Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan

What Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan does

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) is a Saskatchewan-incorporated non-profit organization founded in 1995 that supports women, non-binary, and two-spirited entrepreneurs across the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. WESK operates from a headquarters in Saskatoon and a regional office in Regina, with a staff of 11-50 employees, and delivers a bundled platform of programs and services: one-on-one business advising, business loans, a mentorship program, an Expert Access Program, a Newcomer Women Entrepreneurs Program, Legal Foundations training, an online learning platform (WESK Learn), an extensive resource library, and recurring networking events including the WESK Summit and WESK Entrepreneurs of the Year. The organization also convenes the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter, an advocacy initiative expanding across the province.

WESK's business model is non-profit and multi-stream: recurring membership fees, lending activity (loans designed to start or grow women-owned businesses), sponsor income, and government funding from federal agencies including PrairiesCan and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). The organization has built a province-wide distribution network through direct in-person delivery in Saskatoon and Regina, virtual delivery for webinars and mentorship, and a series of referral partnerships with Saskatchewan's tech ecosystem (Founders Table, Co.Labs, Cultivator, SaskTech, Innovation Saskatchewan) and economic development organizations (Economic Development Regina, North Saskatoon Business Association). A member directory and a women-owned business directory function as discovery tools supporting both members and partners.

Technically, WESK is a services organization rather than a technology company. There is no proprietary platform, no mobile app, no API, no AI/ML components, and no patents or trademarks disclosed. Delivery is built on a WordPress-based website with a resource library, on-demand webinar content, and human advising. The organization is PIPEDA-compliant in its handling of member personal information. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the only public funding signal is a 2024 WAGE grant supporting the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter expansion.

Name

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan

Legal name

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

Website

https://wesk.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) is a 1995-founded Saskatchewan non-profit that supports women, non-binary, and two-spirited entrepreneurs across the province with advising, loans, mentorship, training, events, and a member directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship support
• Small business loans
• Business advising services
• Entrepreneurship mentorship programs
• Newcomer entrepreneur programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: WESK offers membership programs for women entrepreneurs providing access to resources, networking, and services.
2. Loan Programs: WESK provides loans designed to start or grow women-owned businesses in Saskatchewan.
3. Government Funding: WESK receives funding from government sources such as PrairiesCan and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to support programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WESK provides women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan with access to business loans, one-on-one business advising, mentorship, expert access, training, newcomer-specific programs, legal foundations support, and networking events. The organization serves as a provincial hub delivering funding, mentorship, advocacy, and partnership services to support women-owned businesses from startup through scale.

Product overview

Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) is a non-profit organization offering a unified platform of support services for women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan. The core offerings include: Business Loans and Business Advising for financing and general support; the Mentorship Program and Expert Access Program for guidance and insights; WESK Learn and an extensive Resource Library for education; WESK Connect for networking; and the Newcomer Women Entrepreneurs Program for specialized support. Annual flagship events include the WESK Summit (workshops and speakers) and WESK Entrepreneurs of the Year celebration. The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter extends their advocacy reach. WESK also provides a Business Plan Toolkit with worksheets and templates for entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 women entrepreneurs celebrated annually through WESK Entrepreneurs of the Year program

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Founders TablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounders Table is a technology entrepreneurship initiative that partners with WESK to support women interested in starting or expanding tech businesses through programs like Compass pathfinding events.
• Co.LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaskatchewan's Technology Incubator partners with WESK to provide Idea & Strategy support for women tech entrepreneurs through joint programming.
• CultivatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultivator (Conexus Cultivator) partners with WESK to provide Customer/Users expertise and support for women entrepreneurs in the tech space.
• SaskTechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaskTech partners with WESK to provide Building Your Team support and resources for women entrepreneurs entering technology businesses.
• Economic Development ReginaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic Development Regina partners with WESK to offer the monthly Business Growth Luncheon Series, providing educational content for entrepreneurs.
• NSBA (North Saskatoon Business Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSBA partners with WESK for the Business Growth Luncheon Series to deliver business development content.
• Innovation SaskatchewanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInnovation Saskatchewan supported the Compass pathfinding event for women in tech entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Startup Canada: National entrepreneurship ecosystem organization running programs, events, and resources for Canadian entrepreneurs. Comparable to WESK in community-led support, events, and programming focus, though Startup Canada serves all entrepreneurs and operates nationally.
• Conexus Credit Union / Cultivator: Saskatchewan-based innovation and venture hub (Cultivator is part of the Conexus ecosystem) partnering with WESK on Customer/Users expertise for women tech entrepreneurs. Comparable as a Saskatchewan-rooted ecosystem builder with lending and incubator-style support for entrepreneurs.
• Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH): Canada-wide research and knowledge hub focused on women entrepreneurs and ecosystem building. Directly comparable to WESK as a women-entrepreneur support organization, though WEKH operates nationally and focuses on research/knowledge mobilization rather than direct lending.
• Futurpreneur Canada: National non-profit providing loans, mentorship, and resources to young entrepreneurs (ages 18–39). Directly comparable to WESK as a non-profit lender and ecosystem builder, though Futurpreneur serves all genders and a wider age range.
• Women's Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC): National umbrella representing provincial women's enterprise organizations across Canada. WESK is a member-style peer; WEOC coordinates the network of organizations offering loans, advising, and training to women entrepreneurs — closely matching WESK's service model.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Women's Foundation: National public foundation focused on gender equity, including economic empowerment of women. Comparable to WESK in mission and funder relationships, but operates at national scale with grantmaking rather than direct lending.
• YWCA Canada: National federation of YWCAs delivering women-focused programs including economic empowerment, employment, and entrepreneurship support. Comparable to WESK in women-focused mission and non-profit delivery, but YWCA operates nationally with a broader social-services scope.
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Canada's flagship SME development bank offering loans, advising, and capital to Canadian small businesses. Comparable to WESK in the SME lending and advising space, but BDC is a federal Crown corporation operating at much larger scale and broader mandate.
• WEConnect International: Global nonprofit connecting women-owned businesses to corporate buyers and supply chains. Comparable to WESK's women-entrepreneur support and member directory mission, but with a global procurement focus rather than direct lending or training.

Regional players

• Centre for Women in Business (Nova Scotia): Nova Scotia-based non-profit offering advising, training, and resources to women entrepreneurs. Closely comparable regional peer — same business model, target demographic, and service stack as WESK, but serving a different province.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WESK306
• Facebookfacebook.com/WESK306
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-entrepreneurs-of-saskatchewan-inc-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan