Unscripted: How Bias Shapes Investor Decisions — and How We Change It (Panel discussion)
Women and Gender-Diverse founders are asked different questions — and it costs them millions in lost investment.
Join the Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce for an unfiltered and deeply needed conversation during Toronto Tech Week as we bring together investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders to examine one of the most persistent barriers in entrepreneurship: bias in investment decision‑making.
Despite the innovation, resilience, and economic impact of women and gender‑diverse founders, funding gaps remain staggering. This panel goes beyond the statistics to explore the real dynamics at play — the assumptions, narratives, and unconscious biases that shape who gets funded, who gets overlooked, and what we can collectively do to change the system.
Unscripted means exactly that: an honest, unapologetic dialogue about the structural and cultural forces that influence investor behaviour. Our panelists will share their lived experiences navigating the investment landscape, from pitching to gatekeepers to challenging outdated norms about what a “successful entrepreneur” looks like. Investors will also speak candidly about the pressures, blind spots, and decision‑making patterns that shape their choices — and how the industry can evolve toward more equitable, evidence‑based practices.
Together, we’ll explore:
How bias shows up in pitch rooms, due diligence, and portfolio strategy
The myths and stereotypes that continue to shape investor perceptions
What founders can do — and shouldn’t have to do — to navigate biased systems
How investors can adopt more inclusive frameworks and accountability measures
What collective action across the ecosystem could look like
Designed for founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and anyone committed to building a more equitable and inclusive entrepreneurial economy, the conversation will be bold, practical, and grounded in real‑world experience, with space for meaningful connection, reflection, and action.
This event is part of Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce’s Flip the Script Investment Readiness Program a self‑paced online learning experience that helps women‑identified and non‑binary entrepreneurs master a communication style proven to secure up to 60% more funding from investors through a licensed CanWCC AI‑powered training simulation.
For more visit : www.canwcc.ca /https://fts.canwcc.ca/
Toronto Tech Week is a citywide celebration of the people building what’s next. From May 25–29, 2026, founders, investors, and builders come together for hundreds of community-led events across Toronto, connecting tens of thousands of people around Canadian tech. Torontotechweek.com