PITCH With a Twist - Celebrating International Women's Day

Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

5:30PM to 7:30PM EST

Join us on March 4th, 2026, to support women entrepreneurs at Pitch with a Twist, a competition dedicated to breaking down barriers and celebrating innovative ideas from diverse voices. In honor of International Women’s Month, this event will highlight the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of women-identifying innovators.

Experience inspiring ventures as finalists showcase their startups at interactive booths, allowing judges and attendees to engage directly with these talented entrepreneurs. The event will also feature a panel of women-identifying judges who will evaluate each startup.

Attendees can look forward to exceptional speakers sharing their journeys and insights, offering valuable lessons in entrepreneurship. This is a unique opportunity to network with leading companies and immerse yourself in the excitement of entrepreneurship in action.

Applications for pitching close on February 23rd, 2026

Speaker:

Kayli Smith (she/her)

Passionate about transforming the packaging industry through sustainability, Kayli Smith is the founder of Friendlier, leading the charge in transitioning from single-use to reusable solutions. With a background in chemical engineering and a steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship, Kayli fuses technical expertise with a dedication to sustainable practices. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact, Kayli is driven by the vision of establishing a circular packaging supply chain that minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency.

Eligibility Criteria

Must have a self-identified woman founder or co-founder.
Have an idea or an early-stage start-up that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Submission to uphold equity and inclusion practices, which includes “creat[ing] a climate of understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of each person”, in keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Registrants must be a student or alumni of the University of Toronto; OR participants of any of the U of T CLA/Incubator programs.
Product or service idea must not be in the market (pre-launch)
Must be incorporated in Canada
Less than $25k in investments (Angels, VCs, grants) as of February 17th, 2026
Less than $50k in revenue earned as of February 17th, 2026

All finalists must be able to:

Available to showcase the venture at a booth to judges for the duration of the event
U of T students and alumni are strongly encouraged to register and complete the free UTE IP Education Program – Level 1 modules (~2 hours) before the competition.

Important Dates:

Applications open: January 22nd, 2026
Applications closed: February 23rd, 2026
Event: March 4th, 2026 5:30pm – 7:30 pm

Applications for pitching close on February 23rd, 2026

Prizes

$10,000 in cash prizes
1:1 Coaching Package: Powering startup growth with Product-Market Fit
- If you’re a startup founder looking to get your first few customers or you’re just beginning to scale with a few hundred thousand in revenue – there’s one milestone that will make or break your business: that’s Product-Market Fit. With this 6-month coaching program (1hr session per month) you can expect to learn the foundations of launching a successful startup, assess where you stand, and what you need to do to improve and achieve fit with 3 core strategies that drive growth. Miss this at your own peril, poor Product-Market Fit is the #1 reason for startup failure! This coaching package is run by Chris Bardos, a product commercialization and growth expert with 14 years in the trenches. He drives growth for early-stage, venture-backed founders by maximizing product-market fit, so teams can go from pushing their product, to having the market pull it from them. Past teams hit Canada’s Fast 50 and raised >$53M. See www.chrisbardos.com
Booking Keeping/Account Support: A set of financial statements, Corporate income tax return, Sales tax return, T4/T5 slips for founders/shareholders. See srjca.com

Judging Criteria

Problem Statement: Clearly defined, communicated, solution solves problem.
Venture Concept (Feasibility): Unique (patent, trademark, trade secret), innovative customer validation, experience with concept.
Size of Opportunity / Competition: Scalable, market, customers, competitive environment, innovation.
Validation/Traction: Demonstrated interest from potential clients or growth in sales or users.
Business Model: Operationally feasible, financially attractive, investment required to get to market.
Marketing/Sales/Partnerships: Distribution network established / accessible, potential for revenue, partnership opportunities.
Strength of Entrepreneur/Team: Leadership, experience, commitment, coachable, team experience, understand missing skills.
Global Considerations: Does this idea incorporate any of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals? (i.e. poverty, education, clean water, etc.).
Equity/Intercultural Lens: Inclusive, reaches a diverse audience; aspires to have a positive impact on underrepresented groups.