Sponsored by Calgary Economic Development.
Joel Schlesinger © Postmedia Content Works.
Originally published in the Calgary Herald on Sept. 24, 2024.
Kim Dalton, a Calgary partner at EY, a leading global professional services firm, is recognized in the city’s tech sector as a key supporter of women entrepreneurs.
“I wear two hats at the firm in Calgary; those are leading women entrepreneur initiatives and being the market leader for the technology sector,” says Dalton, who also works in EY’s private assurance practice, providing financial auditing among other corporate services to private companies. “These are truly passion projects for me.”
Dalton isn’t alone in her passion for helping women in tech turn their ideas into successful startups and thriving enterprises. EY is renowned in Calgary, across the province and globally for turning new tech entrepreneurs into future industry leaders.
In Calgary, the tech sector, in particular, is experiencing rapid growth. “As Calgary diversifies and lowers its dependency on the oil and gas industry, the technology sector has really taken off with many laid off energy professionals jumping into the tech sector with fresh ideas for businesses,” says Dalton.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of tech startups have launched in Calgary over the past decade, and a growing number of them are led by women. Dalton points to one female tech-preneur who started a business coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, whom she worked with over the past few years.
“Her company was growing rapidly, reaching nearly $5 million in revenues annually, and when we got involved, we got her into the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program,” Dalton says, adding that the program connected her client with 20 other women entrepreneurs from around North America.
The initiative provides women founders with the resources, network and access needed to help unlock their full potential. It also provides invites to events such as the EY Strategic Growth Forum in the United States, which Dalton describes as ‘Disneyland for entrepreneurs,’ featuring numerous investors and mentors to help scaling tech firms grow.
Dalton is a critical liaison, connecting these women with the right experts at the right time. The impact of her efforts is evident in measurable financial results, she says. “That tech-preneur earning $5 million in revenues is now seeing her revenue double annually, and now expecting to see $25 million in sales this year.”
This feature was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.