Drumroll Please! Announcing the Finalists of the 2017 Mompreneurs® Awards

TORONTO - Jan. 9, 2017 - PRLog -- Mompreneurs® and ParentsCanada Magazine have teamed up once again to recognize and reward the country's top mompreneurs with over $30,000 in cash and business services designed to drive the winners' companies forward to further success.

Voting began on November 9th and closed December 31^st, 2016 for the 2017 Annual Mompreneur® Awards, presented by TruShield Insurance. The Mompreneur® Awards recognizes the hard work and talent of busy female entrepreneurs who are making advances in today's Canadian business environment, inspired by new lifestyle needs and armed with the education and talent to do so.

This year, winners will be scrutinized by an expert panel of prestigious judges, including Manjit Minhas (CBC's Dragon's Den), Krista Scaldwell (VP Public Affairs, The Coca-Cola Company),Lorraine McLachlan (President/CEO of the Canadian Franchise Assoc.), Jill Schoolenberg (VP, GoDaddy Canada), and Victoria Lennox (Co-Founder, Startup Canada). All Finalists will be judged based on criteria such as innovation, commitment to community, sales growth, leadership, and scalability, in 4 award categories: Mompreneur Award of Excellence (exemplary product/service), Mompreneur Startup Award (for a business under 3 years), Mompreneur Award of Merit (for a consultant or franchisee), and the Mompreneurs "Momentum" Award (for a female-led non-profit, charity, or service-based business).

Women were nominated or registered online at themompreneur.com/award, and after accumulating points based on support from over 20,000 public voters and impression ratings from judges, the finalists were narrowed down.

The finalists in each category are:

Mompreneur® Award of Excellence

Dana Shortt Gourmet & Gifts – Dana Shortt, Waterloo Ontario

Easy Peasy Patches – Andrea Winarski, Aurora Ontario

Olivia Rose – AnnaMaria DiNicolantonio, Milton Ontario

Snugabell Mom & Baby Gear – Wendy Armbruster-Bell, Coquitlam British Columbia

YUM: Plant-Based Recipes for a Gluten-Free Diet – Dr. Theresa Nicassio, Vancouver British Columbia

Mompreneurs® "Momentum" Award

Blue Ocean Office Supplies – Stephanie Birt, Guelph Ontario

Homeworks Etc. – Jacqueline De'Ath, Surrey British Columbia

Oxygen Fitness – Lori-Ann McLeod, Milton Ontario

Sanctuary Studios – Michelle Emson, Bracebridge Ontario

TIKKO – Christine Frances Poe, Burlington Ontario

The Wedding Coach – Jennifer Reece Maxwell, Ajax Ontario

Mompreneur® Startup Award

K'pure Naturals – Karen Johnson, Mission British Columbia

Malarkey Kids (The Munch Mitt) – Melissa Hyslop, Burlington Ontario

Mama Knows Luxury – Sarah Willey, Edmonton Alberta

Nutracelle – Melanie Wildman, Stratford Prince Edward Island

Nutrition Bites – Sandra Venneri, London Ontario

Talii Towels – Lisa Iafrate, King City Ontario

Mompreneur® Award of Merit

Arbonne International – Mirella Canavan, Mississauga Ontario

Mommy Connections London – Nicole Hennessy, London Ontario

Par-T-Perfect – Amber Dinda, Oakville Ontario

SendoutCards – Duette Anderson, Surrey British Columbia

Stella & Dot– Paula Alblas, Puslinch Ontario

The winners will be announced in Toronto at the 5th Annual National Mompreneurs Conference over International Women's Day Weekend on March 3^rd & 4^th, 2017.

For information on the 2017 Mompreneur® Awards and prizing, please visit themompreneur.com/award (http://www.themompreneur.com/award)

More information about the Annual Conference can be found at: themompreneur.com/conference/

To interview Maria Locker or any of these emerging Canadian business leaders and mentors, including sharing their stories, getting business/entrepreneur success tips and learnings, or showcasing their business ideas, please contact:

Rania Walker

Front Door PR

416-258-8953

rania@frontdoorpr.com

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ParentsCanada

ParentsCanada magazine (ParentsCanada.com (http://www.ParentsCanada.com))  is one of Canada's leading resources for parents of newborns to tweens. Our focus is on providing parents the tools they need to make positive choices for their families. @ParentsCanada

Mompreneurs®

Mompreneur Showcase Group Inc. (TheMompreneur.com (http://www.TheMompreneur.com)) is the trusted national network that supports, educates, and empowers female entrepreneurs across Canada. With a team expanding across Canada, they boast a collective of over 17,000 members and an online community over 80,000 strong. @TheMompreneurTM