A Year of Growth, Impact, and Ecosystem Building
Dear Friends,
What a transformative year 2024 has been – both for me personally and for Volition as an organization. Returning from maternity leave in May, I was struck by how much had shifted in our ecosystem. The economic uncertainty, the rapid evolution of AI, and the persistent challenges in accessing capital equitably had everyone questioning their place in this changing landscape.
These shifts led us to really listen – to founders, to partners, to our community. We learned that founders want more interactive, case study-driven training that dives deep into strategy. We heard from partners about their desire to connect and align, to address ecosystem fragmentation while navigating resource constraints. And through it all, we kept asking ourselves: How can we contribute to building a more equitable and vibrant innovation ecosystem?
Celebrating Our Impact in 2024
2024 Collage of Images including: Invest Ottawa IWD 2024, Neurosphere Demo Day, StartupFest with partners and friends (and 1-year-old Izzy!), IP Workshop with Paul Brassard, SheBoot 5-year anniversary and cohort finale, and more!
This year took us across Canada – from Vancouver to Ottawa to Montreal – where we witnessed firsthand the incredible work happening in our startup communities. Some highlights we're particularly proud of:
Our Grow Now Program thrived, serving 52 women-led companies across four cohorts with over 30 hours of dedicated 1:1 advising. Our partnership with the Centre for Women in Business continues to expand our reach in supporting women entrepreneurs across Canada.
Celebrated a fantastic partnership with SheBoot, delivering a 6-part Capital Series and 40 hours of coaching. As Katie LeClair, Program & Marketing Manager, shared, "Our overall workshop score jumped from 61 to 79...that direct result was tied to us working with Volition, because the level of program we were able to deliver was at a higher level." There's something special about working with founders and partners who are not just building companies, but reshaping what leadership looks like.
We delivered over 28 specialized workshops and roundtables, including new offerings like our Data Room Q&A Roundtable.
Insights from Our Ecosystem Research
I'm excited to share a preview of our 2024 Ecosystem Snapshot (full report coming soon!). Our research revealed clear funding pathways as the dominant concern keeping ecosystem leaders up at night, with over three-quarters ranking it in their top three priorities. This was particularly acute for women-focused organizations, where 80% ranked it as a top-two concern.
What's fascinating is how this ties into our findings about collaboration: organizations show a strong appetite for working together, yet systemic barriers often prevent this desire from becoming reality. This disconnect between desire and action presents both a challenge and an opportunity for meaningful change.
High level findings from our 2024 Ecosystem Snapshot, highlighting Top 3 concerns on ecosystem partner minds (Funding Pathways, Ecosystem Fragmentation, Data Collection & Measurement)
Looking Ahead to 2025
Building on these insights, we're expanding our focus on research and advocacy work in 2025. Our upcoming research initiatives will tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing women founders in our ecosystem, while exploring innovative ways to strengthen knowledge-sharing between organizations. We're excited to share more details about these projects in the coming months as we work to build more effective bridges within our innovation ecosystem.
I'm deeply grateful to our team, including our dedicated Project Coordinator, Gaby Cepeda, key advisors, and the many partners and community leaders who've engaged in thoughtful discussions to help evolve our programming. Your insights and collaboration have been invaluable in shaping our approach.
Stay tuned for our early 2025 workshop lineup! Building on the success of our fall 2024 programming – which received fantastic feedback for its interactive elements and practical approach – we're continuing to iterate and enhance our content using proven, data-driven methodologies.
A Personal Note
This year reminded me why I love this work so much. Despite the challenges of returning from maternity leave and navigating organizational changes, your energy and dedication to building something meaningful has been incredibly inspiring. Every founder story, every small win, every "aha moment" in our workshops – these are what make our work worthwhile.
On this note, I’d like to share some words from my dear friend and Managing Partner, Paul Brassard, ‘In these rapidly evolving times, particularly with emerging technologies transforming our landscape, there's truth in the saying 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.' I remain consistently amazed by the awe-inspiring work of individuals in our startup community. Being part of their journey, offering support along the way—this is a legacy I hope will endure even as companies, people, and technologies continue to evolve. Thank you to everyone involved for all that you do.”
Thank you as well, for being part of our journey this year. Whether you're a longtime partner, a founder we've worked with, or new to our community, you've helped shape what Volition is becoming. Here's to continuing to build a more equitable, collaborative, and vibrant ecosystem together in 2025.
With gratitude and excitement for what's ahead,
Melanie Ewan
Managing Partner, Volition
P.S. Want to stay updated on our upcoming programs and research releases (including that ecosystem report I mentioned)? Drop me a line at melanie@volitionadvisors.com – I'd love to make sure you're first to know what's coming.
