Icebreaker Networking Game

Start your StrikeUP experience early with Cozy Juicy Real, a virtual board game that guides small groups through interactive questions designed to spark real conversation. You will rotate through quick rounds, share a few stories, and leave with names to reconnect with throughout the day.

Limited capacity - First 100 to join will be admitted.

Ideal if you want a structured, low-pressure way to meet people.

Learn more at www.cozyjuicyreal.com/team-building

Cozy Juicy Real

Opening Remarks

Join our Emcee, Heather Cannings, as she kicks off StrikeUP 2026. This year’s highlights include welcomes from Algonquin Elder and Knowledge Keeper, Claudette Commanda, and Wendy Curtis, CEO of Nventure and the founder of StrikeUP. We are also honored to feature a message from The Honourable Rechie Valdez, who will deliver a special address celebrating the impact of women entrepreneurs in Canada.

During this inspiring opening, you will:

• Discover the goals and vision of StrikeUP 2026, along with the partners dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs.
• Reflect on Canada’s Indigenous roots and the vital role of women entrepreneurs in economic growth and recovery.
• Receive an overview of the day’s agenda, tips on how to make the most of StrikeUP’s digital platform, and strategies to harness the event to rise to the challenge.

Claudette Commanda

The Honourable Rechie Valdez

Chris McMartin

Heather Cannings

Wendy Curtis

Anne G. Berthaud

Keynote - The Champion's Edge: Leading Through Adversity

Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative® & Export Development Canada

In today’s increasingly complex world, change is the only constant. Drawing from her extraordinary career as an Olympic gold medalist, physician and NHL executive, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser shares powerful insights on navigating uncertainty and leading teams through challenging circumstances.

Wickenheiser explores how exceptional leaders create winning cultures in both favourable and unfavourable conditions. She reveals practical strategies for transforming disruption into opportunity, building resilience in your team and maintaining focus when facing unexpected obstacles.

This compelling keynote equips audiences with actionable frameworks to:

• Develop adaptability as your competitive advantage.
• Foster team cohesion during turbulent times.
• Make decisive choices amid ambiguity.
• Transform setbacks into stepping stones for growth.

Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser

Networking

Choose the connection style that suits you. Join a live networking room, add your voice on the discussion boards, check out exhibitor booths or use our AI matchmaking tool to assist with a focused 1-to-1 introduction.

Flagship Panel - Sell It With Confidence: Pricing, Packaging, and Closing the Deal

Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative® & Export Development Canada

Helping women entrepreneurs value their work, set smart pricing and confidently communicate their offers.

For many women entrepreneurs, the challenge isn’t vision - it’s confidently charging what they’re worth. This session will give practical strategies for building offers, setting smart pricing and clearly communicating value to customers or investors. Panelists will share how they’ve moved past self-doubt, learned to negotiate and turned conversations into contracts.

You'll learn:

• How to set a firm price floor and talk about value so your price lands with credibility.
• Simple ways to package offers (Good, Better, Best) that guide buyers to an easy yes without scope creep.
• Clear closing steps and short objection replies that keep deals moving while protecting relationships.


Lindsay Whiston-Babcock



Chris McMartin



Jillian Climie

The Blank Slate Effect: How to Use an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Win in Business

Presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative®

The mindset of an entrepreneur is a unique set of qualities that positions startups to be more resourceful, take more risks and view their business and its marketing plan as a blank slate rather than a set of established rules. In this session, Erin Bury will draw on her decade of experience working with high-profile startups to define the entrepreneurial mindset and show you how to implement that mindset within your own organization.

Drawing on case studies of successful companies who have leveraged the entrepreneurial mindset, Bury leaves you with practical ways to apply the “blank slate effect” at your next brainstorm session.

Erin Bury

Scaling Up: Growth Strategies for Women-Owned Businesses

Presented by Export Development Canada

As a woman entrepreneur, you bring vision, resilience and innovation to your business. Scaling and growing your company, especially into international markets, takes more than ambition. It requires strategic planning, deep market understanding and the confidence to take your business to the next level.

Join Gwladys Tapsoba, senior advisor on the International and ECA Relations team at Export Development Canada (EDC), for a 45-minute conversation with three inspiring women who unlocked business growth and gained a competitive edge through strategic planning, preparation and effective growth strategies.

Each business owner is at a different stage of their journey, but all share how preparation, research and a clear growth strategy helped them scale their companies and expand into new markets. To support other women-owned small- and medium-sized businesses looking to grow globally, they’ll offer insights and advice on how to:

• Define and sharpen your unique value proposition, research your target market and position your business for long-term growth
• Build an export plan, identify promising international markets and develop a market entry strategy tailored to your business
• Build resilience and confidence as you grow by preparing for risks and developing strong networks and partnerships within the Canadian trade ecosystem
• Stay responsive and adaptable in a changing global market by remaining flexible in your approach and being prepared to pivot to grow your business in new markets


Gwladys Tapsoba



Belinda Thornhill



Nicole Smith



Shelby Taylor

Networking

Choose the connection style that suits you. Join a live networking room, add your voice on the discussion boards, check out exhibitor booths, or use our AI matchmaking tool to assist with a focused 1-to-1 introduction.

From Vision to Victory: Build for Growth and Future Opportunities

Presented by BDC

Join BDC’s Karen Sytnick and Laurie Klassen, the CEO & Co-founder of Level Ground Coffee Roasters, for a dynamic conversation on creating a business with a strategic vision from day one. Discover why preparing as if you were going to sell can strengthen your growth mindset and resilience. Whether you’re dreaming of your first venture or scaling an existing one, this session will give you practical insights to anticipate challenges, maximize value and seize opportunities with confidence.

Karen Sytnick

Laurie Klassen

Beyond Borders: Strategies for Export and Diversification Success

Presented by The Trade Commissioner Service

Join Global Affairs Canada's Marie-Michelle Poulin in a fireside chat with KC Goundiam who has expanded her market reach beyond Canada, exploring the steps taken to get there and the benefits of diversification.

Further workshop details to be announced shortly.

Marie-Michelle Poulin

KC Goundiam

How Entrepreneurs Can Use AI to Simplify Marketing and Save Time

Presented by DELIA, The Loan Fund for Women Entrepreneurs

Are you curious about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can make your marketing easier and more effective? In this hands-on session, we’ll share practical tips for incorporating AI into your marketing workflow and offer recommendations to ensure your messages are compelling to your audience.

Key Takeaways:

• What AI is and how it works in a marketing context.
• How to use AI in marketing to save time and inspire new ideas.
• Tips for using AI-generated content effectively and responsibly.

Amanda Parker

The Rockstar Confidence™ Kickstart

Presented by Nventure

Building unshakable confidence - without waiting for permission.

Adrianne Fekete has spent her life walking into rooms she was not invited to and building empires on the other side. An award-winning media expert for icons like the Rolling Stones, U2, and WWE, North America’s first female private investigator agency founder, and a human behaviour expert, she now helps others do the same.

In this high-energy workshop, Adrianne will help you claim your own rockstar confidence so you can stop second-guessing yourself and start leading boldly in your business.

You will:

• Explore The Rockstar Confidence Manifesto and get clear on what real self-leadership looks like for you
• Learn practical micro-actions and language scripts you can use in high-pressure moments, from client meetings to tough negotiations
• Use guided reflection prompts to reset your self-talk and leave with a clear next bold move and a simple daily confidence routine

Adrianne Fekete

Closing Remarks

Join us as we wrap up StrikeUP 2026, provide additional resources and let you know what is in store for the rest of the year.

Networking

End the day by building further connections with other women entrepreneurs in virtual chats.