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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

ACCESS Community Capital Fund, 401 Richmond Street W, Studio 375, Toronto, ON (2026)

12/02/2025

Thank you to everyone who’s joined us for so far.
Your generosity fuels the dreams of entrepreneurs across Canada — from first-time business owners to community builders creating jobs and hope.

There’s still time to give and make a difference.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive economy.
Donate here: https://accessccf.com/donate-to-access/

11/20/2025

Behind every small business is a big dream — and often, someone who believed in it first.
ACCESS provides training, mentorship, and micro-funding to help entrepreneurs overcome financial barriers and turn ideas into reality.

This , your gift gives someone their start.
A $200 donation provides one entrepreneur with mentorship and training.
Donate now: https://accessccf.com/donate-to-access/

10/28/2025

Take your business to the next level! Our next business lab cohort runs from November 11 – December 23, 2025.

This program is designed for aspiring and established entrepreneurs who want to:

Learn essential business skills
Build strategies that drive growth.
Connect with a network of like-minded business owners
Whether you’re starting or scaling up, this course gives you the tools and guidance to succeed in today’s competitive market.

Limited spots available, apply now: https://accessccf.com/businesslab/

08/26/2025

The Ones We’d Never Know.
Behind every small business is a story. A dream. A person who just needs one chance.

At Access Community Capital Fund, we exist for those stories—especially the ones that might never be told without support. The newcomers with bold ideas. The women rebuilding after hardship. The entrepreneurs held back by systemic barriers, not lack of ambition.

Every year, hundreds of under-resourced entrepreneurs come to Access for support. And thanks to our donors, we’re able to offer what traditional lenders can’t: trust, mentorship, microloans, and opportunity.
But the need is growing—and we can’t do it alone.
- If you believe in inclusive economies…
- If you believe in entrepreneurship as a path out of poverty…
- If you want to support those who are building a better future for their families and communities…
Support Access today.
www.accessccf.com

05/09/2024

Shaza Mahmood's journey into the world of makeup artistry began with her love of makeup and fashion. Always the one to do makeup for her friends and family before big events, makeup – and the creativity that came with it – was a passion of hers.

Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, Shaza founded her own business, Makeup by Shaza, in the United Kingdom. There, she offered personalized makeup services tailored to her client's needs.

Although her business had been doing well, Shaza decided to attend law school, and the heavy workload that came with her studies meant she had to put her makeup business to the side. But Shaza's creative side and love for makeup never waned. Her entrepreneurial spirit and the allure of creative expression as a makeup artist always drew her back.

After moving to Canada and deciding to re-establish her business in a whole new country, Shaza's talent, dedication to her craft, and experience in the UK all contributed to her success. But running a business in a new country means different laws and regulations, and that's where ACCESS' Small Business Accelerator (SBA) Program came in.

"In the makeup industry, there's not much of a difference between the UK and Canada, but how businesses work, for example, with taxes, it's very different, so I often have to go back to the notes [from the SBA Program]," Shaza said. "The [SBA Program] also really helped me with my confidence, just to be like, 'I can do this; I have a business that is worthy of people to use.'"

🌟

Our Small Business and Women's Business Accelerator Programs are designed to boost confidence. Our expert volunteers guide our clients through the early stages of entrepreneurship. In fact, 88 percent of our clients who took an ACCESS program reported an increased sense of confidence in their business ideas.

For more information on our programs and how you can get involved, visit our website: www.accessccf.com

04/19/2024

In the late months of 2022, Satbir Walia saw ‘Volunteers Needed! Help us achieve our mission of empowering emerging entrepreneurs with the skills and funding they need to be successful!’ After looking more into ACCESS and aligning with our mission and purpose, Satbir decided to reach out for more information. It was not long after that she was facilitating sessions.

With a career as a corporate lawyer, Satbir is able to impart much of her expertise to our Clients in the accelerator programs, allowing our Clients to learn the legalities of starting and owning a business in Canada.

“I am an immigrant as well, so for me, a message I try to get across is to think of the law as something that enables you and your business as opposed to thinking it is something that you should be afraid of,” Satbir said. “In my perception, there is a lot of fear and not wanting to do something against the law, especially when you are a newcomer to a country, so try to see the law as something that will help you flourish.”

Although Satbir’s intention in volunteering with ACCESS was to contribute her skills to our mission, she often comes away from the sessions feeling inspired.

“Personally, I always find volunteering is a selfish experience for me, because I end up getting a lot more than I feel like I can give back,” Satbir said. “It’s always very inspiring hearing people’s ideas and business plans and what they set out to achieve.”

Happy National Volunteer Week to all of our Volunteers!. Your time, efforts, skills and commitment to our mission does not go unnoticed, and we will always appreciate YOU. If you're interested in getting involved with ACCESS, visit https://lnkd.in/eduf3BWZ

04/18/2024

Sarah Eichstedt joined ACCESS as a Volunteer in November of 2023, starting as the program coordinator for the Women’s Business Launch and now volunteering as the coordinator for the Small Business Accelerator Program. In this role, Sarah introduces the facilitators, makes sure the sessions run smoothly, and answers any questions that the participants or facilitators have.

As for why Sarah – the first-year university student and one of our youngest volunteers to date – decided to take time out of her busy schedule to volunteer at ACCESS? She connected with our mission.

“I’m really interested in equal opportunities for different marginalized groups, such as women or people who don’t have financial access to starting their business,” Sarah said. “As soon as the position popped up online, I was immediately interested.”

As a University of Toronto student studying accounting with a focus on data science, Sarah’s volunteer position doesn’t overlap much with her schooling; however, one of her favourite parts of the role is hearing different people’s stories. “[The participants] are so interested in what they’re doing, and they’re really passionate about their businesses,” Sarah said. “That’s what I like hearing most.”

Happy National Volunteer Week! A huge thank you to all of our amazing Volunteers! We couldn't do our work without you. If you are interested in getting involved with ACCESS, please visit our website for more information: https://lnkd.in/dkeZax7r

04/17/2024

Audrey Marie-Nely has been an ACCESS Volunteer since 2017. During her tenure, she has experienced all of the roles a volunteer at ACCESS can experience. Initially, Audrey was a part of the Loan Review Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she stepped into the role of a business mentor for an entrepreneur in the Women's Business Accelerator Program. "As a business mentor, seeing the growth of new entrepreneurs from start to finish in the program has been incredibly rewarding," Audrey said.

Recently, Audrey facilitated the public speaking session for the Women's Business Launch Program and was a panellist at the WBL's pitch competition, which occurs at the end of each cohort.

"I immigrated to Canada over a decade ago, and English isn't my first language. I was new to the North American culture where promoting ourselves is fundamental, so I am able to relate to the participants and share with them the importance of public speaking in Canada," Audrey said. "[Participants] need to be able to sell and explain [their] products and who [they] are as an entrepreneur; It's a very important skill that you must have."

Audrey has seen the support that ACCESS, and by extension, our Volunteers, give to our Clients.

"The participants are driven. But what I realized is that having an idea is just the beginning; what truly matters is the ex*****on and how you navigate the challenges ahead. That's why it's important to give them all the necessary tools," Audrey said. "I'm very happy to see an organization like ACCESS that can support entrepreneurs. The journey as an entrepreneur can be lonely sometimes, but ACCESS is there!"

Interested in learning more about the volunteer experience at ACCESS? Visit https://lnkd.in/et-aZhAa for more.

04/17/2024

“I didn’t have a lot of experience with working with newcomers to Canada before, but it seemed like an area that needed more attention than it’s getting in this country, so I thought I’d dip my toe in and see if it’s something that works for me,” Loren Kousaie said.

Loren has been an integral part of ACCESS despite only volunteering for just about one year. Initially drawn to facilitating for the Women’s Business Accelerator Program, Loren’s journey with us has been a dynamic and everchanging one, one where he embraces new opportunities as they arise.

“I’ve found that the role has been to kind of say, ‘Yes, I think I’d be interested in helping,’ and as it turns out, there are lots of different ways to help at ACCESS,” Loren said. His willingness to say yes to opportunities demonstrates not only his dedication to supporting the community that we serve but it reflects ACCESS’ goal of saying yes to our Clients who come to us looking for support.

Loren’s decision to volunteer with ACCESS stemmed from his desire to seek meaningful avenues to make an impact after transitioning away from his professional career. Serendipitously, Loren stumbled upon ACCESS, recognizing the opportunity to bring his professional background to assist newcomers to Canada.

“When I first got into it, I thought, ‘I’m gonna get to help people who want to be entrepreneurs but have no idea how to get started,’ but I quickly realized I would be learning so much more from them,” Loren said. “It’s an awesome experience to be part of for eight weeks and sometimes beyond.”

How can you get involved with ACCESS? Visit https://lnkd.in/dkeZax7r to view the exciting ways to make a meaningful impact on our Clients.

04/15/2024

It’s National Volunteer Week! As a non-profit organization with so many incredible volunteers, every National Volunteer Week is an exciting opportunity to tell their stories. Over the next week, we will be featuring five of our volunteers, delving into their roles and why they chose to volunteer their time with ACCESS. Today, we are excited to feature Leonard Dalipi.

💫

With a dynamic career in business consulting, Leonard had heard about ACCESS here and there. Aligning with our mission already, plus hearing great things about the volunteer experience at ACCESS through a couple of his coworkers who were already volunteers, Leonard decided he could find some time to volunteer himself.

“I am passionate about entrepreneurship, and I like to help entrepreneurs,” Leonard said. “ACCESS supports entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, so it has a great mission and vision, and what it does is just remarkable.”

Leonard has been an exceptional volunteer, facilitating the business ideation sessions for our accelerator programs, and our Clients often refer to those early sessions as some of their favourites.

“I enjoy getting to know the entrepreneurs and their stories of why they are passionate about starting their businesses,” Leonard said. “Also, having the opportunity to share my knowledge, I feel like I’m more of a coach providing some tools and materials so the entrepreneurs can use them. So that process of sharing the knowledge and being present with them is up there with things that I really enjoyed.”

Visit www.accessccf.com to learn more about how you can get involved with ACCESS!

03/07/2024

💪 How do you work to uplift the women in your life?

At ACCESS, we do this through our various programs. Our Women’s Business Accelerator and Women’s Business Launch Programs are made specifically to help women overcome the systemic barriers that hold them back at the early stages of their entrepreneurial careers.

This Women’s History Month, we wanted to feature the powerhouse entrepreneur Mallory Rowan. We asked the self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur if she had any advice for women entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of their businesses.

“Bet on yourself every time,” Rowan wrote to ACCESS. “Bet on yourself when you’re scared, when you’re doing something for the first time, when you have a dream you know you can accomplish.”

Rowan is the founder of three businesses in three different industries – a powerlifting apparel brand, a marketing business, and a real estate company – all before the age of 30.

“A woman’s intuition is strong, and sometimes we push it down because of fears: fear of not being good enough, fear of embarrassment from those who thought we were silly, fear of letting ourselves down,” Rowan wrote. “Trust your gut, it has the confidence you can lean on even when you lack it in the moment.”

~

In a recent survey, 91 per cent of the female respondents said the ACCESS program they took had a positive impact on their well-being by reducing the amount of stress surrounding starting their businesses, and 82 per cent of the female respondents reported feeling an increased sense of confidence in their businesses after taking an ACCESS program.

It is our hope that one day we will live in a society where everyone has access to the resources they need to achieve their financial and entrepreneurial goals. With your donation – which goes towards supporting our Clients – we know that one day that hope will be a reality.

Please support ACCESS this Women's History Month by clicking the link to donate: https://lnkd.in/eVHuFABX

03/07/2024

💐 What is your favourite thing about March?

For us, it's the fact that around the globe, countries are celebrating Women's History Month. Although technically in Canada Women's History Month is celebrated in October, we thought: a month so nice, we'll happily celebrate it twice 😉.

To celebrate the month of the woman, we reached out to Nadine Spencer – a businesswoman, activist, and philanthropist, for her insights on the importance of female representation in male-dominated industries. Spencer is a Jamaican-born Canadian and the founder and CEO of BrandEQ Group, as well as the founder of the Boss Women Entrepreneurship Training Program.

"Female representation in male-dominated industries isn't just about breaking barriers; it's about reshaping perspectives and fostering inclusivity," Spencer wrote in an email to ACCESS. "As someone who embarked on my entrepreneurial journey at the age of 12, I've witnessed firsthand the transformative power of women stepping into leadership roles."

Spencer has also witnessed the impact of seeing other women succeed through her program 'Boss Women.'

"When women bring their unique insights, creativity, and resilience to the table, they not only enrich the business landscape but also inspire others to pursue their dreams without limitations," Spencer wrote. "Embracing diversity isn't just a moral imperative; it's a strategic advantage that fuels innovation and drives sustainable growth in our communities."

🎯

In the last two years, 85 per cent of our Clients who participated in our various programs were women, and 43 per cent of our entire clientbase are women from all over the world who now call Canada their home.

These women bring new perspectives, ideas, skills, and experiences to Canada's entrepreneurial landscape, and often, the only thing holding them back is limited access to funding. Through our Small Business Loan Program, we say YES to women who have exhausted all their options seeking financing from traditional lenders – whether it be due to poor credit or a lack of credit. Additionally, our Accelerator programs get women to YES by shaping and nurturing their ideas and making their dreams of owning a business a reality.

How can you support the women of ACCESS this month? Find out 3 actionable ways at the link: https://lnkd.in/eduf3BWZ

ACCESS Community Capital Fund

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Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm