Dr. Yolanda Kirkham is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto. After her Masters’s and medical degrees at the University of British Columbia, she moved to Toronto to pursue her OBGYN career path. She cares for women through all of life’s transitions. She delivers babies and performs […]
Geetha Moorthy Founder, SAAAC Autism Centre Social Change Award Finalist Geetha founded the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC) in direct response to the growing need for awareness and support for South Asian families impacted by ASD and related developmental disorders. The centre began with two families, a handful of volunteers, and minimal resources. […]
Laurel Douglas CEO, Women’s Enterprise Centre Social Change Award Finalist Laurel Douglas is the CEO of Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC). WEC is a non-profit organization devoted to helping BC women launch, lead, and scale their own businesses. Under Laurel’s leadership, WEC has become recognized as one of the leading business resources for women entrepreneurs […]
Pascale Bouchard Executive Director, Leucan Social Change Award Finalist A member of the Quebec Bar, Pascale practiced law for a little over a year before heading into management. She joined Leucan in 2015 as Director of Family Services, and a year later became General Manager. Leucan is a nonprofit organization that supports children with […]
Theresa Keeping, owner of the Port of Stephenville, is the quintessential serial entrepreneur, with over forty years of experience building several businesses. But it wasn’t until she moved back to Newfoundland — where she was born and raised — that her entrepreneurial aspirations have been connected to revitalizing the area her ancestors have called […]
Without a background in business, but a love and passion for retail and cocktails, Kristen Voisey St. John’s, Newfoundland native, opened her first store in Toronto in 2011 and has since been dubbed Toronto’s “Cocktail Queen” . She is the founder and owner of Cocktail Emporium that currently has two stores with a new location […]
Camille Jagdeo Founder, EDGE1 Equipment Rentals Momentum Award Finalist Born and raised in Guyana, Camille moved to Canada in 1985 and attended the University of Toronto. Her defining moment in entrepreneurship was between 2014 to 2018, where she successfully defended her company’s name against US rental giant Hertz. Camille’s no-nonsense approach has earned her […]
Janet LePage Founder, Western Wealth Capital Momentum Award Finalist For the past decade, Janet has been focused on creating wealth through well-selected real estate investment. Under Janet’s leadership, WWC has placed more than US$ 408 million in private equity and acquired 58 multi-family properties, comprising more than 11,600 rental units, with a purchase value […]
Youlita Anguelov Founder, AgroFusion Momentum Award Finalist Youlita Anguelov moved to Montreal from Bulgaria in 1993 with her six-year-old daughter, two suitcases, and $500. After a decade of working hard to establish herself, she launched AgroFusion. Back then, she was the business and the business was her — in a small warehouse where she […]
Natalie James is a wife, mom of three, entrepreneur, creator and owner of Toronto’s most exclusive blow dry bar – Vent Blow Dry Bar. Inspired by the stories of female entrepreneurs she met, Natalie set out to take a detour and leave the security of a “good job” when she opened Vent Blow Dry Bar’s […]
Can changing a physical workplace foster inclusion? Barbara Mason, Group Head and Chief Human Resources Officer at Scotiabank, explains how an “Activity-Based Working” approach to their office design created a space that enables all employees to work when, where, and how they choose — demolishing barriers, increasing engagement, and ensuring everyone is enabled to be […]
Lisa Ali Learning Founder, AtlanTick Repellent Products Ones to Watch Award Lisa’s business idea arose when her two sons were sick with Lyme disease. While focusing on the immediate care of her children, she developed safe, natural formulas to keep them from encountering future tick bites, the source of the disease. As her sons […]
Jessica Anuna is the 27-year-old founder and CEO of online fashion retailer Klasha, selling fashion to millennials in Africa. Klasha is backed by Techstars and Ginco Investments in Dubai and is based in Lagos with a team of six. They deliver in 1-5 days across Africa and sell affordable fashion under $100 with payments in […]
Dina Kulik Founder, Kidcrew Ones to Watch Award Dr. Dina Kulik is a mother and Paediatrician in Toronto. With a focus on superior patient outcomes and education, Dina is one of Canada’s leading child health media experts, providing child health information to parents and the public through television, radio, and print media and via […]
Melissa Kargiannakis Founder, Skritswap Ones to Watch Award Melissa Kargiannakis is the founder and CEO of Skritswap: a Silicon Valley venture capital-funded AI start-up that swaps complex jargon into plain, easy-to-understand language. Imagine a mortgage at a grade six reading level. In just nine months full-time at Skritswap, Melissa led the team to win […]
Louise Fogharty is Vice President, Financing & Consulting for South Fraser Area at BDC. She is also the Executive Sponsor of the Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs’ initiative for the BC & North region. Louise leads a team of dedicated individuals who help Canadian entrepreneurs to grow by providing, financing, capital and advisory services. A passionate supporter […]
Benveet Gill Founder, ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre Ones to Watch Award Benveet has over 10 years of experience as an X-ray technologist specializing in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab. Her life was changed forever when she was paralyzed from the waist down and diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis in July 2012. After years of hard work […]
Christine Laperriere is the Executive Director of the Women of Influence Advancement Centre and author of the bestseller, Too Busy To Be Happy. She’s also experienced burnout first hand — and credits her personal journey for teaching her the importance of growing self-aware of what impacts stress levels, and the importance of finding some useful […]
Barbara Pasternak is the Vice President of Fluid Hose and Coupling Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of engineering and industrial applications company that she co-founded with her husband in 1985. She is also the Founder and Chair of the Diabetes Hope Foundation (DHF), a non-profit established in 1999 after two of her three sons […]
Jayne McCaw Founder, Jayne’s Cottages Winner, Start-Up Award, Central Jayne took inspiration from her love of cottage living and enjoyment of curating unforgettable family vacations to create Jayne’s Cottages — a full-service, luxury Muskoka cottage rental and concierge company. Starting with just a handful of cottages in 2014, her business has seen rapid […]
Kiely MacLean Founder, RJ MacLean Finalist, Start-Up Award, West A new player in oil and gas, Kiely Maclean is the co-founder of RJ Maclean Tank Services. Her business is a three-year-old innovation company focused on challenging the status quo in the energy sector with unique automated technology — using robotics, instead of people, […]
Nathalie Shtern Founder, DoughNats Bakery Finalist, Start-Up Award, EAST Nathalie is a licensed criminologist who holds three university degrees but feels her true calling has always been in the kitchen. Prior to becoming a chef and entrepreneur, Nathalie devoted 15 years to leadership in her community. She founded and ran the Comfy Cozy Fund […]
From little girls to young ladies — to not-so-young ladies — we could all use some empowerment from the books we read. While strong female protagonists are becoming more common, girl power doesn’t always have to come with a bow and arrow. Through storytelling, role models, and good advice, these six books are guaranteed to […]
They’re staging ‘die-ins’ at the UN in the name of global warming awareness, speaking out publicly for gun reform, fighting international governments for equal rights, being elected into government roles, standing up for equality and pay equity. They’re starting businesses, running charities, using coding and STEM to solve real world problems. They’re training to work […]
Jeff Perera credits his upbringing — and the negative male role models in it — for leading him towards his current career: as a speaker, writer, and facilitator focused on a modern view of manhood. His approach avoids shaming men for their learned biases, and instead encourages them to support each other as they build […]
Farida Deif is the Canada Director at Human Rights Watch — one of the world’s leading international human rights organizations. Based in Toronto, she monitors human rights abuses across Canada and advocates for a rights-respecting foreign policy. Born in Egypt, she has dedicated her life to advancing human rights in the Middle East and around […]
No matter what industry you work in, the challenges in today’s business environment are rapidly evolving — and success lies in our ability to keep up. Diana Drury, Director of Team and Executive Coaching for the MBA/Master programs at Smith School of Business, shares how the school is preparing future leaders to excel through teaching […]
