Canada's First National Hub for 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurs Launches in 2026

Canada's first national strategy to support 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs will reach a major milestone next year. The Rainbow Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (REKH), a groundbreaking initiative, will unveil its online database on March 14, 2026. The launch follows years of work to address longstanding gaps in data and resources for queer-owned businesses across the country.

The project began in 2023 when the Government of Canada selected the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC) to run the world's first $25 million 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program. Over $3 million of that funding went toward REKH, which has since built Canada's first national research infrastructure focused on queer entrepreneurship.

REKH is led by the Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity in partnership with the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Its goal is to centralise evidence-based support for a community that, despite contributing over $22 billion in economic activity and employing more than 435,000 people, has historically lacked coordinated research.

The upcoming launch will feature an in-person event with a livestream option. The online database will provide resources tailored to 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs, filling a critical need for accessible, data-driven support.

The launch of REKH marks a turning point for 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs in Canada. For the first time, a national system will gather and share insights into their challenges and opportunities. The hub's database aims to strengthen support for a sector that plays a major role in the country's economy.