Rural Ambassadors are now in place to help women building businesses in Saskatchewan thanks to $450,000 in federal funding from Prairies Economic Development Canada.  

The non-profit organization, Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan (WESK), announced the appointment of five regional ambassadors under the new Rural Ambassador program. Miriam Johnson, CEO of WESK, spoke about the benefits in a press release.  

"Providing support to women-owned businesses in the regions where they live will ensure they have access to everything they need to start or grow their businesses. This easily accessible support in rural regions will help build stronger communities and sustainable economic development.”  

Ashley Drummond, the CEO of WOW Factor Media, has been a member of WESK for several years and is now appointed the rural ambassador for Moose Jaw.   

In her rural ambassador role, Drummond will be looking to provide information to local women who are new and existing entrepreneurs. “I’ve always through that WESK is an excellent opportunity but that it is an underused resource for the women in business that I’ve come across throughout Saskatchewan." 

“I think lots of women entrepreneurs don’t really know how WESK can help them, so it's really great that this new program will introduce WESK and its advantages to Women entrepreneurs throughout rural Saskatchewan. As a woman entrepreneur operating in rural Saskatchewan, WESK's connections and resources have help our business grow in strategic ways," added Drummond. 

She spoke about the benefits of being a WESK member as an entrepreneur. “You don’t have a boss. You have to be self-motivated; you’ve got to figure things out. You’ve got to problem solve all the time. By having this extra resource, not only do you have the support of people who want to see you succeed, but also guidance on how to navigate the challenges of running a business.”  

You can find more information on WESK here.