{"id":90399,"date":"2022-07-22T10:06:51","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T17:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/partners\/spring-activator-delivering-new-health-impact-investor-challenge-presented-by-the-telus-pollinator-fund-for-good-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-02-13T05:56:44","modified_gmt":"2023-02-13T13:56:44","slug":"spring-activator-launches-women-led-impact-investor-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/news\/spring-activator-launches-women-led-impact-investor-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Activator launches Women-led Impact Investor Challenge to support the growth of women running impact-focused businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"90399\" class=\"elementor elementor-90399\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e9edd28 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e9edd28\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-40dea18\" data-id=\"40dea18\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aef4fc4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aef4fc4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 13-09-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<h4 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #17243c;\"><i>Special edition of Spring Activator&#8217;s Impact Investor Challenge (IIC), in collaboration with the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, aims to stimulate impact investing in women-led businesses<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e2e2af9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e2e2af9\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0b0598b\" data-id=\"0b0598b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-735904d elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"735904d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 13-09-2023 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-523f536 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"523f536\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a mission to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">promote gender diversity within the impact investor and startup ecosystem<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spring Activator<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.telus.com\/en\/pollinatorfund\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are launching their first <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/programs\/impact-investor-challenge\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women-led Impact Investor Challenge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The challenge is set to run from <\/span><b>September 15 to December 6, 2022<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seeks to facilitate connections between those looking for purpose-based investments with women founders working on solutions to local and global problems.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Women-led IIC was created because women founders in Canada are still vastly underestimated. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobeandmail.com\/business\/article-women-entrepreneurs-are-over-mentored-and-underfunded\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">W<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">omen entrepreneurs receive 4 per cent of Venture Capital funding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and women are under-represented among equity investors, representing only 15.2 per cent of Canadian VC partners and 16.7 per cent of Canadian angel investors. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women founders often create companies that address different sectors of the economy with strong opportunities for change. They face stronger biases than their male counterparts when raising funds and as a result, they lack the capital to grow their companies and increase the reach of their impact.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Women-led IIC aims to fix this. With the challenge running for 11 weeks, culminating in an investment of approximately $100,000 into a statistically under-funded market. Investors and women founders will learn hand-in-hand as they go through the investment process and take action while supported by a community of like-minded peers and mentors.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To support the program, we have also partnered with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/canadianwomen.org\/about-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Canadian Women&#8217;s Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/impactunited.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Impact United<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to provide advice and expertise on how to best support women founders. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-27a7494 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"27a7494\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-bc8ec1a\" data-id=\"bc8ec1a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7ae4a93\" data-id=\"7ae4a93\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4e48045 elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-blockquote--button-color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"4e48045\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor-pro - v3.16.0 - 12-09-2023 *\/\n@charset \"UTF-8\";.entry-content blockquote.elementor-blockquote:not(.alignright):not(.alignleft),.entry-summary blockquote.elementor-blockquote{margin-right:0;margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;outline:0;font-size:100%;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent;quotes:none;border:0;font-style:normal;color:#3f444b}.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote .e-q-footer:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote:before,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote cite:after,.elementor-widget-blockquote blockquote cite:before{content:none}.elementor-blockquote{transition:.3s}.elementor-blockquote__author,.elementor-blockquote__content{margin-bottom:0;font-style:normal}.elementor-blockquote__author{font-weight:700}.elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{margin-top:12px;display:flex;justify-content:space-between}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{display:flex;transition:.3s;color:#1da1f2;align-self:flex-end;line-height:1;position:relative;width:-moz-max-content;width:max-content}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover{color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button span{font-weight:600}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i,.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button span{vertical-align:middle}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i+span,.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg+span{margin-left:.5em}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg{fill:#1da1f2;height:1em;width:1em}.elementor-blockquote__tweet-label{white-space:pre-wrap}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:.7em 1.2em;border-radius:100em;background-color:#1da1f2;color:#fff;font-size:15px}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover{background-color:#0967a0;color:#fff}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button svg{fill:#fff;height:1em;width:1em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{padding:0;width:2em;height:2em}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i,.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-classic.elementor-blockquote--button-view-icon .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button i{position:absolute;left:50%;top:50%;transform:translate(-50%,-50%)}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{content:\"\";border:.5em solid transparent;border-right-color:#1da1f2;position:absolute;left:-.8em;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%) scaleY(.65);transition:.3s}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{right:auto;left:-.8em;border-right-color:#1da1f2;border-left-color:transparent}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-right-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:before{left:auto;right:-.8em;border-right-color:transparent;border-left-color:#1da1f2}.elementor-blockquote--button-skin-bubble.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button:hover:before{border-left-color:#0967a0}.elementor-blockquote--skin-boxed .elementor-blockquote{background-color:#f9fafa;padding:30px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-border .elementor-blockquote{border-color:#f9fafa;border-left:7px #f9fafa;border-style:solid;padding-left:20px}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote:before{content:\"\u201c\";font-size:100px;color:#f9fafa;font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-weight:900;line-height:1;display:block;height:.6em}.elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation .elementor-blockquote__content{margin-top:15px}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:left}.elementor-blockquote--align-left .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote__content{text-align:right}.elementor-blockquote--align-right .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer{flex-direction:row-reverse}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote{text-align:center}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote .e-q-footer,.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__author{display:block}.elementor-blockquote--align-center .elementor-blockquote__tweet-button{margin-right:auto;margin-left:auto}<\/style>\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<i>\"The Canadian Women's Foundation is pleased to support the Women-Led Impact Investor Challenge.  We are helping build the capacity and investment readiness of social purpose organizations and boost women\u2019s sector participation in the social finance market.  We look forward to sharing our expertise and working with both enterprises and investors in this unique program.\u201d\n<\/i>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">Sagal Dualeh, Director, Investment Readiness Program Canadian Women\u2019s Foundation<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-df1b527 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"df1b527\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68be073 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68be073\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The impact objectives of the Women-led Impact Investor Challenge are about empowering women founders on a holistic level. The program aims to connect women founders with investors and support them in navigating the investment process and landscape. This investor challenge aims to bring forward a new cohort of investors that are not only equipped to make impact investments, but do so while recognizing the strength that diversity brings to investing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To address the existing gap on raising funds, faced by women founders, the TELUS Pollinator Fund and Spring Activator are creating a space for:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p><h5><b>Women founders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to:<\/span><\/h5><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn the ins-and-outs of raising capital as a women founder, specifically for women running impact-focused businesses<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gain exposure and access opportunities to connect with investors who share their core values, impact goals and are interested in actively investing in women-run businesses<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect with other women founders who are also navigating the world of entrepreneurship and capital raising as a woman<\/span><\/li><\/ul><div>\u00a0<\/div><h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As well as a space for<\/span><b> investors <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to:<\/span><\/h5><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn how to invest hands-on alongside a like-minded community of women and allies who are interested in investing in women-run impact businesses<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access knowledge and deal flow needed for new impact investors to craft their impact investment thesis and make their first impact investment<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understand the relationship between gender and power and the implications it has for advancing gender equality from venture experts<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-61a8229 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"61a8229\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-649d7c2\" data-id=\"649d7c2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-968dc6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"968dc6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.16.0 - 13-09-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.telus.com\/en\/pollinatorfund\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-86219\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1.png 400w, https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1-300x113.png 300w, https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1-100x38.png 100w, https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1-360x135.png 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0b5232b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0b5232b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As one of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the world\u2019s largest corporate social impact funds<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good is working to support mission-aligned founders by investing in for-profit startups, including organizations that are transforming health, education, agriculture and environment solutions. By collaborating with the Pollinator Fund, the Spring Activator challenge will enable more women-led startups to drive change and create better outcomes for those in need. Emphasis will be placed on measurable, beneficial impacts in climate, sustainable food systems, and inclusive communities, alongside a financial return for investors, while also empowering early-stage women-led startups in the industry across Canada.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-cf213f6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cf213f6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-fc5497a\" data-id=\"fc5497a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-1e80d85\" data-id=\"1e80d85\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-850b12c elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-blockquote--button-color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"850b12c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<i>\"At the TELUS Pollinator Fund, we view diversity as a strength helping to uncover untapped market opportunities. We are proud to have a portfolio where nearly 40 percent of portfolio companies are led by women and more than half are led by Indigenous and racialized founders. Supporting diversity is not only a core tenet of our investment thesis, but also good business, without it we are leaving money on the table, as investors and as a society. We\u2019re pleased to be collaborating with Spring to shine a spotlight on exciting women-led startups who are often overlooked. We are equally excited that this program will equip a new cohort of investors to invest with diversity in mind, embedding this mindset into investment decisions to create a more inclusive impact investment ecosystem.\u201d\n<\/i>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">Ka-Hay Law, Investment Director, TELUS Pollinator Fund<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-444302c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"444302c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c947069\" data-id=\"c947069\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff6ad7c elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"ff6ad7c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb1a5dd elementor-cta--skin-cover elementor-cta--valign-middle elementor-animated-content elementor-bg-transform elementor-bg-transform-zoom-in elementor-widget elementor-widget-call-to-action\" data-id=\"fb1a5dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"call-to-action.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/plugins\/elementor-pro\/assets\/css\/widget-call-to-action.min.css\">\t\t<a class=\"elementor-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/programs\/impact-investor-challenge\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg elementor-bg\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/spring.is\/old\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/WOMEN-LED-IIC-BLOG-1.png);\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"WOMEN LED IIC - BLOG (1)\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__bg-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-cta__title elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item elementor-animated-item--grow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRegister as an entrepreneur or investor for the Women-led Impact Investor Challenge!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__button-wrapper elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item elementor-animated-item--grow\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-cta__button elementor-button elementor-size-sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAPPLY NOW\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Special edition of Spring Activator&#8217;s Impact Investor Challenge (IIC), in collaboration with the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, aims to stimulate impact investing in women-led businesses On a mission to promote gender diversity within the impact investor and startup ecosystem, Spring Activator and the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good are &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":90402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1227,1229,1232,23,1226],"tags":[509,223,1058,1277,1276,317,1231,1213],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Women-led Impact Investor Challenge | Announcing a TELUS Pollinator Fund &amp; Spring Activator Collaboration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Spring Activator is excited to announce a new collaboration with TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good to run the Women-led Impact Investor Challenge in fall 2022.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Women-led 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