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  • Rise & Shine: An Inspiring Second Edition in Chéticamp Image 1

    Rise & Shine: An Inspiring Second Edition in Chéticamp

    Chéticamp (N.S.) - Friday October 3, 2025 : The CDÉNÉ Business and Entrepreneurship Services team held the second edition of the Rise & Shine conference on September 26 and 27 at the Canton Culturel in Chéticamp. Two days rich in learning, networking, and inspiration around women's entrepreneurship in Acadie.

    A festive launch
    The conference began the day before, on Friday, September 26th, with an entrepreneurial networking evening at the same venue as the conference. This relaxing event provided an opportunity to meet various players in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as several entrepreneurs from Acadie and the surrounding area.

    Adèle LeBlanc and André LeBlanc opened the evening with an inspiring welcome speech, highlighting the vital importance of women entrepreneurs in the Acadian regions and their ability to grow, flourish, and prosper even in sometimes difficult circumstances. Yvette Comeau, from Avant-Garde a magazine published by Le Courrier de la Nouvelle-Écosse, then spoke about their business magazine. Yvette also took this opportunity to unveil the theme of the next edition : women's entrepreneurship.

    Image 27Yvette Comeau, from the magazine Avant-Garde of Le Courrier de la Nouvelle-Écosse.

    Adèle then moderated a roundtable discussion featuring three inspiring female entrepreneurs from Nova Scotia (two of whom are from the Chéticamp region). The topics discussed—family entrepreneurship, work-life balance, challenges, and successes—led to rich and authentic exchanges, bringing the evening to a wonderful close.

    PXL 20250926 210349605Adèle LeBlanc from le CDÉNÉ presents the panelists.

    Hands-on, interactive workshops
    On Saturday morning, members of the Business and Entrepreneurship Services (SAE) team, Alain Belliveau, Arona Diop, and Réanne Cooper, led a workshop on the Sustainable Business Model Canvas and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where participants brainstormed new projects and filled out their Business Model Canvas. The collaboration highlighted the potential for positive and sustainable change in local businesses in very real ways.

    Next, Jeannine Riant (Fully Align Studio) and Lynn MacMichael (BConnected) gave a combined presentation on financial support and peer circles on the one hand, and best networking practices on the other. It was an opportunity to discover concrete tools to support and propel women in business.

    Image 34
    Adèle LeBlanc (CDÉNÉ), Nicole Deveau (École de musique Raveston), Jeannine Riant (Fully Align Studio) & Lynn MacMichael (BConnected). 

    Inspiring testimonials
    At lunch time, keynote speaker Ingrid Deon, founder & CEO of word-craft.inc, shared her entrepreneurial journey and invited participants to “change their deck of cards” to push beyond their limits. This was Ingrid's first time in this role, and she captivated the audience. She encouraged participants not to limit themselves to the hand of cards they believe they have been dealt, but to reinvent their game to exceed their initial dreams.

    Image 45
    Ingrid Deon, founder & CEO of word-craft.inc

    In the afternoon, Myriam Hébert, co-founder of Nxtelligence, shared concrete, easy-to-adopt tools, illustrated with relevant examples. The session was highly interactive, and participants left with concrete ideas for optimizing the productivity, growth, and efficiency of their businesses.

    Image 49Myriam Hébert, co-founder of Nxtelligence.

    Inspiring testimonials
    A valuable networking opportunity followed this AI workshop: participants were able to discover 27 vignettes of inspiring women entrepreneurs displayed in the conference space, and 25 “champions” of the entrepreneurial ecosystem displayed on the walls. This visual display provided benchmarks, role models, and tools to explore at all stages of business creation and growth.

    At the end of the day, a surprise moment transformed the energy of the gathering: Marielle and Mohamed from Wontanara Drum & Dance led a session of dancing, singing, and drumming to the rhythm of traditional Guinean music. This festive surprise allowed everyone to move, laugh, sing, and recharge their batteries—a wonderful way to end the day on a note of unity and fun!

    PXL 20250927 180853296A session of dancing, singing, and drumming for the participants with Marielle & Mohamed de Wontanara Drum and Dance.

    A very concrete element enriched this exchange: the SAE team coordinated contact between the artists and local stakeholders, which enabled Marielle and Mohamed to offer a free session the following day at the Raveston Music School. This is a lasting benefit - both social and economic - that came out of the conference.

    8407e6aa 0d97 4f7c 94b3 8694d1735c6fMarielle & Mohamed of Wontanara Drum and Dance.

    Both events were made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

    A lasting impact for the region
    • More than 20 people attended the cocktail reception and 30 participated in the conference.
    • The event was offered in both official languages.
    • More than 25 local businesses were involved: caterers, accommodation, technology, services, and gifts.
    • The local Girl Guides troop supported the flow of the day and seized an entrepreneurial opportunity by selling their traditional cookies to participants, thereby facilitating intergenerational exchanges.

    557698519 18529711648003047 4211579172477324649 nThe participants of the second edition of the Rise & Shine conference in Chéticamp.

    Stay tuned for more!
    The Rise & Shine conference continues to grow and strengthen ties between women entrepreneurs, partners, and the ecosystem throughout Acadie, Nova Scotia. The SAE team is highly motivated to continue this momentum and is already thinking about the next edition of this conference - stay tuned!

    PXL 20250926 193812019The members of the SAE team of le CDÉNÉ: Arona Diop, Réanne Cooper, Adèle LeBlanc, André LeBlanc & Alain Belliveau.

  • Economic Forum at CMA 2024 Image 1

    Economic Forum at CMA 2024

    Church Point (N.S.) - Thursday May 16th 2024 : The Congrès mondial acadien 2024, in collaboration with the Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) and Université Sainte-Anne are pleased to invite you to the Economic Forum, which take place from August 13 to 15, 2024, in Southwest Nova Scotia, in the regions of Digby and Clare. 

  • Nidhal Kefi, new financial and administrative management officer

    Halifax, April 5, 2023 – The Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nidhal Kefi as financial and administrative management officer.

  • Blaine D. LeBlanc, new Employer Engagement Specialist – Chéticamp (Inverness County)

    Halifax, December 1, 2022 – The Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Blaine D. LeBlanc as Bilingual Employment Engagement Specialist for parts of Inverness County. His start date was on November 7, 2022.

    Blaine D. LeBlanc (he/il) was born and raised in Chéticamp, Nova Scotia. He joins CDÉNÉ’s Employment Services team as a bilingual Employer Engagement Specialist (EES). His role includes assisting employers in Inverness County with their recruitment and retention process as well as cultivating new relationships through employer consultation meetings.

  • GUIDE TO STARTING A FAMILY HOME DAYCARE IN NOVA SCOTIA Image 1

    GUIDE TO STARTING A FAMILY HOME DAYCARE IN NOVA SCOTIA

    This entrepreneurial guide to starting a Francophone family home daycare in Nova Scotia

  • Réanne Cooper, new Sustainable Development Advisor

    Church Point, November 15, 2022 - The Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Réanne Cooper as a Sustainable Development Advisor, serving small businesses, social enterprises and non-profit organizations in the Acadian and Francophone communities across the province. She started her new position on November 7, 2022 at the Church Point office.

  • Carole Aucoin, new Economic Development, Employability and Innovation Officer for the Chéticamp/Saint-Joseph-du-Moine area

    Halifax, September 11, 2022 – The Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) is pleased to
    announce the appointment of Carole Aucoin as Economic Development, Employability and
    Innovation Officer for the Chéticamp/Saint-Joseph-du-Moine area. Her start date was August
    29, 2022.

  • Melanie Joshua, new Case Manager for Isle Madame

    Halifax, July 11, 2022 – The Conseil de développement économique de la Nouvelle-Écosse (CDÉNÉ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Melanie Joshua as Case Manager for Isle Madame. Her start date was March 21, 2022.

    Melanie was born and raised in Arichat, Isle Madame, an Acadian community south of Cape Breton. She knows her community well and recognizes its strengths and challenges.