ON STARTUPS || Free Resources Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Across Canada
Every founder hits a point where expertise, capital, or community feels out of reach, and Startup Canada built its Startup Women program to close that gap for women-identifying entrepreneurs across the country.
In 2025 alone, the program engaged nearly 8,600 women-identifying entrepreneurs through free programming, and 2026 is on track to expand that reach.
The model is straightforward: no membership fees, no application gatekeeping, just structured access to the people and knowledge founders need at each stage. Webinars break down practical fundamentals, from validating a business idea to building an investor-ready plan. Industry roundtables bring founders into smaller, sector-specific rooms, women in food and beverage comparing notes with peers who understand their supply chain headaches, or women in creative industries talking through pricing structures unique to their field. The Startup Women Empowerment Fund backs community-led events, and in-person mentorship connects founders directly with Startup Women leaders who have already navigated the questions keeping them up at night.
Earlier in the year, sessions covered women in STEM, the fundamentals of turning an idea into a viable business, Canada's funding landscape, women in food and beverage, and women in creative industries, each pairing founder insight with practical takeaways. For founders looking to get involved before the year closes, three sessions remain on the 2026 calendar. A roundtable on women in retail and e-commerce runs September 16, followed by a webinar on scaling a business on October 14, and a final roundtable on women in franchise businesses on November 25. Each is free to attend and open to entrepreneurs at any stage, whether they are still validating an idea or already generating revenue.
Beyond programming, Startup Canada has relaunched the Startup Women Advocacy Network (SWAN) after a hiatus in 2025. First introduced in 2022, SWAN curates a cohort of early-stage, women-identifying entrepreneurs, one representing each province and territory, who advocate for the conditions women need to build sustainable businesses. The group meets roughly every six weeks for town halls, each centred on a shared challenge participants are working through together. The 2026 cohort's first wave includes seven entrepreneurs from across the country, with McKercher LLP providing legal services as the program's community partner.
Founders looking for face-to-face support have another option this fall. The Startup Canada Tour stops in Victoria on September 29, where the Ask the Expert Lounge will include dedicated support for women entrepreneurs. Attendees can sit down with a Startup Women mentor to work through a current roadblock, whether that means funding strategy, marketing direction, sales development, or simply finding the right support organization. The lounge is designed for early-stage, women-identifying founders, including those in the trans and non-binary community, and welcomes students exploring entrepreneurship for the first time.
What ties it all together is access without friction. A founder does not need to have a fully formed business, a pitch deck, or a network already in place to walk into a roundtable or sit down with a mentor. Startup Canada has built a support system that meets women where they are, and for the thousands of entrepreneurs who used it last year, that has meant one less barrier standing between an idea and a functioning business. Full program details, registration links, and applications for future cohorts are available at startupcan.ca.
