VICTORIA, BC – As the world struggles to recover from the financial and mental health impacts of COVID-19, women are being hit especially hard. Inequities that existed before the pandemic have only worsened with the current economic situation.

In Canada, women entrepreneurs account for 50 percent of all new businesses, and 47 percent of all small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are owned or led by women. Globally, there are over 250 million female entrepreneurs worldwide.

“The at-risk mental health of female entrepreneurs is both a humanitarian and a business problem,” says Laurel Anne Stark, entrepreneur and founder of resurgo, a technology company dedicated to better mental health for entrepreneurial women.

“Our research shows female entrepreneurs have an above-average risk profile for developing poor mental health, yet often have limited access to personal capital for private therapy while bootstrapping their business.”

Experts agree that supporting women is key to achieving local, and global, economic recovery going forward.

• Stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century,” estimated to cost the economy billions of dollars each year (Cardon & Patel, 2015).
• Self-employment has been argued to be one of the most stressful occupations (Uy, Foo, & Song, 2013; Cardon & Patel, 2015).
• Statistics show the value of female founders scaling and growing businesses is $500 billion in the US and Canada and $12 trillion, globally1.

In her 17 years as a tech entrepreneur, Laurel Anne Stark has battled and recovered from bankruptcy, burnout, and a horrible battle with alcoholism. As a wife and stepmom, she also experienced first-hand the negative effects of trying to do it all and be it all. In her work, she noted similar challenges in her clients’ lives.



“For women, business is deeply personal – there is no work-life balance, it's all one person, one life,” she says. “When women are supported to feel well, they are better positioned to do well - both in business and in life.”

It was with that outcome in mind that she founded www.resurgo.co

In honor of its mission to help entrepreneurial women feel better, so they can do better, from Aug. 5 to Sept. 7, resurgo is giving away up to $1,000 in cash prizes to support female entrepreneurs with enhanced resources for their better mental health.

“I’m thrilled to be able to support my fellow entrepreneurs with additional funds for their mental health,” Stark says. “By doing so, I hope to help balance out some of the inequities female entrepreneurs face and alleviate part of the stress of running a business in a pandemic. Ultimately, the giveaway isn’t just intended to benefit entrepreneurial women - but also the national and global bottom line.”

Learn more about resurgo at: www.resurgo.co. For details on how to enter to win click here.

About the Founder:

Laurel Anne Stark is an acclaimed business & marketing consultant and mental health advocate.



In her 17 years of self-employment in tech, Laurel Anne Stark battled and has recovered from bankruptcy, burnout, and a horrible battle with alcoholism. During her years as a wife and stepmom, she also experienced first-hand the negative effects of trying to do it all and be it all.

In her work, she noted similar challenges in her clients’ lives, and she knew she had to take action to address the mental health crisis plaguing the world’s innovators.

A three-time entrepreneur-of-the-year nominee, Laurel has been featured by CNN, Entrepreneur Magazine, and other media. She is regularly asked to speak for organizations worldwide about mental health and entrepreneurship.

About the resurgo team:

We are mental health, technology, and business experts collaborating to provide support for female founders in the ways they need most. We are working hard to deliver the beta version of resurgo in late 2020, and we are growing rapidly! Check back often or click here to sign up for updates.

Learn more about resurgo: www.resurgo.coFor giveaway details go to: https://www.resurgo.co/news-and-events/cash-giveaway.