ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs:

Turn your vision into a thriving business!

Did you know that only 18% of Canadian business are owned or led by women?

We aim to change that.

About ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs

ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative by YES Employment + Entrepreneurship that aims to empower women in Quebec’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our program offers a range of actionable support, tools, and resources to help women successfully launch and grow their businesses.

We believe that women bring unique perspectives, skills, and ideas to the table, and by supporting their entrepreneurial endeavors, we can contribute to building a more diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Quebec.

What the program offers 

Our program is designed to provide dynamic speaker events, personalized coaching, and transformative workshops. With these resources, we aim to broaden opportunities for women and support them in overcoming the challenges they may face as entrepreneurs.

Browse Calendar of Events

Free e-Learning Courses for Women Entrepreneurs

Our free online courses are now available on a new platform built to offer you an improved and seamless learning experience! Gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to elevate your business to the next level.

Start Learning Today!

May is Women's Entrepreneurship Month at YES!

Access FREE online workshops to help you learn, connect & grow.

Register today!
Register today!
Register today!

ELLEvate’s impact since its launch in 2019:

women supported on their entrepreneurial journey

hours of personalized coaching provided

businesses launched or grown

workshop attendances

regions served

ELLEvate's Role Model Series

FAQs

1. How do I know if ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs is for me?

If you’re a woman living in Quebec, and you’re curious about becoming or developing as an entrepreneur (in any industry), you can learn new skills and find new opportunities with ELLEvate.

2. How can I get involved?

Sign up for an event, find a business coach or enrol in our e-Learning business courses. Whatever stage you are at in your business, you can find opportunities to elevate and upskill with ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs.

3. Do I have to be under 40 to participate in ELLEvate events?

No, ELLEvate is open to any woman over the age of 18. Diversity in background, thought, and lived experience is a strength. We encourage people of diverse backgrounds to participate in events and workshops (such as members of racialized or newcomer communities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, or those with disabilities or special needs, among others).

4. How can I connect with other women entrepreneurs and role models?

Through ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs, you can connect with networks of entrepreneurs and find potential partners, mentors, and role models. You can make use of the ELLEvate Facebook group, attend our entrepreneurship events, or access opportunities to connect through business coaching. If you would like to be matched with a mentor and receive at least one hour of support, your business coach can set that up for you.

2024's Pre-Accelerator Winner

Jheanelle Bedasse, Co-Founder & Creative Designer of Maison Cocktail Inc., a local mixology hub offering customized products, training, and consultancy services, took home the evening’s jury-selected top prize of $10,000! Under her guidance, Maison Cocktail Inc. not only enhances the hospitality landscape but also serves as a canvas for creativity, excellence, and deep client understanding. 

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2023's Pre-Accelerator Winner

Emilie Plante, Founder of Excellent Speakers Academy, an online academy that harnesses language learning techniques along with acting and storytelling to help ESL (English as a second language) speakers communicate with confidence, took home the evening’s jury-selected top prize of $10,000, as well as the $1,000 cohort award. 

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2022's Pre-Accelerator Winner

Shaleen Ratansi is the founder of Aiya ayiA, an ethical, plant-based luxury handbag brand disrupting the fashion industry. Aiya ayiA is a circular company that repurposes leftover agricultural materials to create zero-waste, clean fashion. The brand is purpose-driven and built to give back, with a portion of profits donated to organizations that help rescue girls and women from abuse & poverty and provide them with support, education, and tools to empower them to mold their own future. 

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2021's Pre-Accelerator Winner

Taylor Pogue is the Founder of Buttery Foods, a ready-made meal service that provides busy families with delicious, well-balanced meals. As the grand winner of the 2021 Pre-Accelerator Demo Day, she took home the evening’s jury-selected top prize of $10,000. Taylor believes that “the only way to reach your dreams is through hard work and grit, so that when the opportunities arise, you’re ready to run with them.”

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2020's Pre-Accelerator Winner

Julie Tzeng is the Founder of Arshae, a footwear startup that is redesigning the lifecycle of shoes. Julie emerged as the big winner of the ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs Pre-Accelerator Demo Day in 2020, taking home the top award of $10,000.

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“SAP’s pillars of focus align strongly with YES’s work,

particularly when it comes to driving change in equity, diversity and inclusion in Quebec’s entrepreneurial landscape. We recognize the value of experimenting to ultimately lead to better solutions. We also recognize that you can’t build great solutions unless you bring diverse thinking around the table. Both as the Managing Director for SAP Labs Canada and as a Montreal-based female leader, I am very proud to be associated with YES.”

Cindy Fagen
Managing Director, SAP Labs Canada

“One thing that really stood out for me was how interactive and personalized the program was, considering the fact that it was virtual.”

Illandra Page
ListaLive

“Our weekly coaching sessions kept us accountable, and our Coaches planned and measured our progression through the program.

They posed thought-provoking questions and they offered seasoned advice, as well as a fresh perspective. We covered tough topics, like “what is your business’ why” and “what are your unique value propositions”.”

Laura Blom
Oceanica Skincare

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Sign up to get business support through ELLEvate

Need business advice?

Let’s transform your vision into reality! Get in touch to find out more.

Call (438) 812-0175 or email Jayna Patel, Entrepreneurship Services Coordinator at jpatel@yesmontreal.ca.

In partnership with:

The ELLEvate Women Entrepreneurs program in partnership with York University’s YSpace and funded by the government of Canada is now closed. This program has proudly helped support over 700 women over the past 24 months.