About Us
Think of us as your go-betweens, your guides, and your sisters in solidarity
Our Story
Business Sisters keeps it real
We’re a community of rural women entrepreneurs and business owners in Eastern Ontario. We all wear many hats—at home, in business, and in our communities—and we understand that finding balance is a challenge. So we listen to each other’s stories of wins and losses and together, we find strategies to become more resilient—and to rock our goals.
If you are looking to connect with like-minded, entrepreneurial women so you can learn and do business, joining Business Sisters is as simple as signing up for our newsletter.
Sign UpIf you are looking to connect with like-minded, entrepreneurial women so you can learn and do business, joining Business Sisters is as simple as signing up for our newsletter.
Business Sisters takes pride in being a bilingual social enterprise and want our work to have purpose. Supporting women in business results in a direct impact on the economic development of our communities, as well as the individual resilience of members. Who wouldn’t want that?
Meet our founder: Doreen Ashton Wagner
Welcome! I’m happy you’ve found your way to Business Sisters. Like many of you, I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart. After spending 13 years in the corporate world, I left my job as VP of Marketing of a Toronto hotel brand so I could find a better balance between my personal and professional life. I began my own hospitality marketing consultancy, and eventually my husband Heinz joined me in the business. We moved back to Alexandria to be closer to family and to enjoy a kinder lifestyle in this small rural community. Eventually we grew our two-person consultancy into a lead generation agency with 23 employees and a large client list.
Sadly, the pressures of entrepreneurship and the isolation of the rural setting took their toll. Yes, my life partner was an active participant in our business, but I felt it all depended on me. In my head, I was the matriarch of the business. Because of that, I burned out and was forced to step away.
We sold the company in 2016 to an employee. I ended up going back to school, earning my MA in inter-disciplinary studies. The topic of my thesis was "The Entrepreneurial Resilience of Women Business Owners at a Time of Crisis."
In the process I found my true passion: helping other rural women entrepreneurs succeed. Recovering from burnout, I realized one of the key elements I’d been missing: a support network of like-minded women. My small town had no chamber of commerce, no business group—let alone one for women entrepreneurs. So, I created one.
Since 2018, Business Sisters has evolved into a network of business owners who are keen to advocate for what we want and what we need to launch, lead, and grow businesses, while being there for our families and strengthening our communities. As the Founder, my vision is not only guided by what I learned, both from my own journey and my formal learning, but also by all the incredibly strong sisters in our rural communities.
I hope you’ll join us. Because no woman should have to build a business alone. We’re stronger together.
Sadly, the pressures of entrepreneurship and the isolation of the rural setting took their toll. Yes, my life partner was an active participant in our business, but I felt it all depended on me. In my head, I was the matriarch of the business. Because of that, I burned out and was forced to step away.
We sold the company in 2016 to an employee. I ended up going back to school, earning my MA in inter-disciplinary studies. The topic of my thesis was "The Entrepreneurial Resilience of Women Business Owners at a Time of Crisis."
In the process I found my true passion: helping other rural women entrepreneurs succeed. Recovering from burnout, I realized one of the key elements I’d been missing: a support network of like-minded women. My small town had no chamber of commerce, no business group—let alone one for women entrepreneurs. So, I created one.
Since 2018, Business Sisters has evolved into a network of business owners who are keen to advocate for what we want and what we need to launch, lead, and grow businesses, while being there for our families and strengthening our communities. As the Founder, my vision is not only guided by what I learned, both from my own journey and my formal learning, but also by all the incredibly strong sisters in our rural communities.
I hope you’ll join us. Because no woman should have to build a business alone. We’re stronger together.
Our Advisory Board
Meet the women who help guide our activities
