Our Story
“We know that when women seize entrepreneurial opportunities, amazing things happen: financial independence, personal empowerment, and the evolution of socio-economic frameworks”
— Corrie Schneider, One Spark Founder
— Corrie Schneider, One Spark Founder
Inspired by global microlending frameworks – and especially the pioneering work of Dr. Muhammed Yunus -- One Spark founder, Corrie Schneider, considered how a similar approach could address the critical need for housing and other issues of financial security faced by women experiencing violence in Canada. Critically aware that wait times for affordable housing can be several years, One Spark believes that creating opportunities for women to generate income (or supplement current income) through self-employment opportunities is one viable solution. The challenge, however, is that becoming a registered business owner has associated costs and processes that can be a deterrent, particularly when a woman is in crisis or facing issues of personal safety and security. One Spark's founding and primary goal was to eliminate all barriers to women realizing self-employment income.
One Spark was born of the belief that if we commit to dismantling critical socio-economic barriers, there are untapped possibilities and opportunities for women to generate income. It may take years or generations for real systemic change to happen – and economic inequities to be addressed – but we can do something now. Our goal is to break down the barriers to violence-free lives by assisting every woman who would like to register her own business to do so.