Empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs isn’t just equitable—it’s economically essential.
In the next five years, Canadian women are projected to control nearly $4 trillion in assets, triggering a historic wealth transfer. But systemic barriers continue to exclude women and non-binary entrepreneurs from capital conversations —and financial institutions are missing out on untapped growth in their portfolios.
WeBC invites small business lenders and leadership teams from financial institutions across BC to a one-day, high-impact summit designed to spark practical ideas, highlight success stories, and provide early tools for inclusive portfolio development.
This isn’t a solution—it’s a starting point.
The Inclusive Growth Summit is funded by
Why This Conference Matters
Even within regulated environments, financial institutions have the power to influence change from the ground up. This summit focuses on practical strategies, lived experience, and early tools that help lenders expand access to capital and build more inclusive portfolios.
What You’ll Explore Together
- Incremental Lending Plans – Discover how small, strategic shifts in lending activities are opening access to capital—starting with practical steps already in motion across BC.
- The Role of Lenders Beyond Lending – Learn how financial institution peers are stepping into educator and connector roles—helping entrepreneurs access networks, resources, and mentorship support that influence their success.
- Tools in Progress – Preview WeBC’s evolving toolbox of resources, developed in collaboration with financial institutions across BC and powered by our research and partnership with The Forum’s AFIA DEI Index and funding from Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada.
Join us to be part of the change—join us to help shape the future of inclusive lending.
Summit Details
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
When: February 24, 2026 | 8:30 to 4:30
Cost: $300
Seating is limited! Join the waitlist to be notified when tickets are available >>>
Who Should Attend?
This conference is for:
- Small business lenders and financial institution executive or growth managers
- Leaders committed to portfolio diversification
- Decision-makers seeking to serve high-potential underrepresented entrepreneurs in new ways
Conference Agenda
Featuring:
- Shauna Harper, CEO, WeBC
- T,lalisam, Kim van der Woerd, Founding Owner, Reciprocal Consulting Inc.
Before we talk solutions, we’ll hear directly from the women who have navigated the lending system first-hand—through approvals, declines, and referrals. Their stories expose the gaps and opportunities for financial institutions to evolve and better meet the needs of underrepresented entrepreneurs. Paired with research data that highlights the missed economic potential of women entrepreneurs, this session is a call to action for change rooted in real experience.
Featuring:
- Melanie Rupp, Senior Director, Loans and Advisory Services at WeBC
- Panelists to be announced soon!
This session breaks down what we know about how women entrepreneurs approach financing, and how those behaviours differ from traditional lending expectations.
Drawing on research from the Women’s Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), Canada’s leading authority on women’s entrepreneurship, we’ll explore data on lending patterns, comparative delinquency rates, and the creative financial strategies women use to grow their businesses. You’ll hear how bold leadership, smaller and frequent capital draws, and household-based credit decisions are challenging conventional lending models.
This session offers financial institutions a clear picture of the gaps in current systems and the concrete insights needed to build more inclusive economic portfolios.
Featuring:
- Darcy Matheson, Editor in Chief, BC Business Magazine (Moderator)
- Shannon Pestun, Senior Advisor, Diversity Institute for Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub
- More panelists to be announced soon!
How does a loan program go from zero approvals to over $27 million in lending? This session shares the story of the Vancity Women Entrepreneur Loan Program, which began as a pilot in 2020 and faced early setbacks.
Through collaboration with WeBC, Vancity re-examined its approach, making targeted changes that opened doors for women business owners who were struggling to access financing. The partnership didn’t just change lending criteria, it introduced wraparound support, mentorship, and advisory services that met the needs of underrepresented entrepreneurs.
You’ll hear from the lenders who shaped the program, the team members who supported its evolution, and a business owner whose experience illustrates the difference that inclusive lending and holistic support can make.
Featuring:
- Bill Cunningham, Executive Vice President of Business and Commercial Banking, Vancity
- More panelists to be announced soon!
Details coming soon!
Featuring:
- Shauna Harper, CEO, WeBC
- T,lalisam, Kim van der Woerd, Founding Owner, Reciprocal Consulting Inc.
Step Into Your Role as a Catalyst for Change
Space is limited! Join the waitlist to be notified when tickets area available.
JOIN THE WAITLIST
