💸 Funding + Financing News For Your Business 📊

Apr 28, 2023 8:57 pm

👀 Scroll for your parent-friendly business news, funding and opportunities ⬇️


 A PERSONAL NOTE  FROM ME (AMY):

✨📝 (But First) An Update On...Creating Safe Business Spaces For Primary Caregivers 📢

Last week I was all dressed up for a meeting at Parliament Hill which was rescheduled (second meeting to have that happen last week, with three different Members of Parliament).


Thankfully I hadn't gone through security yet but it meant the childcare I organized one day wasn't used the way I intended, then the childcare I didn't organize the other day and all of the prep work that went into packing the diaper bag for a trip to the Hill was for nothing.


All the more ironic as it's meant to revolve around discussions to create safe business spaces for parents and primary caregivers. 👀


BUT it's all good because meetings can be rescheduled, my toddler was none the wiser and the older kids were in school.


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New meeting dates are in the works and things are rolling, just not in the way I expected!


I practice time blocking, over communication, setting boundaries and really like to pad the schedule before and after things to account for sick kids, diaper emergencies, transit and all of the mindset, feeding, changing and extra considerations that go into all of the above.


It's also Mercury Retrograde and a Lunar Eclipse this past month...I plan my work and life around moon cycles and other astrological events (if you're with me, you know), if you're not, here's what it's looked like this week for me:

📆 calendar mix ups, crossed wires and rescheduling, including surprise calls and emails

🎬 podcast interview tech glitches, delays to hit record, many things happening all at once (think back to back meetings)

😬 canceled after care at our school because of staff shortages

🎉 childcare sorted for the youngest kid (starting soon!) but confirmed alongside a professional setback (same day highs and lows)

📚 big news, deep conversations, back and forth on major projects and longterm discussions

⏳️ delays to required paperwork and waiting on confirmation via other written forms of communication


On the upside:

📢 increased availability for project and contract roles (consulting, marketing, communications)

🎊 confirming more guests for Season 5 of the podcast

🌈 new introductions and connections to others IRL and virtually

🎢 creative childcare solutions, help from family and friends


AND now, this last week of April has been an interesting and spontaneous one!

I was meant to be in Lisbon 🇵🇹 for the Running Remote Conference, an event I spoke at last year in Montreal 🇨🇦 and have been a member of the community of ever since.


But I stayed home as life had other plans AND this also happened to be the first week I saw my youngest kid take his first steps on his own (pleasant surprise!)


The great thing about this network of remote-first / hybrid / distributed team organizations, leaders and advocates is I have still felt connected and have met many people virtually in the lead up to the annual event, with plans to catch up with others over the coming months.


Aside from that event, yesterday I headed downtown to meet Member of Parliament Karen Vecchio who is the Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (FEWO).


It was only 30 minutes but we covered everything from gender equality and workforce participation, to the number of women who quit their businesses during the pandemic, creating accessible and inclusive spaces for parents and the connections to childcare, domestic violence and economic independence in policy areas and studies. We also talked about our kids (of course)!


I'm not certain where this discussion will take us but I have plans to speak with other FEWO Committee members across political parties, as I initially met them at a non-partisan Startup Canada event last month to share my work with Mixing Babies And Business™.


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In 2016, I started bringing my first baby into business settings as a new parent living overseas - despite the fact there weren't any facilities and I was the only one with a stroller - over time this has evolved into hosting parent-friendly professional development, creating digital resources and sharing stories through my podcast, this newsletter and online platforms.


It also has meant I've had the privilege of meeting with parents (like you) who are interested in entrepreneurship, flexible and remote work and speaking to audiences about all of the above in person and via virtual stages.


Just wanted to drop a note here to say, keep on keeping on, you never know where sharing your ideas, showing up as you are and doing what you can in the moment could turn into.


Have a lovely weekend and Happy Friday! ☀️


As always, if you have any questions or feedback, I'm happy to hear from you – just hit reply.


– Amy Lynch (+ Family)

Founder, Event + Podcast Host

Mixing Babies And Business™



P.S. Please share this email with your network if you're interested in learning more about working with me as a speaker, consultant or project contractor - I am delighted to share I will have more availability from May onward!


 PARENT-FRIENDLY  BUSINESS NEWS / OPPORTUNITIES / EVENTS

Spreading the word and business goodness for parents like you:


  • POLICY: Mixing Babies And Business™ is participating in Startup Gov (facilitated by Startup Canada), a program I've been in since 2021 – if you'd like to join the next virtual roundtable about the Federal Budget in Canada's impact on entrepreneurship on Thursday, May 18th from 4:30-5:30 PM, please send me your info before Friday May 5th




  • NEWS: An article in The Irish Times featuring social impact organization Grow Remote, with stories of individual's remote work experiences (including parents!) and how it's enabling them to connect to rural areas, live closer to nature, work around the school run (yippee!) and be present for other day-to-day life events.


  • NEWS: Last month Fortune published an article with the headline 'Nearly half of working mothers surveyed have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Here's what can help' and Tiffany Dufu shared her take on it via LinkedIn and the reality "the United States is only one of six countries in the United Nations with no national paid parental leave policy and spends only 0.2% GDP on childcare".





  • CAREER: Rowena Hennigan publishes the Remote Work Digest and this previous edition contains a round up of remote work career resources and job search sites.



  • SUPPORT: Total Mom Pitch has announced their Top 100 Semi-Finalists, the top five finalists will be invited to pitch for the chance to receive $50,000 CAD (in cash and business services) at the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Industry Gala on May 30th – voting for them online closes next Thursday, May 4th.









  • WELLNESS: Check out the Mixing Babies + Business Remote Work [Virtual] Retreat [available on demand] if you're seeking a simple and refreshing way to reassess your current work and life routines.


REMOTE WORK RETREAT



Crafted with 💜 and care in Canada

Sending you positive vibes and parenthood solidarity ✨

Copyright © 2016–2023 Amy Maureen Lynch, All rights reserved.


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