Midland & District Business Women's Association (MDBWA)

08/29/2023

ARE YOU READY!?! Although the MDBWA has shut its "doors" so to speak, we have transitioned into a Community-Based Support Group for Businesswomen in the Midland Area. That being said, we have not yet been able to organize a get together to connect once again with YOU!

Well... that time has come. Join us for our September Social where we will be meeting at the Boathouse Eatery in Midland. This casual based networking event will be different from events you have joined us for in the past. Rather than a structured evening with a speaker, planned dinner, and activities, we will be taking it back to a more casual based, audience-led evening where we will be able to chat, connect, and have some beverages and food.  

The Boathouse Eatery () has graciously set aside their upstairs room for us to have a private, intimate gathering where we will be able to order drinks and food individually.

As the MDBWA has parted ways from the association as we used to know it, there is no better way to kick off the beginning of a new season and end of our era by collaborating and connecting with all of you for an evening of dining, connecting, and networking.

Join us on September 20th from 5:30-7:30p at the Boathouse Eatery!

Please RSVP via private message on here and/or connect directly via email at [email protected]

03/08/2023

Happy International Women's Day!

This year, looking at the journey of where the MDBWA has been and where we are today, it's so wonderful to see that we can still after change find ways to connect and come together.

Transitioning our group from a private, members-only group, to be a community focused one showed incredible support. We are finding our way to see what we are evolving into - but together, there's no doubt that we will achieve great things.

“The worst thing that we can do as women is not stand up for each other, and this is something we can practice every day, no matter where we are and what we do – women sticking up for other women, choosing to protect and celebrate each other instead of competing or criticizing one another.” - Amal Clooney

That quote says it all - To all the women out there, today and every day we celebrate YOU!

01/03/2023

Happ New Year!

The MDBWA made the difficult decision to close our doors at the end of 2022, but we are so incredibly proud and grateful to be able to help two of our members each with a $500 Business Grant rant to continue to support their businesses.

We received many great applications, but after much consideration we choose two very much deserving grant recipients:
Jennifer Kelly, owner of Rooted
Ronda-Lynne Wiesner, owner of The Wiesner Centre for Health and Wellness

We will continue to act as a support network for Business Women in the Midland & District Area moving forward, with our private Members Group becoming a Community open to all Business Women to connect, network, and support one another.

Thank you for all the applications, and congratulations to our recipients!

MDBWA Women in Business Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128863747653149

12/21/2022

REMINDER: Today is the deadline to apply for our grant!

Take a look at the post below for all the information

📢 ATTENTION: Current and Past Members📢

Some of you may have already heard, but as MDBWA comes to a close, we continue to uphold our mission and values of supporting our members and the community.

Through this closing process we have:
✔️ Reimbursed current members their membership fees
✔️ Donated many items in our inventory to Huronia Transition Homes
✔️ Provided student bursaries to graduating female students at GBDSS and St. Theresa's for many years and will continue to honour it with one final bursary this school year to each school

What remains is our dedication and support to you which leads to our exciting announcement!

💥 MDBWA is pleased to offer two (2) business grants to two (2) current or past members💥

Each grant of $500 (five hundred dollars) will be awarded to a current or past member with an established business of at least two years (2 years).

The minimum requirements include:
✔️ Being a current or past member of MDBWA
✔️ An established sole proprietor, partnership, or incorporated business with two (2) years of operation
✔️ Additional requirements for consideration include completing the application below and providing a copy of your business registration number and copy of HST registration.

Deadline for submitting application is December 21, 2022. The MDBWA Board of Directors will review submissions and the selected recipients will be announced on December 23, 2022. Grant awards must be deposited prior to the close of MDBWA business on December 31, 2022.

Only applicants whom are selected as grant recipients will be contacted. Please share with any and all current or past members to be considered for this opportunity!

To apply for this grant opportunity, please submit your application HERE

**Please note that current Board of Directors are excluded from application, however if no applicants are received then they may apply. Additionally, if no applications are received, the Board also reserves the right to consider other options for disbursement of funds. **

✳️ GRANT APPLICATION LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW ✳️

12/16/2022

📢 ATTENTION: Current and Past Members📢

Some of you may have already heard, but as MDBWA comes to a close, we continue to uphold our mission and values of supporting our members and the community.

Through this closing process we have:
✔️ Reimbursed current members their membership fees
✔️ Donated many items in our inventory to Huronia Transition Homes
✔️ Provided student bursaries to graduating female students at GBDSS and St. Theresa's for many years and will continue to honour it with one final bursary this school year to each school

What remains is our dedication and support to you which leads to our exciting announcement!

💥 MDBWA is pleased to offer two (2) business grants to two (2) current or past members💥

Each grant of $500 (five hundred dollars) will be awarded to a current or past member with an established business of at least two years (2 years).

The minimum requirements include:
✔️ Being a current or past member of MDBWA
✔️ An established sole proprietor, partnership, or incorporated business with two (2) years of operation
✔️ Additional requirements for consideration include completing the application below and providing a copy of your business registration number and copy of HST registration.

Deadline for submitting application is December 21, 2022. The MDBWA Board of Directors will review submissions and the selected recipients will be announced on December 23, 2022. Grant awards must be deposited prior to the close of MDBWA business on December 31, 2022.

Only applicants whom are selected as grant recipients will be contacted. Please share with any and all current or past members to be considered for this opportunity!

To apply for this grant opportunity, please submit your application HERE

**Please note that current Board of Directors are excluded from application, however if no applicants are received then they may apply. Additionally, if no applications are received, the Board also reserves the right to consider other options for disbursement of funds. **

✳️ GRANT APPLICATION LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW ✳️

11/30/2022

MDBWA’s values include professionalism, integrity, growth, and teamwork and we intend to continue the legacy of this within the community.

While the formal association may close, the ongoing community support will continue.

Our private member Facebook group will transition to being a community group for women in business to connect, share, encourage and lean into each other. We hope it becomes a space where you reach out for support, ask to get together, and share your wins, opportunities, and events.

Our website will transition as a space women can search for and be directed to this group and find their community.

11/28/2022

The MDBWA has been a crucial support to us as women, mothers, sisters, and entrepreneurs. There is no doubt this pillar of support has touched the lives of many, including the countless donations made within the community to give back and rise the tides together. And as tides and seasons change, it is with true sadness we share that the time has come to close the association.

For 32 years MDBWA has operated solely on the volunteer efforts of its members and we thank each and every one of you for your dedication. The demand on women has always been great as we fulfill many roles and truly do it all.

We have been blessed as a community to have had these opportunities and recognize that the responsibility to continue the organization through volunteer efforts has been too much, resulting in the difficult decision to close the association.

With each ending we know there are new beginnings and we hope more will come from the path MDBWA has created. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for our community as other spaces are created to support women in business. And while the association is closing, we know the relationships made will continue on.

Stay tuned for a few posts over the next few weeks to discuss what we are doing moving forward. We would love to hear any memories you'd like to share from the 32 years of the MDBWA.

09/22/2022

Today is National Business Women's Day - A day to celebrate pushing through male-dominated workspaces and supporting one another to continue to be successful in business.

Through supporting women in business and supporting our community, we can continue to grow and experience endless opportunities! Are these things that are of value to you? Do you feel as though you can help to contribute to supporting local women in business?

The MDBWA is seeking individuals looking for a fun, flexible, women-led, business-focused volunteer opportunity on the Association's Board of Directors! For 32 years the MDBWA has been managed completely by local women in business, and we are hoping to continue the legacy and have another group of local women take the lead.

Volunteers for the Board of Directors should be passionate about our community, creating networking and learning opportunities for women and be enthusiastic about entrepreneurship. We hope to find in our community a group of women with the commitment and willingness to take on this wonderful opportunity to give back and connect with one another.

If you are interested, send us a DM, email ([email protected]), share this post or get in touch so we can talk about this opportunity further.