Canadian Women in STEM

What Canadian Women in STEM does

Canadian Women in STEM is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 2016 by Dr. Paola Marignani and headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It serves women across the STEM spectrum in Canada, with a primary focus on early-career women (graduate students, postdocs, and early-career professionals) and secondary segments including established women researchers serving as mentors and girls from primary school through university exploring STEM careers.

The organization delivers a unified ecosystem of support services rather than discrete technology products. Core offerings include a 2,700+ member membership program providing networking, mentorship, and career support; a STEM-focused job board with keyword and location search; in-person and virtual events covering topics such as navigating male-dominated workplaces; a Resources Library of educational content curated from external sources including CIHR and PNAS; a Scholarships & Subsidies program to fund conference attendance and reduce financial barriers; and an Experiential Learning Program placing girls and young women in research laboratories. Distribution is through the website (canadianwomeninstem.org), social media (X account @CDNWomenSTEM), events, and community word-of-mouth, with membership enrollment handled via a Google Forms application.

Revenue mechanics are not disclosed and membership is offered free to members. Based on the freemium classification and the absence of disclosed funding rounds, the organization appears to rely on grants, donations, or sponsorships rather than membership fees. Pricing information is not publicly disclosed. Operating status is active, with the most recent initiative being an upcoming event scheduled for Spring 2026, and the overarching strategic goal stated as contributing to a national equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy for Canada.

Name

Canadian Women in STEM

Legal name

Canadian Women in STEM

Website

https://canadianwomeninstem.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Canadian Women in STEM is a Halifax-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that provides networking, mentorship, career development, scholarships, and experiential learning programs to its 2,700+ members across Canada, serving women in STEM from primary school through established professional careers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Advocacy and Professional Development Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Women in STEM advocacy
• STEM networking community
• STEM mentorship programs
• STEM career development
• Equity diversity inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Organization offers free membership to women in STEM, suggesting revenue may be derived from grants, donations, or sponsorship rather than membership fees. The organization's focus on scholarships and subsidies indicates funding may come from external sources.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Canadian Women in STEM is a nonprofit membership organization that provides free networking, mentorship, career development, and advocacy programs for women in STEM fields across Canada. Its core offerings include a membership community of 2700+ women, a STEM job board, events and panel discussions, an educational resources library, scholarships and conference subsidies, and an experiential learning program that places girls in research laboratories.

Product overview

Canadian Women in STEM is a membership-based advocacy organization rather than a traditional product company. It operates a unified ecosystem of support services consisting of a Membership Program (connecting 2700+ women), a Job Board for STEM positions, Events for networking and professional development, a Resources Library with educational content, Scholarships & Subsidies for financial support, and an Experiential Learning Program for youth. These offerings work together to advance women in STEM careers across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program A free membership community connecting 2,700+ Canadian women in STEM, offering networking, mentorship, career support, and platforms to amplify member achievements through talks, publications, and social media.
• STEM Job Board A job board for women in STEM in Canada featuring postings searchable by keyword and location, including full-time, part-time, internship, and remote positions.
• Networking Events and Panels In-person and virtual events and panel discussions covering topics such as dealing with microaggressions, navigating success in male-dominated STEM fields, and career development, held in collaboration with partner organizations.
• Resources Library An online library of educational resources and articles on implicit gender bias, equity and diversity in research, peer review bias, and workplace challenges, drawing on materials from Codecademy, CIHR, Engendering Success in STEM, and PNAS.
• Scholarships and Subsidies Program Financial support initiatives that reduce barriers for women pursuing STEM education, research, and professional development, including scholarships and subsidies to attend conferences.
• Experiential Learning Program A program that places primary school, high school, and university girls and women into research laboratories to learn how science is conducted, aiming to excite the next generation to pursue STEM careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected thousands of women in STEM with supportive networks since 2016

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dr. Paola MarignanicoreOthers · 1 January 2016Founder of Canadian Women in STEM, driven by passion for EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility). Founded the organization in 2016 and has connected thousands of women through the network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Girls Who Code: US-based nonprofit focused on closing the gender gap in technology through clubs, summer programs, and college-loops for girls. Overlaps with Canadian Women in STEM's experiential learning and youth pipeline components but with much larger scale and US focus.
• Million Women Mentors: Nonprofit mobilizing mentors to support girls and women in STEM careers through structured mentorship engagements. Overlaps on mentorship program delivery but focused specifically on the mentorship pillar rather than full advocacy ecosystem.
• Black Girls Code: Nonprofit providing technology education for Black girls and other underrepresented groups. Comparable in serving women from marginalized groups in STEM with experiential learning, though US-focused and focused on coding specifically.

Direct peers

• WISE (Women in Science and Engineering): UK-based organization campaigning for gender balance in STEM through research, advocacy, and programs for girls and women. Similar advocacy-and-program model with comparable mission targeting women in STEM career pipeline.
• Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST): Canadian nonprofit advancing women in STEM through mentorship, networking, and advocacy. Most direct comparable — same national Canadian scope, similar women-in-STEM mission, but operates with longer history (since 1981) and broader institutional footprint.
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS): US-based nonprofit advocating for women in STEM through chapters, awards, and career resources. Comparable mission of supporting women scientists' careers and addressing systemic barriers, though operating at national US scale.
• Canadian Women in Engineering, Science, Technology and Trades (CanWiT): Canadian initiative supporting women in non-traditional trades and STEM careers through training, mentorship, and advocacy. Comparable Canadian women-in-STEM/Trades mission with similar community-led model and national scope.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): US-based coalition working to increase women's participation in computing and IT through research, programs, and advocacy. A larger, established player in the women-in-STEM space with broader institutional membership model.
• Catalyst: Global nonprofit advancing women in workplace leadership through research, advisory services, and inclusion tools. Comparable in gender-equity advocacy mission but operates at broader workforce level rather than STEM-specific focus.

Regional players

• hEr VOLUTION: Canadian nonprofit engaging underserved girls in STEM education through workshops, mentorship, and innovation programs. Directly comparable as a Canadian STEM-girls organization but with a stronger direct-education delivery model than the advocacy/networking model of Canadian Women in STEM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDNWomenSTEM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-women-in-stem

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 Canadian Women in STEM