When Innisfil mother Tara Filteau ran for town council in 2018, her seven-year-old daughter Sophia was by her side every step of the way.
This was the start of a journey that would lead to the duo creating Mother-Daughter Empower, a social enterprise designed to inspire and uplift girls seven to 14 years old.
Filteau says her time on the campaign trail with her daughter was an enlightening experience for both of them.
“She was door-knocking, she was asking all these questions and she was learning so much,” said Filteau. “So, long story short, after that election dust settled I was looking for opportunities for us to keep that momentum going.”
At first, finding organized activities to bolster her daughter's confidence was slow-going.
“When I started looking for opportunities like conferences or things that we go out together, I was really surprised at the lack of resources for girls of her age,” recalls Filteau.
With this in mind, she began to formulate a plan for her own mother-daughter event.
“I came up with the idea. I ran it by Sophia and she came up with the name, Mother Daughter Empower, and she was like, ‘Mom let’s do this.’”
This year, the second annual Mother-Daughter Empower conference will take place virtually on June 6, starting at 11 a.m.
The event is not just limited to moms. Fathers, grandmothers, aunts, and anyone else looking to empower their daughters are welcome to register, says Filteau.
A full access pass including two tickets to participate in interactive online programming and listen to keynote speakers is available for $97 and can be purchased through the Mother-Daughter Empower website.
Filteau says holding the event virtually will mean girls everywhere can participate.
“That really opens it up globally, so we now have girls and moms that are coming all across the world for this, which is really exciting,” she said.
