Young Women in Business

Name

Young Women in Business

Legal name

Canadian Young Women in Business Society

Website

https://ywib.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Young Women in Business (YWiB) is a Canadian non-profit community organization that runs 9 chapters across 4 provinces, providing emerging female leaders and young professionals with mentorship, skill-building workshops, panel discussions, and networking events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Professional Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional & Career Networks (BPAMABAB)

Keywords

• Professional women networks
• Women mentorship programs
• Career development workshops
• Leadership networking events
• Women business community

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: YWiB generates revenue through annual membership fees. YWiB Toronto charges $55 per year for membership, which provides access to networking events, workshops, exclusive partner discounts, and the mentorship program.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: YWiB receives financial and in-kind support from corporate sponsors including Tangerine Bank, PwC, KPMG, Fairmont Palliser, and various local organizations. Sponsors provide funding in exchange for brand visibility to the young professional demographic.
3. Event Fees: Some events and workshops have ticket prices for non-members. Fees vary by event type, with workshops ranging from $15-$35 and special programs like the SheMentors Grow & Connect Bootcamp charging $25-$35.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Young Women in Business (YWiB) is a non-profit society that runs a national professional development community for young women through an annual individual membership, a structured SheMentors mentorship program, skills workshops, panel discussions, networking events, and the flagship Beyond Pink leadership conference. The organization sells annual memberships ($55/year) and individual event tickets ($15–$35) and is supported by corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Young Women in Business (YWiB) is a community organization for emerging female leaders, not a traditional software product. The organization provides a portfolio of professional development services including the SheMentors Mentorship Program (a 4-month structured mentorship), Skills Development Workshops, Panels & Discussions featuring industry leaders, and Networking Events. YWiB operates through 9 local chapters (Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, UBC, SFU, BCIT, UVic, USask, and Capilano) offering annual memberships that provide access to events, workshops, and partner discounts. The flagship annual YWiB Beyond Pink Leadership Conference launched in 2008 remains a cornerstone event. The organization facilitates over 70 events annually serving 1000+ members and 200+ mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YWiB Annual Membership Annual individual membership priced at $55/year that grants the member access to events, mentorship, networking, and the YWiB community across Canadian chapters. Aimed at young women, university students, and early-career professionals.
• SheMentors Mentorship Program A structured mentorship program that pairs emerging female leaders with senior professional mentors across multiple industries. Offered to YWiB members as a development program.
• Beyond Pink Leadership Conference YWiB's flagship annual leadership conference delivered in-person, featuring speakers, panels, and networking for emerging female leaders and YWiB members.
• Event Tickets (Workshops, Panels & Networking Sessions) Individual paid tickets for YWiB workshops, panel discussions, and networking events, priced at $15–$35 per event. Aimed at young women and emerging female leaders seeking individual professional development sessions without full membership.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tangerine BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational sponsor of YWiB. Tangerine Bank, a Canadian digital bank, supports YWiB's mission to empower young female leaders through sponsorship that provides brand visibility and access to the YWiB network of emerging professionals.
• PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational sponsor providing professional services firm perspective and sponsorship support. PwC's involvement aligns with their diversity and inclusion initiatives targeting young professional women.
• KPMGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational sponsor - one of Canada's major accounting firms. KPMG supports YWiB as part of their commitment to developing future female business leaders.
• Fairmont PalliserminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalgary-based luxury hotel serving as local sponsor for YWiB Calgary chapter events. Provides venue and sponsorship support for local programming.
• StarbucksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sponsor for YWiB UVic chapter. Provides sponsorship support for university-level events and programming.
• TelusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelecommunications company supporting YWiB UVic and Vancouver chapters. Telus has various diversity and community initiatives that align with YWiB's mission.
• MDA CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company sponsoring YWiB SFU chapter. MDA is a Maxar Technologies company specializing in space technology, providing tech industry perspective.
• Meridian Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered with YWiB Toronto for 'Learn How To Accelerate Your Business' event in June 2024. Meridian provided expertise on accelerator programs for small businesses and new enterprises.
• Acme WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto-based coworking space that hosts YWiB Toronto panel events. Christine Andrews, founder of Acme Works, has been interviewed for YWiB blog and provides venue space for events.
• SpinCo LeslievilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFitness studio partnered with YWiB Toronto and WiMA Rotman for a spin class event. Dana Cantarutti, owner, was featured in YWiB Toronto's 'Women in the Six' interview series.
• WiMA Rotman School of ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen in Management Association at Rotman School partnered with YWiB Toronto for joint events including the SpinCo class, providing access to MBA student network.
• SickKids ActivatorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare innovation program supporting YWiB Toronto as a community partner, providing access to health sector professionals and diverse speaker pools.
• FedDev SBSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario has supported YWiB Toronto initiatives, providing funding and recognition for programs supporting women entrepreneurs.
• BMOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBank of Montreal logo appears on YWiB Toronto sponsors page. BMO supports YWiB events and programming as part of their diversity initiatives.
• Shoppers Drug MartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPharmacy retailer appears on YWiB Toronto sponsors page, supporting the organization as part of their community investment and women's initiatives.
• Camp TechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology and digital skills training organization partnering with YWiB Toronto, providing workshops and educational content for members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Startup Canada: Startup Canada is a national Canadian nonprofit supporting entrepreneurs through community programming, events, and resources. It serves a partially overlapping audience with YWiB's 'Young Entrepreneurs' segment and operates in the same Canadian geography, with comparable sponsor base and chapter/community structure.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canadian Women's Foundation is a national nonprofit funding programs that advance gender equity in Canada, including economic participation and leadership. It competes with YWiB for government grants, foundation funding, and corporate partners seeking Canadian women's-empowerment impact. Both share Canadian operating geography and corporate partner overlap.
• Forte Foundation: Forte Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to launching women into business leadership through education, career resources, and a professional community. It is comparable to YWiB's mission of supporting women in business careers, but operates primarily through business school partnerships and corporate sponsors at a larger scale.
• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit working to advance women in the workplace through research, consulting, and inclusion programs. While not a membership community, it competes for corporate sponsorship dollars tied to women's leadership and offers adjacent programs that large YWiB sponsors (PwC, KPMG) also engage. Comparable audience (corporate women's initiatives), broader institutional focus.

Direct peers

• Lean In: Lean In operates Lean In Circles — small peer groups for women focused on professional growth, mentorship, and skill development. It shares YWiB's mission of advancing women in the workplace and competes for the same emerging female leaders' attention, though its delivery model is more digital/self-organized versus YWiB's in-person chapter events.
• Ellevate Network: Ellevate Network is a global community for professional women offering mentorship, networking events, and skill-building resources. It directly mirrors YWiB's value proposition of career advancement for women, but at significantly larger scale and with a paid membership model. Highly comparable in audience, programming, and monetization approach.
• Women in Management (WiMA): WiMA at Rotman is a University of Toronto student organization that partnered with YWiB Toronto on joint events. It operates a comparable model of women-in-business programming for emerging leaders and is a direct peer for the same demographic on similar Canadian university campuses.
• Dress for Success: Dress for Success is a global nonprofit empowering women to achieve economic independence through career development, networking, and professional attire. It shares YWiB's community-based model, women-focused mission, and reliance on corporate sponsors. Comparable audience of women entering or re-entering the workforce.
• Professional Women's Network (PWN): PWN is an international federation of city-based professional women's networks offering mentorship, skill development, and networking events. It closely mirrors YWiB's chapter-based federation model and target member, though it serves mid-to-senior career women rather than emerging leaders.

Emerging players

• Women Who Code: Women Who Code is a global nonprofit supporting women in technical careers through local events, mentorship, and networking. While focused on technology roles specifically, it shares YWiB's model of city-based chapters, women-focused programming, and emerging-leader audience. Partial overlap given YWiB's STEM panels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights3 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ywibvancouver/?igsh=MXZ0bzJjaDU5NG1kMg%3D%3D
• Xx.com/ywib

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Young Women in Business