Who We Are

The Women Entrepreneurship Centre (WEC), as part of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs of every age, stage and culture to achieve their business dreams. We believe in fostering leadership. We believe that everyone deserves an equal shot at success. We believe in connecting you with the right people, skills and support to make it happen.

What We Do

The WEC supports women entrepreneurs who are looking to start their business and supports women entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business. Our programs include:

• 1:1 Business Consultations, as needed.
• Indigenous Women's Entrepreneurship Workshops: A series of workshops dedicated to Indigenous women who are starting, and growing businesses aligned with Indigenous culture and values.
• "Start My Business" Bootcamps: An intensive 16-session program (over the course of two months) that supports women entrepreneurs in the early stages of non-tech ventures and social enterprises in a variety of industries.
• "Grow My Business" Accelerators: A longer accelerator program providing space (when required), mentorship and programming in Waterloo Region for women entrepreneurs in non-tech and social enterprises from across Southern Ontario.
• "Soar" Networking Events: Pop-up markets and/or meetups of small groups of women who regularly meet to learn new skills, network and encourage each other, such as Lean In Circles and monthly webinars.