A Thunder Bay entrepreneur is among 100 women from across Canada competing for a spot in an entrepreneurship program aimed at helping to grow the business.
Andrea Mulligan, cofounder of Sleeping Giant Brewing Company, was chosen as a semifinalist in Canada's Total Mom Pitch, a program that provides business support to entrepreneurs who are juggling business ownership with motherhood.
Mulligan will now join the others for a three-week business program where entrepreneurs will be introduced to industry experts, who will provide participants with insight into how to expand their businesses and strengthen their business pitches.
Five finalists will be chosen to pitch their business during the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Industry Gala in Toronto on May 30. Winners can receive non-dilutive funding, business services, and more.
“We are at the heart of the small business communities across Canada serving busy parents and women-led businesses, making growing their business just a bit easier so they can truly focus on what fuels their fire and the families they are growing”, said Anna Sinclair, CEO and founder of Total Mom Inc., in an April 25 news release.
“Our goal is to create a powerful, educated and strategic community to prepare mom entrepreneurs for the future.
Trained as a teacher, Mulligan founded Sleeping Giant in 2012 with her husband, Kyle, growing it into a multi-million-dollar business, while they both worked full time and raised their two children.
SEE ALSO: Women Leaders in Business: Teacher-turned-Thunder Bay brewer relies on grit and hard work
The businesswoman tapped into the expertise of other local women by creating an all-female advisory board of entrepreneurs, which meets weekly to provide the brewery with input. In 2021, the brewery was noted for opening a pair of child-care centres to help parents alleviate the burden of daycare during the pandemic.
Mulligan has been recognized for her efforts over the years. In 2021, she was named Business Person of the Year by the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, and that same year she was named a finalist for Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation.
