Montreal exhibition for multicultural women entrepreneurs

More than 40 businesses owned by women from multicultural backgrounds came together Sunday in Montreal.

They showcased their products, talent and most importantly what they have to offer to Quebec society.

“They don’t have this opportunity to express their talent, to express their expertise,” said Hosna Kadary, the event co-organizer and owner of Hosna Glow Costmetics. “And then they have wonderful products and unfortunately, they don’t get to promote it in everyday life.”

“It’s just amazing to see the diversity in this room,” added Gemma Raeburn-Baynes, an event co-organizer and member of Playmas Montreal Cultural Association. “Women from Africa, women from Morocco, from Iran, from the Caribbean. It’s just absolutely wonderful.”

The main goal of the Multicultural Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition (MWEE): to showcase Montreal’s diverse women-owned businesses.

“The fact that we get to meet everybody here to talk to them so we can hear the history, know where they’re coming from, that to me, it’s powerful,” said entrepreneur Michèle Jean Jacques, who is a painter, dancer and DJ. “And there’s nothing better.”

The event was held at the Community Resource Centre on Côte-des-Neiges.

Michèle Jean Jacques at Multicultural Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition in Montreal on Jan. 22, 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Felisha Adam)

Here’s what some other entrepreneurs had to say:

Akilah Newton, founder and CEO of Big Dreamers: “You don’t see these in ABC board books. Typically you see A is for Apple, B is for Banana. You don’t see A is for Afro, B is for Boy and see a beautiful Sikh boy. So I really want to normalize these images for kids so they realize as they grow up that, yes, this is a part of Canada.”

Akilah Newton at Multicultural Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition in Montreal on Jan. 22, 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Felisha Adam)

Pat Dillon Moore, West-Can Fold Performing Company: “There’s also an energy and a vibrancy that happens when women get together. I mean, look around… And I’ve met so many people like this wonderful woman from Turkey. My sister is here, who is also a DJ and a painter. It just opened up my mind that women are just doing all sorts of entrepreneurial things.”

Labibi Boutata, owner of Glamy Premium Tea: “We have the winter tea. It’s the bestseller. It’s for the season. You smell it and you’re not. You’re not sick anymore, I swear.”

Labibi Boutata at Multicultural Women Entrepreneurs Exhibition in Montreal on Jan. 22, 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Felisha Adam)

And the women are already looking forward to more events like this in the future.

“We’ve got another long waiting list of entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs who want to get involved,” said Baynes. “So we hope that we can continue this wonderful, wonderful opportunity.”