 2012, which did not materialize though. Our International Women’s Day (IWD) event in 2014 was marked by showcasing and celebrating ‘Women in Business’. Thereafter, women entrepreneurs became an integral part of our IWD events in the form of guest speakers, event sponsors, and vendors.
Over the past decade, MWC collaborated with and participated in various community-based projects, events, and festivals to provide opportunities to emerging businesswomen to showcase their businesses and to build their business networks. In 2017-18, a partnership project named ‘Pathway to Success Program’ was introduced which allowed our women to build their entrepreneurial skills and work on their business plans/models. MWC became part of many women entrepreneur networking events including Women’s Economic Empowerment Roundtable, Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Diversity Symposium, Mississauga & Peel Region Mompreneur, Business Development Bank of Canada and more.
In 2019, our women entrepreneurs completed certification in Entrepreneur Skills Home Base Business which helped them to set up their home-based businesses. In the year, 2020, Malton Women Council launched the quarterly ‘women entrepreneurship program’, which allowed young and adult women entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and learn about and share the tricks of the trade. In 2021, MWC offered an online business training program for emerging women entrepreneurs. 11 women completed this program, whereby they learned about business concepts; online marketing; bookkeeping, finances, tax planning; legal obligations, and creating a social media strategy. In the same year, we also launched our South Asian Women in Business Series, whereby we spotlight South Asian women who have made a significant mark across the diverse business communities in Canada.
On March 19, 2022, Ms. Aaloka’s dream became a reality as we launched our first edition of South Asian Women in Business Magazine, with the hope that this seedling will become a tree in years to come, which will have global off-shoots.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors, supporters, and team members for this successful venture!