As March 2025 marks Women’s History Month in Canada, we at the CanadianSME Business Magazine celebrate the tenacity and resourcefulness of female entrepreneurs, who currently run 18% of the country’s companies. While overcoming enduring obstacles, including financing disparities and gender bias, these trailblazers make $150 billion in GDP contributions each year. Here, we recognize ten trailblazers, provide helpful information, and suggest ways to support women-led businesses in 2025.
Redefining Industries: The Top 10 Canadian Women Entrepreneurs
Her startup combines biotechnology and social impact by turning menstrual blood into diagnostic instruments for the early diagnosis of reproductive health issues. Represents the 20% of SMEs in professional and scientific fields led by women.
Carrie Cussons oversees the Halifax Convention Centre in downtown Halifax and the Scotiabank Centre, Atlantic Canada’s top multipurpose venue. With over 20 years of executive experience, she specializes in financial and operational leadership. She has held key roles in both public and private sectors, including Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation and Ernst & Young.
Signifi was founded in 2005 with an innovative vision that led to ground-breaking concepts and solutions. It now takes the lead in enterprise software and robotics to increase productivity. As the company’s founder and CEO, Shamira prioritizes empowering clients and fostering the development of her team, always striving for enormous accomplishments faster.
Lulu Mashonganyika, a visionary founder of LiiT Care Connect, introduced Canada’s first virtual daycare marketplace to address labour shortages in the care sector, which female entrepreneurs primarily lead.
The CEO and founder of Lunas Consulting, a B2B lead generation and growth agency, is 29-year-old Robyn Orsini. Having worked in organizations that promoted tech communities and entrepreneurs via innovation and community-driven projects, she has 13 years of experience in company development and is passionate about assisting businesses.
After losing her job, Bobbie Racette saw the challenges of job hunting as an Indigenous LGBTQ woman and created Virtual Gurus, a Calgary-based talent marketplace for remote, flexible, and fair-wage work. Prioritizing marginalized hires, she overcame 170 rejections before securing investment, proving diversity-driven business strategies can drive success. Today, Bobbie is appointed as the New Chair of the Board of Directors of QueerTech, helping drive the entire movement of diversity and inclusion.
Dr. Roberta Bondar made history as Canada’s first woman in space. While male astronauts are well-known, her impact on space exploration and science is less recognized. Celebrating pioneers like Bondar inspires young women to aim high and pursue STEM careers, challenging gender norms in traditionally male-dominated fields.
Since its inception, Alison “Ali” Hernández, COO of Staff Shop, has driven the company’s fivefold revenue growth in five years. Her expertise in lean practices ensures profitability without external funding, expanding operations nationally and internationally. Beyond work, she is dedicated to nonprofit boards, volunteerism, and political activism.
Yasmien Fadl, an AVP at TD Bank, oversees the company’s global real estate portfolio’s design, implementation, and experience strategies. As an advocate for DEI, she incorporates inclusion and equity to improve belonging and performance. In addition, she serves as chair of JennAir’s Disrupting Design board, which supports racialized, Black, and Indigenous talent.
Dr. Kirsten Fiest, Scientific Director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health, oversees research, teaching, mentoring, and community engagement. She is a globally recognized scientist who actively promotes knowledge mobilization by sharing her expertise through media in order to connect research with the general population and achieve real effect.
Challenges & Opportunities in 2025
Persistent Barriers
Funding Gaps: The majority of women-owned SMEs have worse survival rates than men-owned businesses, and women only receive 4% of venture capital.
Sectoral Concentration: Manufacturing and technology are underrepresented, whereas retail and food services account for 26.2% of all operations.
Accelerating Progress
RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards (Deadline: March 21, 2025): Grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 are available in eight areas, including Social Change and Innovation.
Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund: Provides loans to entrepreneurs founded by underrepresented communities, with a focus on scalable models.
Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (Deadline: January 15, 2025): In Montreal, 30 entrepreneurs received cohort-based training that focused on business skills and networking.
2025 Resources for Growth
Financial Support
- Amber Grant: Monthly $10K grants (+ $25K annual prize) for early-stage ventures.
- Cartier Women’s Initiative: Offers €25K, mentorship, and global exposure for impact-driven businesses (Apply by June 25, 2025).
- PARO’s Women’s Innovation Initiative: FedDev Ontario’s $750K program for 230+ entrepreneurs, providing export readiness training.
Tools & Training
- Ownr: Streamlines business registration, critical for 17.6% of women-led SMEs in tourism/hospitality.
- Startup Women: Free mentorship, webinars, and advocacy to counter systemic funding gaps.
- LearnWorlds: Empowers 50% of women entrepreneurs adopting digital tools post-pandemic to monetize expertise.
Aligning with International Women’s Day 2025
Under the theme “Accelerate Action,” events like the Signorise Women Entrepreneur Awards (March 23, 2025) and Bloom: Celebrating Women Entrepreneurship (March 6, 2025) will amplify advocacy. Key actions include:
- Nominating leaders for awards like RBC or Cartier.
- Leveraging Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy ecosystem fund for mentorship and scaling.
Looking Ahead into the Future
Women entrepreneurs are integral to Canada’s economic future. The nation can continue fostering innovation and equity by increasing access to funding, mentorship, and networking. As Women’s History Month unfolds, the call to action is clear: champion, invest in, and elevate women-led businesses to drive lasting impact.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information intended only for informational purposes. CanadianSME Small Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
