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10 Women-Owned Businesses in Toronto to Discover in 2026

Discover 10 women-owned Toronto businesses across food, fashion, wellness, sports, hospitality, books and local culture in 2026.

By AD18 Editorial
Woman small business owner opening a flower shop

Toronto’s independent business scene is shaped by entrepreneurs working across everything from food and fashion to wellness, sports, hospitality and the arts.

Women-owned businesses are an important part of that mix, and there is strong current interest in discovering and supporting women entrepreneurs across the city. Destination Toronto published an updated 2026 guide specifically highlighting women-owned businesses across Toronto.

For this guide, AD18 Local looked for Toronto businesses whose women ownership or founding is supported by current public information.

This is not a ranking and we are not claiming these are the “best” women-owned businesses in Toronto. It is a selection of interesting businesses worth discovering across different industries and neighbourhoods.

Editorial transparency: No business paid for inclusion in this article. Inclusion is editorial and is not an endorsement or ranking.

1. Her Game Toronto

Toronto’s women’s sports scene is having a major moment, and Her Game Toronto has built a community around it.

Co-founders Casey Campbell and Jessie Vasseur created the platform to celebrate Toronto’s professional women’s teams, highlight female athletes and build a stronger community of women’s-sports fans.

That mission feels particularly timely in 2026 as Toronto’s professional women’s-sports ecosystem continues to grow.

For anyone interested in basketball, hockey, soccer or the growth of women’s sports in Canada, it is a Toronto-grown community worth watching.

Explore related Toronto businesses →

2. Chocolat de Kat

If supporting local sounds better when chocolate is involved, Chocolat de Kat is an easy business to notice.

Founded by Kata Ambrus, the Toronto chocolatier is a female-founded, family-owned business known for handcrafted, hand-painted bonbons and creative flavour combinations.

It is a good example of a Toronto food business that took a highly specific product and turned it into a recognizable local brand.

Discover more local food businesses →

3. Grape Witches

Grape Witches was founded by Nicole Campbell and Krysta Oben and has developed into a distinctive part of Toronto’s wine and hospitality scene.

The company combines retail, hospitality, events and education, with a particular focus on natural wine.

Part of the business’s appeal is its approachable style: wine discovery is presented as something social and interesting rather than something that requires expert knowledge.

Discover more Toronto food and hospitality businesses →

4. Made You Look Jewellery

Parkdale’s Made You Look Jewellery is more than a conventional jewellery store.

Founder and owner Sarah Dougall opened the business in 2001 after studying Jewellery Arts at George Brown College. Her idea was to create a space where independent jewellers could both make and sell their work.

Today, Made You Look represents more than 100 Canadian jewellery designers, while roughly 20 independent jewellers create their work onsite.

For shoppers, that means a purchase can support not only one local storefront but a broader network of independent Canadian designers.

Browse more Toronto retailers →

5. SMYTHE

Toronto fashion label SMYTHE was founded by longtime friends Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe.

The company began with a focus on women’s tailoring and has since expanded into a broader ready-to-wear fashion brand. SMYTHE describes itself as an independent Toronto-based business overseen by its two founders.

The brand has achieved recognition well beyond Toronto while continuing to maintain its local roots.

SMYTHE is a useful reminder that supporting Toronto businesses does not necessarily mean limiting yourself to tiny neighbourhood storefronts. Local companies can grow into internationally recognized brands too.

Explore more Toronto shopping businesses →

6. Ode Toronto

Ode Toronto offers an alternative to the large hotel brands that dominate much of the city’s accommodation market.

The boutique hotel was opened by Tiffany Ramsubick with members of her family and is identified by Destination Toronto as Black-, woman- and queer-owned.

The business takes a deliberately neighbourhood-focused approach, emphasizing local art, nearby independent businesses and community experiences.

For travellers looking for a smaller Toronto stay with a distinctly local identity, it is one of the city’s more interesting independent hospitality businesses.

Explore Toronto accommodation businesses →

7. Nutbar

Founder and CEO Kate Taylor Martin created Nutbar after several years of research and development, opening its first location in Toronto’s Summerhill neighbourhood in 2016.

The business focuses on smoothies, coffee, snacks and meals built around whole-food ingredients.

Since its first location, Nutbar has expanded across Toronto, demonstrating how a focused local food concept can develop into a multi-location business.

It is also a good example of how changing consumer interests — in this case around wellness-oriented food — can create room for new independent brands.

Discover more Toronto food businesses →

8. Pure + Simple

Pure + Simple has been part of Toronto’s skincare and wellness landscape for more than two decades.

The business was founded by Jean Eng, with daughter Kristen Ma also playing a major role in developing the company. The pair are widely described as the mother-daughter founders behind the brand.

Pure + Simple combines skincare treatments with its own product lines and has expanded to multiple locations.

Its longevity makes it particularly interesting. Plenty of businesses open; considerably fewer manage to maintain a recognizable local brand for decades.

Find more Toronto beauty businesses →

9. TYPE Books

Toronto still has room for independent bookstores, and TYPE Books has built a substantial presence across several neighbourhoods.

Co-owners Joanne Saul and Samara Walbohm met while pursuing doctoral studies in literature at the University of Toronto. Their shared interest in books and literary culture eventually led to TYPE.

The independent bookstore now operates locations on Queen Street West, in the Junction and in Forest Hill.

Beyond selling books, TYPE hosts literary programming and events, helping its stores function as community spaces as well as retailers.

Browse more Toronto retailers →

10. Grey Gardens

Kensington Market’s Grey Gardens is one of the Toronto restaurants associated with restaurateur Jen Agg.

The restaurant has received recognition from the MICHELIN Guide and is among the businesses highlighted in Destination Toronto’s current women-owned-business coverage.

Agg has also become a prominent voice in Canada’s hospitality industry, particularly around workplace culture and sexism in restaurants.

Grey Gardens represents another side of women entrepreneurship in Toronto: established operators who influence both where people eat and conversations about the industry itself.

Discover more Toronto restaurants and food businesses →

Why supporting independent Toronto businesses matters

Supporting local does not mean every purchase has to come from an independent business. It can be something much simpler:

  • trying an independent restaurant
  • booking a local service provider
  • buying a gift from a Toronto retailer
  • attending a community event
  • discovering a business you had never heard of before

Those choices help support entrepreneurs, workers and neighbourhood commercial areas across the city.

And this list shows how broad women’s entrepreneurship in Toronto actually is. It includes food and hospitality, fashion, jewellery, wellness and skincare, accommodation, sports and events, books and culture.

There is no single model for what a women-owned Toronto business looks like.

Discover more independent businesses across Toronto

The businesses in this article are only a small sample of what Toronto has to offer. AD18’s Toronto Business Directory lets you explore businesses by category.

If you operate a Toronto business that is not currently listed, AD18 also gives businesses a way to add themselves to the Directory.

Information in this article was reviewed August 31, 2026. Ownership, locations and business operations can change. Check directly with a business for current information before visiting or making a purchase.