Speakers
Christie Schultz
Founder & CEO
MomVentures.com
Founder & CEO
MomVentures.com
Seeking to support moms who dream big, Christie Schultz founded Entrepreneurial Moms of Calgary in April of 2008, when her own entrepreneurial bug was biting. While at the playground, gymnastics class, or waiting to pick up her preschooler she found herself drawn in by fellow moms' chit-chats about ...
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
Seeking to support moms who dream big, Christie Schultz founded Entrepreneurial Moms of Calgary in April of 2008, when her own entrepreneurial bug was biting. While at the playground, gymnastics class, or waiting to pick up her preschooler she found herself drawn in by fellow moms' chit-chats about their self-owned businesses. Realizing that these moms had much to share with one another, she began building an infrastructure and a forum for entrepreneurial moms to hear speakers on topics relevant to entrepreneurship and motherhood, promote member companies, and to share everything from referrals for incorporation lawyers, to kids' play places with wireless internet hotspots, to tips on how to balance kids, partners, and entrepreneurial passions.
What began as a local initiative, Entrepreneurial Moms of Calgary soon sparked an incredible international interest in the mom entrepreneur niche. Recognizing a clear, timely, and ubiquitous need in major markets across the globe, Christie derived a business model to formalize her passion on a wide scale, and Entrepreneurial Moms International (EMI) was born.
Christie says that her ongoing inspiration comes from the beautiful essence of EMI and its unrivaled spirit of support and respect that its members have for one another. "Since EMI's inception, our members have grown immensely- both individually and collectively, and both professionally and personally. Incredible ladies to begin with, these dynamic peers continue to inspire one another to shoot higher, go deeper, and laugh harder. I founded EMI to selfishly surround myself with the most fantastic collection of women I could amass. From our first magical meeting, the sheer capability, talent, intelligence, dedication, and unbridled diligence of these fellow mothers, wives, and entrepreneurs have continued to astound me. Choosing the difficult path of entrepreneurship, juggling sometimes very young children, and full responsibilities and home, it is fair to say that these are perhaps amongst the bravest women I've known. In our midst are the dream-chasing leaders, butt-kicking achievers, boo-boo kissing nurturers, and high-fiving cheerleaders of one another who are shaping our world and leaving it a better place. At the core are wonderful women who have bonded and grown together, many of whom would give the shirt off their back for a fellow EM member in need."
EMI has been her heart's passion since its inception, and she wakes up grateful every day that she could pour her energies into serving the world in this way- through the entrepreneurial moms whom she once only admired and respected once from afar. It is a truth she knows like few others, that "your playing small does not serve the world" (a quote by Marianne Williamson).
With EMI she can be a vessel for the message of hope for women everywhere who perhaps think that the time for their dreams has passed, because they're now moms. Nothing could be further from the truth. EMI was inspired in part by watching her own mom who had supported her dad’s entrepreneurial endeavors her entire adult life, suddenly galvanized to blaze an entrepreneurial trail of her own with passion and ingenuity when dire financial hardship hit the family. Christie saw her mom transform via a calling she had always had to be an interior designer. Within a few short months Christie's mom went from a support role to a primary breadwinner, serving high-end individual and commercial clients.
In three short years, EMI has grown from one chapter to more than forty, with over a dozen additional chapters joining the network in 2012. EMI’s parent company MomVentures.com began developing additional business units in 2011, with the networking arm referred to still as EMI. In 2011 MomVentures.com purchased Enterprising Moms Network and its 14 chapters, formerly EMI’s sole competing network in the mom entrepreneur niche. This acquisition solidified MomVentures.com’s market dominance and established itself as an unprecedented and global resource hub for entrepreneurial moms to discover, pursue, and fulfill their professional and lifestyle dreams- the only entity of its kind.
New initiatives on the bright horizon for MomVentures.com include the development of online television, radio, and cutting edge mixed platform interactive media networks, as well as an expansion of their vast networks to service dads, young professionals, teens, and kids. Near to Christie’s heart, MomVentures.com is developing microfinance, angel investment, and political advocacy arms within the network to support aspiring/ current entrepreneurs who are experiencing extreme hardship. This triad of initiatives will offer a productive, sustainable, and measurable avenue for entrepreneurs to invest in the lives of other entrepreneurs, sparking imagination, hope, and possibility.
As the mom of three aged 6.5 years old and younger- two busy boys and a baby girl- she is juggling just like everyone else in this special niche. Still she manages to fulfill other passions in her life, including philanthropic efforts. Christie holds community service close to her heart, and is drawn to leadership, currently holding community positions in her church, and in her children’s school.
Perhaps her greatest philanthropic passion at the moment is The 10,000 Kids Project, which she co-founded with five other Calgarian entrepreneurs. This special initiative was created to improve the lives of 10,000 Calgarian children every year. Inspired in its inaugural year by the challenge of hunger in Calgary’s school children, these six entrepreneurs chose Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids as their first beneficiary. Subsequent years could benefit cancer research, homelessness, or other major challenges that can be improved on a scale of 10,000 in our city.
Christie’s current life is a far cry from her pre-medical education, and work in molecular biology, biotechnology, and venture capital. But she knows that every step of her journey has led her closer to the inspired life she leads with her husband, three children, and plenty of amazing outlets for her life’s mission to affect positive change in all that she does, and to leave this world in a better place. [ Minimize ]
What began as a local initiative, Entrepreneurial Moms of Calgary soon sparked an incredible international interest in the mom entrepreneur niche. Recognizing a clear, timely, and ubiquitous need in major markets across the globe, Christie derived a business model to formalize her passion on a wide scale, and Entrepreneurial Moms International (EMI) was born.
Christie says that her ongoing inspiration comes from the beautiful essence of EMI and its unrivaled spirit of support and respect that its members have for one another. "Since EMI's inception, our members have grown immensely- both individually and collectively, and both professionally and personally. Incredible ladies to begin with, these dynamic peers continue to inspire one another to shoot higher, go deeper, and laugh harder. I founded EMI to selfishly surround myself with the most fantastic collection of women I could amass. From our first magical meeting, the sheer capability, talent, intelligence, dedication, and unbridled diligence of these fellow mothers, wives, and entrepreneurs have continued to astound me. Choosing the difficult path of entrepreneurship, juggling sometimes very young children, and full responsibilities and home, it is fair to say that these are perhaps amongst the bravest women I've known. In our midst are the dream-chasing leaders, butt-kicking achievers, boo-boo kissing nurturers, and high-fiving cheerleaders of one another who are shaping our world and leaving it a better place. At the core are wonderful women who have bonded and grown together, many of whom would give the shirt off their back for a fellow EM member in need."
EMI has been her heart's passion since its inception, and she wakes up grateful every day that she could pour her energies into serving the world in this way- through the entrepreneurial moms whom she once only admired and respected once from afar. It is a truth she knows like few others, that "your playing small does not serve the world" (a quote by Marianne Williamson).
With EMI she can be a vessel for the message of hope for women everywhere who perhaps think that the time for their dreams has passed, because they're now moms. Nothing could be further from the truth. EMI was inspired in part by watching her own mom who had supported her dad’s entrepreneurial endeavors her entire adult life, suddenly galvanized to blaze an entrepreneurial trail of her own with passion and ingenuity when dire financial hardship hit the family. Christie saw her mom transform via a calling she had always had to be an interior designer. Within a few short months Christie's mom went from a support role to a primary breadwinner, serving high-end individual and commercial clients.
In three short years, EMI has grown from one chapter to more than forty, with over a dozen additional chapters joining the network in 2012. EMI’s parent company MomVentures.com began developing additional business units in 2011, with the networking arm referred to still as EMI. In 2011 MomVentures.com purchased Enterprising Moms Network and its 14 chapters, formerly EMI’s sole competing network in the mom entrepreneur niche. This acquisition solidified MomVentures.com’s market dominance and established itself as an unprecedented and global resource hub for entrepreneurial moms to discover, pursue, and fulfill their professional and lifestyle dreams- the only entity of its kind.
New initiatives on the bright horizon for MomVentures.com include the development of online television, radio, and cutting edge mixed platform interactive media networks, as well as an expansion of their vast networks to service dads, young professionals, teens, and kids. Near to Christie’s heart, MomVentures.com is developing microfinance, angel investment, and political advocacy arms within the network to support aspiring/ current entrepreneurs who are experiencing extreme hardship. This triad of initiatives will offer a productive, sustainable, and measurable avenue for entrepreneurs to invest in the lives of other entrepreneurs, sparking imagination, hope, and possibility.
As the mom of three aged 6.5 years old and younger- two busy boys and a baby girl- she is juggling just like everyone else in this special niche. Still she manages to fulfill other passions in her life, including philanthropic efforts. Christie holds community service close to her heart, and is drawn to leadership, currently holding community positions in her church, and in her children’s school.
Perhaps her greatest philanthropic passion at the moment is The 10,000 Kids Project, which she co-founded with five other Calgarian entrepreneurs. This special initiative was created to improve the lives of 10,000 Calgarian children every year. Inspired in its inaugural year by the challenge of hunger in Calgary’s school children, these six entrepreneurs chose Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids as their first beneficiary. Subsequent years could benefit cancer research, homelessness, or other major challenges that can be improved on a scale of 10,000 in our city.
Christie’s current life is a far cry from her pre-medical education, and work in molecular biology, biotechnology, and venture capital. But she knows that every step of her journey has led her closer to the inspired life she leads with her husband, three children, and plenty of amazing outlets for her life’s mission to affect positive change in all that she does, and to leave this world in a better place. [ Minimize ]
Bob McDonald
McDonalds
McDonalds
Jennifer McNeill is the Senior Manager for the MidWest for Oracle Corporation's Public Sector team and also represents Oracle's Office of the CTO. She was previously CEO of CipherSoft before the purchase of the company by Unify Corporation, a NASDAC publically traded company with headquarters in Ro...
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
Jennifer McNeill is the Senior Manager for the MidWest for Oracle Corporation's Public Sector team and also represents Oracle's Office of the CTO. She was previously CEO of CipherSoft before the purchase of the company by Unify Corporation, a NASDAC publically traded company with headquarters in Roseville, California. She managed the strategic direction of the company and drove the company's dynamic growth. Ms. McNeill utilizes her expertise in the Information Technology industry, which includes an emphasis on management consulting, legacy modernization, business management, and project planning. She recently led CipherSoft to be named in Profit Magazine's 50 Fastest Growing Companies.
Ms. McNeill has built a solid reputation as a business expert through her speaking engagements for audiences globally. She speaks to Information Technology audiences, technology tradeshows, provides insight to numerous industry publications, and has been regularly featured in the Globe and Mail. She also lectures regularly at the University of Calgary's Executive MBA Program. She has regularly presented to Senior levels of Government in Canada including the House of Commons where she presented recommendations for "Successful IT Strategies for Government." Ms. McNeill is currently writing a book entitled "Delivering IT Projects On-Time and Within Budget".
Ms. McNeill actively provides direction to a number of corporate boards. She was nominated in 1997 by the YMCA as Woman of the Year in Calgary, was nominated in 2000 and 2004 as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and was named one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2006. She is actively involved with WITI (Women in Technology) and has spoken at WITI events. She has recently served on the MAC Committee for The Canada Foundation for Innovation. She previously served as Chairman of the Board for the Alberta Women's Entrepreneur's Association (AWE) and was nominated by Royal Bank of Canada for business leadership in 2006 and 2010.
With over 30 years of business, technology and strategy consulting experience, she has worked to pioneer new methods to enhance workplace productivity via technology change. [ Minimize ]
Ms. McNeill has built a solid reputation as a business expert through her speaking engagements for audiences globally. She speaks to Information Technology audiences, technology tradeshows, provides insight to numerous industry publications, and has been regularly featured in the Globe and Mail. She also lectures regularly at the University of Calgary's Executive MBA Program. She has regularly presented to Senior levels of Government in Canada including the House of Commons where she presented recommendations for "Successful IT Strategies for Government." Ms. McNeill is currently writing a book entitled "Delivering IT Projects On-Time and Within Budget".
Ms. McNeill actively provides direction to a number of corporate boards. She was nominated in 1997 by the YMCA as Woman of the Year in Calgary, was nominated in 2000 and 2004 as Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and was named one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2006. She is actively involved with WITI (Women in Technology) and has spoken at WITI events. She has recently served on the MAC Committee for The Canada Foundation for Innovation. She previously served as Chairman of the Board for the Alberta Women's Entrepreneur's Association (AWE) and was nominated by Royal Bank of Canada for business leadership in 2006 and 2010.
With over 30 years of business, technology and strategy consulting experience, she has worked to pioneer new methods to enhance workplace productivity via technology change. [ Minimize ]
Sean Stanleigh
Editor
Report on Small Business
Editor
Report on Small Business
Sean Stanleigh is the editor of Report on Small Business. His goal is to make ROSB the primary destination for readers in search of information and compelling stories about Canada's small-business community, which continues to grow in size and influence. Mr. Stanleigh has an extensive background in ...
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
Sean Stanleigh is the editor of Report on Small Business. His goal is to make ROSB the primary destination for readers in search of information and compelling stories about Canada's small-business community, which continues to grow in size and influence. Mr. Stanleigh has an extensive background in journalism, including a number of senior editing positions at The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star. [ Minimize ]
Guy Hummel
Founder & President
Hatsize Corporation
Founder & President
Hatsize Corporation
Guy Hummel co-founded Hatsize Corporation in 2000 and has been either CEO or President for its entire history. Hatsize is a cloud automation company with millions of dollars in annual revenue, over 30 employees, and some of the biggest names in technology as its customers.
Before Hats...
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
Before Hats...
[ Extended Bio / Survey ]
Guy Hummel co-founded Hatsize Corporation in 2000 and has been either CEO or President for its entire history. Hatsize is a cloud automation company with millions of dollars in annual revenue, over 30 employees, and some of the biggest names in technology as its customers.
Before Hatsize, Guy was Information Systems Manager at Kelman Technologies, a high-tech data services company. He was hired to turn Kelman’s fragmented IT infrastructure into a solid foundation for rapid business growth, a task which he and his team accomplished in less than two years. Prior to Kelman, Guy was a Sales Engineer at Sun Microsystems. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Calgary. [ Minimize ]
Before Hatsize, Guy was Information Systems Manager at Kelman Technologies, a high-tech data services company. He was hired to turn Kelman’s fragmented IT infrastructure into a solid foundation for rapid business growth, a task which he and his team accomplished in less than two years. Prior to Kelman, Guy was a Sales Engineer at Sun Microsystems. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Calgary. [ Minimize ]
