Our mission
The Lise Watier Foundation helps women to reveal, activate and develop their professional potential.

Help women
The mission of the Lise Watier Foundation
The mission of the Lise Watier Foundation is to help women living in a situation of economic, social or professional vulnerability restore confidence in their capacities and reclaim confidence in their own abilities and to take the initiative to act towards financial autonomy.
Through its professional development program, the Lise Watier Foundation provides women with concrete means to develop their skills with training, individualized coaching and financial support. Women thus begin a new start towards financial autonomy through entrepreneurship, post-secondary education or the job market.
In Canada, poverty affects primarily women 39% of working women earn less than $20,000 per year.*
According to a 2017 study by KPMG…
- 86 % of women recall being taught to be kind to others when they were young…
- But only 45 % recall being given advice on how to be a good leader
- And only 34 % learned how to express their views.
It says a lot about women’s financial independence!
What if the root of the problem was …
- A lack of self-knowledge
- A lack of support in developing one’s abilities
- A difficulty in getting into action?
* Statistics Canada (2020). Distribution of employment income of individuals by sex and work activity, Canada, provinces and selected census metropolitan areas.
The Lise Watier Foundation, a story of hope
Born in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a working-class neighborhood of Montreal, Lise Watier has always been close to women and has always helped them to accentuate their beauty by showcasing their attributes and building their self-esteem. Ms. Watier’s Beauty and Charm Institute in the 1960s, her perfumes, and her skincare and make-up products are all a testament to her faith in women’s capacity to develop their self-confidence, reach their full potential, and stand out from the crowd.
Helping women: a true calling
When Lise Watier Cosmetics was sold in 2009, Lise Watier created the Lise Watier Foundation with her daughter Marie-Lise Andrade. Through the Foundation’s mission, this entrepreneurial pioneer shares the same message of confidence and hope with women in vulnerable situations.
Today the Foundation offers the Let’s Start Up Program, an innovative program designed for women who want to invest in a professional project. It aims to reveal and develop the potential and confidence of each woman, so that she can take action to become financially independent.
The values of the Foundation
The following values are at the heart of all our reflections and actions…