Cheryll Wagner is the CEO and Co-Owner of Business2Mobile Communications Inc., a consulting and software development company that addresses one of Northern BC’s biggest technology challenges: how to collect data remotely in a no network environment.
Having grown up in the north, Cheryll is aware of the circumstances businesses in the region continue to face. As Regional Ambassador for WeBC, she pursues ways to support other business women in the region, building a community of knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer exchange.
Taking the stage and passing the mic
Cheryll first touched base with WeBC through participating in Taking the Stage®, a powerful program to help women achieve a confident leadership presence, facilitated at the time by WeBC’s now-CEO Shauna Harper. This opportunity allowed Cheryll to embrace her leadership identity, find her presence, and develop her voice.
In pursuit of her company vision, to help people and grow Northern BC’s GDP, Cheryll quickly recognized the potential of mentorship as a source of empowerment in her community.
“I learned first-hand how WeBC’s sustained support can help women grow their businesses and become strong leaders for their communities from my experience as a mentee in the Taking the Stage® program,” Cheryll says.
This motivated her to volunteer as a mentor for Discovery Foundation’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program delivered by WeBC, where Cheryll used her expertise to provide tech mentorship for other women, before taking on her role as Regional Ambassador for WeBC.
Northern BC business faces unique challenges
Northern BC’s economy is strong, with small businesses in the region contributing significantly to the provincial GDP. “However, we have a shortage of support for startups and small business ventures in Northern BC,” Cheryll explains.
Being spread out in a sparsely populated area makes it more challenging for women in business to network and connect. “Our entrepreneurs are resilient and creative because we have challenges in the north, such as network connectivity, that many businesses in heavily populated areas do not face.”
Supporting women entrepreneurs as WeBC Regional Ambassador
In her role as Regional Ambassador for WeBC, Cheryll helps current and aspiring women entrepreneurs to connect with resources, financing, and other support services. “I want women to feel confident in their businesses and comfortable with all that is required to be successful,” she expresses.
WeBC works with local partners to provide support for women entrepreneurs in the North.
WeBC’s unique Business Loan program focuses on overall business viability, not just financial ratios, so this allows WeBC to approve loans to women who may not fit into the traditional lending box.
Since WeBC proactively works with loan clients based on their specific circumstances, and includes free advisory services, training and mentoring with their loan, the WeBC repayment rate in recent years has been over 96 percent.
Fostering learning and knowledge exchange through networking
To build a strong foundation for knowledge exchange, Cheryll is highly invested in fostering relationships among business women in her region. “As Regional Ambassador, I represent women entrepreneurs in the North and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make a difference by sharing my knowledge, my biggest mistakes, and my wins, to encourage others who may be struggling,” Cheryll shares.
“I am excited to connect with women and other influencers in our region and I look forward to building a solid network of women in our community,”
WeBC has provided thousands of women business owners with loans, expertise, mentoring, networking, and skills training to help their businesses grow and thrive. Thanks to new funding just announced, WeBC will soon offer a new growth-focused mentorship program for women in business for five years or more. Additionally, WeBC offers programs to encourage women to develop a growth mindset early on to better leverage financing and networks in later stages of business.
Find out more about the ways in which WeBC offers support for women in business at we-bc.ca/what-we-offer.
About WeBC
WeBC (formerly Women’s Enterprise Centre) is a not-for-profit that has been supporting women business owners across the province since 1995. Working with regional partners, they’ve provided thousands of entrepreneurs with business loans and expertise, training, resources, and peer network support to help businesses grow and thrive. Learn more at
we-bc.ca
