Company of Women Founder

Founder and President

Anne Day

Bringing people together is nothing new to Anne. 

She has had a somewhat eclectic career from heading up several charities, to being the editor of a national parenting magazine, to working for government, but always the focus has been on women and children. Describing herself as a 'social entrepreneur,' Anne has been instrumental in the start of numerous programs and organizations and has won several awards for her work

Seven years ago, after 22 years in the non-profit sector and several years as a senior program developer for the provincial government, Anne decided to launch her own consulting practice, Community Connections, through which she was often hired by government to work with community agencies to develop services for children and families.

However, she found that working for yourself can be isolating, and when the opportunity arose, she started Company of Women as a way to connect women - professionally, personally, profoundly.

Company of Women is therefore the next chapter, in a long history of bringing people together for a common purpose. Company of Women's first year met with an outstanding response, and today, the organization has over 400 members from across the GTA and beyond.

In May, 2005 Company of Women, in partnership with Trimatrix BEL Learning Publications, produced its first book, The Courage to Succeed: Inspiring Stories from Enterprising Women, in which thirty-six women from within Company of Women shared their stories.

A strong believer in 'giving back,' Anne has been an active volunteer, serving on several boards, both locally and internationally. In 1999 she received the ATHENA Award for helping women reach their potential. For two years she served on the Board of the ATHENA Foundation, as the second Canadian representative.

In August, 2005 she received the Rotary Centennial Award for Professional Excellence. She has been nominated six years in a row by her peers  for the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award and she recently received the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the Oakville Awards for Business Excellence.

She is now serving on the Governors Council of Opportunity International Canada, a charity that provides micro credit financing to women in developing countries.  Opportunity International has become Company of Women's charity of choice, and Anne recently compiled a book - Faces of Opportunity - which shares the stories of some of the women entrepreneurs supported by Opportunity International.

In October, 2009 she received the TIAW World of Difference Award as one of 58 women from 20 countries who has supported women's economic independence and was a finalist for The Women of Influence Award.

 

Supporting Mechanisms for Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders
2nd Women’s Leadership Summit
Instanbul, Turkey