WBE Canada welcomes partnership with Riipen.

Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada) is excited to announce our new partnership with Riipen, a project-based learning platform helping educators, organizations, and learners collaborate on real industry projects to bridge the gap between education and employment.

Founded in 2013, Riipen connects businesses with talented learners through real-world projects.  Companies and organizations are able to use the platform to partner with students through short-term, task-based experiences that create real impact while building the workforce of the future.  Their flexible scalable programs let businesses including SMEs and non-profits solve business challenges, access diverse talent, and identify potential future hires. Riipen’s Employer Success team provides hands-on guidance  allowing employers to focus on impact, not logistics. According to Riipen’s 2025 employer stats, 47% of the SMEs using Riipen are woman-founded or owned.

Riipen’s clients are businesses looking for additional support but may not have the budget to hire full-time. Through Riipen, they can tap into incredible student talent, with partially or fully subsidized programs through funding from the Government of Canada’s I-WIL initiative. Many SMEs and especially women-owned businesses face persistent challenges as they struggle to find candidates with the right skills, with 40% identifying skills shortages as a major competitive challenge. Not having dedicated HR professionals also limits the ability to find qualified, diverse talent.  For women-owned businesses, this partnership will bring more women into the workforce and provide cost-effective opportunities for certified women business owners to source skilled professionals for projects and business growth.  

“This partnership adds another resource for our community by creating opportunities to engage learners on real projects with a flexible way to access talent while supporting workforce development and business growth for both WBEs and corporate partners,” said Danielle Barkman, Director of Marketing & Business Growth at WBE Canada.

Riipen shares that “we are delighted to be partnering with an organization that values creating opportunity and removing barriers to ensure all Canadians can pursue innovation, and we relish the chance to share our student talent resources for women entrepreneurs to achieve their business goals and create meaningful relationships with the next generation of workforce.“

WBE Canada’s Partners such as Riipen, collaborate closely with WBE Canada to support the growth of certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs).  Our partners are organizations that want to actively contribute through thought leadership, content, educational resources, and engagement opportunities while building relationships within a national supplier diversity network.

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For more information about Riipen: www.riipen.com

For more information about WBE Canada  www.wbecanada.ca

To Learn more about becoming a Supporter with WBE Canada  partner@wbecanada.ca

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Posted in News & Updates and tagged Partner WBE Canada, Riipen, Supporter WBE Canada, women-owned business

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