Uvaro Teams Up with BDC Capital for New Chapter of the Thrive Venture Fund Scholarship

Waterloo, ON – October 12, 2022 - Uvaro and BDC Capital’s new Thrive Venture Fund have teamed up to reduce barriers and increase women’s access to high-quality employment with upward mobility in the ICT sector.

An article published by Forbes last year highlights the importance of support networks, training and mentorship opportunities for women in tech. With Uvaro’s focus on building community in support of individual career success, providing more women with mentorship and coaching opportunities to land a position in the tech industry just makes sense. Uvaro’s dedication to diversity and inclusion is a natural progression from their core values of community-building and employee empowerment.

A total of 20 recipients will be awarded a fully subsidized scholarship to cover a Uvaro course and 2-year membership. Eligible recipients for the scholarship must self-identify as a woman, reside in Canada, and be accepted into the Uvaro tech sales program. For those selected, the scholarship is applied directly to the tuition for the 12-week Uvaro tech sales course, including the additional resources such as coaching sessions, and access to workshops that a Uvaro membership encompasses.

The tech sector must continue increasing efforts to address disparity in gender representation,” says Donna Litt, Co-Founder and COO of Uvaro, a tech sales career accelerator. With studies showing that women are twice as likely to have been laid off during the pandemic versus their male counterparts, re-training scholarships are critical to ensuring that women are able to successfully secure employment, especially with recovery efforts underway.”

BDC Capital has made it a priority to support the growth and success of women entrepreneurs at every stage of their business, through access to financing, capital, advice, and resources. It has just announced its new $500 million Thrive Venture Fund, dedicated to investing in women-led technology companies and helping to build a robust ecosystem to support women in tech today and in the future.

Our goal is to help propel more women into the tech industry through this in-market program that provides practical training and opportunities,” said Michelle Scarborough, Managing Partner, Women in Technology and Thrive Venture Funds, BDC Capital. The number of women playing strong leadership roles in technology and innovation is growing, and we know we are just seeing the beginning.”

Recent recipient of the scholarship, Uvaro Member Sarah Corcoran said "This scholarship has provided me the ability to continue my education with Uvaro and grow as a women in Tech. I see this scholarship as an investment in my future within the tech industry.” Sarah joins a growing cohort of women who are breaking into the tech industry through programs made accessible via scholarships designed to elevate underrepresented groups.

For program and application information, check out the BDC Capital Scholarship page on Uvaro’s website. For more details on the new Thrive Venture Fund please visit BDC Capital’s webpage.

About Uvaro

Uvaro is on a mission to help the world's professionals lead more fulfilling careers. Our career success platform provides training, paid apprenticeships, and career development services that help members land successful roles in tech and support them from their first day on the job to the last few minutes of their retirement party. Uvaro members succeed more, earn more, and launch new careers within 3 weeks. Learn more at uvaro.com

AboutBDC Capital

BDC Capital is the investment arm of BDC, the bank for Canadian entrepreneurs. With over$3 billionunder management, BDC Capital serves as a strategic partner to the country’s most innovative firms. It offers businesses a full spectrum of capital, from seed investments to growth equity, supporting Canadian entrepreneurs who have the ambition to stand out on the world stage. Visitbdc.ca/capital.

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Media contact: Hana Barkowitz |hana@prlab.co