Solutions 2 Go COO Named By Profit Magazine As Top Female Entrepreneur
The women of the PROFIT W100 have been through it all—including a nasty recession—and have honed their business skills in the process to come out the other side as formidable business leaders. Take Gabrielle Chevalier of Mississauga, Ont.–based Solutions 2 Go Inc., a video game distribution firm that has grown to become the biggest in North America. The grandmother of four has had her share of challenges in this competitive arena, but still has ambitions to 
grow sales from $750 million to $1 billion company—and is beginning to look beyond the games market.
Top-ranked Chevalier is the subject of just one of several stories of successful women entrepreneurs recounted in the pages of the November 2010 issue of PROFIT magazine. All told, the W100 firms generated an impressive $2.2 billion in revenue and provided the equivalent of 10,792 full-time jobs. Over the past three years, their businesses have grown by an average of 115%. A full 95% turned an operating profit last year—impressive numbers that illustrate the determination, skill and business savvy of the 2010 W100.
Sector by sector, here’s what the W100 do:
Business services 43
Manufacturing 16
Consumer services 12
Wholesale/distribution 10
Retail 8
Construction 6
Software development 5
Agricultural production 1
Natural resources 1
Media 1
Other 3
Profit Magazine ranks The W100 by a composite of the size, growth rate and profitability of their businesses. All growth rates were based on base-year revenue of at least $200,000, and figures were verified through financial statements. To qualify, women must be owners or significant stakeholders who at least share chief decision-making responsibilities. This is a ranking of entrepreneurs, not companies, so some participants are ranked on the combined performance of several qualifying firms.
The W100 Top Five:
