Leonore Weill is a student entrepreneur and community leader pursuing an Honours Commerce DEC at Marianopolis College. She is the founder of the Youth Founder Network (YFN), an initiative that supports young Canadian founders by giving them a platform to connect, network, share ideas, access opportunities, and gain recognition—regardless of where they live or their background.
Through YFN, she showcases young entrepreneurs and their projects, provides mentorship opportunities, and creates spaces for youth to learn from one another. To date, the network has grown to 5,000+ followers across its platforms and a community of 100+ young founders, with its content reaching more than 20,000 accounts.
What began as an online platform has grown into a youth-driven network. Leonore has now mobilized more than 30 young people as ambassadors, volunteers, mentors/mentees, and student leaders while building partnerships with Canadian businesses, nonprofits, startups, and youth-led organizations. She has hosted 40+ entrepreneurial discussions, featured and recognized 75+ young founders, onboarded 5 youth ambassadors, and supported 2,000 volunteer hours. YFN also connects members to entrepreneurial and leadership opportunities, with approximately 60% of its community having participated in an opportunity shared through the network, helping participants develop practical skills in areas such as pitching, project development, and launching their own ventures. She is also working to bring YFN into Canadian high schools, creating more opportunities for students to explore entrepreneurship and gain real-world experience.
Outside of YFN, Leonore is also actively involved in civic engagement, including internships at the National Assembly of Quebec and Westmount–Saint-Louis Youth Council, contributing to recommendations and an open letter on the responsible use of AI in education
Through YFN, Leonore is building the community she once wished she had – one where young people can find guidance, build confidence, make connections, and see that there is no single path to becoming an entrepreneur. By making entrepreneurship more transparent and accessible, she is empowering more young Canadians to believe in their ideas and take the first step toward bringing them to life.