From Saskatchewan to Silicon Valley, a Saskatoon Woman Talks About Building her Business
By Kelly Wilson - May 17, 2016
Katherine Regnier was one of four people selected to attend a mentorship program
Katherine Regnier is from Saskatoon and is the only woman and North American that was selected to attend a month long mentorship program in the Silicon Valley.
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What does it take to begin a business?
For Katherine Regnier, it meant quitting her job while three months pregnant to begin building her own company.
She started Coconut Calendar in 2011. The Saskatoon company gives clients a platform to connect with other businesses to book appointments.
Regnier said she was scared to jumpstart her business with no outside investors.
“But it’s also half the fun,” Regnier said.
It was her determination and commitment to growing her business that led her to become one of four people from across the world to be selected to attend an elite mentorship program in San Francisco, CA.
“Being from Saskatoon, I think what is really important is to have the ability to benchmark yourself,” Regnier said.
“As an entrepreneur when you’re kind of alone and isolated you wonder ‘Am I doing this right? Do companies survive when they come up against this?’ You can learn really fast from people who have been there and done that.”
The program includes a month stay in Silicon Valley with Neal Dempsey. Not only was Regnier the only
North American selected to attend, but she was also the only woman.
“We are talking to the celebrities in our industry,” Regnier said.
“We are getting advice that people would pay to have and we get one-on-one mentorship with these people and it has really been eye-opening.”
Regnier said the mentorship has really driven her to expand her company and she plans on setting up an office in Toronto.
“I think that people think really big here in the valley and it’s important if I want to grow my company I need to start thinking bigger.”
Looking to boost revenue and deliver a premium experience to your clients? Schedule a consultation with Coconut Software to learn more about how our appointment scheduling solutions can get you there.
