Rosalind Lockyer Background Information

Together with twenty years of working as a teacher, entrepreneur, and community developer, Rosalind became blatantly aware of the many systemic issues that kept women from achieving their life goals. In 1995, she founded PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, channelling this experience, her passion, and determination to continue to work for positive change locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Today, PARO is recognised as the “largest peer lending network in North America’ supporting its unique form of women-centred Community Economic Development with 150+ PARO Circles located across Ontario.

In 2005, Northern Ontario Business awarded her the prestigious Influential Women of Northern Ontario Award-Public Sector recognizing her leadership in building PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise into the dynamic organization that it is today, serving women entrepreneurs living in rural, urban and remote communities of Ontario.

Rosalind Lockyer has dedicated her lifetime toward supporting gender equality and building sustainable livelihoods for thousands of women ‘who need it the most’. Important to her role as Founder and CEO of PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise and co-founder of the national group, the Women’s Economic Council (WEC) is supporting women who are disadvantaged by the intersectionality of poverty, race, sexism, ageism, and disability.

Rosalind Lockyer is Treasurer for the International e-Rotary for Social Innovators, and the board director for Ontario on the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada board (WEOC), and a member of the Gender Equity Network of Canada. Through her work and community activity, she shares her experience and influence to mentor individuals and organizations to develop effective solutions and sustainable strategies. As a social entrepreneur, she has assisted management of enterprises, whether non-profit, private business or professional sector organizations with fund development, strategic planning, organization management, and policy development, human resources, leadership, social enterprise, business development and public relations. Recognized for her notable efforts in building PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, working with diverse populations, especially those most challenged, such as Indigenous people, people with disabilities, seniors and youth at risk with particular emphasis on women, Rosalind was called “one of the most remarkable social entrepreneurs in the world” by the Office of Social Enterprise, MEDEI, Ontario government, and received the International Award for “Women of the Decade in Community Leadership”, from the Women’s Economic Forum 2018 in New Delhi, India.

#Rosalind Lockyer, PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Founding CEO, to receive Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Lakehead University

#In recognition for her work in womencentred community economic development, women’s empowerment, and gender equity work in Canada

PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise is excited to announce that Rosalind Lockyer, PARO’s Founding CEO was honored by Lakehead University as recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (L.H.D), recognizing Lockyer’s contribution to the field of humanities, and indeed the fabric of the community in Thunder Bay, Northwestern Ontario, across the Province and beyond. The University confers “honorary” degrees which symbolize the highest honor that can be conferred upon an individual by the University. An honorary degree may be awarded in recognition of scholarly or creative achievements or distinguished public service to the country or region. They are designed by the University’s Senate, its senior academic governing body, as deserving special honor.

If necessity is indeed the mother of invention, then that is certainly the case for the inspiration behind PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise. Armed with passion and a unique vision for women’s equity in Canada, Lockyer witnessed first-hand the discrepancies in support between men and women on their journeys to achieving business success. With humble roots in an office on the corner of May and Victoria streets in Thunder Bay, the charity called PARO started with Lockyer at the helm and a group of dedicated board members. As a Women’s Community Loan Fund, the mission was to combat sexism in the entrepreneurship development sector. By creating groups of women who would have access to micro financing through PARO’s Peer Lending Circles social enterprise, access to networking and peer support, and access to expert business support services, PARO Centre became a one-of-a-kind organization that has since supported 22,003 women in Ontario to achieve their business dreams.

Over 27 years, PARO’s programs have expanded phenomenally, allowing for the growth of the team and the reach of the organization, which now boasts over 180 Peer Lending Circles in Ontario, categorizing the PARO Circle Network the world’s largest women’s Peer Lending Circle conglomerate. As an organization that now operates Ontario-wide, Lockyer has led PARO into new dimensions, leading the way for other organizations to better support women entrepreneurs.

PARO Centre is honored to stand with Rosalind Lockyer to receive her Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. As a leader, a pioneer and a trailblazer, Lockyer has guided countless women toward self-sufficiency, resilience, incomparable inspiration and true family-style support system between PARO partners, stakeholders, staff and clients. We would like to thank Lakehead University, our funders, supporters, clients and all PARO contributors for their continued support in making PARO the go-to organization for women in

Ontario who wish to start or scale their businesses!

In her continued efforts towards gender equality, diversity and inclusion, Rosalind is co-founder of the Women’s Economic Council, board member for Ontario for the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada, represents the Ontario Hub for the Canada-wide Women’s Entrepreneur Knowledge Hub, and an original member of the People-Centred Economy

Committee of the Canadian CED Network. For her endless efforts, she received the prestigious Influential Women of Northern Ontario Award-Public Sector, and the most prestigious award offered by the Women’s Economic Forum 2018 in New Delhi, India.