Women's Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub receives $3.8 million in federal funding for research, partnerships and awareness
The Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) received $3.8 million in funding from the federal government (external link) last week, to support research, expand partnerships and raise awareness.
The announcement came during a celebration (external link) of Women's Entrepreneurship Day at TSX Market Open, with a group of 125 diverse women (external link) entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship ecosystem partners from across Canada. The event was attended by the Honourable Rechie Valdez, federal minister of small business, and the Honourable Marci Ien, federal minister for women and gender equality and youth.
"We are committed to moving the needle for women entrepreneurs because supporting women is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do to support our economy," said Minister Valdez.
The funding will help WEKH to create more partnerships with diverse business support organizations; continue efforts to build relationships in the Black, Indigenous and other diverse women entrepreneur ecosystems and ensure alignment with the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and the 2SLGBTQI+ Knowledge Hub; raise awareness and profile examples of success in women entrepreneurship; and enhance efforts to reach mainstream corporate, government and media organizations for the application of knowledge and research.
"The Government of Canada's Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (external link) is a world-leading program that takes a 'whole of government approach' to support Canada's diverse women-led businesses and is making important and targeted investments towards breaking down the systemic barriers to the advancement of women entrepreneurs," said Wendy Cukier, founder and academic director of WEKH and the Diversity Institute.
"We are pleased to see the continued support of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and will continue to share knowledge about the importance of intersectional perspectives and the unique entrepreneurial experiences of newcomer women, and Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other women of equity-deserving groups,” she said.
“The Diversity Institute continues to be at the forefront of research into how we drive change in business culture by integrating diverse groups, views, and practices. This investment is a testament to the importance of their work and the vital need for more evidence-based guidance to support female-led businesses,” said Dr. Ozgur Turetken, associate dean of research at the Ted Rogers School of Management.
The WEKH, a key component of Canada's first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, is a national network consisting of 10 regional hubs and an accessible digital platform that helps connect women entrepreneurs with the resources and information they need to grow their businesses. The Diversity Institute leads the WEKH, which uses evidence to understand what works to grow enterprises led by women, to support women in business support organizations and erode barriers in ecosystems.