WIN-VC

Unlocking Untapped Venture Potential

WIN-VC Canada (Women and Non-Binary Impact Network for Venture Capital) is a national collaborative of partners committed to empowering women and non-binary founders and investors by expanding access to capital, building investment readiness, and driving systemic change in the venture capital ecosystem. The initiative delivers programming, resources, and events across Canada to strengthen founder investment readiness, educate investors on inclusive capital practices, and grow the pipeline of women-led ventures that attract meaningful investment. It is supported by the Government of Canada and leverages a coalition of ecosystem partners to catalyze equity, inclusion, and impact-driven growth.

Investor Q&A

Raising capital isn’t just about your pitch — it’s about how you answer investor questions.

The Pond-Deshpande Centre (PDC) at the University of New Brunswick delivers a nationally proven Investor Q&A Training Program for women founders across Atlantic Canada. The program strengthens investor communication, sharpens pitching narratives, and builds confidence in high-stakes investor conversations.

This training uses a tested methodology delivered across Canada, is offered at the same fee, and includes national funding support for eligible participants.

Program Details:

  • Start date: Tuesday, February 17 at 9:00 AM
  • Sessions take place every Tuesday at 9:00 AM for 10 weeks (excluding the week of March Break)
  • Participation is limited to 10 founders to ensure a highly interactive and supportive learning environment.

Who This Program Is For:

  • Women and Non-Binary founders across Atlantic Canada
  • Growth-oriented businesses preparing for or exploring equity financing
  • Founders seeking to strengthen their investor story beyond the pitch deck
  • You do not need to be actively fundraising, but you should be building toward growth.

What You Will Learn:

  • Understand what investors are really assessing through their questions
  • Respond clearly and confidently in investor Q&A
  • Build credibility, presence, and control in pitching environments

  • Engage with leading research on gender and venture capital decision-making, including insights from Dana Kanze’s TED Talk, “The Real Reason Female Entrepreneurs Get Less Funding.”

Program Format:

  • Daily individual practice (15 minutes per day)
  • Weekly facilitated group sessions
  • Structured Investor Q&A drills
  • Peer learning and feedback

Cost & Funding:

  • Program value: $2,900

  • Cost to participants: $0
  • Full funding is available for eligible participants through national Women Entrepreneurship Strategy support, allowing founders to access this nationally delivered program at no cost.

Delivered By:

Facilitated by Vanessa Paesani, Executive Director of the Pond-Deshpande Centre and a Certified Investor Q&A Trainer, bringing national-level equity readiness programming to Atlantic Canada. With additional program support from Dr. Ellen Farrell, an expert in entrepreneurship, gender, and innovation ecosystems.

Spots are limited to 10 participants, so we encourage you to apply early to secure your place in this interactive and supportive program!

Rewiring Prosperity

The Lighthouse Series: WIN-VC

WIN-VC acknowledges the support of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada. ISED has awarded funding for WIN-VC that will make the venture capital environment more inclusive for women by transforming traditional investment processes, processes and knowledge into respectful and meaningful approaches that value equity and impact with a focus on diverse women and non-binary entrepreneurs and SMEs including Black communities, Indigenous peoples, racialized populations, persons with a disability, 2SLGBTQ2+ and new Canadians.