News Summary

VESTA Social Innovation Technologies, founded by Lucrezia Spagnolo, has received up to $1.9 million in federal funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to support its Resilience in Action project. This initiative aims to break barriers for immigrant, refugee, and non-status women experiencing gender-based violence. The funding will enable VESTA to expand its trauma-informed online platform, which allows survivors to document experiences, access crisis services, and report incidents either anonymously or directly to the police. The platform, launched in 2021, has seen significant engagement, with 45% of users choosing to report to police. VESTA is working with settlement agencies and community groups to enhance its support for marginalized communities. The company credits the Waterloo Region’s tech ecosystem, particularly Communitech, for its early success and continues to seek partnerships to further its mission.