And it’s not playing by the rules that usually leads to success, but a simple desire to solve real problems. Vicki Saunders has made a career of creating businesses, supporting entrepreneurs and designing new ways for women to be funded. Her work shifted the way many founders think about collaboration, innovation, and business growth. Today she is best known as the founder and CEO of SheEO, an international network that supports women to create businesses with a positive social impact.
Early Life and First Entrepreneurial Steps
Vicki grew up on a family farm in Canada. Daily farm life taught her discipline, responsibility, and practical problem–solving from an early age. All work involved teamwork, planning, and hard work. These experiences would later influence her business and leadership style.
Unlike many Canadian entrepreneurs, Saunders did not begin her entrepreneurial career at home. Instead, she moved to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, during a period of major political and economic change in Eastern Europe. She lived there for four years, learning business through direct experience instead of formal plans. During this time she started several businesses and adapted to a completely new market while facing different challenges every day.
Living in Prague also showed Saunders the importance of community. She believed entrepreneurs achieved better results when they shared knowledge instead of competing all the time. Because of this idea, she built a local network where business owners could exchange experience, support one another, and develop new opportunities together.
Building Communities and Creating SheEO
Back in Toronto, Saunders continued working with entrepreneurs. She created Canada’s first business incubator, a place where fledgling businesses could receive support, resources and professional contacts in their infancy. The incubator was a success and eventually got strong enough to be listed on the stock exchange. Saunders was later let go from the company despite helping to build the organization. She had a disappointing experience, but it only made her stronger in her belief that setbacks often breed new opportunities.
Years later, Saunders was mentoring a talented young woman with a novel business idea and she saw a serious problem. Her company had good prospects, but the entrepreneur had problems in raising investment. Saunders found that women–founded businesses received less than four percent of all venture capital funding. She found that the current financial system did not offer equal opportunities for women founders.
Saunders decided to build another model rather than accept the situation. She started SheEO, an organization that connects women who want to support other women through funding, mentoring and collaborating. It wasn’t just about providing capital; it was about creating a community where entrepreneurs could learn from each other and celebrate the success of each other.
Key ideas that guide SheEO
- Supporting women through collaboration instead of competition.
- Investing in businesses that solve important social problems.
- Creating strong networks between experienced and new entrepreneurs.
- Encouraging generosity, trust, and long–term relationships.
- Expanding opportunities for women founders around the world.
SheEO is now in five countries and continues to work to support women building businesses with social and economic impact. Saunders argues that the environment of an entrepreneur has a strong influence on future success.
That’s why she encourages founders to establish relationships with people who inspire learning, creativity and resilience. Her career shows that long–term business success is measured not only by the financial result but also by the ability to help others create meaningful change.