GroYourBiz

What GroYourBiz does

GroYourBiz Ltd. is a privately held Canadian company founded in 2015 by Barbara Mowat, headquartered in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The company operates peer-to-peer advisory boards for women business owners, professionally facilitated by experienced Chairs and composed of non-competing women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors including finance, accounting, legal, technology, and other industries. Its core product suite comprises three advisory board programs: the standard GroYourBiz Advisory Board for growth-oriented women business owners, the EXCELerator Advisory Board for businesses navigating scaling challenges, and the Global Advisory Board for women entrepreneurs focused on export and international trade. Delivery is via both in-person regional boards and virtual video-conference sessions, with operations spanning Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia.

The company derives revenue primarily from annual membership subscriptions priced at approximately $1,500 per year, with members required to commit to a minimum one-year non-refundable term with automatic renewal. Secondary revenue streams include the sale of digital content (e-books, recorded conference sessions, and summit series) and bundled holiday promotions combining membership with partner organization benefits. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging member referrals, free 1-hour trial advisory board sessions, an annual EXCELerate conference, webinars, and content marketing. Strategic partnerships with Bank of Montreal (founding partner), WE Empower UN SDG Challenge (lead partner since 2018), and the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) provide institutional credibility and distribution channels. The company is bootstrapped with no external institutional funding and operates with a small founder-led team.

GroYourBiz uses no proprietary technology platform; its technology stack consists of standard video-conferencing tools for virtual advisory boards. The organization is GDPR-compliant (since May 2018) with an EU representative office in Brussels. The company has been operating for 15 years (as of 2025) and serves a global membership base, with the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program having supported over 56 women-owned businesses with more than $500,000 in grants across North America.

Name

GroYourBiz

Legal name

GroYourBiz Ltd.

Website

https://groyourbiz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GroYourBiz is a privately held Canadian company that operates professionally facilitated peer-to-peer advisory boards for women business owners globally, offered through annual memberships at approximately $1,500 per year.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peer Advisory and Business Support Services

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Peer advisory boards
• Women business owners
• Business mentorship programs
• Executive advisory facilitation
• Entrepreneur networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Abbotsford

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual subscription-based membership for peer-to-peer advisory board access. Members pay annually or quarterly for board participation, with a minimum one-year commitment required. The standard membership is valued at approximately $1500 per year.
2. Products and Digital Content: Sale of E-books, conference recordings (EXCELerate Summit Series), plenary sessions, track recordings, and webinars. One-time purchase model for digital content and recordings.
3. Bundled Promotions: Holiday promotion bundles combining membership with OWIT membership and event tickets at discounted rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GroYourBiz operates professionally facilitated peer-to-peer advisory boards for women business owners, structured as membership-based programs delivered in-person and virtually. Members are grouped with non-competing women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors (finance, legal, technology, manufacturing, etc.) to receive accountability, strategic advice, and collective wisdom for scaling their businesses. The standard Advisory Board, EXCELerator Advisory Board (for high-growth firms), and Global Advisory Board (for exporters) form the core service, supplemented by an e-book, recorded conference content, webinars, and seasonal membership bundles.

Product overview

GroYourBiz is a peer-to-peer advisory board service for women entrepreneurs. The core offering consists of three advisory board programs: the standard GroYourBiz Advisory Board for women business owners seeking growth, the EXCELerator Advisory Board for high-growth businesses navigating scaling challenges, and the Global Advisory Board for businesses focused on international trade and export. These boards are professionally facilitated peer groups combining non-competing women entrepreneurs who provide mutual support, accountability, and strategic guidance. The service is delivered through in-person meetings and virtual video-conference sessions. Supporting offerings include a 1-hour free trial session, an e-book, the Full Summit Series of recorded conference content, individual EXCELerate conference sessions and tracks, the TIPS for TOUGH TIMES newsletter series, video and photo galleries documenting events, and a Holiday Promotion bundle. The company also organizes the annual EXCELerate conference and regional launch events under the MyBusinessMyBoard brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GroYourBiz Advisory Board Professionally facilitated peer-to-peer advisory board for women business owners with a growth goal; members are non-competing entrepreneurs who provide accountability, wisdom, training, tools, tips, advice, and resources. Available in-person and virtually.
• EXCELerator Advisory Board Advisory board for women-owned businesses that have experienced significant growth and are navigating larger teams, larger clients, and process challenges; available in-person and/or virtually.
• GroYourBiz Global Advisory Board Virtual advisory board for women-owned businesses preparing to export or already exporting; provides global connections and strategic support for regional or international growth.
• 1-Hour Free Trial Advisory Board Session One-hour free trial of a virtual peer-to-peer advisory board facilitated by an experienced entrepreneur, allowing prospective members to share current business challenges.
• GroYourBiz E-Book Digital book purchased one-time from the GroYourBiz shop, priced at $14.95.
• Full Summit Series Complete recorded series of the EXCELerate summit conference sessions available for one-time purchase at $99.00.
• EXCELerate Conference Sessions and Tracks Individual recorded plenary talks and track sessions from the EXCELerate 2021 conference, sold one-time at $20.00 per session.
• Holiday Promotion Bundle Limited-time bundled package for first-time members combining a 1-year GroYourBiz Advisory Board Membership (value $1500), 1-year OWIT membership, 1 ticket to the Fireside Chat in Toronto, and the GroYourBiz E-book.

Quantifiable outcome

• Member tripled business in one year as result of relationships, strategies, and advice from GroYourBiz group
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WE Empower UN SDG ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroYourBiz has been a lead partner for the WE Empower UN SDG Challenge since its inception in 2018. This global competition recognizes women entrepreneurs advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through innovative, sustainable business practices. The partnership provides awardees with training, networking opportunities, and international recognition while advancing the SDGs. Barbara Mowat, President & Founder of GroYourBiz, has met with awardees and participated in selection activities.
• Organization of Women In International Trade (OWIT)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic alliance with OWIT for marketing and membership benefits. GroYourBiz holiday promotions include bundled OWIT membership. Joint events and networking opportunities for members of both organizations.
• Export Development Canada (EDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDC mentioned in context of COVID-19 support resources for businesses. GroYourBiz has participated in EDC events including the 75th Anniversary in February 2020. Nature of partnership appears to be event-based collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is a leadership community for chief executives offering peer forum groups, learning, and networking globally. While much larger and aimed at higher-revenue CEOs, YPO's peer forum structure parallels GroYourBiz's facilitated advisory boards.
• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): EO is a global peer network for entrepreneurs whose members have founded and grown sizeable businesses. Its forum-based peer learning model mirrors GroYourBiz's advisory board structure, though EO membership is gated to higher-revenue businesses and is co-ed.
• Vistage Worldwide: Vistage is the largest CEO peer advisory organization globally, offering facilitated peer group meetings for business leaders. It is the closest structural analog to GroYourBiz's facilitated advisory board model, though Vistage targets CEOs broadly rather than women business owners specifically.

Direct peers

• Athena Alliance: Athena Alliance provides executive peer advisory and leadership development programs targeted at women executives and board-ready leaders. Its focus on women in senior leadership overlaps with GroYourBiz's EXCELerator and Professional Women segments.
• Women Presidents' Organization (WPO): WPO is a peer advisory organization exclusively for women who have founded and led businesses at significant scale. It is the most direct women-focused comparable to GroYourBiz, though WPO serves larger-revenue businesses and is more established.
• Boldline (formerly TEC): Boldline operates peer advisory forums and leadership development for executives and business owners globally. Its facilitated peer group model and premium price point are directly comparable to GroYourBiz's advisory board offering.
• The Alternative Board (TAB): TAB provides peer advisory boards for business owners through a franchise model of independent board members/facilitators. Like GroYourBiz, TAB operates facilitated peer boards for SMB owners, making it a direct comparable in business model and delivery mechanism.

Emerging players

• Ellevate Network: Ellevate Network is a professional community for women offering circles, mentorship, and events. While more community/digital-first than GroYourBiz's facilitated board model, it targets the same WBO persona with peer support and networking.

Others

• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit that provides free mentorship and advisory services to small business owners via volunteer mentors. While not a paid membership model, it is an adjacent peer-advisory resource competing for the same WBO audience's attention.

Regional players

• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners): NAWBO is a US-based membership association supporting women business owners through chapters, advocacy, and peer connection. It is a community alternative to GroYourBiz's facilitated advisory model, primarily serving US-based WBOs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GroYourBiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/barbaramowat/?originalSubdomain=ca
• Instagraminstagram.com/groyourbiz

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 GroYourBiz