By Yvonne Pilon, President & CEO, WEtech Alliance / Photos by: Anthony Sheardown Photography

There are moments that remind us just how powerful collaboration can be. At WEtech, collaboration isn’t just a value — it’s who we are. And this partnership felt like something truly special. 

On October 28, together with our friends at Libro Credit Union and the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), one of the largest volunteer run film festivals in Canada, we brought Show Her the Money to the WIFF stage as this year’s Women of WIFF feature film. A film that does not just tell the story of women entrepreneurs. It calls out the barriers, the bias, the missed opportunity, and the trillion dollar upside in backing women entrepreneurs.

As the lights came up, the theatre revealed a diverse mix of partners, supporters, funders, mentors, business owners, students, social innovators, entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, women, and allies at every age and stage of their journey. For a powerful moment, entrepreneurship truly took centre stage.

Show Her the Money does not shy away from the hard truth. Women make up half the population but receive only around 2 percent of all venture capital investment. And despite delivering stronger returns and more revenue per dollar invested, the funding gap persists.

The film follows real women entrepreneurs and real investors who are challenging that status quo. It points to countless innovations that have shaped our lives — many created by women — while spotlighting how much potential continues to go unseen and unsupported. One of the featured companies, Archer Roose Wines, founded by Marian Leitner Waldman, is bringing a more sustainable and accessible approach to wine. Her vision began with a simple idea: to enjoy a great glass of wine without having to open a full bottle. The company has since earned national attention, including a memorable and witty campaign featuring actor Elizabeth Banks that pokes fun at traditional wine marketing.

Because the challenge is not a lack of talent or ambition. It is a lack of visibility and access.

As the credits rolled, one reaction stood out clearly:  

To continue that conversation, we brought together a panel of leaders who are working every day to change this reality.

Moderated by Dr. Josianne Marsan, the new Dean of the Odette School of Business, our panel brought together:

• Lori Atkinson, Regional Director – Windsor Essex, Libro Credit Union and WIFF Board Member
• Brittany Charlton, Forbes 30 Under 30, Founder and CEO of Chocovate Labs
• Yvonne Pilon, President and CEO, WEtech Alliance

Our conversation picked up where the film left off, focusing on what it will take to shift that two percent number. We reflected on Canadian success stories like Joanna Griffiths of Knix, who faced skepticism and bias while raising venture capital, only to later sell 80 percent of her company for over 320 million dollars. A clear reminder that women led innovation is not niche. It is high growth, profitable, and investable. And the opportunity is only growing — the global femtech market is estimated to surpass 1 trillion dollars by 2027, yet still receives only a small fraction of venture funding today.

Brittany then shared her own entrepreneurial journey. From launching Ohh Foods after discovering her own allergies, to now building Chocovate Labs, a climate tech food company replacing cocoa with sustainable, scalable ingredients, she has experienced both the resilience and resourcefulness this path demands. Her message to fellow entrepreneurs was clear: know your numbers and your business. Because confidence in your metrics builds confidence in the people writing the cheques.

She also spoke about the importance of founders owning and sharing their stories. Women often feel pressure to be humble, yet as Brittany reminded us, visibility is not bragging. It is strategy. She even recommended the book  F*ck Being Humble as a reminder that self promotion is not self centered, it is necessary to scale.  She also encouraged founders to dive into Venture Deals to better understand the venture capital landscape and what it takes to raise successfully.

From funding disparities to advice to storytelling and confidence, the panel turned to a powerful question:

What would it take to start our own “Show Her the Money” movement here in Windsor Essex

Some early ideas included:

• Supporting more women led businesses with our wallets
• Sharing their stories and amplifying their wins on social channels
• Creating more local pathways for women to receive and write actual cheque

And perhaps the most meaningful example of that movement already taking shape came from a mother in the audience — a woman entrepreneur herself — who brought her daughter and their friends to the screening. She shared that the discussion they had together on the car ride home was powerful, eye-opening, and hopeful. This is what it’s about. In the words of local businessman and Windsor International Film Festival founder, Mark Boscariol, “The end of the film, is the beginning of the conversation”.

Whether you are building, scaling, or simply exploring the idea of entrepreneurship, there are many places to turn for support. Here are a few strong starting points.

If you are preparing for investment

If investment (or bootstrapping) is on your radar, these events, programs, and networks can help:

• Investment Readiness Night — November 6 with WEtech Alliance
• How to Bootstrap — November 4 (In-person and Virtual with Invest Ottawa)
• The Firehood — supporting women both building companies and writing cheques
• Windsor Essex Angel Capital Network — local guidance and investor introductions
• Women’s Equity Lab (WEL) — Canada’s first all-female angel fund