Two Rotman MBAs Named as Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs

The PROFIT/Chatelaine W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs has recognized two Rotman School of Management MBA graduates. A third Rotman MBA was ranked as a rising entrepreneur to watch and a fourth company, co-founded by a Rotman MBA, placed #1 in the ranking.

The PROFIT/Chatelaine W100 ranking and awards program is Canada’s largest celebration of women entrepreneurs. Each year, it ranks the top 100 female entrepreneurs by a score that takes into account the size, growth rate and profitability of the companies they own and manage. Winners are honored in the June 2016 issue of Canadian Business magazine, as well as throughout the year on Chatelaine.com and PROFITguide.com.

Steeped Tea, a tea shop that sells tea and accessories via 9,000 direct sellers, received the number one spot. It was created by Tonia Jahshan and co-founded by 2010 Rotman MBA graduate Hatem Jahshan. Hatem and Tonia are regular speakers at MBA classes at the Rotman School.

Kim Shannon, a 1993 Rotman MBA graduate, ranked 33rd on the list as the president and chief investment officer of Sionna Investment Managers. Ann Kaplan, a 2005 Rotman MBA graduate, placed 46th for her company iFinance Canada, where she is the president and CEO.

This was not the first time that Shannon or Kaplan appeared on the W100 ranking. However, it was the first time that Lena Koke, a 2008 Rotman MBA graduate, made it onto the list. She was named as a W100 Rising Star to Watch for her role as president of Axess Law.

In a press release for the Rotman School, Jennifer Hildebrandt, the school’s director of alumni relations, spoke about the Rotman MBA graduates who made it onto the list. “It has been a privilege to watch Ann and Kim grow their businesses. We greatly appreciate that they continue to share their story, expertise and advice with fellow alumni, current students and the business community at large,” she said. “Furthermore, we are excited to see Lena be named as a rising star in the Profit/Chatelaine W100.”

regions: Toronto

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