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MaRS Women in Cleantech Network

An invitation to accelerate and celebrate women entrepreneurs in the climate economy

Advocating for women in cleantech

Despite marked advancements, women’s representation in cleantech remains disproportionately low. The MaRS Women in Cleantech Network directly addresses this gap by providing a vital support system — fostering collaboration for women-led scaling cleantech ventures.

Since 2018, Women in Cleantech programming at MaRS has been catalyzing some of the country’s most promising early-stage cleantech founders. The Women in Cleantech Challenge, followed by the RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator, have demonstrated the importance of community and peer support in the lonely, difficult road of entrepreneurship. Strong, supportive and strategic networks point founders toward success.

Advocating for women in cleantech

Inaugural Founders

MaRS is excited to welcome the inaugural founders of the MaRS Women in Cleantech Network. They are joined by an amazing group of donors and supporters.

Donors and Supporters

If you’d like to make a donation to the MaRS Women in Cleantech Network, please visit the MaRS supporters page or contact MaRS Philanthropy.
 

Donors:

  • Annette Verschuren
  • The Blidner Family Foundation
  • Enbridge
  • Jane Kearns

Supporters:

  • Nicolle Butcher
  • Heather Campbell
  • Raissa Espiritu
  • Kate Grant
  • Karen Hamberg
  • Hilary Kilgour
  • Joanna Klimczak
  • Jennifer McDonald
  • Lauren McGuire
  • Felicity Meyer
  • Sarah Petrevan
  • Molly Rafelson
  • Susan Rohac
  • Shirley Speakman
  • Kate Tomen
  • Hélène Tournier
  • Jennifer Wagner
  • Jessica Van Der Vooren

Network features

At the heart of the MaRS Women in Cleantech Network lies a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by women in the sector. Through an online community, roundtable discussions and showcase events, this network seeks to dismantle barriers and foster a culture of mutual support, innovation and growth.

It’s about unleashing the untapped potential of women entrepreneurs to lead the charge against climate change and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

Network features

Inspiring action and change

Showcasing the achievements of its members, the network not only ignites passion but offers tangible support, empowering the next generation of women to become leaders in cleantech.

Inspiring action and change

Don’t just take our word for it.

The MaRS Women in Cleantech Network is not just an initiative; it’s a catalyst for change, driving gender parity and innovation in the cleantech sector […] We’ve witnessed the power of community through our WIC programming and are excited to build upon that success, providing a network where these founders can share contacts, tactics, funding opportunities and ultimately feel less lonely in their entrepreneurial journey.

Leah Perry, Senior Manager, Cleantech at MaRS

Since the beginning of our venture, MaRS has been an invaluable partner, providing unparalleled support and guidance, truly demonstrating a level of care that makes them (dare I say) the only one we call home […] Their commitment to our success extends beyond words, and I’m especially excited about the MaRS Women in Cleantech Network as an invaluable platform for continued learning, collaboration and support, enabling us to achieve even greater impact.

Roya Aghighi, co-founder of Lite-1

Community is powerful. When we work collectively, we gain and share collective intelligence, and that becomes our competitive advantage.

Natalie Duncan, Bug Mars

The amount of guidance we had was incredible, from the one-on-one advisory support through various workshops and different opportunities to expand our networks in the cleantech ecosystem.

Nivatha Balendra, Dispersa

Interested in learning more?