Youtube | Spotify | Send a voice note
*Please note: The following post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any of these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We recommend products/services we personally use and believe will benefit you.
Picture this: You’ve poured months into perfecting your business pitch, created detailed financial projections, and finally gathered the courage to apply for funding. Only to be told your service-based business “doesn’t tick enough boxes” or that maybe you should bring your husband in to co-sign.
This crushing reality has happened to countless Canadian women entrepreneurs, and it’s exactly why Erin Sisko left her comfortable 17-year banking career to change the game entirely.
Today, she’s the founder of The Elleiance Network and creator of Canada’s largest collaboration project for women entrepreneurs: the Capital L Business Impact Award. From accidentally starting a networking group to mobilizing $50,000 in funding for “unfundable” women-owned businesses, Erin is rewriting the rules of who gets funded and why.
In this eye-opening episode of the Coaching with Impact podcast, Erin joins host Fifa Tran to expose the hidden barriers keeping women from accessing capital and share her blueprint for building the social connections that change everything.
The “Unfundable” Myth That’s Keeping Women Small
“Every day is a fresh start. You don’t need to have it all together; you just need to take the next step.” — Erin Sisko
After 10 years of funding small and medium businesses at the Business Development Bank of Canada, Erin noticed something disturbing: her portfolio was almost entirely male-owned businesses. When she finally started asking women entrepreneurs about their biggest challenges, the answer was universal—making the right connections.
But the deeper she dug, the more she uncovered a systematic problem. Women entrepreneurs, especially those in service-based businesses, hospitality, food & beverage, and creative industries, were being labeled as “too risky” by traditional funders.
The cruel irony? These businesses become risky precisely because they can’t access the capital they need to thrive.
The Three Funding Buckets (And Why Most Women Miss Them)
Erin breaks down capital access into three main categories:
1. Grants – Government and foundation funding with specific criteria and application processes.
2. Traditional Banks & Credit Unions – Conventional lending with collateral requirements and risk assessments.
3. Private Capital – Angels, VCs, and friends & family funding with varying terms and expectations.
Each bucket has different rules, requirements, and criteria—making the system overwhelming for entrepreneurs whose expertise lies in running their business, not navigating funding complexities.
The problem isn’t that women are less capable or more risk-averse. Statistics actually show that when women do secure funding, their businesses deliver 60% better ROI than male-owned businesses. The issue is systemic barriers and unconscious biases that keep deserving entrepreneurs out of the funding ecosystem entirely.e.
Building Social Capital: The Foundation of Everything
Before you can access financial capital, you need social capital—the relationships, connections, and trust that open doors to opportunities.
Erin’s approach starts with making it a priority:
- Put It on Your Calendar – Treat relationship-building like any other critical business function. Schedule time for it, track it, and commit to it consistently.
- Set Clear Intentions – Decide specifically who you need to meet. Whether it’s five valuable connections in three months or finding podcast hosts in your industry, clarity creates focus.
- Stay Open to Magic – Once you’ve set the intention, opportunities will appear everywhere—from LinkedIn scrolling to chance encounters at Staples. The key is recognizing them when they show up.
Trust the Process – As Erin discovered, when you decide something is going to work out for you, the universe tends to align. But it requires both intention and action.
The Capital L Business Impact Award: Flipping the Script
What started as an email to 10 women asking “if I start a group, would you come?” has evolved into a $50,000 award program specifically designed for traditionally “unfundable” businesses.
The 2025 Capital L Business Impact Award features:
- 29 partners (up from 9 in 2024)
- $50,000 in total prizes (up from $20,000)
- Support for three Canadian women-owned businesses
- Focus on service-based, hospitality, food & beverage, and creative industries
Applications open September 2nd, and the program specifically targets women who have felt invisible, denied, or unsupported by traditional funding models.
The Collaboration Revolution
Rather than trying to do everything herself, Erin has built a business model rooted in collaboration and energy protection. She limits herself to manageable client loads, delegates what drains her, and partners with other coaches to serve more women without burning out.
This collaborative approach extends to the award itself—bringing together 29 partners who believe in supporting women entrepreneurs and want to be part of changing the funding landscape.
Your Next Step Starts Now
Erin’s message is simple but powerful: your current situation doesn’t define your future, but your willingness to take the next step does.
Whether that’s setting an intention to build five new relationships this quarter, researching funding options for your industry, or simply believing that you deserve access to the same opportunities as anyone else—the path forward begins with a single decision.
As Erin reminds us: “You get to choose what wealth looks like for you.”
About Erin Sisko
Erin Sisko is the founder of The Elleiance Network and creator of the Capital L Business Impact Award. After 17 years in banking and business funding, she left her corporate career to address the systemic barriers keeping women entrepreneurs from accessing capital.
Through coast-to-coast mastermind groups and strategic partnerships, Erin is building Canada’s largest collaboration project for women entrepreneurs—one connection at a time.
You can follow Erin on Instagram @elleiance and LinkedIn at Erin Sisco or The Elleiance Network.
Ready to Break the “Unfundable” Label?
If you’re a Canadian woman entrepreneur who’s been told your business is too risky, too small, or doesn’t fit the mold, the Capital L Business Impact Award might be exactly what you need. This isn’t just about the money—it’s about joining a movement that’s redefining who gets funded and why.
The 2025 award specifically supports service-based businesses, hospitality, food & beverage, creative industries, and other traditionally overlooked sectors. With $50,000 in total prizes supporting three businesses, this could be the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.
Applications for the 2025 Capital L Business Impact Award open September 2nd. Learn more and apply at: https://www.elleiance.ca/impact-award-2025
