Dear Women Funding Women Community,

Happy New Year! We are stepping into 2026 with incredible momentum.

This February, we will be celebrating two years of Women Funding Women! What better way to mark the occasion than by reflecting on the incredible strides we’ve made together.

Our 2025 Impact Report is officially out. This past year was a landmark for WFW: we launched our website, expanded our reach through high-impact virtual programming, and - most importantly - doubled our angel participation year-over-year. This growth is a testament to the power of this collective.

Looking forward to this week, we are thrilled to host the Be Bold Challenge Brunch in partnership with Guardian Partners. This curated event brings together founders, funders, and ecosystem partners dedicated to fundamentally transforming the landscape for women-led ventures. We are honoured to host Marwa Abdou, Senior Research Director at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab, who will present exclusive insights on “Women Entrepreneurs: Canada’s Biggest Missed Business Opportunity,” followed by facilitated roundtable discussions to drive actionable solutions.

On the educational front, we are committed to keeping you "deal-ready." Today, we are excited to release the latest issue of The Angel Insights Series: What Do Angel Investors Need To Know To Invest In Startups? Early stage investing can be both exciting and daunting! This issue will help aspiring angels in our Collective move from curiosity to action.

Complementing this, our WFW x Osler Legal Workshops are available on demand, offering high-level insights for founders building for scale and funders looking for due diligence excellence. We also invite you to explore The Spotlight, presented in partnership with The Scotiabank Women Initiative® featuring authentic stories from Canadian women shaping innovation and investment.

We are looking forward to a year of even greater impact and deeper connections.

Below, you will find a curated list of programs, events, and resources for women founders and investors - let's keep the momentum going!

With gratitude,

Lara, Deborah & Sherry

Co-founders, Women Funding Women

PS: Our mission thrives on collective action. Is there someone in your network that would benefit from the events in this newsletter? Invite them!

Cidel | Pathways to fund women’s businesses, by women

Webinar recording

An insightful conversation about funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs, moderated by Ilse Treurnicht, Managing Director,
TwinRiver Capital.

WFW's Co-founder and CEO, Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, was proud to participate on this panel.

Watch now

Spring | Scale Ready: Elevate

Apply by January 26 2026

Are you raising investment, or about to raise, for your impact venture? Spring's facilitated funding roundtables are designed to help you secure the investment you need to grow your venture. Expert support can help accelerate the likelihood, speed and amount of capital raised by equipping you with knowledge, tools and key connections for success.

Apply now

Spring | Invest Together in Women-led Impact

Register by January 27 2026

A proven source of incredible ventures and often a catalytic lead in rounds, this program offers a direct path to impactful investing. Connect with accredited investors and women founders to unlock potential without bias. This year’s new flexible format lets you choose your starting point - see more about the foundation series below. Join the cohort committing $10k each to create a $200k pooled investment for the Top Venture.

Sign up now

The51 | Road to the Summit Vancouver

January 28 2026

Explore how women are redefining wealth as stewardship. Across a half-day of dynamic exchange, leaders from venture, wellness, climate finance, and creative industries will examine how expansive capital thinking, from investment to impact, is shaping Canada’s future economy. 

Buy tickets

Movement51 | Founder Lab

Register by January 30 2026

If you’re a founder building a high-potential company and preparing to raise capital, your success isn’t just about your business; it’s part of a bigger story. Founder Lab helps you sharpen your strategy, strengthen your investor materials, and make the connections that position your venture to scale and thrive, contributing directly to Canada’s innovation economy along the way.

Apply now

I Am Unbreakable® | 

The Power Of I Am Summit 2026 

February 27 2026

This bold one-day experience unites trailblazers for unfiltered conversations on leadership, funding, and resilience. Witness the "Power Of The Pitch" finale and join a movement where one voice becomes a revolution.

Buy tickets

Spring | Financing the Future: Collaboration & Co-Investing 

February 11th, 2026

Dig into what it really means to leverage one another's work with intention, and what it takes to do that well, learning from the successes of the Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) and beyond. 

Register now