Shannon Pestun
Founder and CEO | Co-Founder, Pestun Consulting Inc. | The Finance Cafe
Metis woman entrepreneur, Inclusive Economy, Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Gender gap in Entrepreneurship, Gender investment gaps, Impact of pandemic on Women Entrepreneurs, Indigenous women entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur, Women's economic advancement, financial inclusion, Financial system change, gender finance, female economy, financial literacy, breaking barriers, Women in business, Women entrepreneurs, Female business owners, business banking, diversity, equity, inclusion
Media
SheInnovates - a UN Women pilot Initiative
As part of the UN Women’s strategy to develop the innovation market to work better for women and to accelerate gender equality, we have been tasked to pilot the first global #SHEInnovatesAlberta chapter in Alberta. We are celebrating women entrepreneurs and innovators, starting with five Alberta women who have been chosen by the UN, followed by a diverse range of Alberta women who are working to solve complex challenges in our province.
Breaking Barriers for Women's Entrepreneurship
Shannon discusses how barriers are being broken to enhance the opportunities for women leaders to grow their businesses
Reimagining women's entrepreneurship
We recently sat down with Shannon Pestun, ATB’s Director, Women’s Entrepreneurship, to discuss the barriers women face when it comes to accessing capital, the future of banking for women, and how our entrepreneurial landscape is changing in Alberta.
Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2018
Global TV, November 19, 2018Television
URL: https://globalnews.ca/video/4676892/womens-entrepreneurship-day
Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
Mon, Nov 19: Shannon Pestun, ATB’s director of women entrepreneurship and Manjit Minhas, entrepreneur, join Global News Morning Calgary to talk about the challenges women entrepreneurs face and how they can access more resources.
Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2019
CTV Calgary, November 14, 2019Television
URL: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1827065&jwsource=cl
First-ever Women's Entrepreneurship Day Summit held in Calgary.
Shannon Pestun interview alongside the Canadian Ambassador for Women's Entrepreneurship Day
Denton's - Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship Podcast Episode 14: Disruption in the capital markets through diversity
Denton's, November 6, 2020Radio/Podcast
November 6, 2020
Join Heather Barnhouse, partner in our Edmonton office, as she explores women in leadership and entrepreneurship, and the ecosystem that supports them. In episode 14, Heather chats with Shannon Pestun, founder and CEO of Pestun Consulting Inc., about the importance of disruption in the capital markets for the benefit of women entrepreneurs.
Prior to starting her own consulting company, Shannon was Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship program at ATB Financial, where she led the program in creating more opportunities for women entrepreneurs by addressing the core financial capital challenges they faced as entrepreneurs. Shannon currently sits on numerous boards including Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WED) in Canada, a grassroots mission to alleviate poverty by empowering, celebrating and supporting women in business worldwide.
WED is hosting their Women’s Entrepreneurship Day virtual summit on November 19, 2020 between 2pm – 4pm EST. You can find out more information at https://www.womenseday.org/
Fearless Women Podcast by Janice McDonald
Economic transformation and Gender Intelligence - Collisions YYC podcast
, November 20, 2019Radio/Podcast
URL: https://www.collisionsyyc.com/episodes/e11-shannon-pestun
“The female economy and understanding its power is a very important conversation no matter who you are.”
— SHANNON PESTUN - 00:46:19
Join me as I chat with Shannon Pestun, Director of Women’s Entrepreneurship at ATB Financial, Business and Agriculture.
Shannon brings the notion of gender intelligence to the conversation of economic transformation, specifically on the entrepreneurial potential of women in Calgary. Having noticed the imbalance in opportunities given to male and female entrepreneurs, Shannon became a champion for women to reach their full economic potential, never shying away from asking tough questions in the company of male business leaders. Shannon also shines a light on areas outside of technology that she calls “the main street”, and the importance of shaping a clear way forward for new entrepreneurs and small businesses so they can be a part of Calgary’s economic transformation.
ATB Financial, February 6, 2019Radio/Podcast
URL: https://player.fm/series/perch-the-podcast/episode-four-breaking-down-barriers-women-entrepreneurs
“When it comes to entrepreneurship, the one difference that I see is that women tend to start businesses because they are passionate about something. So there is a social change element or some type of change that women are trying to incorporate into their businesses” – Shannon Pestun
This is the final episode in a four-part series on entrepreneurs, the challenges they face and how to help them succeed. We take a look at women entrepreneurs in this episode and talk with women’s entrepreneurship expert Shannon Pestun.
Subscribe to Perch, the Podcast where where we listen to Albertans, dig into what’s happening in Alberta’s economy and explore ideas on how to keep our province a prosperous place.
Opinion: Supporting women entrepreneurs is crucial to Alberta's economy
Calgary Herald, November 19, 2019Print
Indigenous businesses faced barriers accessing COVID-19 relief programs, survey finds
Serving the needs of women entrepreneurs
Calgary Business, September 10, 2019Online
Canadian government commits $15 Million in COVID-19 support for women entrepreneurs
Betakit, May 16, 2020Online
Article-throw your marketing plan out the window in times of crisis
Globe and Mail, October 1, 2020Online
Canadian women entrepreneurs: Towards a diverse, inclusive and innovative ecosystem Canadian Diversity
by Shannon Pestun and Zohreh Hassannezhad
Published by Canadian Diversity - Canadian Diversity is a quarterly publication of the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS).
A second article, by Zohreh Hassannezhad and Shannon Pestun, consists in a very thorough
overview of the different models and types of financing available to women entrepreneurs. The article includes a consideration of the systemic and cultural barriers women encounter in seeking and obtaining financing and identifies emerging approaches and initiatives seeking to facilitate access to funding
URL: https://www.ciim.ca/img/boutiquePDF/612_aec_candiv_vol17no4_2020_en_v7_lrfin-5mgz0.pdf
Biography
Shannon Pestun is the Founder & CEO of Pestun Consulting Inc., an Indigenous-owned, purpose-driven, consulting company that focuses on the advancement of women’s entrepreneurship in Canada. She is also the Co-Founder of the Finance Cafe, an online financial learning platform designed for women entrepreneurs.
A former business banker, Pestun brought women’s entrepreneurship to the forefront of ATB Financial, creating and leading the bank’s first dedicated strategy for women entrepreneurs. A recognized leader in women's entrepreneurship, she was one of seven women appointed to the Government of Canada’s first Women’s Entrepreneurship Expert Panel where she advised on a range of issues, including identifying and providing options to solve gaps in services and supports available to women entrepreneurs in Canada. Prior to her 10-year banking career, Pestun worked as a strategic marketing and communications professional at a leadership level.
Through her consulting company, Pestun works as a Senior Adviser, Business and Finance for the Women’s Entrepreneurship knowledge Hub where she is helping to map out Canada’s financial ecosystem and build programming that increases women’s access to financial, social and entrepreneurial capital. She also works directly with women entrepreneurs providing coaching and small business consulting services.
Pestun is a recognized voice on women’s entrepreneurship, and has been featured at business conferences, on podcasts, business magazines and both broadcast and online media.
Her commitment to advocating for women’s economic empowerment has been widely recognized. In 2007, she was nominated for the Canadian Women in Communications “Mentor of the Year” award for creating a mentorship program for women in communications. In 2019, Pestun was recognized as a SHEInnovator, by SHEInnovates Alberta - a pilot chapter for UN Women. That same year she was a finalist for the Diversity Ambassador of the Year Award for the Women in Finance Awards - Canada.
Pestun is also an active contributor and volunteer. She is an appointed member on the Board of Governors at Mount Royal University and most recently, Co-Chair for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO) Canada.
Recognition/Reconnaissance
SheInnovator | Professional
As part of the UN Women’s strategy to develop the innovation market to work better for women and to accelerate gender equality, SheInnovates Alberta was tasked to pilot the first global #SHEInnovatesAlberta chapter in Alberta. SheInnovates AB celebrates women entrepreneurs and innovators in Alberta who are working to solve complex challenges in our province.