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National Founder Network
A coast-to-coast community of disability-led founders, peer mentors, and advisors.
A national initiative
Canada's first national ecosystem for disability-led entrepreneurship.
CDEN connects, supports, and accelerates entrepreneurs with disabilities — from idea to scale.
- 0M+
- Canadians with disabilities
- 0+
- Founders supported by Year 3
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- Integrated pillars
The need
“A significant segment of Canada's potential founders remains underrepresented. CDEN exists to change that.”
More than eight million Canadians live with a disability. Yet entrepreneurs with disabilities face systemic gaps in capital, accessible programming, and institutional pathways — gaps that no single program can close alone.
CDEN was built to address this directly, grounded in the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the federal Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP).
We don't duplicate what exists. We coordinate, strengthen, and make it accessible.
Framework
Built on four integrated pillars.
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Accessibility-First Incubation
Programs co-designed with founders — flexible delivery, full accommodation, real outcomes.
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Capital & Market Access
Pathways to early-stage capital, procurement, and customers across public and private sectors.
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Institutional Integration
A coordination layer that aligns government, academia, incubators, and industry.
How it works
A coordination layer, not a competitor.
- Single point of entry for founders with disabilities
- Shared standards for accessibility across programs
- Coordinated capital pathways and procurement
- Cross-sector data, research, and measurement
- National visibility for disability-led ventures
Who we work with
Five stakeholder groups. One ecosystem.
Government
Anchors policy alignment with the ACA and DIAP.
Academic
Research partners and student talent pipelines.
Incubators
Existing programs, made accessible by design.
Nonprofits
Community trust and disability-led expertise.
Corporate
Procurement, capital, and market access.
Impact
Measured impact, year by year.
Year 1 · Pilot
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- Founder cohort across 4 regions
- Partner network operational
- Baseline measurement framework
Year 2 · Expansion
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- National program coverage
- Capital pathways activated
- Procurement partnerships live
Year 3 · Scale
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- Self-sustaining ecosystem
- Cross-sector integration
- Measurable economic impact
Commitment
Accessible by design, not afterthought.
Every CDEN program is built with — not for — entrepreneurs with disabilities.
Flexible delivery
Assistive technology
Co-design with founders
Accommodation support
Recognized accessibility standards
Get involved
Join Canada's most inclusive innovation ecosystem.
CDEN is currently seeking founding partners across sectors to shape the first cohort and the national framework.
- Government agencies and policy partners
- Academic institutions and research labs
- Incubators and accelerators
- Disability-led nonprofits
- Corporate partners and procurement leaders