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YWCA Metro Vancouver is a registered charity, gender equity advocate and community service provider. We deliver affordable housing, early learning and child care, training and employment services, and a range of holistic programs that help support individual, collective and economic wellbeing. We boldly envision a just and equitable world for women, families and allies. We advance gender equity alongside women, families, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people through advocacy and integrated services that help support personal, collective and economic wellbeing.

Community Futures Fraser Fort George invests in people and ideas. We provide business support to entrepreneurs in Prince George, Mackenzie, McBride, Valemount and the surrounding rural areas in BC. We can assist business owners, or those considering to become a small business owner, with attaining business loans, creating a business plan, and accessing tools and resources for the different challenges and opportunities small business owners may face. In 2019 Community Futures Fraser Fort George championed a Women Entrepreneurship Eco-System Project which we had named LEAP for Women. The Leadership & Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program (LEAP) was designed to assist women to break down barriers in starting or expanding their businesses, and it continues to provide various opportunities to bring under-represented groups together to connect and to gain experiences that will encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and take on new challenges.

YWCA Moncton is a chapter of the national YWCA movement, which focuses on empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people. For over 100 years, it has worked to advance gender equity through national advocacy and community action. Its goals include stopping gender-based violence, creating affordable housing and pushing for workplace equity.

Among its education and employment programs includes YW Employment My Way, a 12-week employment training program for women and gender-diverse individuals to build a business model for their current or future businesses. Workshop topics include how to do market research, financial literacy, marketing and communications, and more. The program also includes one-on-one training sessions and peer-support activities.

CDCD is dedicated to addressing regional community development needs and shaping effective policies. Among its standout initiatives is the Newcomer Women's Entrepreneurship Program, a tailored resource for immigrant women aspiring to launch or expand small businesses. Through a comprehensive approach, the program offers virtual and in-person workshops, networking events, and valuable marketplace opportunities, providing essential tools for success. This initiative exemplifies CDCD's commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as a catalyst for inclusive and vibrant community development.

More than an informational resource, the Newcomer Women's Entrepreneurship Program is a transformative experience. By blending educational components with practical opportunities, the program empowers participants to navigate the complexities of being a newcomer in Canada wanting to pursue entrepreneurship. This holistic approach aligns with CDCD's broader mission, ensuring that individuals, regardless of background, have the support and resources needed to thrive.

North Forge is the innovation partner for the Province of Manitoba and a not-for-profit business incubator accelerator that works with startups across Canada in science, technology, and advanced manufacturing.

We have worked with over 300 companies in the past 26 months and have created hundreds of jobs. Armed with one of North America’s largest, not-for-profit publicly accessible Fabrication Fab (FabLabTM), we operate out of over 25,000 sf across Innovation Drive and Innovation Alley here in Winnipeg. We also have locations in Pinawa and Thompson.

Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region has been a regional Economic Development hub since opening in 1986. Throughout the past 36 years, CF, as a grass roots, board led, organization has continually met its clientele where they are at. The organization has served more than 50,000 entrepreneurs, 7 municipal councils, 100s of partners and more than 300 nonprofit organizations.

CFGP has successfully operated provincial programs such as the Self Employment program, Youth Connections, regional and private sector projects such as Shell LiveWIRE, focused on Indigenous entrepreneurship, SMARTStart for startups, Growing the North Conference, and several smaller projects that were necessitated by local need.

Recently, CFGP has engaged in new programs to support women, via the CGI (Capital Growth Initiative) loans program in partnership with the province, to support innovators via the Grande Prairie Regional Innovation Network (GPRIN) and work collaboratively with local, regional, provincial, and federal counterparts to leverage resources and time to support the large goal of Community Economic Development.

March 2022 saw CFGP&R host the first annual Hyperdrive Women in Business Summit in Jasper, AB alongside numerous partners and CF stakeholders. Hyperdrive is a summit designed to support businesses and entrepreneurs in developing their skills, tools, and workforce as we build and diversify the local economies of scale in Alberta. With the summit, CF looks to inspire, promote thoughtful conversations, provide strategies for success, training, and resources directly to the business community. The networks forged during the 3 days event will effectively new tools to the entrepreneurs’ toolkit for success.

YWCA Hamilton women’s entrepreneurship programs support new and existing Ontario businesses with one-on-one coaching, business plan training, mentoring and digital support services.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is a not-for-profit organization focused on Canada’s relations with Asia and deepening engagement between Canada and Asia. Established by an Act of Parliament in 1984, APF Canada is dedicated to strengthening ties between Canada and Asia. Our research and engagement provides high-quality, relevant, and timely information, insights, and perspectives on Canada-Asia relations.

The APF Canada, Central Canada Office team has been leading trade missions specifically aimed at supporting Canadian women entrepreneurs find new markets in Asia since 2019. Supported by the private sector and the Government of Canada, through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund, the missions provide Canadian women-led or -owned companies with the support to access markets in the Asia Pacific through pre-mission training, B2B connections, and public conferences with high-level speakers. The 2023 mission is titled Smarter Living: The Canadian Women-only Business Mission to South Korea and Thailand. This mission is the Foundation’s first gender-based business mission to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region in the 2023-2025 mission series, Northeast X Southeast: Advancing Partnerships Between Canada and Asia, and the seventh since launching our efforts aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs grow their businesses globally. For upcoming opportunties, see APF Canada's full list of business missions to Asia for women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs.

Building on the trade mission series, APF Canada has launched CanWIN, the Canadian Women’s International Network, to connect women thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and gender equality organizations to advance economic equality and empower Canadian women entrepreneurs through engagement with international growth markets in Asia.

Community Futures British Columbia is the provincial association for the Community Futures Development Network of Canada. Through our 34 member offices, we provide business services and loans to new and experienced entrepreneurs in rural and remote communities, and we’ve been doing it since 1992. Since 1997 our Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP) has made it easier for entrepreneurs with disabilities or ongoing health conditions to pursue their business goals by providing access to a network of business professionals and resources. Using a GBA+ lens EDP is built on the intersectionality of diversification of our participants and equitable supports. The EDP program supports to a wide cross-section of entrepreneurs in both urban and rural communities throughout the province.

Business dreams? You’ve come to the right place.

The Centre for Women in Business is dedicated to helping women business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada succeed through exposure, connection, and learning.

From one-on-one business advice and skills training, to networking and membership programs, we help our clients launch new business ideas, propel established companies to new levels of success, and thrive as owners, CEOs and industry leaders.

We exist to help women business owners in all phases of their business development.