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OUR PROGRAMS

Explore how The Forum can help you take your business to the next level

 
 
 
 
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We’re invested in your vision of success

 Our programs are designed to help all Canadian women entrepreneurs build resilient businesses — regardless of their industry, team size, or experience level

 
 
 

The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch

Pitch the vision for your business and meet a community who will fiercely support, mentor and champion you to help you reach your goals. That’s how The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program helps you navigate, activate and fast-track your access to the different types of capital that you need to thrive.

Addressing the barrier of access to capitals, The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch program offers education, 1:1 mentorship, coaching, national exposure, and access to specialized resources and networks so you can share your business pitch with confidence. At the same time, you can secure the community and financial, social and wisdom capitals you’ll need to make your business visions a reality.

COMMITMENT:
Varies depending on program stages
INVESTMENT:
Free
WHAT YOU GET:
  • The chance to receive one of three prize packages, each with an estimated value of $30,000 CAD, in financial, social, and wisdom capital to help your business thrive
  • Complimentary educational programming valued at $500
  • 1:1 mentorship and coaching from experienced entrepreneurs & industry experts
  • Exposure across The Forum's Canada-wide community of women entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors & sponsors
THE FORUM PITCH IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You need funding & community to take your business to the next level
  • You want a supportive environment to learn how to secure funding for your business
  • You want to make life changing connections & be inspired
  • You're a Canadian self-identifying women entrepreneur in any industry & at any size or stage of business
 
 

The Forum Mentor Program

Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®

Applications open year-round.

Find out what your business can accomplish with personalized insights from someone who’s been ‘through it all’ before. The Mentor Program thoughtfully pairs women identifying entrepreneurs across Canada, in all stages of business, with experienced mentors who can offer practical guidance & support on the individual challenges & opportunities your business is facing.

COMMITMENT:
1 hour per month, for 12 months
INVESTMENT:
$300

The Forum is invested in your vision of success. If cost is the only thing stopping you from signing up, you can request financial assistance when you apply to E-Series on the application form.

WHAT YOU GET:
  • Pairings based on needs, goals, values & personality
  • 1 Hour of 1:1 Mentorship, every month for 12 months (remote or in-person)
  • Guides and digital tools to support you through your mentorship
  • Access to a community who wants to help you thrive
THE MENTOR PROGRAM IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You need personalized 1:1 advice from someone with first hand, real world insights & experience
  • You need to be empowered & supported to take the next steps in your business
  • You want somone you can feel accountable to
  • You need more connections & access to a community of people who will champion you & your business
  • You're a Canadian self-identifying women entrepreneur in any industry & at any size or stage of business
 
 

The Forum Growth Peer Mentorship

Connect with other growth-minded women entrepreneurs to gain support as you scale your business. Guided by a Mentor who is an experienced entrepreneur, Peer Groups offer feedback and fresh perspective on your business challenges and growth opportunities, using a solution-based approach.

COMMITMENT:
2-hour sessions, for 9 sessions
INVESTMENT:
Valued at $2,500. Thanks to the generous grant funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, this program is free to all participants in 2023/24.
WHAT YOU GET:
  • Cohorts determined by your current province of residence
  • 2 Hours of Peer Group Mentorship, every week for 9 weeks (remote)
  • Learning from non-competing businesses with complementary needs and goals
  • Guidance from an experienced Mentor
THE PROGRAM IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You want to learn from the insights and experiences of a diverse group of business owners
  • You want to explore alternative solutions or approaches you may not get to on your own
  • You want to shorten the growth learning curve by leveraging other women’s knowledge
  • You need to overcome the overwhelm of increased responsibility and risk
  • You want to extend your network and tap your peer group for referrals
 
 

The Forum Business Finance Essentials

Presented by TD Bank Group

Build your financial management confidence and skills in this unique learning experience that combines live virtual sessions with access to 1:1 mentorship. This program is designed with understanding of systemic barriers that can impact you and your business as a woman, Black woman, Indigenous woman, or 2SLGBTQIA+ person.

COMMITMENT:
Six 75-minute live sessions will take place over three to four weeks
INVESTMENT:
$0
Thanks to the generosity of TD, our Presenting Sponsor, this program is offered at no cost
WHAT YOU GET:
  • 6 guided bi-weekly virtual live sessions by The Finance Cafe
  • Easy-to-use templates, formulas, videos and quizzes
  • Free access to 12 months of one-to-one mentorship
BUSINESS FINANCE ESSENTIALS IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You're a self-identified woman, non-binary or trans-femme entrepreneur. We especially invite people identifying as Black, Indigenous, and/or 2SLGBTQ+ to apply
  • Your business has been in operation for at least a year and is generating revenue
  • You want to be able to understand your company’s financial performance and set financial goals in new ways
  • You want a welcoming and supportive learning environment
  • You would like to learn how to assess the financing and funding options for your business

 
 

The Forum E-Series

Presented by RBC

Make life-changing connections and level up your entrepreneurship skills with E-Series — a multi-day online program for women-identifying entrepreneurs that want an all-encompassing education in business and entrepreneurship. Connect with other women entrepreneurs and learn from industry leaders about topics like HR, Branding, Ecommerce, Employment Law, Raising Capital, and more!

COMMITMENT:
6 Days of virtual learning or watch the video replays at your own pace
INVESTMENT:
We offer a sliding scale for tuition to ensure cost is not a barrier

WHAT YOU GET:
  • 6 days of live virtual seminars lead by experienced professionals & entrepreneurs
  • Access to subject matter experts who will share best practices & pro tips
  • Breakout sessions and community connects with speakers & other entrepreneurs
  • A new community of people who want to open doors for one another
  • Honest converstaions with experienced entrepreneurs
  • Replayable recordings of all sessions
YOU'LL LEARN:
  • About the fundamental pillars for successful business ownership; like HR, Digital Marketing, Financial Literacy, Community, and Mentors & Advisory Boards.
  • How to make more strategic decisions with confidence
  • That you're not alone in this & there are people who want to champion you & help you grow
E-SERIES IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You want to take your business to the next level
  • You're tired of entreprenuership being a solo endeavour
  • You're looking for a community of women entrepreneurs to connect with & learn from
  • You want the latest insider info on what you should be focusing your efforts on in business
  • You're a Canadian self-identifying women entrepreneur in either the early or intermediate stages of building a business
 
 

AFIA DEI Index

 

AFIA DEI Index is a nation-wide initiative to address the systemic barriers experienced by women entrepreneurs in accessing capital.

AFIA DEI Index encourages Canadian funders to take action on access to business funding that inspires accelerated growth for women entrepreneurs, especially BIPOC women and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.

This initiative is funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.

AFIA IS FOR YOU IF:

If you are a Canadian funder, we encourage you to contact our team to sign up.

 
 

The Forum Founder’s Circle

Sponsored by TD

This program seeks to support high-growth women entrepreneurs across Canada who need specialized advice and connect them with a community of women entrepreneurs at a similar stage of growth.

COMMITMENT:
Six 90-minute live sessions will take place every four to six weeks.
INVESTMENT:
$995

The Forum is invested in your vision of success. Our goal is to ensure financial resources aren't a barrier to your participation. We're able to set up payment plans if that helps. Please get in touch with nolizwe@theforum.ca when you apply to Founder's Circle.

WHAT YOU GET:
  • 6 live sessions to connect with and learn from a close-knit community of other driven entrepreneurs across Canada
  • Access to specialized advisor feedback and insights
  • Discussions to find solutions to business challenges with other entrepreneurs and advisors who understand your needs
  • Opportunities to identify new avenues of growth
  • Receive an in-depth report of your learnings from each session and opportunities to work with the advisors
THE FOUNDER'S CIRCLE IS FOR YOU IF:

This program is designed for women who are leading a quickly growing business. You are eligible to apply if you are a legal resident of Canada and are:

  • A woman leading a high-growth business ($1M+ in annual revenue, in operation for over 12 months and expanding fast)
  • A woman manager or staff member who is a key decision-maker in an Indigenous band- or community-owned business
 
 

Financial Fundamentals

This program is available year-round.

Never feel out of your depth again talking about your business finances. Financial Fundamentals is a free online, self-paced business finances course for women entrepreneurs who want to increase their financial literacy and get better at seeing opportunities, making decisions, and building resilient businesses.

Financial Fundamentals is GENEROUSLY supported by HSBC Bank Canada and our Supporting Partner, Women’s Enterprise Centre. Our enormous thanks to them both for making this program possible.

COMMITMENT:
Self-Paced Online Course
INVESTMENT:
Free
WHAT YOU GET:
  • Clear lessons that make it simple to learn about financial terms, concepts & metrics -- even if numbers aren't your strong suit
  • Tangible exercises, tools & resources for financial literacy
  • Access to a private online community of other women entrepreneurs who are taking the course you can learn with
  • Video-based lessons
  • Instant lifetime online access
YOU'LL LEARN:
  • How to use numbers to make more strategic decisions for your business & achieve your business goals
  • How to see which risks & investments are worthwhile & which are not
  • How to talk about your business’ financials with confidence
FINANCIAL FUNDAMENTALS IS FOR YOU IF:
  • You want a fundamental understanding of how to manage your business' money on a day-to-day basis
  • You want to be able to talk about your finances in professional terms & create reports that validate & communicate strategies clearly.
  • You're new to entrepreneurship or have been in the thick of it a while & need a focused lesson plan
  • You're a Canadian self-identifying women entrepreneur in any industry & at any size or stage of business
 
 

Mental Health Resilience Program: Grow and Thrive

 

This program is available year-round.

The Mental Health Resilience Program is a free self-paced, online course – with 1 live session on June 28th to kick it all off – that focuses on helping women-identifying entrepreneurs learn how to plan for adversity, pivot during challenging times, and develop a resilient, confident mindset when it comes to business ownership.

COMMITMENT:
Self-Paced Online Content
INVESTMENT:
Free
WHAT YOU GET:
  • 3 video & 5 podcast based lessons, all self-paced
  • Detailed digital workbooks you can refer back to for years to come
  • Chapters on mindset, financial strategies, leadership, sales & communicating your value
  • Live kock-off session which will be available for replay in the program learning platform
  • Bonus free Financial Fundamentals course
 

 Our virtual programs are made possible by our hosting platform partner:

 
 

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