Women in Climate Finance

What Women in Climate Finance does

Women in Climate Finance (WCF) is a pan-Canadian, membership-based community organization serving women (including non-binary and trans) who are senior leaders in climate finance. Membership is restricted to individuals at Director level or above with 7+ years of investment experience who actively influence the deployment of capital toward decarbonization solutions in Canada, with applications reviewed monthly and requiring a member referral.

WCF's core offerings are organized around five strategic pillars: support, knowledge sharing and learning, cross-sector and cross-country collaboration, talent development, and leadership and policy action. The product surface comprises a vetted membership community, recurring events (lunch-and-learns, panel discussions, networking happy hours, and conference partnerships with the UN PRI in Person, New York Climate Week, and the Sustainable Finance Forum), educational programming (speaker training, media training, policy/regulatory sessions), and a private WhatsApp group for real-time deal flow, job postings, and industry intelligence. The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; infrastructure is limited to a bilingual (English/French) website, a LinkedIn company page, and WhatsApp.

WCF was founded by senior professionals from Power Sustainable, CDPQ, BMO Capital Markets, CREO, and the Trottier Family Foundation, embedding it within Canada's largest sustainable investors and policy circles. It currently operates chapters in Montreal and Toronto with plans to expand into Western Canada. Revenue is sourced from membership contributions (fees not publicly disclosed and likely nominal or partner-subsidized) and in-kind event sponsorship from host institutions. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: acquisition occurs through referral-validated applications, with events serving as the primary engagement and recruitment channel.

Name

Women in Climate Finance

Legal name

Women in Climate Finance

Website

https://womeninclimatefinance.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women in Climate Finance is a pan-Canadian, membership-based community for women senior leaders (Director level+) in climate finance, offering vetted networking, knowledge sharing, events, and a WhatsApp deal-flow channel for capital deployment toward decarbonization solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: WCF operates as a membership-based community organization. While specific membership fees are not publicly disclosed on the website, the organization appears to generate revenue through membership contributions. The membership application form does not explicitly mention fees, suggesting they may be nominal or subsidized by partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WCF is a membership-based community organization that brings together women (including non-binary and trans individuals) who are senior leaders in climate finance, with a focus on influencing the deployment of investment and catalytic capital toward decarbonization solutions. Membership is by referral-based application and is supported by in-person events (lunch-and-learns, panels, networking happy hours), knowledge-sharing programs, and a private WhatsApp group used for ongoing deal flow, conference coordination, and industry intel.

Product overview

Women in Climate Finance (WCF) is a community platform offering a unified membership program that brings together women in climate finance across Canada. The core offering consists of community membership with access to events (such as the annual Sustainable Finance Forum, lunch-and-learn sessions, and networking happy hours), knowledge sharing programs, and a member WhatsApp group for ongoing engagement. The organization operates chapters in Montreal and Toronto with expansion plans to Western Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WCF Community Membership

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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 minor and core.

• Sustainable Finance ForumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024WCF participates in the Sustainable Finance Forum in Ottawa (November 28-29), joining industry and community leaders, elected officials and policy makers to advance sustainable and inclusive economy through finance.
• Power SustainablecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Power Sustainable is the employer of founding team members Delia Cristea (Partner and General Counsel) and Natalie Deschamps (Principal at Power Sustainable Decarbonization). Power Sustainable hosted the Toronto Happy Hour event in September 2024, bringing together finance community members. The firm is deeply embedded in WCF's founding and operational structure.
• National Bank (Banque Nationale)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024National Bank hosted the Montreal Lunch and Learn session 'Demystifying Impact / Sustainable Investment' featuring Belissa Rojas from Fondaction Asset Management. The event explored sustainability concepts and actionable strategies for embedding impact goals into business practices.
• UN Principles for Responsible Investing (UN PRI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024WCF hosted its first pan-Canadian event 'Catalyzing Change: Women Leading the Way in Climate Finance' alongside the UN PRI in Person conference in Toronto, October 2024. The partnership provides WCF access to global responsible investment leaders and networking opportunities.
• Women in Climate Investing & FinanceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024WCF partnered with Women in Climate Investing & Finance for the 'Saddle-Up for Sustainability' event during New York Climate Week. The partnership enabled Canadian women in climate finance to meet their US counterparts, extending WCF's cross-border network.
• CDPQ (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDPQ employs founding team member Catherine Simard (Managing Director, Sustainable Investing). WCF also had prior relationship through Flavie Desgagne who managed climate philanthropy program at CDPQ. CDPQ is a major institutional investor in sustainable finance.
• CREOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREO is a global platform on mission to invest $100 billion into decarbonization transition by 2025. Founding team member Joanna Klimczak is Senior Director US & Canada at CREO, which partners with 200+ asset owners in 25+ countries.
• Trottier Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrottier Family Foundation employs founding team member Flavie Desgagne (Climate Program Director). Foundation focuses on initiatives reshaping capital markets logic and strengthening sustainable finance infrastructure in Canada.
• BMO Capital MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMO Capital Markets employs founding team member Katie Shuter, who focuses on intersection of finance, climate, and policy to mobilize capital for sustainable future.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• 2X Global: 2X Global is a membership organization focused on mobilizing capital toward women through gender-lens investing. It overlaps with WCF on the intersection of finance, gender, and impact, and serves institutional members across the investment ecosystem.
• Women in ETFs: Women in ETFs is a global non-profit membership organization supporting women in the ETF industry through networking, education, and leadership development. It mirrors WCF's community/membership model and event-driven engagement for women in a specific finance vertical.
• Women in Climate Investing & Finance (WICIF): WICIF is the US-based counterpart organization that WCF directly partnered with for the New York Climate Week event 'Saddle-Up for Sustainability.' It serves a closely analogous mission—supporting women in climate investing—with the same community/networking value proposition in a different geography.
• Women's Energy Network: Women's Energy Network is a membership-driven professional organization for women in the energy sector, including finance and investment roles. Its focus on supporting women leaders in a defined energy/climate-adjacent vertical closely parallels WCF's climate finance niche.

Broad incumbents

• UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI): UN PRI is the global responsible investing body WCF partnered with for its October 2024 Toronto event. It represents the broader institutional ESG/responsible-investing framework that WCF members participate in as signatories and professionals.
• CREO Syndicate: CREO is a global investor platform mobilizing capital for decarbonization. Founding WCF team member Joanna Klimczak is Senior Director at CREO. CREO represents the broader institutional climate-finance ecosystem that WCF members operate within.
• Pivotal Ventures: Pivotal Ventures is a Melinda French Gates organization that invests in initiatives advancing women's power and influence, including in climate and finance. It operates at a much larger scale than WCF and could fund or partner with organizations in WCF's niche.

Others

• CFA Society Canada: CFA Society Canada is a professional association for investment professionals in Canada. WCF's target members (Director+ investment professionals with 7+ years experience) often hold CFA credentials, and the societies share a professional development and networking mandate.
• Fondaction Asset Management: Fondaction is a Quebec-based impact investment fund whose representative (Belissa Rojas) spoke at WCF's Montreal Lunch and Learn. It is part of the institutional climate-finance ecosystem WCF members operate in and represents a potential sponsor/partner.

Regional players

• Sustainable Finance Forum: The Sustainable Finance Forum is a Canadian sustainable finance conference WCF partnered with for its November 2024 Ottawa event. It serves a related but broader audience—policy makers, industry leaders, and elected officials—rather than WCF's narrow women-leaders focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-climate-finance

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 Women in Climate Finance