Programs

Got a business that’s ready for sales or ready to expand? An intense, three-month program concludes with an opportunity for you to pitch for up to $5,000. 

This 5-week introductory program aims to help aspiring entrepreneurs learn how to start a business. The program is open to individuals who have an idea but have not registered a business and want to journey from uncertainty to entrepreneurial readiness.

If you are between the ages of 15 to 29 years old and want to build your own business from the start, Summer Company is an opportunity for you to build your business using sound practices. There’s an opportunity to receive $3,000 in funding.

For businesses and organizations looking to generate social or environmental impact alongside a financial return, Waterloo Region Community Foundation may be willing to invest in your growth. 

The Community Company helps nonprofits launch social enterprises, providing sustainable solutions for fundraising challenges. The Community Company recently supported Cambridge Shelter in launching "In our Backyard," a landscaping social enterprise employing their graduates.

The Black Entrepreneurship Program is 12 month program designed to support Black entrepreneurs from the earliest stages of starting a business to innovating, growing, and scaling an existing business.

The Newcomer Entrepreneur Accelerator Program is a 24-week accelerator program that helps newcomers to Ontario develop the scope of business fundamentals of starting a company within Canada.

The ForUsGirls Foundation sparks interest in technology for young Black women and girls ages 12-18 by providing programming skills to consider careers in tech and entrepreneurship as web developers, web designers, and front-end programmers. The technical coding programs introduce young coders to HTML & CSS website design, JavaScript, Python, and Scratch for gaming and animation.

This program is a school-based lunch hour program to build the self-esteem of young women, girls, and gender-diverse youth in grades 5-9 through a 13-unit curriculum. BFD's approach incorporates innovative creativity, interactive engagement, and shared collective experiences to build girls' confidence.

This program provides Black young women and girls ages 12-16 with a safe space to receive culturally responsive counselling, therapeutic workshops, and mental health resources through artistic expression, creative journaling, meditation and yoga.

This program is a 7-week entrepreneurial & professional development training program for Black, Indigenous, and Racialized young women and gender-diverse people aged 16-24. Successful accelerator participants will compete in the final pitch competition to win up to $2,500 - $3,000 in seed funding.

This is a professional network that supports young Black women entrepreneurs and emerging professionals in leading and sustaining purposeful, thriving careers. Network members participate in webinars, networking socials, and weekly podcasts, sharing their impact stories.