A couple of years ago, Cassie Myers was introduced to the Epp Peace Incubatoron a class visit to the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA), a place where she saw “tech and innovation intersecting with social causes and impact space.” Since her first visit to the CPA, a lot has changed for Myers, who is now the founder of a local start-up and the newest member of the Incubator program. Both a graduate of the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program and a social entrepreneur, Myers has combined her passion for women’s issues with technology through her business, SheLeads.
At the start of her journey as an entrepreneur, Myers had a passion for women’s safety but was unsure where and how she could address the issue. CPA Coordinator Michelle Jackett recommended she apply to the St.Paul’s GreenHouse program, where Myers would have the space to explore the issue areas she cared about and learn innovative approaches to addressing those problems. While in GreenHouse, Myers was able to dig into new problem solving approaches and nurture her idea for a novel way to use technology to engage women’s issues.
In its early stages, SheLeads took the form of a leadership development game for young girls. After building and testing the platform, Myers recognized that the value of SheLeads was not necessarily in the game itself, but rather in its ability to measure impact goals for its users. Unlike existing assessment programs typically geared towards the for-profit industry, SheLeads was able to provide metrics for factors such as development and participation that are more tailored to the unique needs of non-profit organizations. With this new insight, Myers pivoted from her initial idea and morphed SheLeads into an initiative that would help non-profits working with young women accurately measure the impact of their work.
Since launching SheLeads, Myers has tapped into an immense number of resources available to start-ups in the Waterloo Region in order to grow her peacebuilding enterprise. Among other notable involvements, the SheLeads founder has claimed $30,000 in funding from two Velocity pitch competitions, connected with mentors in the innovation ecosystem, and taken classes with the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business. Now part of the CPA community, SheLeads will have access to organizations and peacebuilding practitioners with years of collective experience interacting with the non-profit sector.
With its roots in peacebuilding and its presence in Waterloo’s hub of social innovation and technology, the CPA is uniquely positioned to bridge peace and technology and support SheLeads as it continues its journey using tech for good.