Driving Change in Women’s Health: Nadia Ladak’s Journey with Venture for Canada

Meet Nadia Ladak,

a passionate advocate for women’s health and youth entrepreneurship. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Marlow, she’s leading a fast-growing startup that’s revolutionizing period care with organic, toxin-free products, including the world’s first lubricated tampon for smoother, more comfortable insertion. You can hear more about Nadia’s inspiring journey on our podcast.

How did you first learn about Venture for Canada and what motivated you to get involved?

Nadia discovered Venture for Canada (VFC) through the Internship Program while searching for funding to hire a summer intern for her early-stage startup. The application process was seamless and provided critical support at just the right time, allowing her to bring on Jaimie Frank. Beyond funding, VFC offered foundational training and connected Jaimie with a vibrant community of interns in the startup ecosystem.

“I fell in love with Venture for Canada’s mission to support companies to hire students and to support students to learn more about startup opportunities. In university, the entrepreneurship career path isn’t talked about enough and I love that Venture for Canada is increasing awareness of the startup industry! Through this experience, I joined the Employer Advisory Council and in a couple of weeks, will be leading a workshop at the Fellowship Training Camp,” exclaims Nadia. 

Do you have any exciting updates or stories to share with the VFC community? 

“We’re excited that we recently launched 100% organic pads in addition to our 100% organic cotton tampons, and lubricated tampons! While most pads on the market are 99% plastic, ours are completely plastic free. They’re hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested, and made from an ultra soft comfort material. Within a couple of weeks of launching the product, they’ve already received an Amazon’s Choice bestseller badge.” says Nadia. 

Which word best represents your entrepreneurial journey and can you share a challenge you’ve faced and overcome? 

When asked to sum up her entrepreneurial journey in one word, Nadia chooses resilience. A defining challenge was navigating Health Canada approvals during the pandemic, a daunting task for founders without a scientific background.

“We ended up collaborating with a research lab and regulatory consultant to support us with our product development, licenses, and testing. We learned as entrepreneurs, you have to get comfortable navigating ambiguous situations with imperfect information and it’s ok to ask for help from experts who have been there before,” explains Nadia. 

What’s the #1 piece of advice you would give to your younger self and the next generation of entrepreneurs? 

Nadia’s advice: “Success doesn’t happen overnight. Online, we often see incredible stories of entrepreneurs who have just won a pitch competition or launched a new product but we forget all of the challenges and tough moments that got them to that one moment of success. Keep trying because you never truly fail until you decide to give up.”

About Venture for Canada’s Internship Program 

Curious how innovative businesses like these are supported by Venture for Canada? Our Internship Program offers 50-70% wage subsidies of up to $7000. Bring your own student or access a pool of qualified candidates throughout a lightning-speed process. VFC’s Internship Program is designed for busy entrepreneurs and provides the training your interns need to succeed.

For Businesses: 

Designed for busy entrepreneurs with 50-70% wage subsidies to help scale your team and your business.

Applications are open for the Fall 2025 cohort! Sign up here. 

For Students: 

Internships designed to give you work experience and access to Canada’s startup ecosystem with the job-readiness training needed to thrive in small business and startup environments. Choose between remote or in-person internships, full-time or part-time. 

Applications are open for the Fall 2025 cohort! Sign up here.