Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance

What Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance does

Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance (CAABWA) is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 2001 that advances women's economic empowerment in Africa and Canada, primarily through international trade capacity building. Its core offering is the International Internship Program, which has placed more than 55 interns across at least 12 African countries — Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Mozambique, Mauritius, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Eswatini, and Mali — since inception. The program is delivered in partnership with the University of Toronto Scarborough's Centre for Critical Development Studies, Global Affairs Canada, TFO Canada, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and African organizations including CAWEE, Trade+Impact, and Fair & Square. CAABWA also runs the annual Partners for Leadership Forum, a career-development platform for young Canadians and international students, and maintains resource portals (Black-Owned Business Resources, Wisdom Exchange TV).

CAABWA has no proprietary technology product; operations run through a virtual office on a Squarespace-hosted website with standard email newsletter and Instagram outreach. The organization employs no paid staff and relies on 25+ volunteers and interns for program delivery. It is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors including Deborah Turnbull, Beverley Rodrigues, Sheona McGraw, Camesha Cox, Constance Crosby, Tina Mbachu, Annie Kashamura Zawadi, Leeza Gheerawo, Colette Leier, Romayne Dawkins, and Jazba Singh, with no parent company or external controlling entity.

The business model is non-commercial. Programs and forum attendance are free; funding comes from donations and grants. The most recently disclosed monetary inflow is a CAD $25,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2021 to support newcomer women entrepreneurs and build organizational capacity. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. CAABWA functions as a networking, mentorship, and capacity-building hub rather than a transactional enterprise.

Name

Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance

Legal name

Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance

Website

https://caabwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Canadian non-profit founded in 2001 advancing women's economic empowerment in Africa and Canada through an International Internship Program placing students with African women-led enterprises across 12+ countries and an annual Partners for Leadership Forum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Economic Empowerment and Trade Capacity Building Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Women economic empowerment
• International internship programs
• Leadership development forums
• Trade capacity building
• Nonprofit women advocacy

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CAABWA operates as a Canadian non-profit organization that relies on donations and grant funding to support its operations and internship programs. The organization has received grants such as the Ontario Trillium Foundation $25,000 grant for supporting newcomer women entrepreneurs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CAABWA is a Canadian non-profit that supports women entrepreneurs in Canada and Africa through international internship placements with African women-led enterprises, an annual Partners for Leadership Forum providing career development and networking, and curated resource platforms (including the Black-Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurs page and Wisdom Exchange TV). The organization operates entirely through volunteers and interns, connecting Canadian students and youth with African women's business organizations to build trade capacity and cross-continental networks.

Product overview

CAABWA is a Canadian non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs and resources focused on advancing women's economic empowerment in Africa and Canada. The core offerings include the Partners for Leadership Forum (an annual career development and networking event), the International Internship Program (facilitating capacity building across African countries), and resource platforms supporting black-owned businesses and African women entrepreneurs. The organization operates entirely through volunteers and interns, functioning as a networking and mentorship hub rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Partners for Leadership Forum: Annual one-day initiative providing integral career resources and building a long-term network of support and guidance for youth, focusing on developing capacity of young Canadians to advance their careers.

Products and services

• Partners for Leadership Forum

Quantifiable outcome

• 55+ interns supported across Africa since 2001
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trade+ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Trade+Impact is a partner organization based in Eswatini working on fair trade and trade-related initiatives. CAABWA has facilitated 7 internships with this organization since 2016. The partnership supports women entrepreneurs and fair trade practices in Africa.
• University of Toronto Scarborough - Centre for Critical Development StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016CAABWA developed a long-standing relationship with UTSC Faculty of International Development (now Centre for Critical Development Studies) to administer student internships in Eswatini. The partnership includes the International Development Co-op Specialist Program with 8-12 month overseas placements.
• The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001CAABWA partnered with The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association from 2001-2008, resulting in successful administration of 32 Global Affairs Canada-sponsored internships.
• TFO CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001TFO Canada partnered with CAABWA to administer 6 internships supporting women-led enterprises and international trade capacity building.
• Fair & Square (Eswatini)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair & Square is a partner organization in Eswatini focused on fair trade initiatives. The organization collaborates with CAABWA on internship placements and women entrepreneurship support programs.
• Woven WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoven Worldwide is listed as a partner organization collaborating with CAABWA to create opportunities for African women entrepreneurs.
• Savuti StyleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSavuti Style is a partner organization working with CAABWA to support African women entrepreneurs.
• Centre for African Women's Economic Empowerment (CAWEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAWEE in Ethiopia received 5 interns over an eight-year period to work on ACCESS training and mentorship program for African Business Women in International Trade, and COMESA/CIDA/ITC PACT program for Building African Capacity for Trade.
• Wisdom Exchange TVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWisdom Exchange is a resource platform helping African women learn, lead and succeed, providing a forum for women to be inspired by achievements of African women in business, education, philanthropy and politics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vital Voices Global Partnership: International nonprofit investing in women leaders across sectors including entrepreneurship, with programming in Africa. Comparable in mission and operating model (mentoring, networking, capacity building for women), though at significantly larger scale.
• Soroptimist International: Global volunteer service organization for women that operates programs on women's economic empowerment, education, and leadership development with active chapters in Canada and Africa. Comparable volunteer-driven model and women's empowerment mission, though larger global scale.
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: Global foundation focused on women's economic empowerment in Africa and other developing regions, with programs in entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and access to capital. Significantly larger scale than CAABWA with international brand recognition, but operates in the same women's economic empowerment niche targeting African women entrepreneurs.

Direct peers

• WEConnect International: Global nonprofit that connects women business owners to corporate and government buyers, with active programming in Africa. Operates a network-and-capacity-building model similar to CAABWA's trade support and mentoring activities, and targets women entrepreneurs seeking international market access.
• Trade Facilitation Office Canada (TFO Canada): Canadian nonprofit delivering trade capacity-building programs for women entrepreneurs in developing countries, including Africa. Historically partnered with CAABWA (2001-2008); operates similar export-readiness training and partnership-brokering model.
• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African grantmaking foundation supporting organizations working on women's rights and empowerment across Africa. Comparable in mission to CAABWA's African women's empowerment focus, though AWDF operates as a funder/intermediary rather than direct program implementer.

Regional players

• Africa Women in Leadership (AWL) Index Network: African organization focused on advancing women in leadership positions across the continent through research, advocacy, and convening. Operates in the same women's economic empowerment space as CAABWA but is Africa-headquartered rather than Canada-based.
• Canadian Council on Africa (CCAfrica): Canadian nonprofit promoting trade and business relationships between Canada and Africa. Operates in the same Canada-Africa trade corridor as CAABWA with similar convening and networking functions for businesses engaging across the two regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/caabwa
• Facebookfacebook.com/caabwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Canadian and African Business Women's Alliance