Startup Women Advocacy Network (SWAN) 2026 Cohort
A curated group of woman-identifying early-stage entrepreneurs who advocate and champion the needs of women entrepreneurs from coast to coast to coast.
How it all began
There is a lack of awareness of and storytelling about early stage, woman-identifying entrepreneurs in Canada. As a national convener, we want to connect entrepreneurs with the support they need to help tackle this gap.
In 2022, we launched SWAN with our first cohort of early stage, women-identifying entrepreneurs, each representing a Canadian province and territory. After a hiatus in 2025, we are thrilled to bring this initiative back in 2026 and help champion the needs of women entrepreneurs across Canada.
Where you can find them
Our SWAN network is located across Canada. Find your nearest SWAN representative today to see how they can help champion your needs.
Perks of being in SWAN
Curated through applications by the Startup Women team, SWAN is a group early stage, woman-identifying entrepreneurs who advocate the importance of women entrepreneurship. Alongside this, we offer support to all of our SWAN representatives throughout the year:
> Spotlight from Startup Canada showcasing their story with our community and network through:
> Startup Canada Podcast Ad
> Startup Canada Social Media
> Startup Women Newsletter
> Invitation to in-person events
> Quarterly topic-focused Town Halls
> 1-hour consultation to each SWAN representative, provided by the Startup Women Advocacy Networking Community Partner: McKercher LLP
The faces of SWAN
Meet our 2026 SWAN cohort and get in contact with your nearest SWAN entrepreneur to see how they can help advocate for your needs!
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER
McKercher LLP is the Prairies’ go-to law firm for high-growth tech startups facing a wide range of legal issues and complex transactions. Through ideation, growth, scale, exit, McKercher LLP is there to solve your most complex legal challenges.
They are generously providing each of our SWAN representatives with a free 1 hour consultation.
