We Thrive BC is the program designed to support women entrepreneurs across British Columbia—especially newcomers, racialized women, and equity-deserving groups—by providing gender-informed, culturally inclusive business training and peer support. We provide free workshops and personalized one-on-one consultations to support you in starting or thriving in your business. This program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, in partnership with WeBC.
Join us and build a successful business together. Click to join us.
Workshop Topics include:
• Access to Capital & Financing Readiness + Starting a Business
• Business plan writing
• Cash flow management
• Marketing and communications
• Customer service & sales skills in a Canadian context
• Building partnerships and connecting with local communities
• Starting a business in BC
• Digitalization, technology & AI tools
Who should attend:
Women or individuals who self-identify as women and are currently starting or running a business, particularly those located in the Okanagan region and other communities outside Metro Vancouver and Victoria.
Important Note:
Registered women entrepreneurs will receive exclusive online classroom access details for each session two weeks, one week, and three days in advance via email.
We Thrive BC Free Workshops
📌 First Session | Live Online Workshop
Finance for Women Entrepreneurs:
Access to Capital & Financing Readiness + Starting a Business
Speaker: Archana Samtani Singhania, WeBC
Date and Time: Thursday, January 15 | ⏰ 6:00–8:00 pm
>> More about the first session
Speaker: Archana Samtani Singhania
Archana doesn’t just advise entrepreneurs, she equips them with the strategies, confidence, and occasionally the tough love they need to launch and scale their businesses. With 15+ years in business development, strategy, sales, and marketing, she has helped ventures across food production, retail, international trade, and beyond find their footing and grow.
As a FITT-certified Business Advisor at WeBC, Archana blends her MBA training with real-world entrepreneurial scars (and victories) to deliver advice that’s not just practical, but actionable. She’s known for cutting through the noise, asking the questions you were hoping nobody would ask, and mapping a path forward that actually works in the real world.
Beyond work, Archana is equally committed to exploration, whether it’s getting lost in a Kindle book, testing the endurance of her hiking boots, or negotiating snack rations with her young son on family treks. She believes strategy should be smart, life should be adventurous, and humor is an underrated business skill.
(from https://news.we-bc.ca/webc_team/archana-samtani-singhania/)
Program Sponsor:
Previous Workshop:
OCCA, in collaboration with WEBC (Women’s Enterprise Centre of BC) and BDC (Canada’s official government financial agency for entrepreneurs), is conducting an initiative to better understand and help the needs of small and medium-sized business owners, as well as individuals planning to start a business across British Columbia.
This session will provide practical guidance and expanded 1-on-1 support for women entrepreneurs and racialized minority founders.
Date and Time: December 3rd, 2025 | ⏰ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Venue: BDC Boardroom, Kelowna Innovation Centre
