About Event

​Exploring how AI can reduce barriers and increase founder agency in building strategic funding pathways across Canada

​This is part of our 6-part Capital Conversations series, as part of the Capital Connect Program. This series is intentionally focused on women and gender-diverse founders; anonymized insights, resources, and ideas from all sessions will be shared publicly as a resource for the broader startup and innovation ecosystem.

​What is it about?

​AI is reshaping how funding decisions are made, but is it helping or hindering women founders? This is not a technical workshop or demo. Instead, it’s a community dialogue where founders and ecosystem builders explore the real impact of AI on funding pathways.

​Together, we’ll examine current realities and opportunities to discuss how AI can be designed to strengthen founder agency and actively reduce barriers for women founders.

What to Expect

• ​Explore what already exists and how AI is currently being used in funding processes
• ​Engage in community dialogue about where AI could help with funding challenges
• ​Ideate on founder-centred approaches for integrating AI into building funding pathways for women founders

​This isn’t another workshop. Whether you’re AI-curious, AI-experienced, or AI-skeptical, your experience and concerns will help shape how AI can better serve women founders navigating funding pathways.

​Featured Speakers

• ​Jennifer Ai – Founder and CEO, Leopard AI

​Who This Session is For

• ​Founders & Entrepreneurs, whether you’re just starting to think about funding strategies, actively preparing for investment, or further along and have successfully navigated funding gaps
• ​Ecosystem Builders from accelerators, incubators, investors, funders, government representatives, academia, and support organizations interested in ensuring AI tools serve founders rather than create new barriers.

​We prioritize participation from women and equity-deserving groups to ensure diverse voices shape these conversations. Please, read the full program criteria here.

​Leading This Session

• ​Nicole Troster – Founder and CEO, Coeurage Labs
• ​Melanie Ewan – Operations Director & Managing Partner, Volition

​The CapCons Series are part of the Capital Connect Program; the goal is to create space for founders and ecosystem builders to engage in candid community dialogues about both challenges and solutions for building strategic funding pathways in BC.