Laurier’s Lazaridis Institute selects 10 Canadian women-led technology companies for fourth cohort of ScaleUp Program

March 6, 2019
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – The Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises, based at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, has selected 10 of Canada’s most promising women-led technology companies to participate in the fourth cohort of the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program.

Since its inception in 2016, the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program has worked with 30 companies from Victoria, BC to Halifax, NS. In the first three years the number of women founders or co-founders went from one in 10 companies to four in 10. While these numbers far outpace the norm, in total, fewer than 20 per cent of the ScaleUp Program’s cohort company executive teams have been women.

“The gender gap in tech amounts to a lost opportunity,” said Kim Morouney, managing director of the Lazaridis Institute and Lazaridis professor of Executive Development in the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics at Laurier. “The Lazaridis Institute intends to be part of the solution.” 

The Women Founder cohort of the Lazaridis ScaleUp program will retain its emphasis on customization and execution, bringing seasoned executives to the weekend workshops and supporting the selected companies in receiving their next round of funding.

The companies in the fourth cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program are:

• Advanced Symbolics Inc., Ottawa
• Brillist Better Projects, Saskatoon
• Conscia Corporation, Mississauga
• Questor Technology Inc., Calgary
• Sheertex, Bracebridge
• Stathletes, St. Catharines
• Storytap, Vancouver
• Symend Inc., Calgary
• Vivametrica, Calgary
• Voices.com, London

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program 2019 women founder cohort,” said Sana Remekie, CEO, Conscia. “I look forward to learning, from thought leaders, mentors and peers, how to manage growth responsibly, build a diverse team and create a sustainable Canadian business with global reach.”

The Lazaridis ScaleUp Program is tailored each year to the specific challenges faced by the companies in the cohort as they scale their businesses. Past workshop topics have included leadership for growth, next-level product development, scaling customer acquisition, finance and operations, and expanding in global markets.

The companies are carefully matched with teams of sector and functional-area specialists, sourced from across North America, who support them for the next year.

“Canadian tech and Canadian talent are drawing international attention,” said Morouney. “We’re here to help ensure that our entrepreneurs find the resources they need to scale globally — while creating jobs and creating value right here at home.”

The 2019 Lazaridis ScaleUp Program will begin on March 7, 2019 in Toronto. Over the course of six months, the cohort will travel to six different cities across North America for intensive weekend workshops with experienced executives. Learn more about the Lazaridis ScaleUp Program and previous cohort companies.