Kathie Hicks is the 2022 award recipient for entrepreneurial excellence.
CEO and Owner of Spirit of Newfoundland Productions
Kathie Hicks, co-owner and CEO of Spirit of Newfoundland Productions, received the pinnacle Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, sponsored by RBC. This award recognizes a long-time entrepreneur who has significantly impacted the economy and whose success inspires other women in business.
Operating from the Masonic Temple in downtown St. John’s, Spirit of Newfoundland produces the longest-running dinner show in Newfoundland and Labrador. For twenty-five years, guests have enjoyed gourmet food and hit performances from some of our province’s most talented musicians, actors, singers, and chefs. Kathie says remembering her roots, connecting with guests, and personalizing their experiences have maintained business through economic ups and downs. However, Kathie also believes it’s important to diversify. “We needed to be more than a seasonal operation, so we opened a bakery and built a repertoire of products, like our famous screech cakes, to keep customers returning, our staff working, and revenue flowing. As a family of seven, our parents instilled a work ethic in us that continues to this day, and when I received this award, my thoughts immediately went to my mother, whom we recently lost. She would be proud.”
“Our dream was to create a show that celebrates local talent and makes it accessible to everyone, and I believe we’ve done that,” says Kathie Hicks. “I’m incredibly proud of how far Spirit of Newfoundland has come and grateful to NLOWE and the community of businesswomen for recognizing its impact on the community.”
Kathie’s vivacious personality and hospitality exemplify the best about Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and those traits have helped Spirit of Newfoundland to expand beyond its provincial borders and become known across the country.