Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

What Alberta Women Entrepreneurs does

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a Canadian not-for-profit founded in 1995 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, that supports women-owned businesses across the province through loans, cohort-based educational programs, mentorship, and a member community. Its core program portfolio includes BRIDGE, Digital Edge, Strategic Edge, NextStep to Success, and the more recent Bold Leadership offering, alongside a dedicated loans product that addresses the well-documented women-SME capital gap. AWE also runs outreach specifically targeting Indigenous women entrepreneurs, having served 1,100+ participants through NextStep to Success.

The organization generates revenue from two primary streams: individual membership fees priced at $99 per year and government grants from federal and provincial funders including Prairies Economic Development Canada, EDC, BDC, and other partners. Delivery is supported by a distributed presence across Alberta and a digital content footprint comprising a blog, podcast, newsletter, webinars, events, and social media channels. Membership engagement metrics cited include 90%+ completion rates for cohort programs and 100% reported satisfaction.

AWE operates in a defined geographic mandate (Alberta) within a market where 38% of Alberta SMEs are women-owned and 17.5% of Canadian SMEs are majority women-owned. In August 2025, Michelle Toner was appointed CEO, succeeding Marcela Mandeville. The organization has been recognized through leadership awards, including those received by Erin Davis, reinforcing its institutional brand within the Canadian women-enterprise support ecosystem.

Name

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs

Legal name

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs Association

Website

https://awebusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs is a 30-year-old Edmonton-based not-for-profit that supports women-owned businesses across Alberta through loans, cohort-based educational programs, mentorship, and a member community, funded by membership fees and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Support Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Financial Literacy, Budgeting & Personal Finance (EDAMAHAE), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship support
• Small business financing
• Business advisory services
• Entrepreneur training programs
• Women business community

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AWE Network membership at $99 annual subscription provides access to community, resources, and networking
2. Government Funding & Grants: Primary funding sourced from government programs and economic development initiatives to support not-for-profit operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a not-for-profit organization that delivers business loans, cohort-based learning programs, advisory services, and community networking specifically for women entrepreneurs across Alberta, Canada. The core offerings include the AWE Loan Program, the AWE Network membership platform, and structured programs such as BRIDGE, Digital Edge, Strategic Edge, Bold Leadership, and NextStep to Success, alongside free business advisory sessions.

Product overview

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a not-for-profit organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of support for women entrepreneurs, functioning as a platform-plus-programs model. The core offerings include the AWE Loan Program providing business financing specifically for women entrepreneurs, and multiple development programs including BRIDGE (early-stage guidance), Digital Edge (digital strategy), Strategic Edge (advanced strategic planning), Bold Leadership (digital transformation and innovation), and NextStep to Success (Indigenous-focused business planning). These programs are complemented by the AWE Network membership platform ($99 annual subscription) offering online collaboration, resource libraries, and community features. Additional services include Learning Series workshops, the PoweredA Podcast, the Alberta Women in Business Journal blog, The Monthly newsletter, and assessment tools including Loan Readiness Quiz and Program Quiz. Together, these offerings provide capital access, skills development, community connection, and educational content tailored to entrepreneurs at every stage from emerging founders to established leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AWE Loan Program Business loans specifically designed for women entrepreneurs in Alberta, offering capital for stabilization or scaling, flexible financing for early-stage and growing businesses, and support through the application and repayment process.
• BRIDGE Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,100 Indigenous entrepreneurs served through NextSteps to Success program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Parallèle AlbertaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Parallèle Alberta to serve Francophone entrepreneurs seeking business services in Alberta. AWE refers French-speaking entrepreneurs to their partner for services.
• Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer organization of CEO Michelle Toner before joining AWE. AWE CEO previously spent five years as Executive Director championing Indigenous business growth.
• Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner providing data and insights on women's entrepreneurship in Canada. WEKH data cited by AWE for statistics on women-owned SMEs.
• Startup CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational entrepreneurship organization referenced for research, resources, and programs for women entrepreneurs including tariff toolkits.
• WeOCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen-focused business support organization listed as resource partner for women entrepreneurs.
• WeBCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen-focused business support organization for British Columbia listed as resource partner.
• Women's Enterprise CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's enterprise organization providing resources and support listed as partner resource.
• WESKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's Enterprise Saskatchewan listed as resource partner for women entrepreneurs.
• The ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's business support organization listed as resource partner.
• Business Link AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlberta-based free support for early-stage entrepreneurs referenced as partner resource.
• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy and trade navigation support organization referenced for supply chain guidance.
• Alberta Chambers of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial chamber organization referenced for business resiliency resources.
• Trade Commissioner ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government service providing market insights and export support referenced as resource.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Futurpreneur Canada: National non-profit providing financing, mentorship, and business resources to entrepreneurs under 40. Overlaps with AWE on the lending + mentorship bundle, but skews younger and is not women-specific. A natural substitute for some growth-oriented AWE clients.
• Startup Canada: National entrepreneurship non-profit offering programs, research, and community resources including women-focused initiatives like the tariff toolkit. Overlaps with AWE's resource and content layer rather than lending or cohort programs.
• Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA): Indigenous-focused business association in northeastern Alberta that AWE's CEO Michelle Toner previously led. Comparable in mission to AWE's NextStep program and adjacent on Indigenous business development.

Broad incumbents

• Export Development Canada (EDC): Federal Crown corporation providing trade finance, insurance, and export support to Canadian businesses. Functions as an ecosystem partner to AWE for women entrepreneurs with export ambitions; broad incumbent rather than direct competitor.
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Federal Crown corporation providing financing, advisory, and capital to Canadian SMEs including dedicated women entrepreneur programming. A major funding and resource partner of AWE, and a broad incumbent competitor in SME lending and advisory.

Others

• Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH): National research hub producing data and policy insights on women entrepreneurship in Canada. Functions as a research partner to AWE and provides the 17.5% women-owned SME statistic cited in AWE's materials. Enabling ecosystem player rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Women Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WeOC): National coordinating body for the network of provincial women's enterprise organizations including AWE. The umbrella body that connects AWE with WeBC, WESK, and others, making it a close peer in mission and stakeholder relationships.
• Women's Enterprise Centre (British Columbia): Provincial non-profit providing advisory, training, and financing to women entrepreneurs in British Columbia. Most structurally comparable to AWE — analogous mission, cohort programs, and government funding model. Listed as a partner resource by AWE itself.
• Women's Enterprise Saskatchewan (WESK): Saskatchewan-based non-profit offering business advisory, lending, and skills development programs to women entrepreneurs. Same delivery model (capital + coaching + community) in an adjacent Prairie province. Explicitly listed as an AWE partner resource.
• Women's Business Enterprise Centre (Manitoba) / The Forum: Manitoba-based organization supporting women entrepreneurs through training, advisory, and network programs. Direct peer in the national WEOC network delivering comparable cohort-based programming to women-owned SMEs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/awebusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alberta-women-entrepreneurs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alberta Women Entrepreneurs