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Yael Cohen, founder, president and 'chief cancer f---er' of F-- Cancer, poses for a portrait at her office in Vancouver, Jan. 5, 2012.

The latest news and information for entrepreneurs from across the web universe, brought to you by the Report on Small Business team. Follow us on Twitter @GlobeSmallBiz. Download our app here.

'Yael Cohen is changing the world'

Yael Cohen, founder of Vancouver-based F**k Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the word about the importance of early detection of cancer, has earned a place on Fast Company's annual 100 list of the most creative people in business.

Ms. Cohen, noted on the list for her creativity in "how to make people talk," is in good company among what Fast Company describes as its list of "business innovators who dare to think differently." For the full 2012 list, click here.

The chosen range from players at Facebook, Google and Twitter to actress Jessica Alba, who co-founded The Honest Co. of eco-friendly baby care and household cleaning products. Read our take on celebrities jumping on the entrepreneurial bandwagon.

Columnist Mia Pearson wrote recently about Ms. Cohen and her organization in connection with a series by the Women's Executive Network offering "more provocative" speakers.

"Yael Cohen is changing the world with F*** Cancer," WXN chief operating officer Kiersten Anas Byrick was quoted as saying.

Have a look, too, at this video of Ms. Cohen in conversation with The Globe's Marina Jimenez about her edgy approach in encouraging young people to take an active role in their parents' health, after her own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Wave Accounting scores a further $12-million

Toronto-based Wave Accounting Inc. has scored more financing, this time $12-million (U.S.) in a Series B funding round led by the Social+Capital Partnership (s23p), a Palo Alto, Calif.-based investor group, with participation from Charles River Ventures and OMERS Ventures, both of which have made previous investments.

The online accounting software provider for small businesses has secured previous funding, including $500,000 in seed financing from OMERS Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, last spring, and $5-million in a Series A round led by Cambridge, Mass.-based venture capital fund Charles River Ventures, in which OMERS also participated, last October.

Wave was the first investment that OMERS Ventures made just a few weeks after the $180-million venture capital arm of OMERS was launched. The company also raised about $750,000 from the government through its FedDev Ontario program last September.

Wave Accounting launched in 2010. It now has more than 250,000 small businesses in more than 200 countries signed up. It added Wave Payroll in February, and plans a U.S. launch of it later this year.

What will the new funding mean? "We're hiring lots of A-list team members, who will help us roll out new tools, features and integrations," Wave CEO Kirk Simpson wrote in a blog.

"The new funding will help us achieve our aggressive plans to improve upon our two existing products," Rob Maurin, vice-president of community, content and communications, told TechVibes. "It's also the gas in the tank that we need to drive hard into new markets and to grow our service internationally."

KKR invests $150-million in Fotola

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. is taking a 50-per-cent stake in online stock photography exchange Fotolia, by investing $150-million of equity and arranging a further $150-million of debt financing, as this Financial Times piece and other pieces report.

A winning ad campaign by New York-based Fotolia was the subject of a case study in Report on Small Business. Click here to read it.

CFIB raises concern about mobile payment 'fee-palooza'

As a new world of mobile payments unfolds, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has raised concerns about small businesses facing a "fee grab" by banks, credit card companies and other players.

The CFIB has already led a charge against high processing fees for premium credit cards, which small businesses say eat into their profits. "Our experience with the introduction of premium credit cards saw massive new fees for business with zero consultation and widespread confusion for merchants," said Dan Kelly, senior vice-president of legislative affairs for the CFIB.

While "pleased that the industry is actively reaching out to small businesses and (welcoming) the new guidelines for mobile payments, we remain worried that another fee-palooza will soon hit merchants."

Mr. Kelly said the CFIB "will be watching closely" to see if new fees accompany the processing of mobile transactions, and whether the creation of mobile wallets pushes "transactions to the highest possible fee option."

EVENTS AND KEY DATES

Globe/Telus $100,000 Challenge contest

The deadline is drawing closer for submitting an entry to the Globe and Mail/Telus Challenge contest for a chance to win a $100,000 grant from Telus for your business. To enter, explain the biggest challenge your business is facing, and how such a grant would help to overcome it. The entry deadline is May 28. For more information, click here.

Mesh conference

The two-day Mesh digital conference will explore how the Web is evolving, new and emerging trends, and what's on the digital horizon. There will be speakers, interactive discussions, networking opportunities and more. It takes place in Toronto on May 23 and May 24. For further details, click here.

EDITOR'S PICKS FROM REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS

That one's got to hurt

Read about the business lesson that cost this entrepreneur $30,000 (U.S.).

FROM THE ROSB ARCHIVES

Summer fun for kids: working in the family business

How will your kids spend their summer vacation? For a lot of children, summer holidays herald a reprieve -- but for the kids of some small-business owners, summer time can be productive time as they are brought in to work for the company, learning about the family business and entrepreneurship while earning pocket money and getting lessons in how to budget their finances, as a story recounted last July.

An earlier online version had the incorrect number of companies that Wave Accounting has signed up. This version has been corrected.



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Tickers mentioned in this story

Study and track financial data on any traded entity: click to open the full quote page. Data updated as of 28/03/24 8:00pm EDT.

SymbolName% changeLast
COHN-A
Cohen & Company Inc
+2%7.14

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