A free one-day digital conference for Canadian women entrepreneurs is returning for its sixth year in 2026, with an opening keynote to be delivered by one of the most influential figures in the history of women’s hockey.
Founded in 2021 during the pandemic by Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC), which became Nventure Business Development Corporation in 2024, StrikeUP Canada will once again welcome thousands of entrepreneurs from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, just before International Women’s Month, with the theme “Rise to the Challenge.”
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser will deliver the conference’s keynote, entitled “The Champion’s Edge: Leading Through Adversity.”
Wickenheiser, who is an inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Walk of Fame, as well as an Officer of the Order of Canada, was not only the country’s all-time leader in scoring at the Olympics but broke barriers by playing professionally in men’s leagues in Europe. Off the ice, Wickenheiser has championed gender equity in sport, completed a medical degree following her retirement from professional hockey in 2018, and now works as an assistant general manager with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“She is such an inspiration for women across Canada,” StrikeUP team lead Heather Cannings told kawarthaNOW.
“We are very much looking forward to hearing her story of excellence, determination, and reinvention — qualities that resonate deeply with women entrepreneurs who are juggling busy lives and building businesses in uncertain times. Her keynote will set the tone for an empowering conference day.”
Co-presented by The Scotiabank Women Initiative and Export Development Canada, the one-day digital conference will feature inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities enabled through AI-powered entrepreneurial matchmaking, live chat rooms, and themed networking rooms.
“We have a number of inspiring and trailblazing entrepreneurs who will be joining us, women leading across tech, finance, social impact, consumer goods and more,” said Cannings, who is also the emcee for the conference.
“They are each navigating growth and building inclusive teams. Their stories will help other women leaders feel seen, informed, and will equip attendees with new strategies to move forward. Their varied paths to success highlight that there is no single blueprint for women in business, and that is exactly what makes this community so powerful,” Cannings said.
Topics to be covered during the conference include sales (pricing, packaging, and closing), the entrepreneurial mindset, growth strategies for women-owned businesses, diversification and export strategies for expansion, and using AI to simplify marketing and save time.
Conference registrants will be able to stream all mainstage programming live, choose workshops, interact with other attendees from across the country, and replay anything they may have missed after the event. Local live viewing parties will also be available, with locations to be announced.
“The most powerful outcomes of the StrikeUP conference are the connections that are built and the inspiration that attendees walk away with,” Cannings said.
“The stories that bring us the most joy are when we hear that a partnership was sparked at the conference, or that a woman who was thinking of entrepreneurship took the leap and started her own business using the tools and strategy provided at StrikeUP,” Cannings explained.
“These success stories are what drive us. Our goal is to make meaningful, measurable impact across Canada’s women entrepreneurship ecosystem because when women move forward in business, communities and economies grow stronger with them.”
For more information about StrikeUP 2026, including the full agenda and a list of all speakers, and to register, visit strikeup.ca.
Over the past five years, StrikeUP Canada has engaged more than 22,000 women entrepreneurs nationwide through its programming.
