BVZ Women Who Build: Her Path Forward
About the Event
International Women’s Day is more than a moment — it’s a call to action.
BVZ Women Who Build: Her Path Forward is a purpose-driven gathering for women building and scaling technology-enabled businesses across industries. Anchored in the Give & Gain theme, this event brings together women founders, senior leaders, investors, and ecosystem partners to create real pathways through mentorship, access, visibility, and shared learning.
Hosted in Brampton, one of Canada’s fastest-growing innovation hubs, this experience is designed to support women in tech across early, growth, and scaling stages — while strengthening connections across the Brampton, Peel, and GTA startup ecosystem.
This is not a traditional panel. It’s an action-oriented experience focused on collaboration, learning, and future-building.
What to Expect
Inspiration That Leads to Action
The evening opens with opening remarks from Brampton's Regional Councillor (Ward 1&5) Rowena Santos followed by an inspiring keynote from Manvir Bhangu, an award-winning community leader with over a decade of experience advancing gender equity, human rights, and grassroots engagement.
Her Path Forward Circles
Participants then move into curated, topic-based roundtable discussions led by experienced women leaders from across the startup ecosystem. These small-group conversations are candid, practical, and designed to deliver actionable takeaways for founders navigating growth, leadership, and opportunity.
Intentional Networking
The evening concludes with open networking — creating space to deepen connections, exchange contacts, and build relationships that extend beyond the room.
Roundtable Focus Areas
Each curated circle will be led by an experienced woman leader and designed to support women founders in tech across industries.
Circle themes include:
Building in Brampton: City & Economic Development Pathways
Understanding how founders can leverage municipal and regional supports — including economic development programs, pilots, procurement opportunities, and government partnerships.
Founder Journeys: Lessons from Women Who’ve Built
Candid conversations with women founders who’ve navigated early challenges, scaled their ventures, and learned what truly matters along the way.
Funding, Grants & Financial Readiness
Exploring non-dilutive funding, grants, and capital pathways — and what founders need to prepare financially as they grow.
Go-To-Market & Growth Enablement
Insights from leaders in marketing, finance, and operations on building strong GTM strategies, customer traction, and scalable foundations.
Protecting Innovation: The Importance of IP
Understanding intellectual property basics, common pitfalls, and how IP strategy supports long-term growth and investor readiness.
Angel Investors: What They Look For
A behind-the-scenes look at how angel investors evaluate startups — from team and traction to vision, readiness, and risk.
Who Should Attend
Women founders building, launching, or scaling technology-enabled businesses (industry-agnostic)
Early-stage and growth-stage women entrepreneurs seeking mentorship, funding, and ecosystem support
Women professionals transitioning into tech entrepreneurship or leadership roles
Senior women leaders, mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners committed to supporting women in tech
Why Join?
This is a Give & Gain experience — designed to create real momentum.
You’ll walk away with:
Practical guidance from women who’ve built and scaled before you
Access to mentorship, funding insights, and growth opportunities
Greater clarity on your leadership and founder journey
Meaningful connections across Brampton, Peel, and the Greater Toronto Area’s tech ecosystem
Opening Remarks: Councillor Rowena Santos
Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor of Wards 1&5, is a proud Bramptonian inspired by community and driven by a passion to change the culture of politics and building a more prosperous, livable and sustainable future. She was elected in 2018, and is the first Filipino elected to Council in Brampton. Rowena holds an H.BBA degree from the Schulich School of Business, and a Masters in Sustainable Development & Environmental Planning from the London School of Economics. Prior to being elected she worked at the Ontario legislature for over a decade and has mentored countless youth to be politically active across the GTA. Before politics Rowena worked at Magna, RBC and General Mills. She was also the Program Manager of Corporate Citizenship with Imagine Canada, and Executive Director of Emagine, working with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs at the Centre for Social Innovation.
Keynote Speaker: Manvir Bhangu
Manvir Bhangu is an award-winning community leader with over a decade of experience advancing gender equity, human rights, and grassroots engagement. She is the founder of Laadliyan, Celebrating & Empowering Daughters, which supports South Asian girls and women through education, mentorship, and advocacy while addressing cultural barriers and issues such as menstrual health. Her impact has empowered thousands nationwide and earned her recognition including Brampton’s Top 40 Under 40 (2018) and the Young Woman of Distinction Award from YWCA Toronto (2023).
Meet the Circle Leaders
Amanda Leard
Amanda Leard is the Expeditor at the City of Brampton’s Economic Development Office, bringing nearly 20 years of experience in municipal and economic development. In her current role, she leads the City of Brampton’s Investment Services team, supporting business growth and investment attraction. A graduate of the Women in Leadership Certificate at the Rotman School of Management, she is also involved with the Economic Developers Association of Canada and the Economic Development Council of Ontario. A proud, born-and-raised Bramptonian, Amanda still calls the city home, where she is raising her three boys and championing women’s empowerment and workplace equity.
Lisa Mohapatra
Lisa Mohapatra is the Co-founder and CEO of Bidblox, a Toronto-based, venture-backed, patent-pending AI platform transforming bidding and preconstruction workflows in the construction industry. She brings deep experience across supply chain, construction, and technology, with a strong track record of building and scaling SaaS and marketplace businesses.
Minalini Lakshman
Minalini Lakshman brings 20 years of experience in market-centric commercialization of innovations for global launches of capital equipment, consumables, software/AI in the LifeSciences Industry. She has led successful Go-To-Market programs, leading up to double digit growth at global companies such as Standard BioTools Inc, Paige AI and FujiFilm VisualSonics Inc. Her market intelligence stems from her academic training with a PhD and clinical research in the Life Sciences and post graduate training at the University Health Network in affiliation with Rotman School of Management. She is a founder of MYK Solutions Inc. and offer services to founders, investors and ecosystem partners in Canada and abroad.
Neelam Bance
Neelam Bance is a passionate life sciences entrepreneur who has spent decades in the pharmaceutical industry commercializing medications across a number of therapeutic areas including mental health, diabetes and oncology. As Co-Founder and CEO of MedGeneius, she is on a mission to expand the used of personalized medicine using drug-gene testing to help people understand the right medications for them based on their DNA. She is passionate about supporting her life sciences entrepreneurs and profiling Canada’s talent on a global stage.
Pam Banks
Pam Banks leads Altitude Accelerator, supporting technology founders as they move from idea to market and investment readiness. She works closely with entrepreneurs to connect them with mentors, investors, and programs that help companies scale. Pam also supports founders through initiatives including Founders & Funders, Summit Edge (Altitude’s SPV investment vehicle), and Altitude Angels, helping early-stage companies access capital and investor networks across the region.
Neha Bahl
Neha Bahl is Head of Strategy at Allium IP, where she works to make intellectual property accessible and strategic for early-stage companies. She is also a General Partner at Renew Venture Capital and an Angel Investor at Firehood, backing globally scaling and diverse founders. Formerly CEO of TBDC, she helped launch Canada’s Startup Visa Program and has supported 3,000+ entrepreneurs across global ecosystems.
Tehmina Chaudhry
Tehmina A. Chaudhry is an entrepreneur and ecosystem builder with over 20 years of experience supporting startups and underrepresented founders. She is the Founder & President of the Canada Startup Association (CSA) and CEO of INSTA Startups, where she helps early-stage companies with strategy, market validation, and global growth. An immigrant entrepreneur herself, she is passionate about advancing inclusive innovation and connecting founders to mentorship, capital, and international opportunities.
Reserve your spot and be part of a collaborative platform where women don’t just talk about the future — they build it.