​To attend this event, you must first register for BVX here.

​Building a successful business requires more than a great idea—it requires access to the right capital, support systems, and growth opportunities at every stage of the journey.

​Whether you're launching a startup, growing a small business, expanding a professional services firm, or scaling a product-based company, understanding how to finance growth and make strategic decisions can significantly impact long-term success.

​Hosted as part of BVZ Women Who Build, this candid conversation brings together leaders from entrepreneurship, finance, and the startup ecosystem to explore how women entrepreneurs are funding their businesses, navigating growth, scaling organizations, and creating long-term value on their own terms.

​From bootstrapping and business loans to mentorship, ecosystem support, strategic partnerships, and growth financing, the discussion will examine the many pathways available to entrepreneurs seeking to scale sustainably in today's evolving business environment.

​Join us for practical insights, real-world experiences, and actionable advice from leaders who have successfully helped businesses start, grow, scale, and create lasting impact across Canada.

​Featured Speakers

​Panelists:

​Stephany Sani-Edwards
Regional Manager, Inclusive Entrepreneurship – Ontario, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

​Sarah Pick
Director, Futurpreneur Canada

​Julie Cole
Co-Founder, Mabel's Labels | Entrepreneur, Author & Growth Advisor

​Moderator:

​Melissa Allen

​Founder & Managing Partner, Capital M Ventures

​What We'll Explore

• ​The current funding and financing landscape for women entrepreneurs in Canada

• ​How founders can become investment and financing ready

• ​Understanding the role of loans, grants, mentorship programs, angel investment, and revenue-driven growth

• ​Lessons from building, scaling, and successfully exiting one of Canada's most recognized entrepreneurial success stories

• ​Setting ambitious growth goals and leading a business through different stages of scale

• ​How women entrepreneurs can leverage ecosystem partners, strategic networks, and mentorship to accelerate growth

• ​Building resilient businesses that can thrive through changing economic conditions

• ​Practical advice for entrepreneurs preparing for their next stage of growth

​Who Should Attend?

• ​Entrepreneurs and startup founders

• ​Small business owners

• ​Women entrepreneurs

• ​Consultants and service-based businesses

• ​Manufacturers and product-based companies

• ​Growth-stage founders seeking capital, partnerships, and expansion opportunities

• ​Anyone looking to better understand the pathways to business growth and scale

​About Women Who Build

​Women Who Build is a Brampton Venture Zone (BVZ) by Toronto Metropolitan University initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs through mentorship, learning, community, and access to opportunities that help them build and grow successful businesses.

​​About BVX 2026

​Brampton Venture Expo (BVX) is Brampton's leading innovation and entrepreneurship event, bringing together founders, investors, industry leaders, corporate innovators, and ecosystem partners to explore the future of technology, business, and growth.

​Organized by the Brampton Venture Zone (BVZ) by Toronto Metropolitan University and powered by the Brampton Innovation District (BID), BVX serves as a platform where industry, innovation, and entrepreneurship converge to accelerate economic growth and business success.

​Photography Disclaimer

​When you attend this event, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to such recording media and its release, publication, exhibition or reproduction.