Community Success & Support Hub

Explore our Alberta 2SLGBTQIA+ resource directory for essential community supports. Access specialized entrepreneur funding, newcomer settlement services, and affirming health resources.

We connect queer entrepreneurs and individuals to organizations championing inclusive growth across our province, and Canada.

Entrepreneurship, Funding & Professional Development

This section focuses on business growth, grants, and career advancement.

Entrepreneurship:

Business-Friendly Support (City of Edmonton): Provides one-on-one customized support for local business owners at all stages. This service offers a single point of contact to help navigate City permits, business licenses, zoning, and home-based business regulations, as well as access to local business webinars and workshops.
Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC): National hub for certification, mentorship, and supplier diversity.
2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program: National funding and business development support.
QueerTech: QT Founders Catalyst Program: 12-week accelerator for tech entrepreneurs.
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE): Mentorship and funding for women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs.
Futurpreneur: Inclusive Startup Financing: Startup loans and mentorship for founders aged 18–39.
Start Up Canada: Curated 2SLGBTQIA+ Entrepeneurship Resource Guide
Women and Gender Equality Canada: Federal department that advances gender equality through funding, research and policy development.
Flip the Script: Free online program for women/ non-binary people looking to secure investor funding.
Fundica – Online business funding search tool for Edmonton business owners.

Banking and Financial:

BDC Growth Financing: Loans and advisory for growth-oriented businesses.
TD 2SLGBTQ+ Business Banking: Dedicated advisors and funding navigation tools.
Scotiabank: Supplier diversity and inclusive business networks.
Backstage Capital: Funding and mentorship for under-represented founders.

Government & Agency Grants:

Canada Business Benefits Finder: Tool for finding grants and loans.
Alberta Innovates: Research and innovation funding.
Canada-Alberta Job Grant: Support for workforce training.
Government of Canada Prairies Economic Development Initiave: Funding for diversification, development, innovatioon, partnership for small- and medium-sized enterprises

Professional Networking:

Start Proud: Platform for students and early-career professionals.
Board Ready Women (BRW): Preparing gender-diverse professionals for board service.
Pride at Work Canada: Workplace inclusion training and advocacy.
QueerYeg– Directory of queer and queer-friendly businesses in Edmonton.

Refugee & Newcomer Settlement

Dedicated resources for those seeking asylum or settling in Canada.

A Guide for LGBTQI+ Asylum Seekers Crossing the Canada-U.S. Border (Haven): A comprehensive toolkit designed for individuals navigating the asylum process between the U.S. and Canada. It provides essential information on the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), legal disclosure, and maps of ports of entry, alongside curated lists of housing and health services.
Rainbow Railroad: Global support for LGBTQI+ people facing persecution.
RaricaNow: Edmonton-based advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ refugees.
Newcomer Centre: Edmonton-local settlement services and integration.
End of the Rainbow Foundation: Calgary-based 2SLGBTQI+ supports
My Refugee Claim: Information and navigation for the refugee claim process.
Queer Refugee Hearings Program Toolkit: Specialized resources for legal hearings.
Organismes d’aide à l’établissement | Région de Peel: Settlement help for French-speaking newcomers in the Peel, Ontario-region.
Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention: Refugee settlement program support.
FCJ Refugee Centre: Orientation and resources for those seeking asylum.

Community Organizations & Health Supports

Local support networks, health resources, and crisis intervention.

Alberta Health Services 2SLGBTQI+ Resources: Government of Alberta Health Information
Pride Centre of Edmonton: Social, health, and cultural programs.
Brite Line: Edmonton’s dedicated 2SLGBTQIA+ mental health and wellness helpline.
Edmonton 2-Spirit Society: Programs for 2Spirit, IndigiQueer, and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ communities.
Calgary Outlink: Support, education, and referrals for the Calgary community.
Skipping Stone: Affirming care for trans and gender-diverse youth and families.
Centre for Sexuality (Calgary): Health education, counselling, and host of Camp fYrefly.
The altView Foundation: Resources for Strathcona County and surrounding regions.
Regional Pride Organizations: Calgary Pride, Central Alberta Pride (Red Deer), and Pride YMM (Wood Buffalo).
JusticeTrans: Legal resources and information for trans and non-binary people.

Research & Resources

Explore a curated collection of data-driven insights, academic research, and evidence-based toolkits designed to inform advocacy and empower the 2SLGBTQIA+ community with actionable knowledge.

Gender Diverse Experiences in Albertan Healthcare– Reasearch-based report by Cupola Policy & Strategy in partnership with the University of Alberta’s Nursing Leadership Program.
Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters Blueprint Project – Resources and supports for 2SLGBTQI+ peoples experiencing domestic violence.
Empowering 2SLGBTQIA Workers in Energy – Guide to creating safer, more inclusive work from the office to the field.
Rainbow Entrepreneurship Research Roundtable Infographic (GATE at Rotman) – A research-based visual summary from the Gender and the Economy (GATE) hub at the Rotman School of Management. This infographic provides data-driven insights into the unique barriers and success factors for 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs in Canada, distilling complex research into actionable knowledge for queer founders.
Building Bridges: Anti-Racism and 2SLGBTQI Inclusion (Egale Canada) – A comprehensive toolkit and resource series that explores the vital intersection of systemic racism and 2SLGBTQI identities. It provides actionable strategies and educational insights to help organizations and individuals foster authentic inclusion through an anti-racist lens.
QueerTech Research Reports & Data (QueerTech): Access first-of-its-kind research into the Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ tech ecosystem. Their flagship report, “Queering the Tech Ecosystem,” provides critical data on workplace harassment, hiring discrimination, and leadership gaps, offering actionable frameworks for companies and founders to build more equitable tech environments.

Arts, Culture & Advocacy

Organizations using research and art to drive social change.

Calgary Queer Arts Society (CQAS): Using film and art to share stories; hosts Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival.
The Rainbow Pages: Comprehensive resource directory for the community.
The Diversity Institute: Research hub for inclusive entrepreneurship and policy studies.
Egale Canada: National advocacy for 2SLGBTQI+ human rights.
Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity: Research and community programming.
Rainbow Alliance for Youth of Edmonton: shares the diverse stories of 2SLGBTQI+ youth in the city.

Help Us Grow Our Directory

We strive to keep this hub as comprehensive and up-to-date as possible, but we know our community is always evolving. If you know of a resource, local business, or community group that should be featured here, please let us know.

Our Commitment: Your suggestions help ensure that no member of our community is left without the tools they need to thrive. Whether it is a new granting agency or a grassroots support group, we value your input in building a stronger network for all.