Our Story

The Project began from reflections of the group’s initial two members - Angela Armstrong and Carissa Reiniger - who through the birth of their own businesses, experienced first-hand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs trying to find the resources needed to get their business ideas to market.

Angela and Carissa knew that while the passion and drive to succeed is in the heart of every entrepreneur, it is at odds with their ability to reliably obtain financial support in the early stages of the business. Entrepreneurs fall through the proverbial cracks in the financial world because they:

• are not sophisticated enough in their approaches to financial support,
• often lack business knowledge and savvy,
• do not understand the technical aspects of legal matters
• often can’t formulate an effective business market proposition when it comes time to commercialize the concepts

Help is needed. And that is where in our story that Angela and Carissa drew on their network of associates and found two more likewise passionate and energetic individuals - Laura M. Schuler and Johanna MacDonald. They too had experienced similar challenges in the early stages of their own businesses and together, these four dynamic entrepreneurs wanted to find a way to share their experiences and give back to the entrepreneurial scene in Alberta.

“Succeeding”, is what this group of entrepreneurs conceptualized. A way for other like-minded business-starters to get the help they needed. Through their respective businesses, they had the financial network and business building expertise to help entrepreneurs. Each brought year’s of knowledge in their respective fields of expertise.

Angela Armstrong, President of Prime Capital Consulting and Managing Director of Forest Leasing Inc, brought her network of financial associates to the table. Carissa Reiniger founder and president of Silver Lining LTD. brought her insights and expertise about overcoming the challenges in creating a business from scratch.

Laura M. Schuler partner in the law firm Trevoy LLP. specializes in entrepreneurial business and brought her legal expertise. Johanna MacDonald of Johanna MacDonald and Associates a public relations and strategic communications business completed the team of professionals bringing her expertise on communications.

Together these four businesses women - who all started their business adventures in Edmonton and have grown on regional, national and international stages - have developed the project MEET THE MONEY – Entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs. A project designed to help entrepreneurs access the financial and knowledge resources needed to launch their business concepts, in a complex market.

Together Angela, Carissa, Laura and Johanna are the heart of the project and make up the advisory panel.