RBC has a long history of celebrating women who drive change. This International Women’s Day, we honour leaders like Erika Shea, whose dedication to building a culture of self-reliance and strengthening her community inspires us all.
A purpose-driven leader
Erika Shea doesn’t take anything for granted. As she reflects during a recent conversation, having a warm place to sleep, access to running water, and living a life with love and connection are privileges that not everyone enjoys. “Having these privileges is part of what drives me to do the work that I do,” says Shea in a recent conversation.
A 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Social Change Regional Finalist, Shea leads New Dawn Enterprises – a community-driven organization that has worked for over 50 years to create a more vibrant and self-reliant Cape Breton Island. New Dawn has developed and managed a wide range of companies and projects to address both current community needs and systemic barriers that impede the Island’s spirit and prosperity.
Making a meaningful impact
Shea emphasizes that New Dawn Enterprises is more than just a social enterprise – it’s a force for meaningful change. “Everyday I get to see firsthand, a measurable lessening of suffering among people who have experienced multiple traumas, who come from families contending with intergenerational poverty and addictions, and who find themselves at a point in their life that has largely not been self-authored. I have the privilege to see them in their new homes, to know their feet are warm and that they have food to eat.”
For Shea, work and purpose are one and the same – “The work I get to do is synonymous with the work I want to do.”
Building strength through self-reliance and local empowerment
Since its foundation, New Dawn has fostered a culture of self-reliance – a principle deeply rooted in Cape Breton’s history. When the region’s economy was built around coal mining and steel, decisions were made by absentee owners, often leaving the community disempowered. New Dawn was established to challenge this pattern, fostering a culture of taking ownership, defining a shared future, and reclaiming power. “Our focus on self-reliance is about a community learning together, how to take back some of our power and define what our future, values and community looks like,” says Shea.
As such, 85 percent of their $10 million operating budget comes from self-generated revenues. A collection of 15 companies, ranging from homecare to real estate to renewable energy, New Dawn directs surpluses from profitable ventures to fund projects that respond to the community’s needs. Both a business and a social development organization, New Dawn’s dual approach provides much-needed services in a business-like way.
Steering New Dawn to meet the needs of the future
New Dawn’s broad mandate fills gaps left by the public and private sectors, particularly in a community that has historically been very poor, with continuing disproportionately high levels of child poverty and unemployment. “We are a reflection of our context,” Shea says, noting that New Dawn will continue to identify gaps in services, bringing a rigor to non-profit work that is more traditionally associated with the private sector. “We don’t want to just do things – we want to be the best at the things we do,” says Shea. “It takes a bit of courage to take on projects and issues that are going to be controversial and don’t have the easiest path but are important and will make a difference.”
Such projects include the development of the region’s first net-zero solar community, the opening of the Eltuek Arts Centre and New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation, and the operation of the Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration, which has grown from serving 200 to 2,000 newcomers a year in their community. Under Shea’s guidance, they have also built 60 new units of affordable, supportive, harm-reduction housing, addressing the spike in homelessness on the Island since the pandemic, “We have a historic set of companies, such as market rentals, healthcare and support for individuals with disabilities that continue to grow and change. And then we have a new generation of initiatives that reflect the ways in which our community is changing right now,” Shea notes.
Shea’s early years as CEO have involved rolling up her sleeves and understanding how each individual business functions to maximize outputs and increase their capacity in the community. Now, she is preparing for a less hands-on approach going forward. “I am looking forward to connecting more deeply with individuals in the community and having deeper conversations to help us grow and evolve together,” she says.
The power of recognition
Over the last several years, RBC has been a key partner to New Dawn’s work around food security, through funding, volunteering and collaboration. “When an entity like RBC reaches out and inquires about how they can get involved, the morale impact on staff is indescribable,” explains Shea. “The staff who work hard everyday to deliver services feels seen and valued by having a partner in an institution like RBC.”
Being recognized through the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards has also added a new level of validation. “There is not a lot of opportunity for non-profits to be recognized at a national level with this kind of grandeur,” says Shea. “For our whole team, it felt like RBC shone a spotlight on the work we’re doing, and it uplifted all 182 of our staff.”
Driving lasting change
Leaders like Erika Shea are essential to the strength and resilience of Canadian communities. Recognizing their contributions amplifies their impact, inspires others, and supports long-term economic and social prosperity.
