Canada's Total Mom Pitch hosts a national business search and pitch program designed to support and spotlight women entrepreneurs through access to non-dilutive funding, national exposure, and meaningful business opportunities.
Each year, 100 semi-finalists are selected and narrowed down to 5 finalists, who take the stage live for the opportunity to receive non-dilutive funding and business support.
In addition to the Pitch program, the program also features 11 Recognition Award Categories celebrating outstanding businesses, founders, and brands across a variety of industries. These awards are presented in partnership with leading North American brands and organizations.
Please review the categories and criteria for full award descriptions, eligibility requirements, and submission details. Award recipients will be announced live on stage during the Pitch Finale and will receive national media and PR exposure, along with cu rated gifts and opportunities provided by our sponsors, partners, and presenting category partners
General ApplicationGROUP
Canada's Total Mom Pitch is a national business program open to Canadian entrepreneurs. Submit your application to be considered for the Top 100 semi-finalists. From there, five founders advance to become the Top 5 Finalists and take the stage live on February 10, 2027 competing for $50,000 in funding and business support.
Total Mom Pitch Application
Description
This is the one. Canada's most recognized business pitch program for entrepreneurs is back and we are looking for our next founder.
One Winner will walk away with $50,000 in funding and business support designed to move a real business forward and accelerate real growth.
But the prize is just the beginning. Every applicant who makes it to the Top 100 gets access to our national media and storytelling campaign, Top 100 Webinar Calls with industry leaders, funding pathways and a powerful community of founders on the same path. Our Top 5 finalists take the stage live on February 10, 2027 in front of leading brands, media and decision makers for the pitch of their lives.
Applications open June 1st and close September 14th.
Criteria
| Problem & Solution |
| Business Model & Growth Potential |
| Traction & Validation |
| Founder Story & Leadership |
| Pitch Quality & Use of Opportunity |
Recognition AwardsGROUP
The Recognition Awards are open to any Canadian entrepreneur ready to have their business celebrated. Submit your business across one of 11 categories and be recognized on a national stage alongside Canada's top founders.
Women's Financial Independence Award
Description
She didn't start a business to get rich. She started one to get free. Financial independence doesn't happen overnight; it's built through hard decisions, late nights, and the refusal to give up. This award honours the mom entrepreneur whose business became her path to financial freedom, whether she started to survive or to thrive. This isn't about wealth. It's about what she built to get there.
Requirements
- You are a mom and a business owner
- Your business has been a meaningful part of your path to financial stability or independence
- You have a story of financial challenge, resilience, and transformation to share
- Your business shows evidence of revenue, growth, or a clear sustainability trajectory
Criteria
| Demonstrated business revenue or measurable financial growth |
| Clear founder-led journey from financial challenge to stability or scale |
| Evidence of resilience: setbacks faced and overcome |
| Business shows sustainability, profitability, or a growth trajectory |
| Personal and business transformation are deeply connected |
Trailblazer Entrepreneur Award
Description
She didn't just build a business; she built a category. The Trailblazer Entrepreneur Award honours the entrepreneur who has broken barriers, scaled a significant business, and demonstrated market leadership through visibility, innovation, and sustained success. This is the flagship award: the one every established founder wants on her shelf and every national brand wants their name on.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur with an established, scaling business
- Your business has generated $2M+ in total lifetime or cumulative revenue
- You have demonstrated industry leadership, media visibility, or category influence
- You are actively shaping your industry and setting new standards
This Award support self-submission as well as third-party nomination. If you know a woman deserving of this award please fill out this form to nominate her! She will receive an email inviting her to complete a submission for this award.
Nomination Form
Criteria
| Minimum $2M+ in total business revenue (lifetime or cumulative) |
| Demonstrated industry leadership or category influence |
| Proven business scale, traction, or market expansion |
| Strong brand presence, recognition, or media visibility |
| Evidence of innovation, disruption, or category advancement |
| Founder-led business with a clear executive leadership role |
Women in Tech & AI Innovation Award
Description
She didn't need a computer science degree. She needed a better way to run her business. This award celebrates the entrepreneur who has harnessed technology and AI to build smarter, scale faster, and do more without burning out. Whether she automated her back office, used AI to supercharge her marketing, or built an entirely digital-first operation, this is the award for the founder who figured out that working smarter is the ultimate competitive advantage. No technical expertise required. Just results.
Requirements
- You're a woman entrepreneur who has embraced digital tools, software, automation, or AI to run or grow your business
- Technology has meaningfully changed how you operate, whether that's a full automation stack or simply the right app at the right time
- No tech background required, if you're using Shopify, QuickBooks, Canva AI, or ChatGPT, you already qualify
- You have real results to share: time saved, revenue grown, costs reduced, or a business that runs smarter than it did before
Criteria
| Use of technology, digital tools, automation, or AI to improve business operations, efficiency, or growth |
| Demonstrated business impact: measurable gains in time, revenue, cost savings, or customer experience |
| Practical, real-world adoption: tools don't need to be complex, but results need to be real |
| Evidence of scaling or growing the business without proportionally increasing overhead or team size |
| Clear integration of tech or AI into the day-to-day running of the business |
Women in Sports & Performance Industry Award
Description
She saw the rise of women's sport coming, and she was already building. This award celebrates mom entrepreneurs leading businesses within sports, fitness, wellness, performance, and athletic industries during a historic moment for women's sport in Canada. Whether she's coaching, building brands, creating platforms, or running facilities, this founder is at the intersection of sport and business. The game has changed, and she changed it with it.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur with an active business in sports, fitness, athletics, or performance
- Your work contributes to women's visibility, participation, or leadership in sport or wellness
- Your business has demonstrated growth, community impact, or industry influence
- You are engaged with athletes, teams, communities, or wellness ecosystems
Criteria
| Active business in sports, fitness, or performance-related industry |
| Contribution to women's visibility or participation in sport |
| Business growth or community impact |
| Leadership or advocacy within the space |
| Engagement with athletes, communities, or wellness ecosystems |
Women's Health & Wellness Innovation Award
Description
She saw a gap in how women's health was being served and she built the solution. This award honours mom founders building impactful businesses in health, wellness, mental health, femtech, or holistic care that improve the wellbeing of women, families, or communities. This isn't just about building a business. It's about building a better system for the women the old one was never designed to serve.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur with a business in health, wellness, mental health, or femtech
- Your product, service, or platform is designed to improve the wellbeing of women, families, or communities
- Your approach is innovative, you are doing something differently than what already existed
- Your business is driven by a clear mission or purpose beyond profit
Criteria
| Business operates in the health, wellness, mental health, or femtech space |
| Clear impact on well-being or quality of life |
| Innovation in approach, service, or delivery model |
| Demonstrated customer or community engagement |
| Strong mission-driven or purpose-led foundation |
Food & Culinary Entrepreneurship Award
Description
She started with a recipe and built a brand. The Food & Culinary Entrepreneurship Award recognizes mom entrepreneurs in food, beverage, hospitality, or culinary innovation who are building meaningful businesses rooted in culture, community, and storytelling. This is the award that will produce the best testimonials, the best media moments, and the most social sharing of any category on this list.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur with an active business in food, beverage, hospitality, or culinary innovation
- Your business has a story rooted in culture, community, or personal passion
- You have built customer loyalty or demonstrated market traction
- Your business has grown beyond just an idea, you are actively selling, serving, or producing
Criteria
| Active business in food, beverage, hospitality, or culinary innovation |
| Demonstrated brand growth or community recognition |
| Strong storytelling or cultural connection to the product or service |
| Customer loyalty or market traction |
| Evidence of product or service excellence |
Green & Sustainable Economy Award
Description
She built a business that's good for the bottom line and good for the planet. The Green & Sustainable Economy Award celebrates mom founders building environmentally conscious or socially responsible businesses with measurable sustainability impact or ESG-aligned practices. This isn't about greenwashing. This is about the founder who made sustainability the foundation of her business model.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur whose business is built around sustainability, environmental responsibility, or social impact
- Sustainability is a core part of your business model, not an add-on or marketing message
- You can point to measurable environmental or social outcomes your business has created
- Your business aligns with ethical production, circular economy principles, or ESG values
Criteria
| Clear sustainability or environmental focus at the core of the business |
| Measurable impact or operational commitment to ESG principles |
| Innovation in sustainable business practices |
| Alignment with the circular economy or ethical production |
| Evidence of industry or community influence |
Exporting & Beyond Borders Award
Description
She built something worth exporting, and then she did it. The Exporting & Beyond Borders Award recognizes mom entrepreneurs who have taken their Canadian business across borders, whether that's shipping products to the U.S., landing clients in the U.K., or building partnerships in markets they had to figure out from scratch. This isn't about being a multinational. It's about the founder who saw demand beyond Canada and found a way to meet it.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur who has started selling or operating outside of Canada
- You have real export activity, active sales, clients, partnerships, or distribution beyond our borders
- You've moved past the idea stage, this is about tangible steps taken, not plans in progress
- Your business is proof that Canadian-made products, services, or expertise have a market beyond home
Criteria
| Active export sales, clients, or distribution outside of Canada |
| A clear and intentional approach to entering or growing in international markets |
| Evidence of cross-border partnerships, distribution channels, or client relationships |
| Real operational experience navigating the challenges of exporting |
| A growth trajectory that demonstrates this is more than a one-time transaction |
E-Commerce Breakthrough Award
Description
She didn't need a storefront; she needed a strategy. The E-Commerce Breakthrough Award honours standout online businesses demonstrating exceptional growth, strong brand positioning, and scalable digital commerce success. Whether she's on Shopify, Amazon, social commerce, or her own DTC platform, this award is for the founder who cracked the code of selling online.
Requirements
- You are an entrepreneur whose business operates primarily online or through a digital-first model
- You have demonstrated meaningful growth in revenue, traffic, or customer base
- You have a clear digital marketing or sales strategy that is working
- Your e-commerce business has scalable systems or infrastructure in place
Criteria
| Primary business operates online or through a digital-first model |
| Strong growth in revenue, traffic, or customer base |
| Effective digital marketing or sales strategy |
| Scalable systems or e-commerce infrastructure |
| Brand clarity and strong market positioning |
Design & Interiors Excellence Award
Description
She doesn't just decorate spaces. She transforms how people feel inside them. This award celebrates mom entrepreneurs who have built remarkable businesses in interior design, architecture, home décor, staging, or design-adjacent industries. The winner isn't just a talented designer. She's a founder who built a business around her vision and whose work leaves a lasting mark on every space she touches. This is where craft meets commerce, and beauty meets business.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur working in interior design, architecture, home décor, staging, or a related design discipline
- Your business is active and client-facing — you are designing, building, decorating, or producing for real people and real spaces
- You have a portfolio of work that demonstrates your aesthetic, craft, and creative vision
- You can speak to the business you've built alongside the work you create
Criteria
| Active business in interior design, architecture, home décor, staging, or design services |
| A portfolio demonstrating creative excellence, aesthetic vision, and quality of craft |
| Evidence of business growth: a client base, project history, or brand presence |
| Strong storytelling: the ability to articulate the vision, process, and impact behind the work |
| Contribution to elevating design standards, accessibility, or community within the industry |
Emerging Founder Award (Rising Star)
Description
She's past the starting line, and she's picking up speed. This award recognizes mom entrepreneurs who are 2 to 4 years into building their business and already showing the traction, vision, and momentum that signals something big is coming. This isn't about potential alone. It's about the founder who has done the hard early work, proven her concept, and is ready for what comes next. This is the award every established founder wishes had existed when she was in her second or third year, figuring it out, making it work, and refusing to quit.
Requirements
- You are a mom entrepreneur who is 2–4 years into building your business
- You are past the idea stage, you have paying customers, real traction, and momentum you can point to
- You have a clear vision for where your business is going and a track record that shows you are already on your way
- You are committed to entrepreneurship and navigating the very real balancing act of building a business while raising a family
Criteria
| Business is 2–4 years in operation |
| Clear and executable business model with demonstrated founder-led vision |
| Evidence of meaningful traction, paying customers, revenue growth, a significant partnership, or notable market exposure |
| Demonstrated resilience: she has faced the hard early years and kept building |
| High potential for scalability or long-term impact beyond the current stage |
