Kelowna Women in Business (KWIB) has been supporting women in their business and career goals for the past 27 years, welcoming those who are new to the community and those who bring valuable mentorship to the table. 

Crispin Butterfield, president of KWIB, and Angela Gordon, vice president of the group, explain that their mandate is to connect people and build networks – whether they are entrepreneurs or building their careers with a company. 

They offer a variety of events for women looking to expand their business knowledge and stay up to date with trends. Members can take part in workshops, coffee socials, dinners, speaker series and more. 

“It seems no matter what level of business people are in, a common denominator is networking – getting out and meeting new people and creating new relationships,” Butterfield says. 

“We all kind of get into the habit of putting our head down and we get stuck inside a bubble sometimes.

If you are struggling to make vital moves in your career, Butterfield says the important thing is to just put yourself out there. 

“I know it's kind of nerve-wracking sometimes to go to these events when you don’t know people and you don’t know what to expect, but it's really important to build your community,” she adds. 

Butterfield and Gordon’s latest event aims to shine a spotlight on female leaders in Kelowna who are excelling in their fields.

On March 18, 2020, KWIB will host the first annual Rise Awards. 

The event, though, is not just for KWIB members – nominations and voting will be open to the public. 

The duo, along with the rest of the board of directors, will be handing out two awards: one for Change Maker and one for Woman of the Year. 

“If you go back three or four years, there was really nothing in the community helping support women and also showcasing all the local talent that we have,” Gordon says.

“So this is our way of bringing it back into the community and putting some of our exceptional local leaders into the spotlight and giving them recognition for all that they do.

“I think for me the underlying thing is that we in KWIB are strong believers in inclusion and diversity, and it's not about excluding anybody. It’s about creating an opportunity to showcase the talent that women have. 

“There are a lot of great men in our community doing great things with their businesses, and all we want to do is make sure that the spotlight can also shine on a woman who is a local leader as well. I think by having a women's award that does that – it's not taking away from anything, it's only adding a new opportunity to help praise those that have done an excellent job.”