March 8, 2017 | Startup Canada
Startup Canada and Dell Canada announced today that nine grassroots entrepreneur initiatives will receive investment from the Startup Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund, supported by Dell Canada. The announcement was made today during a Startup Canada national broadcast event in celebration of International Women’s Day.
“Supporting women entrepreneurs across all sectors is key to growing Canada’s economy,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada. “We are proud to partner with Dell Canada to support grassroots, community driven-initiatives to empower women entrepreneurs and business leaders with the tools and resources they need to succeed.”
“Dell is thrilled to partner with Startup Canada and its Women Entrepreneurship Fund to promote women entrepreneurs through education and investment,” said Kevin Peesker, Country Manager, Commercial Group for Dell EMC Canada. “At Dell, it’s important for us to support women with the tools and resources they need to deliver innovative and high-impact projects because they are vital to the economic growth and competitiveness of our country.”
The fund primarily invests in high-impact, grassroots initiatives across Canada that advance women entrepreneurship through education, investment, mentorship and access to growth opportunities. The five funded initiatives include:
- Mamas & Co. (Toronto, ON), an online community for women entrepreneurs, will launch an Online Learning Platform for Women Entrepreneurs to provide high-quality content and tools to mothers across Canada who are starting and scaling their businesses.
- Startup Peterborough & Peterborough Economic Development (Peterborough, ON) are partnering to run the Wellness Fair for Female Entrepreneurs to provide women entrepreneurs with tools and connections to lead a happier and more balanced lifestyle.
- The Raise Collective (Vancouver, BC), a partnership between five entrepreneurs, will advance a collaborative fundraising & investing platform to support and build the capacity of risk-astute women investors – empowering them with investment opportunities and tools online and through grassroots events.
- McWatt Family Farms (Ottawa, ON), known for their programs that support at-risk youth, will launch Farm-preneurs, an initiative to support young girls with a passion for agricultural-based and food-based businesses.
- Crossfield Chamber of Commerce (Crossfield, AB), will hold a Rural Women in Business Conference to connect and celebrate women entrepreneurs from central Alberta.
With the support of the fund, four International Women’s Day events were also held in grassroots Startup Communities in Montreal QC, Durham Region ON, Toronto ON and Charlottetown PEI to celebrate, connect and inspire women entrepreneurs. Funded events include:
- Get Connected Business Mixer hosted by Startup Charlottetown and PEI Business Women’s Association
- Seal the Deal: Women Entrepreneurs & VCs hosted by Startup Toronto
- International Women’s Day Celebration hosted by Startup Durham Region
- Wisdom, Wine & Networking hosted by Global Shapers Montreal
In 2015, the first round of the Startup Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund invested in entrepreneurship conferences, mentorship programs, business plan bootcamps and finance workshops which supported hundreds of entrepreneurs in Prince George BC, Halifax NB, and Toronto ON.
For more information, contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications & Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
613-627-0787 ext. 106
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the national rallying community for Canada’s entrepreneurs. Through flagship programs, digital platforms, and cross sector partnerships between entrepreneurs, private sector, and government, Startup Canada offers training, resources, and a peer network to give every entrepreneur equal opportunity for success. As members of Startup Canada, entrepreneurs are championed by the community and are given a national voice to media, industry and government. For more information, visit www.startupcan.ca.