Gender Lens Investing in Practice: A Peer Learning Model from Esplanade

SVX had a conversation with Céline BOUQUEREL and Yolène Rosello from Esplanade Québec to learn how they’ve built the Perspectives Investisseurs Community of Practice, a peer-driven learning initiative supporting institutional and venture capital firms as they begin (or deepen) their journey into gender lens investing. 

In this fireside chat, Celine and Yolene share lessons from building trust across Quebec’s investment ecosystem, the power of learning circles, and why proximity, not perfection, drives change.  

SVX: Celine let’s start at the beginning. What is your experience in the investor education space? How did you start working with the community of practice? 

Celine: My background is in investor relations with publicly traded companies. When I moved to Canada from France, I decided to study social innovation to make a greater impact. Joining Esplanade and launching the Perspectives Investisseurs program was an unexpected but natural fit. It allowed me to combine my experience in capital markets with my growing interest in social equity. 

At the time, I’d never heard of gender lens investing. So, I started from scratch, reading, listening, and learning. It reminded me of when ESG principles and responsible investing first began to gain traction. I also didn’t know the Quebec investment landscape very well, so it was a rapid immersion into both the ecosystem and the concept. 

Fortunately, several key players including BDC Lab, Fonds Evol, and Réseau Capital joined us from the outset. We launched during the pandemic, asking participants to meet virtually every other week for three-hour sessions, with homework in between. It was bold, but it worked. That first cohort built the foundation for everything that’s followed. 

SVX: Yolene, when did you join the community of practice? 

Yolene: I joined Esplanade at the same time as Celine, but I was running a different program initially. Even so, I was really drawn to what was happening with Perspectives Investisseurs. We talked about it often. A few months in, I volunteered to join the initiative because I saw its potential and wanted to contribute. 

Before this, I worked as a biomedical mechanical engineer in mostly male-dominated environments. So, coming into a space where we were intentionally working on equity in finance, and being surrounded by women asking difficult, necessary questions, was energizing. 

As the program evolved, so did our organization. The Community of Practice didn’t just teach external partners; it changed us internally too. For example, in the first year, we didn’t know how to thoughtfully include non-binary entrepreneurs. We didn’t feel equipped. A year later, we updated how we talked about gender and embedded what we learned across all Esplanade’s programs. 

SVX: What makes this community approach different from a typical training or accelerator? 

Celine: We weren’t just delivering knowledge. We were learning alongside participants. That’s the essence of a Community of Practice. It’s peer-driven and organic. Each session built on what the group needed and was curious about. It wasn’t a fixed curriculum; it was a shared inquiry. 

We invited guest experts, particularly investors, who could speak from experience. And we were intentional about making this a mixed space, men and women, junior analysts and senior partners, big funds and small funds. Everyone had something to learn. Everyone had something to share. 

Yolene: Yes, and the structure supported that. For example, we started with a learning circle where each participant named what they didn’t know and wanted to understand better. When everyone’s vulnerable like that, it creates safety. People weren’t afraid to admit they didn’t have all the answers. 

It also helped Esplanade acted as a neutral host. We weren’t advocating for a specific product or trying to sell something. We created a safe space to explore complex questions like how each fund defines a “women-led” business, and how inconsistent definitions impact data collection and strategy. 

SVX: What were some key insights that surprised you during the sessions? 

Celine: One realization was how isolated some investors felt in their interest in gender equity. Once they saw others around the table doing the same work, they didn’t feel like outliers anymore. That collective energy was important. 

Another surprising insight came from simple exchanges. We had institutional investors tell us they rarely meet entrepreneurs directly. So, we set up opportunities for them to speak with founders not through formal pitches, but informal, honest conversations. That alone shifted perspectives. It humanized challenges and opportunities in a very real way. 

Yolene: It also showed us how much language matters. We realized that people used the same words like “gender lens” or “diverse founder” but meant different things. That lack of shared vocabulary can be a real barrier to progress. We started working toward clearer definitions so we could align and measure consistently. 

SVX: And how do you keep momentum going as new members join and the community grows? 

Yolene: That’s been one of our biggest challenges. This year, we nearly doubled our participant base. It’s great, but we quickly saw the need for onboarding tools. We’re developing ways to bring new members up to speed with the key learnings from year one. There’s so much knowledge, recordings, notes, Miro boards but we haven’t yet packaged it. 

Even so, my energy is strong. We had a snowstorm recently, and we thought no one would show up. But it ended up being our most well-attended session ever. 

Celine: It helps that we’re rooted in a physical hub. Most participants are connected to Espace CDPQ in Montreal. They already know each other or at least know of each other. That helps build trust quickly. We’ve also experimented with different meeting times and formats to keep things accessible and engaging. 

SVX: What advice would you give to others trying to start a similar initiative? 

Celine: Start by acknowledging that this is complex work. There’s no quick fix. It’s not just about increasing the number of women-funded businesses, it’s about changing the conditions that limit equity in the first place. That takes time, reflection, and collective effort. 

Make space for people to be honest about what they don’t know. Don’t expect a single model to work for everyone. Let it grow based on what your participants care about. 

Yolene: And share your stories. We need more success stories, not just from entrepreneurs, but from investors. What did they do differently? What changed because of it?  

We’ve seen that when communities like this take root, they can drive real institutional change. But only if we’re willing to listen, adapt, and keep showing up. 

SVX: Looking ahead, do you see potential for this work to scale beyond Quebec? 

Celine: Absolutely. The model is adaptable. The key is building trusted space, places where investors can be honest, ask real questions, and connect with peers who are also trying to do better. That’s how we build momentum across institutions and regions. 

Some of the funds we’ve worked with, like Raven Capital and BKR, are already bridging geographic and thematic priorities. There’s real potential to connect dots across ecosystems. 

Yolene: And we need to. Resources are limited. Sharing learnings across communities' successes, challenges, and strategies makes this work stronger. But we also need to tell those stories clearly. 

One thing we’ve talked a lot about is the importance of investor success stories. What does it actually look like when a fund makes a meaningful change? It doesn’t have to be revolutionary. Sometimes it’s small and specific like hearing about a company that shifted its late-night work schedule by just one hour and was suddenly able to hire 12 more women mechanics. That’s what systemic change can look like. 

Celine: We’ve even imagined pitching GLI, gender lens investing like a startup. What if we had a shared deck or a collective message across firms and events, whether at Startupfest or other gatherings? Not as a competition over who had the idea first, but as a collaborative vision for change. 

SVX: That’s powerful. Any final reflections? 

Yolene: I’d just add that this isn’t a destination; it’s a process. Year one was a success. Year two is working. But we’re still learning and evolving with every session. The more of us that show up, the further we can go together. 

Celine: And we’re not here as experts. We’re participants, too. That’s what makes this a true Community of Practice.