Our Program Partners

Candice Appleby began her tenure with the SSFPA in 2004. She is an entrepreneur who understands that small business owners must wear many hats to succeed in business. She has always been encouraged by the collaborative approach of the members of the association, people helping people. Over the years she has participated on numerous local, regional, provincial and national committees to advance the sector. Co-managing the project has provided the vehicle to affirm the anecdotal findings of the opportunities and barriers for women in the food processing sector. Candice was runner-up BCBusiness 2021 Women of the Year in recognition of her impactful leadership of SSFPA.

Sandra Mark and her partner Frank Moreland were the founders of the Small Scale Food Processor Association. They recruited Candice to take over for them but they have continued to provide support and involvement as the Association has grown. Sandra’s career has focused on organizational development for several food-related initiatives in BC and Ontario. Co-managing the SSFPA Women’s Project is exciting as new partners come on board and new possibilities for the Association emerge.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Hannah moved to Ottawa to complete her Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in Marketing. During her time as a student, she developed her passion for digital marketing and creating social media and other web content. Working for the SSFPA since 2021, Hannah has developed an interest in the non-profit sector, and has learned about the impact of Canada’s domestic food system. Now, she is excited to bring her love for writing and content creation to the Venture-Capital Ready project through her position as Communications Coordinator.

Laura has worked in logistics and communications for nearly 15 years, focusing on grassroots non-profits. Based just outside of Ottawa, she works closely on most aspects of the Venture-Capital Ready project and looks forward to making it a success.

Yu Yin Yang moved to Canada in 1997 from Taiwan. She graduated from Soochow University in Taiwan with a degree in Accounting and has worked in the Accounting and Financial field for more than 30 years. Yu Yin’s passion is to study the teachings of Confucius and the traditional values and wisdom of Ancient Chinese philosophers.

Farm Food Drink’s team provides market research, business planning, marketing, and workshops for small food business and the organizations that support them. The team has helped develop the website, marketing, and business planning tools, and coordinates coaching and client support for the Venture-Capital Ready program.

WeBC is a not-for-profit organization supporting women business owners across the province for nearly three decades. Working with regional partners, WeBC has provided thousands of women entrepreneurs with business loans and expertise, training, resources, and peer network support to help their businesses grow and thrive.

The Territorial Agrifood Association promotes, supports, and advocates for a sustainable, competitive, resilient agrifood industry in the Northwest Territories through entrepreneurship and innovation. We advocate for individuals, businesses and organizations engaged in agri-food-related activities including farming, food harvesting, production, processing, manufacturing and distribution with the intention of selling and generating revenue. We value entrepreneurship, innovation, inclusivity, sustainability and collaboration.

As one of the strongest peer lenders for small business loans in North America, PARO focuses on delivering programs to enhance enterprise development and providing for the support and development of women in business.

Collectif Récolte is a social economy enterprise that relies on collective intelligence and the mobilization of communities to catalyze and co-create local solutions, in order to lead to sustainable food practices and create a better future for all. Collectif Récolte works towards fairer food systems that support thriving local economies, healthy communities and resilient natural environments. To promote innovation and impact, our approach includes a mix of services focused on consultation, support and community mobilization.

National Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem is a user-friendly online platform focused on supporting Indigenous women with minimal or no business experience. NIWEE provides opportunities to navigate the entrepreneur’s journey to business ownership and beyond.

Investoready prepares start-up business owners to win venture capital by focusing on the industry’s crucial Investor Question & Answer session. Investoready comprises a program of instruction, online role-play in a simulation console, and immediate unbiased feedback to business owners responses.

Boundless Accelerator is an award-winning accelerator that equips entrepreneurs with expert mentorship, resources, education, and connections to help them build innovative, sustainable ventures. Boundless connects entrepreneurs with Regional Innovation Centres in Ontario for additional resources and strives to partner with like-minded organizations across Canada to further support and guide our clients to success. Based in Guelph, Ontario, we are in the heart of the Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor, striving to create a future where entrepreneurship knows no limits.

The Northeast Alberta Food Marketers Association is a coordinated effort to ensure local food is readily available to the consumers of the region. The Association encourages acreage production that can provide a primary or secondary income for producers.

Manitoba Women in Agriculture & Food (MWAF) advocates for all women who work in the agriculture and food industry, with a strong focus on those who are underrepresented. MWAF works with its partners to offer educational resources, training and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs start or grow their agri-businesses, and women working or seeking work in the agriculture and food sector to succeed in their career goals. MWAF promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across the agriculture and food sector.

Canadian Women in Food is a national association amplifying the voices of female food entrepreneurs and promoting a more inclusive space for all women in food. We promote these businesses to cultivate the positive energy that comes from women supporting women, and to inspire the spirit of female food entrepreneurs by creating opportunities for economic growth. Our members are female (and female-identifying) founders of food businesses and women working in leadership roles in foodservice, retail, manufacturing, distribution, industrial, supply and professional offices.

The Fair Finance Fund is a non-profit social finance fund dedicated to providing loans and mentorship services to local food and farm enterprises that value strong local food systems, local economies, and a healthy planet.

Nova-Scotia-based FarmWorks provides loans to farmers, food processors, distributors and food-related businesses through partnerships with investors. Our goal is to increase the viability and sustainability of agriculture and our food system, and to secure a healthy local food supply. FarmWorks’ volunteer directors are community leaders concerned about social, economic, environmental and cultural needs; they work closely with loan applicants to provide business mentoring and promotion. FarmWorks’ Community Economic Development Investment Co-operative enables Nova Scotians to receive provincial tax credits and federal tax deferral through the purchase of shares in FarmWorks.

Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development (FEAD) is dedicated to empowering and advancing women entrepreneurs in the food and beverage sector. Our community comprises more than 300 food and beverage founders and industry members representing businesses spanning the Canadian farm-to-fork supply chain. We provide a comprehensive range of resources, including educational and economic opportunities, manufacturing support, and community connections. Our intention is to establish and support local food security by reducing barriers to entry and scaling for underrepresented groups in the agri-food industry.