Growth Peer Mentorship for Women Business Owners
Connect with other growth-minded women entrepreneurs to gain support as you scale your business.
New Peer Groups for growth-minded women
As a business owner, it can be challenging to grow your business while maintaining balance. Peer Groups offer feedback and fresh perspective on your business challenges and growth opportunities, using a solution-based approach.
Thanks to funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, we’re collaborating with WeBC, Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique (SDECB), and the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) to offer Growth Peer Mentoring Groups across Canada in both English and French, starting in 2023.
About the Program
Peer Groups offer valuable input and fresh perspectives on your business's challenges and opportunities for growth. Sessions are guided by a Mentor who is an experienced entrepreneur, and the Mentees use action learning to problem-solve in real time.
Women business owners who are beyond the start-up stage of business hold a collective level of expertise that is perfect for a Peer Mentoring format. Connecting with other women entrepreneurs who are like-minded and growth-oriented is invaluable!
Peer Groups allow you to:
Learn from the insights and experiences of a diverse group of business owners
Explore alternative solutions or approaches you may not get to on your own
Shorten the growth learning curve by leveraging other women’s knowledge
Overcome the overwhelm of increased responsibility and risk
Extend your network and tap your peer group for referrals
Eligibility Requirements
You are eligible to apply if you are a self-identified woman, trans-femme, or non-binary entrepreneur that:
Is actively operating a business in Canada that is generating revenue
Has one or more employees
Is focused on growing their business
You must also be a legal resident of Canada and over the age of 19.
Sole proprietors and solopreneurs are also eligible and welcome to apply if they are in the growth-stage of their business.
*Please note that ‘pre-startups’ are not eligible for the mentoring program.
Application process
- Peer Groups will be available across Canada.
- English-speaking groups in BC will be hosted by WeBC.
- French-speaking groups across Canada will be hosted by SDECB.
- English-speaking groups outside of BC will be hosted by The Forum.
- All applicants are screened to ensure each group includes non-competing businesses with complementary needs and goals.
- Applicants who are not selected for this cohort will be added to the program waitlist and notified when the next intake opens.
Please note that applications close on February 5, 2025 at 5pm EST | 6pm AST.
PROGRAM COST
The Growth Peer Mentoring Program is valued at $2,500.
Thanks to the generous grant funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, this program is free to all participants in 2024/2025.
Please note: As there are limited spaces for this program, all participants must commit to attending all sessions. Registrants who miss more than 25% of sessions will be charged an administrative fee of $150.
Schedule
Register today for the next Growth Peer Mentorship groups beginning in Winter 2025!
Outside of British Columbia (English-speaking group)
Sessions will be hosted by The Forum. Session timing and facilitators for the Winter 2025 cohorts will be determined by your availability and preferred time.
There are 3 groups available, each being hosted at a different time of day, to ensure that you can find a group that best fits your schedule. All sessions will be hosted on Mondays, between February 17 - April 22, 2025 (see list of all dates below).
Group #1: Sessions will take place on Mondays from 11am - 1pm EST (12pm - 1pm AST | 9am - 11am MST).
Group #2: Sessions will take place on Mondays from 2pm - 4pm EST (3pm - 5pm AST | 12pm - 2pm MST).
Group #3: Sessions will take place on Mondays from 3pm - 5pm EST (4pm - 6pm AST | 1am - 3pm MST).
Program Dates
Tuesday, February 18 (in lieu of provincial holidays on February 17th)
February 24
March 3
March 10
March 17
March 24
March 31
April 7
April 14
Tuesday, April 22 (in lieu of statutory holiday on April 21st)
Optional session in case of rescheduling: April 28
Sessions will be hosted by WeBC.
Wednesday | 11 am to 1:00 pm | via Zoom
Session 1 | February 5 | Introduction: Getting to Know You
Session 2 | February 12 | Marketing: Make Your Marketing Matter
Session 3 | February 19 | Negotiation: Harness your Skills to Effectively NegotiateSession 4 | February 26 | Operations: Inputs to Outputs
Session 5 | March 5 | Human Resources: Your People: The Key to Business Success
Session 6 | March 12 | Financial: Beyond the Numbers – Understanding Financials
Session 7 | March 26 | Mindset: The Final Frontier for Success
Sessions will be hosted by SDECB.
Groups start January 22, 2025.
Meet the Mentors
WINTER 2025
Merin Coutts
CEO & Owner, MCSquared Coaching
Calgary, AB
Merin is a confidence curator, strategic planner, and business growth coach. With over a decade of experience in strategic planning and coaching, she brings process, energy, and expertise to getting unstuck and reaching new levels of success. Her value acceleration model brings the best from EOS, ScalingUp, and Value Building methodologies.
Merin is committed to connecting women and inspiring clarity. In the spirit of Einstein’s formula, Merin fuses strategic vision ('m') with structured growth ('c²') to exponentially elevate your business's value and future readiness. Overcome common challenges: Lack of Clarity & Focus, Difficulty Scaling, Poor Communication & Accountability, Inability to Solve Issues, and Data Blindness.
Kim Chernecki
Founder, CEO Performance Advisors
Toronto, ON
Over the past 12 years, Kim has dedicated her expertise to empowering CEOs and executives transitioning from the corporate world to establish successful independent consulting practices.
Kim has worked with over 2000 CEOs and executives as a consultant, facilitator, and coach. Consulting with leaders and teams of Fortune 1000 organizations, she developed partnerships across all lines of business at organizations like BMO, Manulife, and Sunlife as well as 40 other organizations across multiple industries in the area of sales effectiveness.
Carolyn Swora
Workplace Culture Architect & Owner, Carolyn Swora
Burlington, ON
Carolyn Swora doesn’t just help leaders grow—she invites them to evolve. With over 25 years of corporate leadership experience, including executive roles in the pharmaceutical industry, Carolyn knows that today’s leaders face more than operational challenges—they must navigate uncertainty, foster connection, and create spaces where people can truly thrive. Her mission? To transform leadership by integrating trauma-informed principles and nervous system resilience into the way we lead, work, and live.
Carolyn’s work as a leadership consultant, executive coach, and certified Dare to LeadTM facilitator bridges the gap between personal growth and organizational transformation. Whether she’s guiding teams through cultural change, helping leaders embrace their authentic power, or exploring the intersection of neuroscience and leadership on her podcast, Evolve: A New Era of Leadership, Carolyn inspires leaders to see the potential in vulnerability and the power in resilience.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Peer Groups different?
In a Peer Mentoring group, you’ll benefit from the experience of your mentor and the diverse viewpoints of the group members.
What could this look like? There might be a woman who runs a marketing firm but needs guidance with her finances. And in her group, we would place a bookkeeper with years of experience in financial management who needs help growing her business on social media.
Both of these women would work with an experienced mentor, while also providing support to one another.
How do Peer Mentoring Groups work?
Peer Mentoring groups offer women entrepreneurs opportunities to discuss growth challenges their businesses are facing and maintain the positive outlook needed for business success.
Groups of women in non-competing businesses will meet regularly for 2 hour sessions (per the agreed upon schedule indicated in the registration form) under the guidance of a Mentor, an experienced entrepreneur leading the group. The group will:
- Discuss business growth challenges and opportunities
- Learn from the experiences of others
- Provide support to one another
- Develop new business skills and knowledge
You’ll come with a specific problem or opportunity in mind, then, with support and guidance from the mentor, the group will discuss the challenge and brainstorm solutions. You’ll develop an action plan, then go out and implement it.
Next time, you’ll come back to report on your progress and adjust your strategy.
Who leads the group?
Every group is led by an established entrepreneur in your community. These mentors have experienced many of the same situations you’re dealing with and can share insights based on years of experience.
What is the role of the Mentee?
A Mentee is an entrepreneur who is committed to developing their business, achieving business goals, and improving their skills and knowledge.
Mentees must be willing to:
- Share business challenges and issues
- Contribute ideas and experiences to help other Mentees
- Receive constructive feedback
- Accept suggestions and advice
- Open up to new ideas and change
- Respect the other group members
- Keep the confidentiality of the group discussions
Peer Mentoring Groups elevate the learning experience, provide an opportunity to learn from fellow entrepreneurs, and build a community of support. Entrepreneurs can find power and confidence in sharing their concerns with a mentor and peers in a group setting.
Mentees benefit from:
- Receiving personalized advice
- Improving their business knowledge
- Receiving an outside perspective
- Increased productivity
- Growing confidence from support regarding business decisions
- New networks and partnerships within the business community
- Emotional support
- Relief from isolation through regular, supportive contact
Am I eligible to become a Mentee?
You are eligible to apply if you are a self-identified woman, trans-femme, or non-binary entrepreneur that:
- Is actively operating a business in Canada that is generating revenue
- Has one or more employees
- Is focused on growing their business
You must also be a legal resident of Canada and over the age of 19.
Please note that ‘pre-startups’ are not eligible for the mentoring program.
What does it cost to participate?
The Growth Peer Mentoring Program is valued at $2,500.
Thanks to the generous grant funding from the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, this program is free to all participants in 2023/24.
Please note: As there are limited spaces for this program, all participants must commit to attending all sessions. Registrants who miss more than 25% of sessions will be charged an administrative fee of $150.
Growth Peer Mentoring Program Partners
The C3 Project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
