Twenty-five women entrepreneurs are currently participating in the Communitech Fierce Founders bootcamp right now, a program for early-stage female founders in tech. Montreal-based Josette-Renée Landry of Streamline Genomics is one such participant.

The bootcamp helps the 25 founders develop their business models, collaborate with mentors, and learn to pitch. Structured in two parts, the program helps them prepare for Pitch Day on February 15th where they will have the chance to win up to $100,000.

“I think it was a tweet from Communitech that a friend had passed on to me,” Landry told MTLinTECH about hearing of the opportunity. “It’d be great to win some of the funds at the end, the $100,000 prize. But more than that, it’s actually the networking opportunity and the chance to be surrounded by 24 other female founders in tech.”

Streamline Genomics was founded in the fall of 2017, and was part of the Montreal chapter of the Founder Institute’s fall cohort last year. The company is developing a platform to help clinicians be able to benefit from genomic sequencing for their diagnoses.

“The Founder institute was really critical in accelerating the company from an idea in Summer 2017 to a concrete company with pilot users and a real product by the end of it.”

“This is a strong group of women from all over North America running unique businesses, from a shared marketplace for parents, to an immigration assistant that incorporates artificial intelligence,” said Kelly McGregor, Fierce Founders program manager at Communitech. “We’re already impressed with them and can’t wait to see how they grow as business leaders and entrepreneurs.”

Including Landry’s completion of the Founder Institute, this will be her second structured startup-focused program. And the model really works for her.

“It ensures that there’s traction, that you’re always hustling and always working on your company.”

The full list of accepted founders and companies includes:

• Chrissy Rossiter, Peachy (St. John’s, NL)
• Harpreet Bain, AVA Technologies (Vancouver, BC)
• Josette-Renee Landry, Streamline Genomics (Montreal, QC)
• Natasha Dhayagude, Chinova Bioworks (Fredericton, NB)
• Erika Murray, Date Mua (Toronto, ON)
• Nagiz Mammadova, Destin AI (Toronto, ON)
• Sarah Juma, Style ID (Kitchener, ON)
• Daryna Kulya, OpenPhone (Kitchener, ON)
• Kara Holm, Play the Field (Nova Scotia, CA)
• Margaret Finan, IfthenGiving (Buffalo, NY)
• Monika Jaroszonek, Ratio.City (Toronto, ON)
• Kate Dye, Hilite (Kitchener, ON)
• Lisa Pfister, PFERA (New Brunswick, CA)
• Jen Stokes, ChezDine (Hamilton, ON)
• Anita Grant, Fleeky (Stoney Creek, ON)
• Krysta Traianovski, BrightGuide (Kitchener, ON)
• Stephania Stefanakou, House of Anesi (Toronto, ON)
• Erin Laidley, Innovative Protein Technologies (Kitchener, ON)
• Serese Selanders, ORA (Saskatoon, SK)
• Charlene Nadalin, Amintro (Toronto, ON)
• Sophia Dizon, Bucketpoints (Toronto, ON)
• Maya Strasser, Jauntin (Toronto, ON)
• Nancy Ortenburg, CEI (Oakville, ON)
• Keira Devine, Parental Marketplace (New Brunswick, CA)
• Ally Baker, FurEvery (Kitchener, ON)