Meet Natalie Frederick-Wilson, SPICE (Specialized Program in Cooking Entrepreneurship) lead, and business advisor with the Centre for Women in Business (CWB). In her role, Natalie works closely with students and start-ups, with a special interest in supporting underserved, disadvantaged or underrepresented communities.

An asset to the CWB, Natalie describes the organization as a business development agency for every female business owner in Nova Scotia, with the goal of economic advancement. The team at CWB provides sound strategic advice, entrepreneurship education, training, and knowledge, all while exposing women to opportunities, connecting them to resources, and advocating on their behalf along all stages of the entrepreneurship continuum.

While Natalie has an extensive, award-winning background in business, her true passion is helping others succeed. That’s why, in early 2020 and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when countless calls came into the CWB regarding access to financial support, she noticed a trend: many women working in the food industry have a general lack of knowledge surrounding the fundamentals of owning and operating a business.

She noted that, while other market spaces have fewer rules and protocols, food production and sales are heavily regulated; many of the women seeking support did not have registered businesses, and therefore, did not qualify for government assistance.

“It was so stressful; people were disappointed, upset, frustrated, with the fact that they had been running these businesses in community for so long, and no inspector showed up, so they thought they were running a business.” She continued, “Most of them do not know the regulations, are not making money, are not growing their business.”

The more she searched for answers, the more she came up short—there was nothing in place to help these women. While others might have been discouraged, Natalie was determined to make an impact and help these women achieve legitimacy in their business ventures.

SPICE-ing Things Up

Following two years of research, resource allocation and planning, SPICE was born—and the women came to life.

Now in its third cohort, Natalie defines the SPICE Program as an active-learning workshop, “where food entrepreneurs can economically advance, through the training, mentorship, coaching, support, and consulting we provide. It’s a very structured program that they move through, learn, and build on their knowledge so they can make good decisions.”

Some of the learning objectives of SPICE include drafting a business and marketing plan; identifying key resources and supports; working in a commercial kitchen; registering and licensing their business; developing a hiring plan; and, implementing food safety procedures, to name a few. To promote accessibility to SPICE, successful applicants are provided with financial support in starting their business, registering their business, insurance, licenses, childcare, safety training, taxi fare, and commercial kitchen rental support.

Thanks to Natalie and the staff at CWB, SPICE has demonstrated its ability to take women from a place of uncertainty and fear, to where they are generating an income and making revenue.

“To see them go from ‘I don’t know what to do, I’m losing money’, ‘I’m going to close my business’, to being confident, registered businesses and having that boldness to see what they can do—there is so much to be proud of for the women’s accomplishments and where they are today.”

Granting More Access

With growing popularity and an overwhelming need for the services of SPICE, CUA’s Community Investment Grant Program propelled Natalie’s vision forward.

“Before we even started the second cohort, we had a list of over 100 businesses who wanted to be in the program – which was impossible with the capacity we were working with.”

With a deep commitment to creating solutions, Natalie knew there was more she could offer. “We asked ourselves, how do we get the women, and men who call all the time, the knowledge that they need.”

The product? A day-long SPICE Conference, accessible to all food entrepreneurs and business owners. As the first conference of its kind in Canada, with many moving pieces, Natalie and the CWB team knew they would need support.

“We decided when we saw CUA’s Grant Program that we would apply for some help.”

Inspired by Natalie’s vision, CUA awarded the Centre for Women in Business a Grant of $5,000 to help expand the reach of their SPICE programming.

A portion of the funding was used to upgrade their Affordable Kitchen Hub, a space for SPICE entrepreneurs to produce safe and inspected food that can be sold to wholesale companies. The remainder was used to support the SPICE Conference, a full day of education, resources, networking, and removing barriers for current and future food business entrepreneurs. Each participant left with a new understanding of their business and the industry knowledge needed to run a successful food-based business in Nova Scotia, and beyond.

The first ever SPICE Conference took place on September 19, 2024, with ticket sales exceeding their expectations by more than double.

“It was such a success.” Natalie recalled, “The Grant helped us to bring food business tools together in one place. Seeing it all come to fruition was a dream.”

Stay tuned for more SPICE opportunities in the future by visiting the CWB website or following them on social media.

In addition to the CUA grant, SPICE is made possible through community partners and the generous support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture.

Do you operate a small business, non-profit or community group in Nova Scotia? CUA could help support your vision, too! Applications to the 2025 Community Investment Grant are now open. Visit cua.com/grants to learn more and apply today.