Women4Climate Toronto Mentorship Program

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

2023 Women4ClimateTO Mentees

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

Winner Tina Safaei Pahk Solutions	Runner-up Ana Cuciureanu Splash on Earth	Runner-up Niki Cesta The Wasteland Plan Foundation
Amy Castator Carbon Conversations TO	Priya Patel Earth Analytics	Julia Morgan Toronto Home Retrofits
Lisa Chen Oceanic Impact	Natalie Duncan Al-enabled Urban Insect Farms	Cara Des Granges Seedy Farm
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.

Mary Cochrane Associate Director, Demand Generation EY Canada	Sunali Swaminathan Senior Brand and Marketing Manager, Evergreen	Selina Young Indigenous Affairs Office, City of Toronto
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
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:

Winner Zamani Ra CEED Workshops	Runner-up Deborah King Global Measure	Runner-up Carolyn Moss Homes to Zero
Runner-up Adekemi Oke Homes to Zero	Runner-up Simona Sund Homes to Zero	Romina Kwong Eco-Friendly Events
Agata Rudd Packt	Shabina Lafleur-Gangji Seed, Soil, and Spirit School	Corina Ottnad My Grobox Modular Garden System
Kim-Chi Tran MUST: Multi-Use Storage Technologies	Emma Bartolomucci The Fourth R: reduce, reuse, recycle, revolutionize	Manisha Malik Clobe Connect

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:

Winner Hillary Scalon STIL Solutions, Sustainability through an Inclusive Lens	Sophie Angoh Improving Waste Diversion Rates at Toronto’s Events	Ann Chen Fill Up!
Jessica Hui Westra Project	Jane Ji League for Green Leaders	Anum Khan Hydro Intelligence
Kristine Lorzano TO Refillery Mobile	Erika Reyes Inwit	Anelia Victor ANEW
Rachel Wang The Bike Brigade	Melanie Williams Linked	Corals Zheng Bee Open Spaces