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
Over her 25 year career, Shannon Pestun has worked with academia, nonprofits, industry and governments from across Canada to build a more inclusive economy. Her experience, advocacy and leadership have made her a sought-after advisor and trusted voice on inclusive economic reconciliation and transformation.
A former banker, Pestun led one of Canada’s first women’s banking strategies and helped to set the stage for gender equality in Canada's financial services sector. In 2018 she was named a UN SHEInnovator by SHEInnovates Alberta – a chapter for UN Women and in 2019 was a finalist for the Diversity Ambassador of the Year award by Women in Finance – Canada. That same year she was
appointed to serve on The Government of Canada’s women entrepreneurship strategy expert panel. In 2020, she stepped into entrepreneurship, launching Pestun Consulting Inc., and The Finance Cafe.
Pestun Consulting Inc. specializes in women's economic development and financial inclusion. Pestun works in collaboration with all levels of government, industry, civil society and education to identify barriers and create systems that promote the enhancement of women's economic empowerment. For the past four years, she has worked as a consultant to The Diversity Institute as a senior advisor and research associate overseeing the development of partnerships and delivery of research and programming for pathways to employment, advancement and entrepreneurship with a focus on diversity, inclusion and reconciliation.
The Finance Cafe is Canada’s first financial literacy platform for women entrepreneurs. The social enterprise has worked with women’s enterprise organizations from coast to coast to coast delivering trauma-informed, strength-based financial literacy training to women entrepreneurs. As co-host of The Finance Cafe podcast, Pestun is changing the way women talk about money and finance.
Pestun currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of Mount Royal University, a board member with NPower Canada, a member of the Métis Settlement Development Fund Investment Committee and board advisor to Nakehndan, a not-for-profit Indigenous organization supporting survivors of sexual assault.
Pestun is passionate about the empowerment of Indigenous women. She created the Gifting Circle Bursary for Indigenous women entrepreneurs raising $200,000 in support of advancing Indigenous women’s entrepreneurship through bursaries and scholarships across Canada’s post secondary institutions.
Pestun is an accomplished speaker who has spoken across Canada and internationally. Her compassionate and warm expertise speaks across differences to show how together we can break down barriers, build sustainable partnerships, unlock innovation and create a more inclusive economy.
Originating from the Métis homeland in Treaty 1, Pestun resides in Treaty 7, and is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta.
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.