Collaboration for a Common Goal

Collaboration & Rhyze Ventures

It was through this video course that Kristine and Debbie found common ground. “Debbie mentioned she created a video course, which had really helped propel giving people information”, says Kristine, “Debbie shared what went into that production, who she worked with, and why it was a good option.” The greatest hurdle Untangle Money faces is, as Kristine puts it, “the people who don’t know they need us can’t find us and aren’t looking for us, so our biggest issue would be awareness, finding customers.”

This mirrors Debbie’s sentiments about her company’s challenges. She says, “people don’t know they need our product until it happens, which comes down to awareness, which comes down to advertising and marketing, which comes down to big dollars, which comes down to more access to funding and loans.”

From there, the collaboration between the two of them just made sense. “As we started chatting,” Debbie says, “we realized our business is aligned with easing certain aspects of women’s lives and we started a conversation on how we could collaborate.” As for Kristine, she felt very lucky that Rhyze was able to put her in touch with Debbie. Meeting a fellow female founder was a great way to connect and see viable business options for her in the future. It helps her to see a similar path that she would like to take, and what the execution of that path would look like. About the collaboration, Kristine says, “it’s our north star, it’s faster with a map.”

Debbie was happy to guide Kristine in her journey. During her own experience with Rhyze Ventures, she really loved the collaboration. Being able to reach out to other women in the cohort for support was one of the most helpful things about the program. “So, when I was asked to do that for someone else,” she says, “it was my chance to give back and talk about my experience.”

Networking, collaboration, and connections were some of the biggest takeaways for Kristine and Debbie from participating in the Rhyze Ventures program. As a busy businesswoman and mom, Kristine appreciated the flexibility of having options for online networking and the opportunity for in-person meetings and connections in the future. Debbie summarized the Rhyze Ventures experience by saying, “it really works, it’s not just like a PR thing or a feel-good thing – something Innovation Guelph does to seem like they’re supporting women – it genuinely works. The process works, the connection between women, the collaboration, it works.”