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Two North Okanagan-Shuswap companies have made the top five in the national Total Mom Pitch business competition.
Made Live in Vernon and U Grow Girl in Salmon Arm will make their final pitches May 30 in Toronto, at the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Industry Gala.
The winner will compete for a prize package worth $50,000, including $10,000 in cash, a year of free bookkeeping, a full marketing plan, and more.
The competition, sponsored by TD, aims to help women turn innovative ideas into successful businesses.
Made Live is an AI-driven picture book publishing platform.
Co-founder Karen Richard says the business aims to increase diversity in children's books and offer innovative publishing solutions to aspiring children's authors.
Richard is a graduate of Accelerate Okanagan's venture accelerator program and W Venture.
"It's an honor to be included among such an incredible group of business owners (and moms) who are making a difference in the lives of women and their families. Getting to this stage is a reflection of our team's hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to empowering authors," says Richard.
U Grow Girl offers a beacon of hope for women who survived child sexual abuse.
The Salmon Arm flower farm's sales support clinically supervised retreats that provide education, connection, and support for abuse survivors.
"Our sustainable, locally grown floral and healing-inspired artisan goods serve as a means to cover the cost of the retreat so survivors attend free of charge," says Crystal Wood.
"By purchasing from us, you become a part of a bigger mission, the mission to help survivors heal and reclaim their power, your purchase is a symbol of hope and support, a small act of kindness that can have a profound impact on a survivor's life."
Now in its sixth year, Total Mom Pitch attracted nearly 1,000 entries this year.
"This year's finalists are an incredible group of talented women spanning across industries. We hope that by continuing to highlight the achievements of women we can inspire current and future generations of moms to pursue their passions and strive for success in their own right," organizers said in announcing the finalists.
