Early-Stage Underrepresented Founders Breakfast

​Forum VC & YSpace are looking to bring together early-stage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women/trans/non-binary founders to build community and connect them with the funders, programs and resources committed to supporting them on their entrepreneurial journey. 

​We know firsthand that entrepreneurship can be lonely for all founders. Still, there are additional barriers for underrepresented founders, and we want to provide a space to connect founders with the resources to help them scale and succeed.

​​​**All underrepresented founders are welcome to register! This is not an official Collision event, so badges/credentials are not required.**

​Ideal Guests: early-stage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and Women/Trans/Non-Binary founders

​​Application DOES NOT guarantee attendance as spaces are limited.

​​APPROVED GUESTS
Admitted guests will be notified via event approval and in addition to a calendar invite.

​Please note: Invites are non-transferable, and there are no +1s 

​​📅 Event Details:

​​Date: June 27th

​​Time: 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Breakfast & Networking)

​​Venue: Forum x YSpace Founder House (Address will be revealed after acceptance)

​​Don't miss this chance to fuel up, connect, and we can't wait to see you there!

​___

​Our Sponsors:

​YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. Our programming spans across scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like ELLA for women-led businesses and BEA for Black-led businesses.

​YSpace ELLA programs are created and hosted by women, for women, and have a highly intersectional reach, welcoming women of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. We provide tailored programs nationally to support women entrepreneurs in accelerating the growth of their product- and service-based businesses across Canada. We do this by giving them access to a community of women founders and experts, mentorship, peer circles, hands-on workshops, and other resources.

​Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) is a community-based, university-backed initiative created by Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) in partnership with York University’s YSpace, in response to the inefficient access to capital, knowledge, and support experienced by Black founders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. BEA comprises of a suite of agri-food, tech, and business-acumen programs for Black founders to scale their companies.

​Who else in the community will be attending:

​The DMZ is a world-leading incubator for tech startups around the world. We help startups build great businesses by connecting them with customers, capital, experts and a community of entrepreneurs and influencers. For us, this means creating an environment where you can focus on scaling your business. We help with the rest.

​Black Women Talk Tech is a collective of Black women tech founders who have a unique understanding of the challenges we face in the industry, but also of the advantages we can bring. We're here to identify, support and encourage black women to build the next billion-dollar business.

​SheBoot SheBoot is a bootcamp based in Ottawa, Ontario that prepares women founders across Canada to pitch their business and secure investment. Launched in March 2020 during International Women’s Week by founding organizations Capital Angel Network and Invest Ottawa, this program aims to help address the funding gap facing women entrepreneurs by increasing the number of women making and receiving investment. Designed and delivered by women investors and entrepreneurs, SheBoot arms technology and technology-enabled startups with fundamental business skills with a focus on investment readiness. It culminates in a pitch competition for a minimum of $300,000 in equity-based capital. This investment is made by women investors committed to fueling the next generation of women-owned and led firms. SheBoot has partnered with Mistral Ventures and Welch. It also benefits from previous investments through NRC IRAP and the ScaleUp platform supported by FedDev Ontario.