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2026 EY/CQCC Pitch Competition
February 19 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with EY, invites CQCC’s certified suppliers and OUT for Business entrepreneurs to participate in the 2026 Virtual EY Pitch Series. This series comprises three Pitch Sessions throughout the year, offering selected participants the opportunity to present their pitches to a panel of judges within a 10-minute timeframe. Judges will provide constructive feedback and tips to help entrepreneurs enhance their selling techniques to corporate buyers.
The pitch competition is only for CQCC’s certified suppliers and OUT for Business Entrepreneurs. For a more robust understanding of what the EY Pitch Competition will entail, join us for an Info Session on February 19th, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET . This is a great opportunity to gain knowledge about the application process and what to expect at this year’s competition. This webinar will go over details of the pitch competition, you will get to meet past participants and will end with a Q&A.
Format of the 2026 EY Virtual Pitch Series:
- Each round will feature at least three participants.
- The order of presenters will be randomly selected before the presentations.
- Presentations are limited to two individuals from each participating company.
- Each participant will deliver a ten-minute presentation focusing on their service and value proposition.
- A two-minute warning will be given, and presentations must conclude after ten minutes.
- Presenters must use visual presentations. (PowerPoint, slides, Canva, Figma, etc.)
Prizes:
Winners of each round will be paired with mentors to prepare for the Finale in May.
- Best Pitch: Full scholarship to the Supplier Diversity Professional Excellence, Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth (approximate value: $4,000USD).
- Runner Up: To be announced.
- Third Place: To be announced.
Dates (Subject to change):
- MARCH 26 | 1-3 PM ET
- APRIL 16 | 1-3 PM ET
- MAY 7 | 1-3 PM ET
- FINALE in June. Dates to be announced.
You will receive a calendar invite for your slot upon registration if you get in! Participants are selected on first come, first served basis.
Mentorship:
After the last pitch session on May 7th, each finalist will be paired with a mentor from EY, who will receive up to four hours of one-to-one mentoring to perfect their pitch.
Judging:
EY will secure a minimum of 5 judges for each session and the Finale. Candidates will be assessed on a scale of 1-5 for the following criteria:
- Presentation materials
- Verbal communications
- Non-verbal communications
- Use of time
- Communication of core service(s)
- Value proposition
EY is committed to maintaining a diverse supplier base and building relationships with suppliers that reflect the market, clients and communities they serve. EY seeks to actively identify, develop, and do business with diverse suppliers as an integral component of its procurement activities. Their Inclusive and Sustainable Procurement team drives the supplier diversity initiative at EY to promote supplier inclusion.
Registration closed.
2026 EY Pitchers
Round 1 – March 26th
Our Team
LeBlanc Leadership Group helps organizations build stronger leaders and high-performing teams through executive coaching, team development, and leadership programs. Our work focuses on creating clarity, accountability, and cultures where people and performance grow together.
Our Landing Place is a 2SLGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent affirming mental health clinic supporting clients through an intersectional and anti-oppressive lens across Canada. We offer consulting and training services to individuals and organizations to help them expand their understanding of and increase their ability to work with 2SLGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent folks.
Second Nature English is a gamified fluency training ecosystem built on pattern recognition and authentic language integration. We help learners move beyond translation and develop the cognitive ability to naturally think and communicate in English.
Round 2 – April 16th
Our Team
Neolé helps leaders and teams think clearly during the day and sleep soundly at night. Through facilitation, team development, and NeuroPerformance Coaching, we enable caring leaders to sustain high performance without burning out.
Nabat Health Center is BC’s first queer forward, trans inclusive health clinic dedicated to people of color, and the first clinic within Fraser Health to explicitly provide gender affirming care and abortion services.
PDLG helps organizations address the costly breakdowns that occur when leaders lack the relational and conversational capacity required to lead complex teams.
Round 3 – May 7th
Our Team
Frankie D’s Donuts is a queer-owned social enterprise born from community conversations about mental health, suicide prevention, and other hard conversations shared over sweet treats. We now scale those conversations nationwide through our Conversations That Matter card decks, helping workplaces and communities create braver spaces for honest conversations that reduce loneliness and build connection.