Progress is participation.

Over the last few months, Accelerate Okanagan (AO) and the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) have been working together in partnership to host a series of roundtable discussions and events for women leaders in our community. This included Capital Connections, a fireside chat and networking event in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 7.

The partnership was created to increase connectivity for the entrepreneurs and investors in our region as well as bring an Okanagan-perspective to a national conversation about angel capital. NACO has been hosting events across Canada with community partners like AO and leveraging insights gained to drive new initiatives and strategies to support women in the capital ecosystem. 

LEARN ABOUT NACO’s National WOMENS INITIATIVE

We’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm to participate, willingness to share, and the innovative ideas that have surfaced through the conversations. Below are are few photos from the events. 

Over 40 entrepreneurs and investors have participated in the roundtables. Key discussion topics focused around increasing the number of women entrepreneurs and investors, leveraging the uniqueness of the Okanagan region and how to start the fundraising journey. 

At Capital Connections, attendees heard from AWS’s Becky Troelstra, as she shared her insights on being an entrepreneur and how to combat founder fatigue. Lawson Lundell’s Valerie Mann facilitated the chat and the Q&A as curious audience members asked questions.

About NACO

National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) is a professional association for angel investing, with 4000 members who have invested $1.54 billion in more than 2000 companies. They are leading the way with their National Women’s Initiative, dedicated to mobilizing angel capital for women led-companies. The National Women’s Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada through the Inclusive Women’s Venture Capital Initiative, a key part of Canada’s first-ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.