Startup Canada

Turn your expertise into impact and become a speaker for a Startup Canada podcast episode or virtual event! We’re looking for entrepreneurs, industry professionals, thought leaders and topic experts to connect with trailblazing entrepreneurs all across Canada. Whether it’s lessons learned, personal strategies, or your lived experiences, your voice has the power to guide, motivate, and empower the next generation of changemakers. Our upcoming events include: Startup Women: - Nov 19 - Women in Fashion & Retail (Industry Roundtable) - Dec 3 - Women in the Arts & Media (Industry Roundtable) Startup Global: - Nov 13: Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods (Industry Roundtable) - Nov 27: Science & Technology (Industry Roundtable) Startup Canada Equal Slice Program - Nov 25: Navigating the Support Ecosystem (Webinar) Startup Podcast: - A chance to spotlight your journey and inspire our community 🔗If you’re interested in becoming a speaker, apply here - https://bit.ly/3HTFCiZ More exciting opportunities coming in 2026 – follow our socials and stay tuned! #StartupCanada #EntrepreneurSupport #CanadianEntrepreneurs #StartupPodcast

From $55K awarded at Startup Global 2025 to webinars, industry roundtables, and podcast features. Canadian entrepreneurs are innovating, connecting, and growing across sectors. Inclusive toys, sustainable materials, eco-friendly construction, and more! These founders are driving real impact at home and globally.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are the engine of Canada’s economy, creating jobs, fueling innovation, and driving community growth from coast to coast. But for the entrepreneurs behind them, turning a bold idea into a sustainable business can often feel like an uphill climb. Discover how Startup Canada is powering founders to overcome those challenges and access the right connections, resources, and opportunities to grow in a recent article published by Mediaplanet Canada. 🔗 Read full article: https://bit.ly/3JicpPF

Missed October’s #StartupPodcast episodes? Now’s the perfect time to catch up. Get inspired by these value-packed episodes and fuel your next move with stories and strategies from real founders. Available to listen to for free now: 🎧Google, AI and Your Business - Insights on leveraging AI for business growth, and the transformative power of AI in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 🎧How Pop Up Comedy is Powering Small Business - Transforming local businesses into vibrant comedy venues, creating unique experiences that break down barriers and bring communities together. 🎧Transforming Caregiving - Discover innovative approaches blending technology with personalized care, and the challenges of being an Indigenous entrepreneur in the health tech sector. 🎧Reconnecting People, Places and Culture Through Plants - Learn about Shaylish Plant’s mission to heal the land and reconnect communities with their cultural roots through sustainable stewardship and the power of native flora. New episodes WEEKLY! Stay up to date on conversations with Canada’s top entrepreneurs and innovators. 👉Follow us on your favourite streaming platform - https://lnkd.in/gDAqea-F In partnership with Mastercard and Constant Contact Special thanks to our guests, Natasha Walji of Google, Cole Chauvin of The Garden Comedy Show, Andrew Karesa of blueBell Village, and Shayla Chalifoux of Shaylish Plants

Happy Halloween to every entrepreneur out there running on caffeine and big ideas!

Success looks different when it’s rooted in purpose. Discover how Shayla Chalifoux, of Shaylish Plants is indigenizing plant spaces by incorporating native plants and Indigenous knowledge into urban landscapes. Learn about her mission to heal the land and reconnect communities with their cultural roots through sustainable stewardship and the power of native flora. 🎧Tune in for new perspectives on building a business rooted in impact, culture, and community: https://lnkd.in/gREcfWi2 Don’t miss an episode, follow Startup Canada on your favourite streaming platforms! (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more) In partnership with Mastercard and Constant Contact #StartupCanada #EntrepreneurSupport #CanadianEntrepreneurs #StartupPodcast

Yesterday, I spoke to a room full of women running service and education-based businesses. No one was asking how to scale faster or get more clients. They were asking how to build sustainable businesses without sacrificing their mental health. In a national roundtable hosted by Startup Canada’s Startup Women, we gathered women across the professional and educational services sector. What surfaced wasn’t surface-level strategy. It was the real stuff: “I’m trying to scale, but I don’t want to lose the creative work I actually enjoy.” “I know I need to grow, but stepping out of the day-to-day feels like I’m letting people down.” “I’ve done the setup. I’m ready to earn, but I don’t know how to land clients without giving everything away.” This wasn’t a hype session full of motivation and well wishes. It was a thoughtful, strategic conversation with founders navigating complexity, and looking for infrastructure that supports their growth. Here’s what I brought into that room: → How to move from proving your worth to positioning your value → How productized offers protect your time and your income → Why customer experience isn’t an expense—it’s your edge → And how masking, perfectionism, and over-delivery keep even brilliant women from scaling This is the exact work I do every day inside with my coaching and consulting work. Helping founders move from high effort to high return. Not through more motivation, but through systems, structure, and strategic clarity. And while this was a national conversation, it reinforced why I’m building these rooms here at home in Moncton, NB and Atlantic Canada with Meant for More. The fact that this conversation included voices from across Canada mattered. The themes resonated with women from coast to coast. Because women in service and education based industries don’t just need more tools. They need spaces that name the real problems, and support them through the real shifts. 💭 If you’d been in that room, what would you have asked? Drop your question below, or send it privately if you’re still figuring out how to say it out loud. Let’s keep building rooms where clarity and connection actually lead to action! P.S. I’m so honoured to have been a part of this in-depth and multi-faceted conversation among the extremely talented and knowledgeable panelists Erin Blaskie and Maryse Gingras.

We’re proud to announce the 2025 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year! This year’s YEY Awards by the League of Innovators Accelerator celebrated the bold, creative, and resilient spirit of Canada’s next generation of founders — hosted in Winnipeg with the support of Manitoba Innovates. 2025 YEY Award Winners - Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Francesca Albo, Puppy Sphere - Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year: Annika Ng, Blossom Social - Young Black Entrepreneur of the Year: Nanette Sene, Juno Technologies - Young Indigenous Entrepreneur of the Year: James Quinn, Larry's Catch - Emerging Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Georgiy Sekretaryuk 🏎️, Overdrive - Emerging Tech Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Ankur Boyed, Boardy.AI - Clean Tech Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Jennifer Côté, Opalia A huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and to the entire community of young innovators driving change across Canada.