WINDS is a Nova Scotia non-profit organization focused on advancing the economic, social, and leadership opportunities of Indigenous women through employment, entrepreneurship, training, mentorship, wrap-around supports, partnerships, and systemic change.
WINDS helps Indigenous women build skills, confidence, connections, and economic independence while reducing the practical and systemic barriers that can stand in the way of opportunity.
We support Indigenous women with career planning, employment preparation, skills development, digital literacy, training, mentorship, and connections to employers and opportunities.
We help women explore, start, and grow businesses through business planning, financial literacy, digital marketing, technology, mentorship, and access to resources and networks.
We create pathways for Indigenous women to strengthen their leadership skills, participate in decision-making, and access opportunities in business, community, government, boards, STEM, skilled trades, technology, and other underrepresented sectors.
We recognize that barriers such as transportation, childcare, housing instability, technology access, financial hardship, trauma, and limited networks can affect a woman’s ability to participate fully. WINDS works to reduce or navigate those barriers wherever possible.
WINDS is guided by a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, women-centred, and strength-based approach.
We believe women should not have to change who they are to fit systems that were not designed with them in mind.
That means our work happens at two levels:
supporting women directly with skills, resources, confidence, and opportunity
2. working with employers, institutions, governments, educators, and other partners to reduce systemic barriers and improve policies, practices, access, networks, and decision-making
Our goal is not only to help women succeed within existing systems, but also to help improve the systems themselves.
Economic security can have a powerful ripple effect.
Greater access to employment, entrepreneurship, education, leadership, technology, and supportive networks can help reduce vulnerability to poverty, homelessness, exploitation, human trafficking, financial dependence, and other social and economic harms.
WINDS aims to help create the conditions in which Indigenous women can build safe, stable, self-determined, and economically secure lives.
The name WINDS was inspired by the late mother of WINDS founder Justine Maloney, a proud Mi’kmaw woman, successful entrepreneur, and advocate for women in business.
Throughout her 35-year business career, she often referred to her husband as “the wind beneath her” because of the way he encouraged, supported, and pushed her forward.
That image became the inspiration for WINDS.
The wind can be gentle, but it can also be powerful. It can change direction when a new path is needed, clear away what is holding us back, and help carry us forward.
WINDS strives to be that kind of support for Indigenous women.
WINDS is focused on:
Employment and career development
Entrepreneurship and self-employment
Leadership development
Skilled trades, STEM, technology, and AI
Digital inclusion
Mentorship and networking
Wrap-around supports
Trauma-informed approaches
Systemic change
Economic empowerment
WINDS is building partnerships with Indigenous communities, employers, educational institutions, governments, service organizations, and other partners who share our commitment to advancing Indigenous women.