EmpowHER 2026 welcomed businesswomen from the Shuswap to celebrate one another ahead of International Women’s Day Wednesday night at Chances Casino in Salmon Arm.
The women-in-business initiative was organized by the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce, Shuswap Construction Industry Professionals (SCIP) and Redpoint Construction. It was funded through the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. The event’s theme was “Give. Build. Grow.”
SCIP co-ordinator Teri Meikle said EmpowHER grew from a vision of bringing women together to showcase their work and build connections within the community.
“Knowing a lot of these women that own businesses in the Shuswap and seeing the struggles and the pivoting that everybody has to do, it’s just nice to be able to give them a space to network and showcase their business and advertise basically for free,” she said.
Cheri Doyle, administrator at Redpoint Construction said this event was designed to inspire.
“It’s giving to yourself and it’s helping each other grow and not only build your business but your person,” Doyle said, reflecting on the challenges she faced personally while building this initiative.
“We want it not just for us, but we want it for everybody because there are a lot of women in business who are solopreneurs … it’s nice to get inspired and get motivated,” she added.
Melissa Schweb, owner of Melissa’s Holistic kitchen, was one of the many businesses running a booth at the trades show. She said she’s made strong connections through her career and that this event has only reinforced those feelings of support.
“I’ve met a ton of incredible women out of this,” she said. “I think women really support women and especially in the wellness space that we’re in.”
Schweb added that being a woman in business has been a great experience and that she has not faced any adversity in her space of work.
“We’re just thankful for these opportunities and they come from people seeing the need and the taking action, so it’s really cool.”
The main event of the trade show was guest speaker, Meaghan Zaichkowsky, owner of Ricochet Brewing in Salmon Arm. She spoke about her experience owning a business and the lesson she learned along the way.
“I did not grow up thinking that I would own a brewery,” she said and reflected on a the expectation of having a career at a young age. “You get a job, you keep the job … why would you risk anything else?”
Zaichkowsky said building strong relationships and leaning on one another is essential for success. She pointed to her husband’s work ethic and personality, saying their differences help balance the business.
“If you’re all gas then you’re gonna crash. If you’re all breaks, you’re not gonna move, so find a good balance and you will begin to move forward,” she said.
She concluded her speech with lessons she felt every woman in the room could benefit from.
“Give strategically, not endlessly,” she said. “It’s (progress) not perfect. It’s not graceful. It’s honest.”
The second annual EmpowHer event ended with networking, with attendees already excited for next year’s show.
