EMERGE Mentorship Program

MQCC’s Queer Entrepreneur Development Program

Are you a 2SLGBTQIA+ individual living in Manitoba? Are you thinking about starting a business or have recently started one, but could use some advice to scale up? Do you want to build community with other queer entrepreneurs and business owners? If you answered yes to these questions, consider being part of EMERGE!

In 2025, thanks to funding from the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Canada, the Manitoba Queer Chamber of Commerce launched EMERGE, the Chamber’s Queer Entrepreneur Development Program for Manitoba entrepreneurs in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to gain essential business skills and strategies and build a supportive network of mentors and colleagues in the process.

Through workshops, networking events, group discussions, and regular one-on-one meetups with their mentors, EMERGE participants increase their confidence and knowledge to start or grow their businesses.

Why Participate in EMERGE?

Starting and growing a business takes more than a good idea — it takes knowledge, strategy, support, and resilience. For entrepreneurs in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the journey can come with additional challenges: navigating systemic barriers, finding inclusive mentorship, and accessing spaces where identity is not just accepted, but celebrated.

The EMERGE program is intentionally designed to meet those unique needs. It offers queer entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop essential business skills — from marketing and finance to leadership and growth strategy — while being fully supported in their identities. Through expert-led workshops, hands-on guidance, and one-on-one mentorship sessions, participants will gain practical tools to build thriving, sustainable ventures and will join a powerful network of queer founders, mentors, and changemakers who understand the value of chosen family in business.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling up your business, EMERGE provides the foundation, the connections, and the confidence to move forward — not just as a business owner, but as your full self. Because when queer entrepreneurs have the tools and the support they need, they don’t just succeed — they redefine what success looks like.

Person holding microphone sitting on blue leather chair wearing plaid shirt and jeans

A person wearing a denim shirt, sitting in front of a whiteboard, laughing and holding a marker

Smiling shop owner in a striped shirt holding up a product

Two MQCC members seated at a table conversing

Timeline

The program runs in cohorts. The first cohort started in September 2025 and concluded in March 2026 with a finale event in conjunction with the MQCC Business Awards gala event. Future cohorts will run as funding allows. A series of evening and/or weekend workshops around various business topics is offered during the course of the program, and regular mentor-mentee meetups and group check-ins facilitated based on participant schedules.

Program Components

Launch Event

Kickoff event to officially launch the cohort. Participants will hear more about what’s in store for the cohort and begin their program journey with good food and good company. The broader MQCC community is invited to attend as well to celebrate the program’s launch, meet the mentors and mentees, and learn more about the program components. This event sets the cohort up for success and starts building connections between 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and professionals from the get-go.

Mentor-Mentee Meetups

Connections are a cornerstone of success in any entrepreneurial journey — and they hold unique, transformative value in the context of a 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneur development program. EMERGE’s Mentor-Mentee Meetups are designed to foster authentic connection, trust, and shared insight between queer-identifying mentors and participants navigating similar lived experiences in the world of business.

Mentors are matched with Mentees based on matching requests and the needs expressed in the applications. While there is no prescribed number of meetups required for Mentors and Mentees, we encourage both parties to determine the appropriate number of meetups based on their own needs and schedules. At minimum we recommend meeting at least three times throughout the course of the program.

Meetups may be done in-person, but in order to facilitate the participation of those who live in rural and more remote parts of Manitoba, other methods may be used, including video calls, phone calls, and/or emails. Although all aspects of the program will be conducted in English, there may be an opportunity for Mentor-Mentee Meetups to be in French, if we are able to match participants to a Francophone Mentor. / Bien que tous les aspects du programme se déroulent en anglais, il pourrait y avoir une opportunité pour les rencontres mentor-mentoré d’avoir lieu en français, si nous sommes en mesure de jumeler les participants à un mentor francophone.

Mentor-Mentee Meetups are designed to tackle questions such as:

What is it like being a queer business owner?
How do I meet my goals as an entrepreneur?
How can I navigate the challenges I might face in starting a business?
What advice do you have to someone who is just starting out in the business world?
And more!

Group Discussions & Activities

The EMERGE program includes a group orientation at the beginning for participants, as well as additional calls to provide a space for the group to connect with each other and share what they are learning in the program, how the meetups with their mentors are going, and any real-life challenges and successes they may be experiencing as a current or future entrepreneur. Other group activities may be offered to participants as scheduling permits. Participants are also encouraged to attend MQCC events to build their community connections.

Educational Workshops

Regular workshops focus on core business themes and provide participants with practical tools, templates, and case studies they can immediately apply to their businesses. The workshops address specific challenges faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs, with content tailored to diverse business sectors.

Workshops are led by experienced queer entrepreneurs and professionals. Topics may focus the following, as they relate to entrepreneurship and business:

Business planning & strategy
Financial literacy
Leadership, team-building, & collaborations
Operations & scaling
Marketing & branding
DEI & intersectionality
Truth & Reconciliation
Sales & business development
Legal & compliance
And more

In-person and virtual sessions are scheduled on the evenings/weekends and recordings are available in the video resource library following the event. Sessions are also open to the Chamber’s membership and the broader queer business community.

Wrap-Up Event

The wrap-up event celebrates the achievements and growth of the EMERGE participants. This final gathering spotlights participant progress through engaging presentations, offers valuable reflections from mentors, and highlights inspiring success stories and key takeaways from the cohort. The Chamber also shares insights that shaped this journey and invites feedback to help evolve and strengthen future iterations of the program.

Delivery Method

While the program is based in Winnipeg on Treaty One Territory, with in-person workshops and sessions held in various locations throughout the city, virtual participation is also available. Participants from rural Manitoba and more remote areas of the province may take part in video, phone, and/or email check-ins with mentors and have access to the workshops via video recordings following the events. Participants who live 25km or more from the Winnipeg perimeter are also eligible for a travel stipend to travel to and from the launch event and the final closing event. Additional travel stipends to attend the Educational Workshops in person may be made available as funds allow.

Cost

Thanks to funding from the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC) and the Government of Canada, the first program cohort was offered FREE of charge for participants. The cost of future iterations of the program will be assessed as funding is confirmed.