Connecting women-founded organizations across Canada with global mentors and investors

As Canada’s agrifood and value-added sector grows, so does the number of new business founders across the country. With the right support, these new companies can go on to become some of Canada’s top entrepreneurs, bringing a wider selection of products to consumers around the world.

The Canadian Women’s Network (CWN) specializes in helping women-founded companies across Canada network and gain the attention of potential investors, particularly those in the United States. Since its founding, CWN has grown to a membership of more than 900 companies, with almost 100 of them taking part in the organization’s Pathway to Silicon Valley program.

“We saw a gap in education and understanding of where, in the U.S. market, that bar is if you’re entering for customers, strategic partnership, or investment,” said CWN’s Marketing and Program Manager Kennedy Quigley. “Pathway to Silicon Valley serves that gap by offering workshops, speaker panels and strategic meetings that explore how to successfully access global markets and U.S. capital.”

One of the largest benefits of taking part in events like Pathway to Silicon Valley, Quigley said, is the opportunity to build connections with potential mentors and investors in the United States that can act as future network nodes. Jasmine Byrne, COO of Big Mountain Foods—a Protein Industries Canada project participant and current CWN member—discovered this first-hand after taking part in CSV’s events over the past year.

“We thought [it] would be a great learning experience because there is an opportunity for some coaching, they look at your pitch deck, and the potential investors on the call also gave feedback," Byrne said. "It was a really great segue into the pitching process.”

Byrne’s experience isn’t unique. Quigley explained that while many companies come away from the events with new investment opportunities, others discover whether the venture capital community is the right fit for them. She explained that investment may turn out to be only a small element of what they’re looking for, with guidance, camaraderie and inspiration making up the bulk of their goals.

CWN makes sure to provide opportunities to experience each, making the events ideal for all participants.

“The coaching is really valuable,” Byrne said. “You need to just go in with questions, because it seems like, more than anything, some of the investors … said right away that they … were on the call to offer support and mentorship and talk about what they were seeing in the market. So while you have all these influential people on the call, I would say it’s really important to get them engaged.”

Companies who haven’t participated in CWN’s events will soon have another opportunity. The organization is hosting their next Pathway to Silicon Valley event in May and November, featuring pitch meetings, workshops, networking opportunities and speaker panels. More information can be found at www.connectionsiliconvalley.com/pathway-sv.

For more information about CWN, including how to become a member, visit www.connectionsiliconvalley.com.