Interested in becoming a Women4ClimateTO mentee or mentor? Connect with us!

 

About Women4Climate Toronto

The Women4Climate Toronto Mentorship Program empowers and supports female climate leaders who are working to develop and implement innovative solutions to address the climate emergency in Toronto.

Ten to 12 women will be selected to join Toronto’s 2024 cohort of the Women4Climate Toronto Mentorship Program. Through a combination of mentoring, training and networking opportunities, participants will be provided with the resources and supports necessary to take their climate-related project, product or business start-up to the next level. Upon successful completion of the mentorship program, participants will receive a $500 honorarium to help advance their climate action initiative.

Following the mentorship program, the City of Toronto and its partners will host a pitch competition that will recognize the top three climate-related projects with the greatest potential to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable and resilient urban future in Toronto. The women with the top three projects will receive a cash award and additional support to advance their work. The winner will receive $20,000 and two runners-up will each receive $5,000.

Key Dates

Applications open: October 30, 2023

Applications close: November 20, 2023

Application screening and candidate interviews: November 21, 2023 – December 15, 2023

Mentoring, training and networking: January 2024 – May 2024

Pitch competition: June 2024

Over the course of six months, participants will benefit from a combination of mentoring, training and networking opportunities. As a participant, you will:

  • Meet with three different mentors for one-on-one mentoring sessions. Your mentors will be comprised of leaders from the business sector, public sector, international organizations or academic institutions. Each of your mentors will have a different area of expertise that will provide you with a variety of insights to help accelerate the advancement of your project or business venture.
  • Participate in four Knowledge Labs to help accelerate your project plans. Topics include:
    • Toronto’s climate action strategy
    • Business and financial planning
    • Marketing and communications strategies
    • Preparing the perfect pitch
  • Connect and build relationships with your fellow mentees and mentors at three networking events, featuring prominent speakers and influencers.
  • Receive a $500 honorarium, upon successfully completing the mentorship program.

Following the mentorship program, the City of Toronto and its partners will host a pitch competition where the women with the top three projects will receive a cash award and additional support to advance their work. The winner will be awarded $20,000 and two runner-up projects will receive $5,000 each.

Eligible candidates must:

  • Identify as women or 2-Spirit,
  • Live, study or work in Toronto or GTA.
  • Have an established climate action project or a start-up business to grow with the support of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program.
  • Be 18 years of age or older.

Toronto’s population is made up of diverse communities and groups. The City of Toronto values the contributions made by all residents and is committed to its motto, “Diversity Our Strength”.

The City of Toronto recognizes the barriers presented by discrimination and the disadvantages faced by equity-deserving groups and vulnerable populations. In particular, the City recognizes the unique status and cultural diversity of Indigenous communities and their right to self-determination.

Women4ClimateTO acknowledges the importance of intersectionality and encourages applications from female-identifying and two-spirited applicants of diverse cultures, races, religions and abilities.

The following individuals are not eligible to apply:

  • City of Toronto employees, members of Council and their immediate families.
  • City of Toronto agency and corporation employees, their board members and members of their immediate families.
  • Members of the mentee selection panel and members of pitch competition jury panel and members of their immediate families.
  • Mentees from the 2023 Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program cohort.

Your project or start-up business must:

Support the achievement of at least one of the targets or goals identified in these key City strategies*:

  • TransformTO Net Zero Strategy: Toronto’s ambitious climate action strategy lays out a set of long-term, low-carbon goals and strategies to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and improve our health, grow our economy, and improve social equity.
  • Toronto’s Resilience Strategy: sets out a vision, goals, and actions to help Toronto survive, adapt and thrive in the face of any challenge, including climate change and growing inequities.
  • Involve or engage the Toronto community in local climate action.

*Additional City strategies, plans and initiatives that may contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and/or improvement of Toronto’s resilience include: Biodiversity Strategy; City Asset Management; City Wide Real Estate Transformation; Electric Vehicle Strategy; Green Roof Bylaw; Long-term Waste Management Strategy; Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy, Parkland Strategy; Pollinator Protection Strategy; Ravine Strategy; Strategic Forest Management Plan; Toronto Green Standard; and Wet Weather Flow Master Plan.

Your project or start-up business must contribute to one or more of the following climate priorities:

  • Sustainable Waste Management
  • Renewable Energy
  • Sustainable Buildings
  • Sustainable Transport
  • Air Quality
  • Circular Economy
  • Biodiversity

All eligible applications will be reviewed by a jury panel.

Apply to the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program by completing an online application form.

Applications for the 2024 Women4ClimateTO Mentorship program have now closed.

Applying to the Women4Climate Toronto Mentorship Program Competition (the “Competition”) constitutes your acceptance of these Competition Rules.

 

 

 

Monday November 20, 2023: Deadline to submit completed online application form. Applications must be submitted online. Please contact Jessica Chow at Jessica.Chow@toronto.ca for accessibility accommodations. No mail, emailed, or hand-delivered applications will be accepted unless arranged in advance. Only complete applications will be considered.

November 21 – December 5, 2023: Applications will be reviewed and screened.

December 6 – 10, 2023: Interviews of shortlisted candidates.

December 15, 2023: Notification of successful candidates.

The week of January 22, 2024: Official activities of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program begin.

Applicants to the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program must be willing to commit to the following:

  • Participation in six months of activities from January 2024 to June 2024
  • To meet assigned mentors for one-on-one mentoring sessions
  • Attend an orientation session and Climate Knowledge Lab workshop scheduled for the week of January 22, 2024
  • Attend at least 80% of scheduled program activities to be eligible to receive a $500 honorarium*. Program activities include:
    • Knowledge Labs
    • Networking sessions
    • and any other scheduled activities or events
  • *Despite the information above, the provision of the $500 is at the sole discretion of the City and is subject to budget approval. 
  • Participate in the final pitch competition.

2024 Women4ClimateTO Schedule of Events

2024 Dates Activity
Week of Jan 22 Orientation & Climate Knowledge Lab Workshop (In-person)
Jan 27 – Feb 19 Mentorship Meetings: Climate Mentor (Virtual)
Week of Feb 20 Business & Finance Knowledge Lab Workshop (In-person)
Feb 26 – Mar 24 Mentorship Meetings: Business & Finance Mentor (Virtual)
Mar 7 or 8 Networking Event: International Women’s Day (In-person)
Week of Mar 25 Marketing & Communications Knowledge Lab Workshop (Virtual)
Mar 29 – Apr 29 Mentorship Meetings: Marketing & Communications Mentor (Virtual)
Apr 18 or 19 Networking Event: Earth Day (In-person)
Week of May 13 Pitch Preparation Knowledge Lab Workshop (In-person)
June 8 – 9 Pitch Competition (Format to be determined)
June 13 Celebration Event (In-person)

 

2023 Women4ClimateTO Mentees

Learn more about these emerging climate leaders and their innovative projects.

photo of Tina Safaei Photo of Ana Cuciureanu Photo of Niki Cesta

Winner

Tina Safaei

Pahk Solutions

Runner-up

Ana Cuciureanu

Splash on Earth

Runner-up

Niki Cesta

The Wasteland Plan Foundation

photo of Priya Patel

Amy Castator

Carbon Conversations TO

Priya Patel

Earth Analytics

Julia Morgan

Toronto Home Retrofits

Photo of Lisa Chen photo of Natalie Duncan Photo of Cara Des Granges

Lisa Chen

Oceanic Impact

Natalie Duncan

Al-enabled Urban Insect Farms

Cara Des Granges

Seedy Farm

photo of Ellise Gasner

Ellise Gasner

#WhereDoesYourRainGo

Poster/Essay Contest

Angie Buado

Building Residents Capacity for

Textile Waste Reduction

 

2023 Women4Climate Mentors

Women4ClimateTO mentors are professionals from the public and private sector with expertise in a variety of different fields including climate action, business, finance, marketing and communications.

photo of Mary Cochrane Photo of Sunali Swaminathan photo of Selina Young

Mary Cochrane

Associate Director, Demand Generation EY Canada

Sunali Swaminathan

Senior Brand and Marketing Manager, Evergreen

Selina Young

Indigenous Affairs Office, City of Toronto

photo of Ohemaa Boateng photo of Giselle De Grandis photo of Amber Nasrulla

Ohemaa Boateng

Executive Director, Black Creek Community Farm

Giselle De Grandis

Manager, Business Development and Market Strategy, Hydro One

Amber Nasrulla

Communications Advisor, Strategic Communications, City of Toronto

Photo of Shatha Qaqish Clavering photo of Nancy Ruscica photo of Susana Vaz

Shatha Qaqish-Clavering

Director, Strategy and Operations, Climate Positive Energy Initiatives, University of Toronto

Nancy Ruscica

Manager, Outreach and Engagement, Environment and Climate, City of Toronto

Susana Vaz

Manager, Business Growth Services, Economic Development and Culture, City of Toronto

2022 Women4ClimateTO Mentees

Learn about our 2022 Women4Climate Toronto mentees and their projects below:

Picture of Zamani Ra Picture of Deborah King Picture of Carolyn Moss

Winner

Zamani Ra

CEED Workshops

Runner-up

Deborah King

Global Measure

Runner-up

Carolyn Moss

Homes to Zero

Picture of Adekemi Oke Picture of Simona Sund Romina Kwong

Runner-up

Adekemi Oke

Homes to Zero

Runner-up

Simona Sund

Homes to Zero

Romina Kwong

Eco-Friendly Events

Agata Rudd Shabina Lafleur-Gangli Corina Ottnad

Agata Rudd

Packt

Shabina Lafleur-Gangji

Seed, Soil, and Spirit School

Corina Ottnad

My Grobox Modular Garden System

Kim-Chi Tran Emma Bartolomucci Manish Malik

Kim-Chi Tran

MUST: Multi-Use Storage Technologies

Emma Bartolomucci

The Fourth R: reduce, reuse, recycle, revolutionize

 

Manisha Malik

Clobe Connect

 

Jen Cerullo Simran Bahia

Jen Cerullo

Sustainable Athletic Events with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Simran Bahia

Waste Hackers

 

2021 Women4ClimateTO Mentees

Learn about our 2021 Women4Climate Toronto mentees and their projects below:

 

Headshot of Hilary Scanlon Headshot of Marie Sophie Angoh Headshot of Ann Chen

Winner

Hillary Scalon

STIL Solutions, Sustainability through an Inclusive Lens

Sophie Angoh

Improving Waste Diversion Rates at Toronto’s Events

Ann Chen

Fill Up!

Headshot of Jessica Hui Headshot of Jane Ji Headshot of Anum Khan

Jessica Hui

Westra Project

Jane Ji

League for Green Leaders

Anum Khan

Hydro Intelligence

Headshot of Kristine Lorzano Headshot of Erika Reyes Headshot of Anelia Victor

Kristine Lorzano

TO Refillery Mobile

Erika Reyes

Inwit

Anelia Victor

ANEW

Headshot of Rachel Wang Headshot of Melanie Williams Headshot of Corals Zheng

Rachel Wang

The Bike Brigade

Melanie Williams

Linked

 

Corals Zheng

Bee Open Spaces