The Women’s Business Network is celebrating not just the women who shine individually, but the constellation they create together. That’s the whole idea behind this year’s Shining Stars of Ottawa theme for the 43rd annual Businesswoman of the Year Awards Gala, happening Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa.

The event will bring the 15 finalists together, along with their friends, family and colleagues, to celebrate their achievements before announcing a winner in each of the five categories.

“It’s an evening where remarkable women can be recognized individually, but we’re also really celebrating the collective impact of our community,” said social media marketing expert Caitlin Spearing, who’s back to co-chair the awards gala with divorce lawyer and mediator Jennifer Reynolds, founder and a partner of Fresh Legal LLP.

“We’re drawing inspiration from the night sky, where individual stars can shine very brightly on their own but become something more powerful when they’re connected. A constellation represents community, visibility and legacy, much like the women we celebrate.”

From left, Caitlin Spearing, founder and CEO of OMG Social Media Agency, and divorce lawyer and mediator Jennifer Reynolds, founder and partner of Fresh Legal LLP, are co-chairing the 2026 Businesswoman of the Year Awards, happening October 14 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa. Photo by The Notley Creative

With so many impressive women in Ottawa, the process of whittling this year’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards nominees down to 15 finalists was challenging, said Spearing, founder and CEO of OMG Social Media Agency. “It’s getting harder and harder every year,” she added.

Recipients are chosen by a confidential panel assembled by the nominations committee. It consists of a diverse group of women and men from across Ottawa, said Spearing. “Essentially, it’s people who we feel represent the Ottawa community.”

Lynda Carter, partner at MNP LLP, and Lisa Flanders, founder of Bloom Integrative Health and Movement, chaired the nominations committee.

This year’s presenting sponsor is IG Wealth Management. Category sponsors include the Senators Community Foundation, GGFL and OMG Social Media Agency. Other sponsors include Baker Tilly Ottawa LLP, Rogers, MNP LLP, 123 Dentist, OH Style, The Notley Creative branding and lifestyle photography, and graphic design studio Lola Design.

This year’s gala marks the third and final year as co-chairs for Spearing and Reynolds, the latter of whom was a 2019 Emerging Entrepreneur award recipient (because it was during COVID, organizers surprised her with the award at her doorstep in early 2021).

“Time has just flown by, but I think it’s time to hand the reins over to the next phenomenal co-chairs,” said Spearing, who never imagined when she first started volunteering for the BYAs in 2023 that she would eventually take on such a prominent leadership role or that the experience would give her the confidence to launch her own agency.

“The gala inspired me and showed me I could be a woman in business,” said Spearing, who described partnering with Reynolds to be “the best” experience. “She and I immediately clicked.”

Spearing will have another fairly significant event to pull off first: her own wedding, happening just a few weeks before the gala.

And now, to the 15 women who will be in the spotlight Oct. 14 as this year’s Businesswoman of the Year Award finalists:

Entrepreneurial Leader – Emerging  (sponsored by OMG Social Media Agency)

Julia Reid, co-founder and clinic director of Play On Pediatric Therapy, helped build the Barrhaven clinic from the ground up after her own son’s health challenges revealed gaps in conventional pediatric care. Play On brings physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and other services under one roof, with an emphasis on collaborative, family-centred care.

Rebecca Chambers, principal and founder of R.I.S.E. Academy, left the traditional school system after seeing too many students fall through the cracks of a one-size-fits-all approach. Her non-profit alternative school has since helped hundreds of marginalized, racialized, neurodiverse and low-income youth earn credits while gaining practical skills, confidence and new pathways forward. In October 2024, it launched a program for youth to start learning how to build and run their own businesses.

Veronique Daoust, founder and owner of Naturally Vero, built a growing Ottawa-area business around her belief that plant-based food should feel like anything but a compromise. Naturally Vero now includes a vegan café, weekly meal-delivery service and catering division, and has become a well-known destination for plant-based food in the region.

Entrepreneurial Leader – Established (sponsored by GGFL)

Dale Allen, co-founder of ConsciousLead, has spent more than 20 years helping leaders and teams navigate conflict, strengthen communication and build healthier workplaces across Canada and internationally. Her coaching and leadership practice blends emotional intelligence, nonviolent communication and practical tools to help organizations spot problems before they become culture or retention issues.

Christine Harrison, founder and CEO of Focus Forward Health, built her interdisciplinary healthcare organization after seeing how often patients were left to navigate fragmented services on their own. What began as a psychotherapy practice has grown into a multi-clinic model offering integrated mental health, women’s health, trauma and medical wellness services. She’s also a municipal candidate for West Carleton-March.

Vanessa Riddell, owner of Sachi Interior Design & Project Management, turned a knack for helping prepare homes for sale into a full-service design and project-management business. Her work brings together design, functionality and a network of trades and specialists to guide clients from the first idea through to a finished renovation.

From left, Julia Reid (Play On Pediatric Therapy), Rebecca Chambers (R.I.S.E. Academy), Christine Harrison (Focus Forward Health) and Vanessa Riddell (Sachi Interior Design & Project Management) are finalists for a 2026 Businesswoman of the Year Award in their respective categories. Photo by The Notley Creative

Enterprise Leader

Francesca Davila, director of development and communications at Harmony House Shelter, has helped strengthen fundraising, visibility and community engagement at Ottawa’s only second-stage shelter for women and children fleeing violence. Since immigrating to Canada in 2007, she has built a career grounded in service, perseverance and continuous growth. Over the past five years, she has helped double fundraising and created new partnerships and initiatives supporting the organization’s expansion as it marks 40 years of service.

Michelle Crogie, executive director of PLEO – Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario, brings both professional and personal experience to an organization supporting caregivers of children and youth facing mental health and substance-use challenges. Under her leadership, PLEO has expanded its reach and partnerships as demand for its peer-support services continues to grow. As a parent who has navigated her own child’s mental health journey, she understands firsthand the isolation, fear and complexity that many caregivers experience.

Laura-Lee Brenneman, business centre manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), leads a team helping Ottawa-area entrepreneurs navigate growth, financing and economic uncertainty. Known for her mentorship and collaborative leadership, she also serves on the board of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ottawa.

From left, Francesca Davila (Harmony House Shelter), Michelle Crogie (PLEO – Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario) and Laura-Lee Brenneman, business centre manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) are finalists for a 2026 Businesswoman of the Year Award in the Enterprise Leader category. Photo by The Notley Creative

Lifetime Achievement

Since co-launching the iconic retail chain CD Warehouse in 1991, Janice McDonald, founder and CEO of The Beacon Agency, has spent more than three decades as an entrepreneur, executive adviser, researcher, corporate director and advocate for women in leadership. She has built and scaled businesses, contributed nationally recognized research on women entrepreneurs, and mentored the next generation of Canadian leaders. She is author of the bestselling book Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision and host of the Fearless Women Podcast.

Michelle Groulx, president of Michelle Groulx Consulting, has built a career spanning advocacy, business, nonprofit and civic leadership, from helping advance Canada’s ban on cosmetic animal testing to securing donor and government support for Queensway Carleton Hospital. She has served as executive director of the Westboro Village BIA and chief advocate of the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas representing 18 BIAs and thousands of local businesses.

Marry Gunaratnam, chief information technology officer at Northern Credit Union, is a technology executive specializing in AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation who previously held senior leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase. She is also a strong advocate for women in STEM, mentoring emerging professionals while serving in board and community roles. Her honours include Canada’s Top 40 Under 40, Woman Engineer of the Year and Global Power Leader. She holds a PhD in computer and electrical engineering.

From left, Michelle Groulx (Michelle Groulx Consulting), Marry Gunaratnam (Northern Credit Union) and Janice McDonald (The Beacon Agency) are finalists for a 2026 Businesswoman of the Year Award in the Lifetime Achievement category. Photo by The Notley Creative

Community Impact (sponsored by Senators Community Foundation)

Emily Jones Joanisse, co-founder and volunteer CEO of Connected Canadians, has helped grow the national digital-inclusion charity to hundreds of trained volunteers, providing free technology training and support to older Canadians. Many of the mentors with Connected Canadians are newcomers who are highly skilled in technology and who benefit from the opportunity to improve their English. She also teaches at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business, where she leads students in using their business skills to help charities and nonprofits. She’s in the process of completing her PhD in management, information systems focused on digital inclusion.

Helen Hirsh Spence, founder of Top Sixty Over Sixty, has spent decades challenging barriers, from becoming one of the region’s first female secondary-school principals to advocating for women’s rights and confronting workplace harassment. After experiencing ageism herself in her 60s, she founded Top Sixty Over Sixty to combat age bias and promote the value of older adults in workplaces and communities.

Janet McKeage, senior investment counsellor at RBC PH&N Investment Counsel, has spent 35 years in finance while mentoring younger women and helping strengthen female representation in the profession. Her extensive community involvement includes leadership with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the Ottawa Community Foundation and Women for Mental Health at The Royal.

For more details, please visit the Businesswoman of the Year Awards website.

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WEALTH (WCPD), Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law, Westland Benefits and Ottawa Rapid FC.

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