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

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 2024 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.

Mentee applications for the 2025 Women4ClimateTO Mentorship program are now closed.

Applying to the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program Competition (the “Competition”) constitutes your acceptance of these Competition Rules. Rules may be subject to change.

Wednesday November 20, 2024: Deadline to submit completed online application form. Applications must be submitted online. Please contact women4climateto@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 6, 2024: Applications will be reviewed and screened.

December 7 – 11, 2024: Interviews of shortlisted candidates.

December 17, 2024: Notification of successful candidates.

The week of January 20, 2025: 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 2025 to July 2025
• To meet assigned mentors for one-on-one mentoring sessions
• Attend an orientation and program kick-off session scheduled for January 23
• Attend at least 80 per cent 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
• Participate in the final pitch competition.

*Despite the information above, the provision of the $500 is at the sole discretion of the City and is subject to budget approval. 

Women4ClimateTO connects mentors from the public, private, and non-profit sector with mentees who are working to create a more sustainable future for Toronto. The fifth cohort of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program will run from January to July 2025.

We are looking for women with expertise in the following fields to help mentor the next generation of climate leaders:

• Environmental, climate, climate action
• Business and finance
• Marketing and communications

Mentor Commitment

• Attend a 1-hour virtual mentor orientation session (date TBD)
• Attend an in-person Mentor/Mentee meet and greet and program kick-off session on January 23
• Be paired up with 3-4 mentees and provide virtual one-on-one mentoring. A 6-hour total time commitment spread across a 4-5-week period
• Opportunities to attend Knowledge lab workshops and networking events (schedules permitting)
• Opportunities to take an active role in Knowledge lab workshop activities

Benefits of Becoming a Mentor

• Shape the next generation of climate leaders
• Enhance your professional network and build new relationships
• Share your experience and knowledge, as well as gain new perspectives
• Develop your leadership skills, as well as communication/active listening skills

See what some of our past Mentors have to say:

“The Women4Climate program provided a great platform to connect with like-minded women who are not only interested in climate change and its many impacts on Toronto residents but also ready and willing to deal with it. Everyone brought ideas, energy and smarts, but more than that, a willingness to learn, share openly and support one another in achieving climate-related goals.” – Allison Daisley (Communicator and Founder, Daisley Communications, 2024 Mentor)

“Being a W4CTO 2024 Mentor, coaching 5 incredible female climate action entrepreneurs, was a very rewarding and mind-opening experience, giving all of us an opportunity to benefit from each-others passion and expertise.” – Maria Shibaeva-Escarraga (Faculty, UofT and Independent Strategic Consultant, 2024 Mentor)

If you are interested in applying to be a mentor for the 2026 cohort please contact us at women4climateto@toronto.ca.

Women4ClimateTO Alumnae Network

Launched in September 2023, the Women4ClimateTO Alumnae Network provides ongoing support to past participants of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Program.

The Alumnae Network aims to build an active, vibrant, and supportive community of female climate leaders dedicated to addressing the climate emergency in Toronto through:

• Strengthening peer connections
• Providing access to ongoing professional development opportunities
• Leveraging the skills of its members to support others in the local Toronto community launch or advance their own climate action initiatives

Women4ClimateTO Alumnae Networking Steering Committee Members:

Getting Involved

The Women4ClimateTO Alumnae Network is only open to past participants of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorships Program at this time.

To see profiles of past program participants see the links below:

2025 Program Participants
2024 Program Participants
2023 Program Participants
2022 Program Participants
2021 Program Participants