The Scotiabank Women Initiative® is partnering with Virtual Gurus for an exclusive offer for participants of the program. Now until November 15, 2024, all Scotiabank Women Initiative participants will receive 15% off the first three months of Virtual Gurus Subscriptions.
Virtual Gurus transforms remote staffing with its subscription-based platform, connecting businesses with top-tier remote assistants from Canada and the U.S. This innovative marketplace champions talent from underrepresented communities, helping to break down employment barriers. Virtual Gurus combines machine learning with human insight to perfectly match organizations with assistants. The platform provided by Virtual Gurus smooths the way for businesses to seek efficient support, and for assistants to find meaningful work, all while enhancing diversity in the workplace.
Founded and led by Bobbie Racette since 2016, Virtual Gurus has contributed over 500,000 hours of professional assistance, helping businesses thrive while promoting diverse talent. Virtual Gurus is committed to providing meaningful work opportunities to those who may have traditionally faced barriers to employment, including women, stay-at-home parents and members of marginalized communities.
Racette, a Cree Métis woman and member of the LGBT+ community, launched Virtual Gurus after being laid off from her job as a safety foreman in the oil and gas industry. She received 170 rejections from venture capitalists before securing funding with the support of Roynat Capital, a subsidiary of Scotiabank that provides creative financial solutions to mid-market companies.
“I’m most hopeful for diverse people to not be disregarded,” Racette said recently in an article in the Globe and Mail. “We are refusing to let the world overlook us anymore. If we can get all the venture capital firms and investors to diversify their portfolios a little bit more, the world would be so different.”
Racette, who is also a Scotiabank Women Initiative participant, is excited to collaborate with Scotiabank to enhance support for women entrepreneurs across Canada.
“This partnership reflects our shared vision of empowering women and marginalized communities, providing them with opportunities and the tools, resources, and networks to succeed,” says Racette
Partnering with Virtual Gurus provides a valuable service offering to The Scotiabank Women Initiative Program Participants, says Lesly Tayles, Executive Sponsor for The Scotiabank Women Initiative in Canada.
It brings great pride to work with an organization that prioritizes creating opportunities for women and those who are gender expansive, and shares our values and commitment to foster an inclusive community that empowers every future to succeed and grow,” she said.
This partnership is part of The Scotiabank Women Initiative’s commitment to providingwomen-owned and women-led businesses with unbiased access to capital, education and mentorship. As Scotiabank progresses towards the $10-billion commitment by 2025, it is proud to share that The Scotiabank Women Initiative has deployed more than $8 billion in capital and engaged with over 25,000 women entrepreneurs since its inception in 2018.