VO LUM E 1 | ISSU E 1 | December 2021
W O M E N + I N S P I R AT I O N + P U R P O S E
SupportHER™
Brian & Chantal Milloy Marc Bombenon Mike Giannoumis
Women-Led
Women Driving Change! This is the decade for women to drive change! Spotlight Merren McArhur Mayor Jyoti Gondek
Sarah Hawco Nancy E. Klensch Margaret Adu
Peer to Peer
Peer to Peer JAM + Role Model Talk Sophia Fairweather
WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARDS Special Features Inside! Hazel “Hurricaine” McCallion – 100 Years Diane Harms Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak Laura Didyk Victoria Nyguen WOI Alumni (2015-2020) universalwomensnetwork.com 1 | UWOMEN
Women of Inspiration don’t wait for opportunities; they create them! This is the decade for women to drive change. As we emerge from the pandemic, it is time for women to step into the driver’s seat to break the “concrete-ceiling”. The COVID-19 pandemic in which we are now living is historical and unprecedented. It is a time the world stopped, and women kept going. As we emerge from the pandemic, we are living through a transformation across the globe. When COVID-19 hit, it was evident women were impacted more than other others. The push for progress and the conversations advocating for women to be seen, heard and valued came to a halt. The pandemic only emphasized the barriers for women as they balanced work-from-home assignments and the role of homemaker, homeschool teacher, housekeeper and income producer. The enormous weight that came with taking on so many roles was significant. With boarders closed provincially and internationally, work-from-home and social distance restrictions in effect, I knew we needed to drive change in a different way. I was determined to keep the conversation going—to Raise the Bar for women to be seen, heard and valued. Now was the time to take action and drive change, regardless of the barriers. My vision included the Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change book featuring the collective voices of 100 women aged 12 – 100 from diverse industries sharing their leadership wisdom and their journeys. I wanted the message to be loud and clear for women to be seen driving change as we emerge from the pandemic.
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On International Womens Day, March 8, 2021, the Universal Womens Network™ launched three graphics trucks featuring women from diverse industries represented in the book. These trucks travelled many roadways across North America in partnership with companies (Penner International, Highlight Motor Group, Maritime Ontario, Turbo Images, and 3M) in the transportation industry committed to SupportHER™. The intention was to represent the diverse voices of all women. To inspire individuals and companies to be visible champions for women to be seen, heard and valued. Everyone plays a role to SupportHER™. Are you ready to take action to drive change in 2022? Let’s have a conversation. Contact Us. https:// universalwomensnetwork.com/contact
WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE This is the decade for women to drive change. by Monica Kretschmer
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DECEMBER 2021
PG. 10
THE TABLE OF
Hazel “Hurricane” McCallion; 100 Years of Memories
CONTENTS
1 Women Driving Change 7 Letter from the Editor 10 Hazel “Hurricane” McCallion 100 Years of Memories
15 Mayor Jyoti Gondek Calgary’s First Female Mayor!
16 ONE WORD 19 Every Woman Has a Story 20 CELEBRATE
2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award Winners
29 Ripple Effect
LeadHERs 37 Rose Marie Gage 38 Laura Didyk 40 Margaret Adu 42 Victoria Nyguen
33 Why it Matters! 34 Diane Harms 2015 Women of Inspiration Legacy Award
45 Get Certified! Get Visible! Women-Owned | Women-Led
82 Wellness 86 BUSINESS DIRECTORY 90 WOI Alumni
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PG. 54 UWN SHOP – Gifts for you or someone that inspires you!
PG. 20 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award Winners
WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE 46 Merren McArthur 50 Manjit Minhas 52 Katherin (Katie) Dudtschak
PG. 68 LeadHERs 56 Nancy E. Klensch
Peer to Peer JAM + Role Model Talk: Sophia Fairweather & Hazel McCallion
58 Sarah Hawco 62 Andrea Carter 64 Caroyln Levy
PG. 86 M LIST – Monica’s Favourite Things!
SupportHERs 72 Brian and Chantel 74 Marc Bombenon 76 Mike Giannoumis
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TRIBUTE TO ALL WOMEN!! “ You want to be inspired – that’s what this book is. Story after story of inspirational women and SupportHER allies. Transformational and something that everyone should read. Women are driving change!“ – Lindsay Harle Hataz
universalwomensnetwork.com
[ LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ]
Dear Readers A dream is just a dream until you take action.
UWomen Magazine™ is a dream that has been seven years in the making. I wanted to have a magazine for women who lead with purpose and the inspiration to follow through. When I launched our company seven years ago, my goal was to create a network where every woman belonged—an inclusive, non-judgmental community of women with shared values: courage, confidence, commitment and integrity. I remember the day wrote the draft of my business plan on my iPhone as I received a download from the universe on a two-hour hike in the Kananaskis. Every cell in my body was ignited. Without hesitation, I quit my job and jumped in with both feet. I knew I had been tested for a bigger purpose after leaving my marriage with a seven-month-old baby and the Seven-Year journey through the justice system as a result of my divorce. It took me seven years to overcome adversity and seven years to build the foundation for my company including launching a Women Driving Change initiative that included three graphics trucks featuring women on roadways across North America and the birth of Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book during the pandemic. My purpose and the women in our network inspire me to bring these visions to life. Hang on tight for the next seven years as we strategically partner with companies committed to take action to drive change! Every woman has a story. In this first issue, we Celebrate a Year of Uncertainty featuring our 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award Winners. Read Why it Matters and Every Woman Has a Story to understand our deeper purpose for the Universal Womens Network™ and the Women of Inspiration™ Awards. Meet Hazel McCallion, centenarian and Woman of Inspiration™ Award winner for Lifetime Achievement featured on the front cover. She is a Canadian icon in the world of municipal leadership. The legacy of her work has value at all levels where elected officials are the guardians of their communities. While our brand has evolved to welcome our allies to the conversation and reach women from around the world, the message and our vision remain the same: to create a global community of women and the men who SupportHER™. Read how Everyone plays a role to SupportHER. What fueled me to start was a desire to make an impact and lead with purpose. I wanted a vehicle to connect women from diverse industries, backgrounds and stages of life. I wanted to recognize the achievements of women. I wanted to tell the stories of the everyday heroes with whom we rub shoulders every day. I wanted to give a voice to women without a voice and to invite our allies to the conversation.
Photo: Kenneth Fung
Monica Kretschmer Founder and CEO, Universal Womens Network™, Women of Inspiration™ Awards, SupportHER™
My vision for the UWomen Magazine™ is an extension of the Universal Womens Network™. That is to bring these stories to life and drive change with a mission to empower, connect and inspire 1 billion people.
Stay tuned for 2022 as we continue to drive change!
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– 202 2 – MEMBER
UWN BECOME A
MEMBER A GLOBAL PLATFORM COMMITTED TO EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.
The Universal Womens Network™ is a global platform committed to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), by raising the bar to advance women in their network, community, and workplaces. We recognize the achievements of women through the Women of Inspiration™ Awards. We are advocates of women-owned and women-led businesses, and champion female entrepreneurs along with allies who SupportHER™! Our global network promotes the advancement of women. We recognize and celebrate thought leaders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds and work with like-minded organizations committed to inclusivity and moving the needle to close the gender gap! We are Stewards of Diversity™ and dedicated to the unity of humanity by acknowledging our differences, asking questions, and valuing voices at all levels. We do not tolerate bullying, hatred, or racism at any level. Universal Womens Network™ offers an online platform to include membership, directories, certifications, speakers bureau, coaching, programs, live and in-person experiences, masterminds, conferences, and Corporate Diversity Program. Initiatives of Universal Womens Network™ include Women of Inspiration™ Awards, SupportHER™, Universal Women-Owned™ Certification, Universal Women-Led™ Certification, and Universal Coach Masters™.
Become a Member
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Photo credit: Jordan Stothers
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HAZEL MCCALLION Former Mayor, The City of Mississauga Centenarian Mississauga, Ontario Canada
Hazel McCallion turned 100 on the 14th of February, 2021.
What inspired you to get involved with politics? I retired after 20 some years in the private sector. I was office manager of a large engineering contracting company. I got involved in Streetsville. My husband had a printing plant in Streetsville and when I retired, I got involved. I became president in Streetsville, in the district Chamber of Commerce and then I was asked to join the Street’s home planning board of the town of Streetsville. Later, I was encouraged to run as mayor or run for council.
The first time I ran for council, I didn’t win. The second time I ran in 1970, I won. I was Mayor of Streetsville from 1970 to 1974 and then the province brought along a regional government and put Streets, the whole Port Credit and the autonomous Mississauga together to form the city. I ran as counselor, representing Streetsville on the Mississauga council. Then in 1978, I ran as mayor of Mississauga and retired making great in 2014. I was Mississauga’s mayor for 46 years.
We’re progress because of the determination of women that became independent. Women are quite capable of performing any job that exists in the world.
Tell us about your significant career milestones. In the fall of 1979, we had a major derailment in Mississauga during which we evacuated 250,000 people from our city. So, within a very short time of being Mayor, I was faced with my first major challenge. Together with a team of very good people including myself, city management personnel and provincial resources, we turned the Mississauga derailment crisis into a miracle. The miracle? There were no fatalities. LIFETIME – Women of Inspiration Award Recipient LIFETIME - 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award Recipient Women of Inspiration™ Women Driving Change Book Contributor
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Tell us about how you and your team navigated through this disaster and put Mississauga on the map. There’s always an opportunity that comes with a challenge. Prior to the derailment, there were no regulations controlling the transportation of dangerous goods. And as a result of the Mississauga train derailment, Canada is safer today because there are regulations now that control the transportation of dangerous goods by truck, by air, by sea, and by every mode of transportation available.
What is your involvement in the community since your retirement? I’m on the airport board. I’m on the green saver board. I’m on the connect all board. I’m chief guardian of the hospitals in Mississauga. I am active— very, very active. I can’t sit around and not be doing something whether it is creating new ideas of how things can be operated or being very conscious of what’s happening in my local community, my province and my country. I say, “You have to be interested.”
We are experiencing an unprecedented time in our history with the global pandemic. What words of advice would you give leaders? The pandemic has clearly indicated to the government that everyone from families to community organizations cannot operate the way they once did. This is a major challenge. We must recognize it and take action to look at what improvements we can make socially and in the management of government funding.
What keeps you so motivated and driven. What is your secret? You have to be curious to know what’s going on and maybe have the opportunity—which I do have—to make a difference and offer suggestions. There are all kinds of opportunities to be active—all kinds of opportunities.
And that’s the message that the pandemic has given the world. We have to look at how we have operated in the past and where it is not acceptable, we have to change. We have to look at how we can do a better job—how we can be more efficient, how we can do more and be less costly. We have to look at how we can help more people because there’s still a lot of poverty in the world.
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When you were 12, what did you want to be when you grew up? I left the Gaspé coast where I was born in Port Aniel during the depression. My two sisters put me through school and my business course in Montreal. One of my sisters was a schoolteacher and one was a nurse. I went to work and from there on I was determined to be independent. I believe that if you work hard, are committed to your work and have a vision to be a success in whatever you undertake to do, it will inspire you to give your very best and be conscious of money. My first job paid me $12 a week. I paid $8 for board. I spent $2 on transportation and I put $2 in the bank. You learn to take care of yourself. Because I could not phone home to mom and dad to send me money in Montreal, I had to become independent. And that is what is lacking in youth today. Their commitment to independence and giving their very best to whatever they do seems to be falling short. What are the leadership traits that you are most proud of? Never overlook anything. I never overlook errors but I also give praise to say what a great job they did. You have to be There’s great hope for positive as a leader, and you have to recognize the contribution that people the future, but we still make. This can not be overlooked. If have a long way to you do, they overlook you. If you want go. We need leaders to get the production that you need, to step up and take you have to recognize people and say, “You’re doing a good job. Keep it up.” on that role and know I had to prove to a lot of people that I that it is their role to wanted to work for them and with them.
pass the torch.
What are some of the barriers you have seen women face and overcome in your lifetime? One area is in the field of politics. It’s been difficult for a woman to become Prime Minister of Canada. Why, it’s been difficult for a woman to
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become premier of the provinces. Some have, but it’s still a long way from where it should be. We still have problems with women being accepted in boards. And then in the private sector there is a real push to have more women on boards of directors. Furthermore, women have not been recognized in the private sector as they should be. And they haven’t been recognized in politics the way they should be either. There’s great hope for the future, but we still have a long way to go. We need leaders to step up and take on that role and know that it is their role to pass the torch. Do you agree? What piece of wisdom would you share with the young women or the youth today? Well, young women have got to become independent. They have to realize that they have the potential to do anything they want to do if they really want to do it. They can, you know, and I’m so thrilled, as the first chancellor of Sheridan College, to see women graduating as technicians, as engineers and as planners. I see young women determined to do any job a man can do like operate a bulldozer. Women have to become completely independent if they want to survive in a man’s world because it is a man’s world still. We’re making great progress because of the determination of women that became independent. Women are quite capable of performing any job that exists in the world. How important is it to elevate the men that are champions for women in their networks, workplaces and communities? Men have supported me all the way in the business world. I was supported by the president of the company. He saw I had the desire to succeed. I did extra things that he recognized and acknowledged. It’s the same in the political world. I didn’t just go to the office in the morning as mayor. I worked both day and night as mayor up to 11 o’clock answering calls. If somebody wanted to talk to the mayor, they got to talk to me. I chose to give them my time.
HUR
As a female leader in politics who has broken through glass ceilings, how did you navigate through those barriers? Well, I started out in the private sector, moved to a high position and then I got involved in politics where you have to work harder still. A woman has to work harder to get to a top position. There’s no question about it but you have to show your independence and your confidence in yourself. You have to show that you want to accomplish certain things and that you’re determined to do it and not be, you know, a wallflower. There are far too many women that want to be treated as wallflowers. A woman has to work harder, both in politics and in the private sector, to be recognized and to gain success. So some of those barriers to success are simply getting there in the first place to have that role. And COVID-19 has really shone a light on the role of women raising kids and all of the domestic homelife duties…the bulk of which fall on the shoulders of women and then add caring for parents and extended family. It’s hard. There are sacrifices. Do you think women can have it all? Have success? Do you think there’s a balance for them or is there always some sacrifice involved? Oh, there is a lot of sacrifice involved. There is a lot to working outside the home; you have to plan every day. You don’t get up in the morning and ask yourself what you are going to do today. You plan before you go to bed at night. Planning is the key to life. It’s the key to building a community. It’s the key to building a company. It’s the key to building a family. It’s the key to life. Planning. What are you most proud of in terms of what you have achieved in your life? I took a city from a rural area and built Mississauga with help—not me alone, with a team— into the sixth largest city in Canada. I look at the facilities, the arenas, the community centers, the libraries and all the facilities that have been built in the city
for the people. It’s an honour to look after the people that you represent and look after a city that is not in big debt. Unlike a lot of cities, we were debt-free until the last two years of my term. We decided to Planning is the key convert our streetlights to energyto life. It’s the key to saving versions. We didn’t have building a community. it in our budget. The money we borrowed to do it will be repaid to us It’s the key to building in hydro savings within 10 years. I am a company. It’s the proud to say I left the city in a good key to building a financial position and not too many family. It’s the key to cities in Canada can boast that.
life. Planning.
I used to say to my people of Mississauga, “I spend your money like I spend my own— which is seldom.” You have got to give service for the money you’ve spent. You might say Hazel McCallion did this, but I had a wonderful team of counselors that worked with me. I had a wonderful team of staff. If you have qualified, dedicated staff, you can accomplish a lot.
RRICAINE 13 | UWOMEN
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MAYOR JYOTI GONDEK Calgary’s First Female Mayor is Driving Change and setting an example for generations of women to come. City Councillor. Mother. Leader. Businessperson. Wife. Citizen. Friend. Daughter. Problem solver. Entrepreneur. Expert in how cities work. Jyoti Gondek is Calgary's new mayor, making her the first female to be elected to the office in 137 years. This is a huge milestone for our city. And an exciting new chapter in Gondek’s life, and career and a new chapter for Calgarian’s. "My heart is full at the thought of how much love and support I have received, not only from the day I announced, but all the way up to today," she said in her victory speech. Gondek thanked her 1,200 volunteers, as well as her family. "Please know all of your sacrifices did not go unnoticed, thank you for taking this journey with me, for caring about me and believing in me," she said. "This election is also about my dad, who left us far too early. It was actually his unfinished community service that I picked up in 2003 that has brought me to this point in my life." Gondek holds a PhD in urban sociology and, before entering politics, worked at the Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. She served one term as the Ward 3 councilor before running for mayor and prior to her time on city council, she volunteer with the Northern Hills Community Association, and served as a citizen member on several municipal committees.
Gondek said she looks forward to working with the newly elected council and other levels of government. "Now we turn to that focus on the mission of service, to build a stronger city," she said. " I'm very excited about this prospect of creating a new team, one that prioritizes the well-being of Calgarians, through ensuring that we understand our collective strength. Your new council will pull together around a common vision that makes us more resilient as a city. We will set the bar high to deliver on your expectation and we will remain accountable to all of you." Jyoti means “light” in Punjabi. She embodies her name by shedding light on issues and has an innate ability to light up a room. Jyoti has an inclusive and respectful leadership style. When a point needs to be made, she makes it, but only after giving full consideration to all points of view. She’s not afraid to challenge, to ask tough questions, to call out the elephant in the room. She will only do so, however, after seeking input from those around her and without taking her eye off the ultimate goal. Jyoti believes that Calgary will only achieve its fullest potential through a shared vision and collaboration. Jyoti also believes in the power of crosssector partnerships where businesses, social organizations and educational institutions are connected to local governments. The more we can understand complex issues from all angles, the better we are able to uncover solutions. Her personal motto as a Councillor has been that we work better together as a council when we realize that we’re all human beings just trying to accomplish good things.
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1
ONE WORD
Manifest Your Best Year! Get ready to launch in 2022. What you focus on gets done. Choose the ONE WORD that will guide you during the next year! This word can be a daily inspiration and anchor to set intentional goals to achieve your success personally and professionally! ONE WORD has the power to change your life! Simplify your Goal Setting for the year. Help define your goals for the year and keep focused. Selection a word for the year, month or quarter? It is up to you. Choose a guiding word that adds to your life, holds you accountable, and inspires you to dream big!
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1
REFLECT ON THE PAST YEAR
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VISUALIZE THE YEAR AHEAD What do you want to accomplish for the next 365 days? What drives you? What kind of goals do you have?
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BRAINSTORM List words that best describe who you want to be, how you want to live, or what excites you about the possibilities of the year ahead.
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RESEARCH YOUR WORD AND MEANING FOR ALIGNMENT
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NARROW DOWN THE OPTIONS TO JUST ONE WORD AND GO FOR IT!
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SHARE YOUR ONE WORD, HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE! Join our Monthly Member Success Calls! Become a Member: https://universalwomensnetwork.com/membership/#bemember
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COMMIT TO YOUR ONE WORD Embrace the word each day. Visualize and manifest your goals. Write them down. Revisit them often and BELIEVE.
Order your ONE WORD Journal NOW to get started today! Shop online at: https://universalwomens-network. myshopify.com
IF YOUR DREAMS DON’T SCARE YOU… THEY ARE NOT BIG ENOUGH! – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
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THANK
YOU SPONSORS
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARDS Recognizing the achievements of women from diverse industries who lead, inspire and motivate! Women of Inspiration™ led by example ignore the naysayers and take the road less traveled. They are the role models and the everyday heroes making an impact in our local, national, and global communities. Nominate a Woman 365 Days!
WOI AWARD CATEGORIES Advocate & Catalyst for change
Integrity Award
Authentic Leader
Lifetime Achievement Award
Black Women Leader Award
Mentorship Award
Cultural Ambassador Award
Millennial Leader Award
Customer Experience Award Difference Maker Award Diversity & Inclusiveness Award
Raising the Bar Award Rising Leader Award
Presented by Randstad Canada
Rural Leader Award
Dream Builder Award
Social Impact Award
Presented by AMJ Campbell
Economic Empowerment Award Game Changer Award Global Impact Award Health and Wellness Award
SupportHER Award
Presented by Raymond James Ltd.
Nest Award
Presented by Banff Sunshine Village
Trailblazer (STEM) Award Presented by Mitacs
Heidi Stevenson Unsung Hero Award Transformational Leader Award Presented by Canada's Valour Games
Immigrant Leader Award Indigenous Leader Award Presented by HEXO Corp.
Influencer Award Innovation Award
Presented by Turbo Images
Inspire Award 18 | UWOMEN
Vision Builder Award Women in Media Award Women-Led Award
Presented by SureCall Centres Ltd.
Youth Excellence Award Presented by RBC
EVERY WOMAN HAS A STORY! On September 26, 2015, the inaugural Woman of Inspiration™ Awards recognized one woman. Meet Diane Harms (page 34), a family lawyer and everyday hero. She inspired our founder to create the Women of Inspiration™ Awards. Every woman has a story. Those stores tell “why” they do what they do, the challenges they have overcome and the people they support.
PRESENTED BY
Monica Kretschmer, CEO of the Universal Womens Network™, writes: “In 2007, I became a single mother overnight. I left a 15-month marriage with a seven-month-old baby. That was the beginning of the Seven Year Journey toward my divorce. It left a long paper trail as a result of 4800 hours of litigation, 22 days of trial and 56+ court appearances navigating the complexities of the legal system. There was one woman who believed in me. There was one woman who gave me strength on the darkest days. Her belief in me strengthened my belief in me. The circle of energy between us was reciprocal. Having had her by my side, I learned that all you need is one person to believe in you to move mountains.” The Women of Inspiration™ Awards program has grown organically from 200 guests honouring one woman with one award to celebrating women and a handful of SupportHERs, the majority of whom are men from diverse backgrounds, with nominations originating from across the globe. These awards have attracted the attention and support of government officials, various associations, industry A-Listers and companies committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. This year marked the seventh annual awards! Since 2015, Women of Inspiration™ has raised the profiles of over 1000+ women locally, nationally and globally. Woman of Inspiration™ lead, inspire and motivate others to be more and do more! They are role models who take the road less travelled, pave the road for others to follow in their footsteps and allow their voices to invite change. Women of Inspiration™ inspire others to DREAM BIG! As we emerge from the pandemic and more than a year of uncertainty, women continue to lead, inspire and motivate within the workplace, within their families and within their communities as they contribute to the recovery of the economy globally. Elevating female role models is critical to the advancement of women personally and professionally. Yes, every woman does have a story. Her story does not define her. It empowers her! Her story is a gift to future generations and it deserves to be told. One way to participate in the recognition of the accomplishments of women is to nominate a woman who inspires you! Congratulations to the 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award recipients (20) and TOP 150 finalists. Looking back on the past seven years, meet the WOIALumni (page 90).
Raise the Bar! Every woman has a story. Your story does not define you; it empowers you!
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ HEALTH & WELLNESS AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ IMMIGRANT LEADER AWARD
AMBER ZENITH
ANDREA LINGER
ARIYIKE AKINBOBOLA
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ SupportHER™ AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ HEIDI STEVENSON UNSUNG HERO AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ SupportHER™ AWARD
BRIAN MILLOY
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CAPT. LINDA FEUERHELM
CHANTAL MILLOY
[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ MILLENNIAL LEADER AWARD
CHARLIE WALL ANDREWS
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER AWARD
CHRISTINE DAGENAIS
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ DIFFERENCE MAKER AWARD
DR. SMITA PAKHALE
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ INSPIRE AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ GLOBAL IMPACT AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD
DR. SONYA RICHMOND
DR. SUHAYYA (SUE) ABU-HAKIMA
ELDEEN POZNIAK
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ MENTORSHIP AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ BLACK LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
ERIN BIGNEY
EVANGELINE CHIMA
FATIMA ISRAEL
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ RAISING THE BAR AWARD
HAZEL MCCALLION
HEATHER LOCHNAN
HELEN FILIPE
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ TRAILBLAZER (STEM) AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ DREAM BUILDER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ INDIGENOUS LEADER AWARD
JAIME LEVERTON
JENNIFER GREEN
JENNIFER MÉNARD-SHAND
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ RURAL LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
KARA ALICIA KENNISH
KATHERINE (KATIE) DUDTSCHAK
KAYLA ISABELLE
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ THE NEST AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
KOLEYA KARRINGTEN
LAURA DIDYK
MARCELA LAY
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ YOUTH EXCELLENCE AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ CULTURAL AMBASSADOR AWARD
MESERET HAILEYESUS
OLIVIA DAY
PATTI JANNETTA BAKER
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ VISION BUILDER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ RISING LEADER AWARD
PAYAL PURI
PHOEBE WASFY
REBECCA MCLAREN
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ WOMEN-LED AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ INTEGRITY AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ INNOVATION AWARD
ROBIN KOVITZ
ROSE MARIE GAGE
SARAH JORDAN
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[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AWARD
SONYA SHOREY
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADER AWARD
THEANO EVAGELOU
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2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ GAME CHANGER AWARD
STEPHANIE LEHETA
SUZIE YORKE
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ WOMEN IN MEDIA AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ ADVOCATE & CATALYST FOR CHANGE AWARD
TRACIE GRAY
TRISH GUISE
[ 2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AWARD WINNERS ]
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ INFLUENCER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ AUTHENTIC LEADER AWARD
2021 WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ YOUTH EXCELLENCE AWARD
VAHEN KING
VICTORIA NGUYEN
ZAFINA ZAMAN
TESTIMONIALS THE RIPPLE EFFECT… WORDS FROM WOI AWARD RECIPIENTS “The Women of Inspiration™ Award is exciting, humbling and an honour. Thank you to those who believed in me and that saw the potential that I could make a difference in the world. That passion and resiliency can make an impact in our environment, whether we know the full extent or not. Recognition is so much bigger than me. It’s an opportunity to provide positive influence and a chance to learn, grow and be motivated. Thank you to all the people who supported me on my path to receive this award. it’s not just my achievement; it’s theirs, too.” Jennifer Green, Director of Competitions and Young Women’s Initiative, Skills Ontario | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Dream Builder Award
“I am incredibly honoured and grateful to have met so many visionary leaders through the Universal Women’s Network™ and receive the 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Economic Empowerment Award. It has been a privilege to collaborate closely with many regional, national, and global partners on a critical objective: to help enable and accelerate the growth and success of women founders, owners, and leaders. It will take sustained collaborative action with critical mass to move this critical dial, and facilitate greater access to the investment, resources, and opportunities required to advance women entrepreneurs. Here in Ottawa, we strive to help catalyze the first woman-owned and led $100 million company in Canada’s Capital. I share this award with all partners who are driving consistent action and progress towards these shared goals. It is a testament to the power of collaboration.” Sonya Shorey, Vice President, Strategy, Marketing
“Monica, thank you for creating the UWN and the Women of Inspiration™ Award. This has been a tremendous and cathartic experience. I held a mini gala party yesterday evening with all of my closest friends, family and the women who inspire me the most and who contributed to this honour with their reference letters. I learned a beautiful lesson from you during this process and that is my stepping into the spotlight, I set the stage for other women to do so in the future. This really resonated with me, especially as a mother with a daughter It was such a lovely evening having my parents, husband, daughter, friends, and their partners together in a room watching, reflecting, and celebrating all of the wonderful women and SupportHER’s who won awards. You should be incredibly proud of this important platform you have built that will carry on for years, amplifying the voices and achievements of women in the past, present, and future! Thank you for your courage, empowering spirit and inspiration!” Stephanie Leheta – Assistant Vice President, Customer Experience, Canadian Tire Bank | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader Award
and Collaboration, Invest Ottawa, Bayview Yards and Area X.O | Women of Inspiration™ Economic Empowerment Award
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“I am honored and humbled to receive the Women of Inspiration 2021 Authentic Leader Award. I shared the stage with so many amazing women across many walks of life. Each has a unique inspiring story that encompassed courage, compassion, resiliency, impact and a genuine drive to propel women. Congratulations to fellow nominees, finalists, and award recipients. Together we raise the bar and make a difference! Thank you, Universal Womens Network™ founder Monica Kretschmer, for the unconditional energy and passion in establishing this platform.” Payal Puri – Senior Director, Technology Adoption, Loblaw Companies Limited | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader Award
“This has been an incredible experience from the pride of being nominated to the shock of winning! Thank you to the Universal Womens Network™ for bringing so many diverse women and their successes into the spotlight. I’m honoured to be included in this exceptional group of women.” Erin Bigney – Director Research, Canada East Spine Division | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Mentorship Award
“As the recipient of the Women of Inspiration™ Vision Builder Award, I can’t be more excited about such an amazing recognition. As an Educational Leader, I aspire to make a continuous and real change in the lives of my students. Have a vision and a goal, set it in front of you and in God’s hand and do your best to make it happen! Thank you once again for this honour that I will cherish.” Phoebe Wasfy – Principal Philopateer Christian College | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Vision Builder Award
“Women of Inspiration and their theme Women Driving Change in 2021 that culminated in our Best Selling book on Amazon from 100 women of Inspiration lead by Monica is an amazing organization. “I am so proud to be honoured for a Global Impact Award as an entrepreneur for my tech start-ups and innovations and inventions in AI, security and emergency messaging. It is humbling to be honoured among these incredible women.” Dr. Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima, Co-Sounder/ CEO Alstari | Women of Inspiration™ 2021 Global Impact Award
“Thank you Universal Womens Network™. I am honoured and blessed to be on this journey with so many talented and inspiring women. Cheers to moving forward together, and to living by my favorite C.S. Lewis quote; You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Jennifer Menard Shand – 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Indigenous Leader Award
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“Supporting women in business, in our community and in our families has always been part of our DNA, and when we founded Levvel, naturally that was at the heart of how we ran the business. So being honoured together with the SupportHER Award, as partners in business and life, is a true confirmation that what we do every day is making a difference for women.” Chantal and Brian Milloy – Co-founders, Levvel Inc. | Women of Inspiration™ 2021 SupportHER™ Award
“Winning the Authentic Leader award has been a surreal experience! Being acknowledged for my contributions to my community and to my firm has validated my efforts to continuing to ensure that women have a voice, that they are seen and that they are heard. I feel very honoured to be in the company of so many extraordinary Women of Inspiration award recipients!” Andrea Linger – Associate Vice President and Head of the Womens Canadian Advisory Network | Women of Inspiration™ 2021 Global Impact Award
“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Innovation Award and to be recognized as a “Woman of Inspiration” by the Universal Womens Network led by Monica Kretschmer. It is a privilege to be leading Canada’s Authority on Play, a beloved Canadian brand that is the global leader in toys and retailing. It is a pinch me moment to be recognized as an innovative leader in a trend-based industry during a time when retailers must lead the way in transformation. I want to thank the Mastermind Toys team, from our stores, warehouse, and head office, for believing in our vision and co-creating with me throughout our brand transformation journey. Innovation and insights come from all our Play Experts coast-to-coast, and this recognition wouldn’t be possible without your customer obsession and commitment to deliver wonder in all our experiences – in our stores, online or curbside. Thank you, Monica, for celebrating thousands of women over the past years and for lifting women up and inviting us all to raise the bar.” Sarah Jordan, CEO, Mastermind Toys | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Innovation Award
“The 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Awards was a life altering experience. To be part of such a collective group of inspiring women, who gather to not only share their stories, but to celebrate each other and rise as a collective was the soul igniting. The energy and power that is behind Monica and the team at UWN was absolutely outstanding. I was glued to the stage from the beginning to end.” Theano Evangelou – Personal Development Expert, Relationship Doctor, Theano Inc.| 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Transformational Leader Award
“The entire process from nomination to winning a 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Award provided me an amazing opportunity to reflect on my passions, what has inspired me, my accomplishments and most importantly on the incredible people in my life. Thank you for recognizing me alongside phenomenal women who are Raising the Bar for courage, strength, innovation, empathy and leadership! Thank you, Monica and the team, for an outstanding event that I will treasure forever.” Helen Filipe – Executive Director, Azul Education Services | Women of Inspiration™ Difference Maker Award
“The Universal Womens Network™ is an incredible organization that supports empowers and celebrates women founders, entrepreneurs, and trail blazers. I can attest to how meaningful this group is as I started my own company at age 50. Monica is herself a phenomenal force and woman to celebrate also. The Awards gala last night was so well done, so inspiring—I can’t wait to have the chance to do this in person in the future.” Suzie Yorke – Founder and Board Director, Love Good Fats | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Game Changer Award
“I am humbled by Deborah Arsenault’s nomination, the many awesome people who wrote recommendations and to be awarded the “integrity award”. Monica, hearing the award introduction, I was in shock when you called my name! What a remarkable recognition for my life’s passion in working with others! I look forward to ensuring that others have the same opportunity in the future. Thank you Monica and all the many others who make this possible for us all. I look forward to working with the other recipients to keep sharing!” Rose Marie Gage – Founder and Principal of Great Governance Matters and MPOWRU, Independent Board Director | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Integrity Award
“What a rush! What an honour, I’m overwhelmed with love & it is the greatest feeling. Thank you for believing in me. This award & the love & support behind it is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.” Tracey Gray- Broadcast Professional – 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Women in Media Award
“I am extremely happy to receive this prestigious award. It is nothing less than an absolute honor, and I must admit it took me aback. I am grateful for being recognized and I intend to live up to the level of success this award demands.” Meseret Haileyesus Founder, Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment | 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Social Impact Award
Congratulations Finalists! 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Awards | Raising the Bar!
@UWomensNetwork | universalwomensnetwork.com
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Nominations Open!
Women of Inspiration™ Awards | 365 days a year | Celebrating women making an impact!
Nominate a Woman of Inspiration™
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WHY IT
MATTERS! So why is it so important to celebrate the achievements of women? When we celebrate the achievements of one woman, we celebrate the achievements of all women. We pave the path for our future leaders and inspire hope as we emerge from the pandemic.
Women don’t fit onto one box. The tapestry of talent, wisdom and experience that women bring to the table contribute to a powerful united voice. Women contribute a diversity of skills and accomplishments and…we as women, foster innovation and embrace inclusion. The Women of Inspiration™ Awards program shines the spotlight on extraordinary women on their uniqueness….their differences and their similarities. They do all have one thing in common. They are leaders. They are mentors and they contribute significantly to the economy. Study after study has shown that Canada has up to $150 billion in GDP to gain by advancing gender equality and women’s participation in the economy. $150 billion! We all play a role to break the “concrete ceiling”. It is the collective voices of people in our networks, our families, and our teams who all play a critical role to advance women personally and professionally. Nominate a woman who inspires you. Let her know she is seen, heard and valued! Nominate 365 days. https://universalwomensnetwork.com/womeninspiration/nominate-2022
When you nominate a woman the ripple effect if far reaching. • Recognition for her hard work and achievements • Validate her worth and impact she is making in her network, workplace or community • Help her build credibility in industry • Paves the path for others to follow • Elevate your business, cause or organization • Know your impact and worth • Encourage women in leadership roles • Bring awareness to industries underrepresented by women • Inspire future generations of young women • Share your knowledge and wisdom • Connect with other change makers, visionaries, leaders at all levels • Local, national and global visibility • Empower others to dream big • Elevate the diversity of culture, backgrounds and industries • Share the stories, wisdom and career paths • Be a part of a collective voice for change
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DIANE HARMS Family Law Lawyer, Daunais McKay + Harms 2015 Woman of Inspiration™ Advocate & Catalyst for Change – Legacy Award Calgary, Alberta Canada
When you were 12 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? What one piece of wisdom would you share with young women today? When I was 12 years old, I wanted to be a jockey, a race-car driver or a professional snowmobile racer. Anything “fast and furious”. LOL One piece of wisdom? Fast and furious may not be satisfying or enduring in the long run. Pace yourself.
What is the first thing you do to start your day? Spend time with my real and fur family. THEN, set aside an hour to read work emails and set a task list for the day before stepping into the office—because then all hell tends to break loose. What was turning point in life or your “Aha Moment” that led you on your current path to launch your career? I am still waiting for my “Aha Moment” LOL. What is your go-to hack for getting unstuck or staying motivated? A walk, preferably with my dog.
What is one favorite thing you do for selfcare and why? Is it a non-negotiable item? My favorite, non-negotiable thing is to go walking with my dog, my husband and (in a perfect world) my Like all working daughter. The fresh air and moms, I faced the exercise soothe my soul.
challenge of balancing work commitments with family life. In the early years, I didn’t get a lot of sleep—trying to give “my all” to everyone/everything.
If you won the lottery yesterday, would you continue to operate your business or continue your career path in the same way? I would definitely try and take Fridays off to “smell the roses”.
What keeps you up at night? What I needed to get done and did not; what I said that did not appropriately convey what was intended; what I did not say, that needed to be said…the list is endless.
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WOI INA
If we could magically create a day eight, how would you spend it? I would love to magically create a year of day eights to spend with my daughter before she leaves home in less than a month to start her own grown-up life. What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A woman who demonstrates humility, integrity, gratitude and honesty—in whatever walk of life their path takes them. Name a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. Every single one of the Woman of Inspiration nominees and winners inspire me. What makes recognizing the achievements of women critical? We owe it to the next generation to propel the torch lit by the brave women and LGBTQ individuals who came before us, who paved the way for our successes today. What leadership traits are you most proud of? My students and juniors have said that I am very patient. I have a hard time believing that… What is your definition of success? Feeling good about what I have accomplished. What has been the single biggest thing to help you achieve success? An open mind. What do you admire most about other female leaders? I admire female leaders for their common-sense approach to problem solving and because they do not need or expect accolades for their successes. My experience is that the best female leaders see a job that needs to be done and they make it happen. What is the biggest overall lesson you learned during your career? Be a good listener. Strive to understand and appreciate what you hear. Put it into context. COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? COVID-19 slowed life down. It gave me the opportunity to learn how much I enjoy the simple pleasures of my home and yard, car rides, long walks and the company of my family.
Operating a business can be lonely. What are some of your biggest challenges? Not applicable. I enjoy my own company. What are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business or making a life changing decision? Listen, plan, execute. What was the biggest sacrifice you made when you started your career path? Like all working moms, I faced the challenge of balancing work commitments with family life. In the early years, I didn’t get a lot of sleep— trying to give “my all” to As the saying everyone/everything. Knowing what you know now, what would you have changed about starting your career path? I wouldn’t have changed a thing. As hard as it may have sometimes felt, I survived and thrived.
of old goes, behind every good man is a good woman. SupportHERs recognize that same truism. Our brave new world is or should be gender-neutral; SupportHERs exhibit and promote that reality. We are in this “together”.
What is the role of a SupportHER™? As the saying of old goes, behind every good man is a good woman. SupportHERs recognize that same truism. Our brave new world is or should be gender-neutral; SupportHERs exhibit and promote that reality. We are in this “together”.
What saying motivates you to be the best you can be? My grandmother’s statement to me at 15-16 years of age (when I was truly at my very worst teen self) to always strive to live life HIGH. She was telling me to strive to live life with humility, integrity, gratitude and honesty. This message has always resonated with me, and (when I am my best self) guided my life.
A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021? REFLECT. I have been blessed with abundance, personally and professionally. I want to be mindful of how to share that abundance in meaningful ways.
AUGURAL AWARD 35 | UWOMEN
Mentorship – Key to Success! Our MentorHER™ Mentorship Program was created to support women to succeed personally and professionally. Mentors are Professionals, Executives, Industry Experts, and Women of Inspiration Alumni from diverse industries. All participants will be invited to our Monthly Group Success Calls with women and men from across Canada. As a leader in the community, you know that mentorship is critical to advance women in business. Our MentorHER™ Mentorship Program enables a win-win for both Mentor and Mentee. We encourage a circle of reciprocity mindset. Commit to your success. Apply to be mentored! Become a Mentor. Become a Mentor | Become a Mentee – Get Started! https://universalwomensnetwork. com/programs/mentorship/
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ROSE MARIE (ROSE) GAGE My journey is non-traditional. I have worn many hats: CEO, board member, entrepreneur, volunteer, mentor, coach, collaborator, mother, wife, daughter and friend. I have always worked hard, and needed autonomy—in career, home, thoughts and actions. As a first-born Canadian-Slovenian, my original aim was a happy marriage, children and a career leading to middle management. In primary school, they painted me in a small box—one I was determined to break! Founder and Principal of Great Governance Matters and MPOWRU, Board Member (Public, Private, N4P) Cumberland, Ontario Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Integrity Award Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
I married and had a son. My marriage ended. I became the breadwinner. My marital breakdown and its aftermath made me realize a few things: I needed a future that was greater than imagined and I couldn’t do it alone! I worked in a male-dominated and patriarchal organization with few women in senior roles. Lateral growth only. At the time, I led Customer Service. It was a noble job—just not for me. I loved vision, strategy, innovation and outward-facing roles (and I was great at it). I felt placed in the penalty box because I thought differently. Each day I lost a little more of myself. I chose to take on an individual contributor role at GE Energy as a Commercial Six Sigma Black Belt. I didn’t have the credentials; however, I did have personality, perseverance and drive. My bosses saw that I was a good fit even without an engineering degree or the Black Belt certification. This role was AMAZING. GE was a game changer. I was trained, mentored, and had the opportunity to fix large commercial problems, train others and make meaningful change.
As Champion, I induced change across Canada and became an inaugural member of the Conference Board of Canada’s Centre of Excellence for Women’s Advancement, working with other large companies to break the glass ceiling. I established and led the GE Women’s Network-Canada. In my role, I learned, challenged, shared, grew, sometimes fell or moved sideways, and got back up again. I flourished. I worked with Canada’s largest companies communicating best practices, making deals, and sharing the benefits of GE’s practices. A lot happened between there and here and when a CEO opportunity was available at Ag Energy (AE), a Canadian agriculture-energy Coop, I went for it and I got it! In 2011, I met the love of my life. I lived in two places and did so for 5 years. I burnt out. Now I pursue my purpose and passion: Board and Advisory work. I am Board Chair, Vice-Chair or Chair: of Environmental, Social and Governance (planet, people, profits). I represent the highest level of success and am influential in strategic, environmental and social change. I mentor many. I am living my dream! I believe we all have limitless growth opportunities. How did failure shape your success? I have failed enough and learned a great deal. I have failed relationships (divorce and friendships), I have failed projects and roles. I respect failure; it is a great teacher. It illustrates weaknesses and it directs future learning. While failure is subject to interpretation, we still learn. With each failure, I refine myself and my approach— like a “continuous improvement” self-study.
GE was a true fit where my skills and strengths were rewarded. They saw me and gave me opportunities never imagined including working with GE’s largest global client (> billion dollars revenue)!
I respect
I excelled. At the one-year mark, failure; it I interviewed for the Manager of is a great Corporate Initiatives role. At the 18-month mark, upon completion of teacher. my Black Belt certification, I became the Manager of Corporate Initiatives (CI). My world changed! I now sat at the Executive Table and my office was right beside the CEO’s. As the only female on the Corporate leadership team, I also became the Champion of Gender Diversity.
advisor, mentor, board-w 37 | UWOMEN
LAURA DIDYK Vice President, Client Diversity and National Lead Women Entrepreneur Calgary, Alberta Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader Award Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
How have your SupportHERs™ championed you? I have benefited a lot from having both male and female mentors and professional allies in my career and life. Their encouragement and trust in my abilities to grow and succeed have helped me increase my confidence level and influenced my personal development. Today, the champions I am grateful for are the people who value and embrace D&I in their businesses and life. This is not an easy path because it takes commitment from everyone, at all levels to make it a reality. Eventually, I would love to work myself out of job because that would mean we no longer look at gender and race—we see people as they are.
Is there a quote that guides your practice to be the best you can be? “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” This simple phrase is my mantra most days. Too often, we spend time being worried or anxious— seeking solutions for problems that may not even exist yet and they take up our mind space. Anytime, I am anxious, stressed, or worried, I step back, think about the problem and decide if it is worth my time. Worrying never serves you. Action does.
How would you describe your leadership? My preferred style is collaborative leadership. Leadership is not about one person; it is the idea of working effectively together and motivating people to achieve Eventually, I would love a common goal. It is also to work myself out of about creating a clear vision job because that would and inspiring people to believe mean we no longer look in that same vision.
at gender and race—we see people as they are.
What is your definition of success? For me, success is not about the achievement of a goal; it is the process. It is knowing that I have attempted something that I have always wanted to accomplish—knowing that I have given it my all no matter what the outcome. What would you say is the single biggest thing to help you achieve success? Put simply, I attribute my success to authenticity. I have always brought my true self to work and have stayed true to my values. Many successful people adopt a ritual of habits to set themselves up for success. What do you do? I exercise. Three times a week, I run with a girlfriend. It is our time to catch up and compare stories. It is when we solve our mom quandaries and our life challenges. I exercise the other days by myself. This is my alone time. It is my time to think and be thankful for everything I have.
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authentic, trus
When it comes to leadership traits, what do you value? Being decisive. I have been blessed with the ability to quickly analyze information and make decisions. It helps move my teams into action and promotes similar action in them. I genuinely believe actions speak louder than words and want to make an impact. From where do you source your inspiration? Every day, I am inspired by the thousands of women entrepreneurs that we help at BDC. It is our honour to have these strong, resilient women who own and manage businesses as clients. They have created employment for themselves and for others. They are following their passion and serve as positive role models for other women and young people. Before starting a business or making a lifechanging decision, what three things should be considered? The three things I recommend are: 1) Find an opportunity that matches your passion. 2) Do your research. 3) Consider the time and money it will take to put your plan into action. If you get stuck or cannot stay with the task at hand, do you have a fail-safe strategy? I have several things I can do. First, I step away from the environment (especially when times get too crazy). Mental breaks are important and when they are coupled with fresh air, that combination usually works for me! Second, I might get outside and, preferably, go for a run but a walk does it, too. Was there a turning point in your life that led you on your current career path? When I was in firstyear university, I worked at a family-owned ice cream shop in our neighborhood. The owners wanted to take a family vacation and they asked me to manage the shop for a couple of weeks. This experience gave me an appreciation for everything that a small business owner must do while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It gave me such pleasure to help the owners of that business take a break. From there on, I knew I wanted to help others succeed. What is your strategy for self care? My daily runs and connecting with friends, currently virtually. It does not matter how late I get to bed, or what the temperature is outside, I never miss my 5:30 AM runs. Online social meetups with friends have become a ritual and help me stay close to the people I care about. My attention to staying connected helps me foster stronger relationships.
COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What have you learned? 1) Mental health is important. Business owners are often so busy taking care of others, their employees, their customers and keeping their business going that they forget to take care of themselves—mentally and physically. If you are not at your best mentally and physically, you cannot deliver your best to your business so make wellbeing a priority in your life. 2) Slow down and take time for the things that you enjoy. We only have one life to live so enjoy it and be more mindful of every moment. What if we had an eight-day work week? How would you spend day eight? I would spend it outside with my family—making the most of every minute! A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021 and why? My word is resilience. We have all had to be more resilient this year—women, especially. Worrying never Resilience is what gives people the psychological strength to cope with serves you. stress and hardship. Resilience helps Action does. us so that we are better able to handle adversity and rebuild our lives, our businesses or our careers after a catastrophe. We can learn a lot from the resilience of women. What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A Woman of Inspiration is one who creates a better place. She has the passion and the drive to do something meaningful that will improve the lives of other women. She is a woman who lives her life free from the constraints of the status quo and the generally accepted definitions of womanhood. Is there a work-life lesson that has made a difference for you? I have worked with countless business owners and every day I am inspired by their tenacity and drive. I would remind them to be authentic and confident in their skills, their vision and their ability. I would ask them to ignore the little negative voice sitting on their shoulder and to cast away the doubt that creeps into their minds. I would say, “You’ve got this.” I would also encourage everyone to be grateful for every moment, for the amazing gift of life each of us has been given, and to make the most of it.
stworthy, decisive
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President, Aomega Group Inc. 2020 Women of Inspiration™ Black Women Leader Award Calgary, Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
MARGARET ADU Is there a belief you hold that energizes you? The difference between doing something and not doing something is doing something. So just do it and you could make a difference in your life and, most importantly, in someone else’s life. This is the ultimate success. So while you are doing that, embrace your you. It is only when you embrace your you that you will be able to achieve the unthinkable.
Lessons from COVID-19? From the day we are born to the day we leave this earth we surely need each other. We are in this together, we cannot survive alone.
Tell us more about that turning point in your life. It was when I made a difference in the lives of others as a caregiver. Caregiving was a realm of work that I had never considered; I never knew I could be good at it. As I watched the transformation The difference in the clients I served, my between doing newfound awareness fueled something and not my spirit. The joy I brought doing something is to them made me want to extend the same joy to others. doing something. The discovery in myself that I possessed a gift while being in the service of others told me that my gift could be harnessed and impactful. What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? This is a selfless woman. This is a woman who embraces who she is regardless of her circumstance and she can impact and encourage change. She can lift up the discouraged. She can contribute to the successes of others and she can share your pain. What is one favorite, non-negotiable, self-care routine? Honestly, I am guilty of doing nothing much for myself. Going to the cabin might be a nice retreat. Instead of self care, I would rather buy shoes. Maybe that is my self-care. I love collecting architecturally designed shoes.
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gene
What keeps you up at night? Waiting financial approval for an expansion. But these days I just leave it in the hands of God. If it is mine, it will definitely work out. So, if my thoughts turn to being anxious about nothing and, amidst it all, I try to keep a sane mind. I find myself dwelling on Bible references like Psalms 37 and Proverbs 3:5-6.
What do you admire most about other female leaders? The words that come to mind when I think of describing female leaders are these: strong, courageous, bold, fearless, intelligent, adventurous and risk takers. Why these characteristics? Because we all could use some of these traits and they are very empowering.
Operating a business can be lonely. What is one of your biggest challenges? Peers being on a different page.
What were your most inspirational moments of 2020? Seeing the whole world come together to fight for black equality. The Black Lives Matter movement was a public declaration that everyone mattered. It created a fundamental knowing that a lot more people cared for one another. That message was spirit-lifting and very inspirational. These moments elevated my ethnicity more than ever and encouraged me to achieve even more.
What was the biggest sacrifice you made when you started your business? I gave up architecture and settled in a foreign land. What did you want to be when you grew up? Interior design was my thing when I was growing up. That developed into an interest in architecture. What one piece of wisdom would you share with young women today? Learn to love your you; accept your you. Embrace your you as you are. There is a reason you are you. Work with your unique you. What gives you pride when you think about the service you provide? I feel pride when I see happy smiles on clients and staff. I feel pride when I am able to support other community needs. When people I serve are fulfilled, it brings me fulfillment and joy. If you won the lottery, would you continue to operate your business? Yes, I would. And, oh, my word, my clients would not pay as much rent and probably no rent at all. My staff will all benefit; the community at large will all benefit. Recognizing the achievements of women is critical. Why? Because I read that women must think like a man, act like a lady, look like a young girl and work like a horse. It is not fair. Why must we try and seek attention this way? Aren’t we just as important as men? Why has the world created such a false perception just because we are women? It is time for the world to know our achievements and strengths. Validation matters. Women deserve it just as much as men. We are not a lesser gender!
Crowning all of this was the Women of Inspiration, Black Woman Leader Award I received. It’s a kind of salute to say, “I have arrived!” Thank you to the Universal Women’s Network for bestowing this honour upon me.
From the day we are born to the day we leave this earth we surely need each other. We are in this together, we cannot survive alone.
2020 was life-changing in so many ways. How do you stay motivated? I am alive. So long as I have breath, there is more to give. A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021? My word is claim! Claim means we are forward moving. We are claiming expansion, protection, health and, overall, a much better 2021. What is your personal or professional motto? Two mottos guide my practice; 1) Personally: “I am who I am; accept my me.” 2) Professionally: “Excellence Without Compromise.” Looking to the future, professionally speaking, I hear my son say, “Mom, I’m going to take Aomega to the next level.” My children have been very supportive to continue my legacy. I would love to build a village: a community for seniors…where they can come and feel at home and not be institutionalized.
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VICTORIA NGUYEN What’s your word of advice for young women? Growing up with a single parent in an immigrant family, I watched my mother take on multiple jobs to provide for us. I aspired to be in a profession that would offer regular hours and vacation time. ADVICE: Pursue the career that you love, that has meaning and trust that the money will follow.
Q&A
Biggest lesson? Believe in yourself. Being confident manifests itself in many ways, but it starts from within. Having that self-confidence enabled me to ask for what I needed and wanted in my career. How do you start your day? My mornings start the night before. I mentally compile my game plan for the next day or create a checklist. When morning comes, I am in full execution mode. At the end of the day, I take inventory of what I was able to accomplish and reset my plan. What helps you get unstuck? A learning from a writer on Emotional Intelligence, on recognizing your triggers helps me to break our of whatever loop I happen to be in. I couple that with some mindfulness exercises to remind myself of all things for which I should be grateful. I make a conscious choice as to whether or not I give myself permission to have that pity-fest that I think might make me feel better. Your biggest sacrifice? In my management consulting years, I sacrificed whenever I spent time away from my young family. I hit my lowest point when both my children’s gradeschool teachers inquired during a parent-teacher interview (I had to make the call from my hotel room in NYC), if there were any issues at home that were affecting their schoolwork. It was a wake-up call to me to create balance and reprioritize what was important in my life.
Is there a maxim that guides you? Never leave to tomorrow what you can accomplish today and the fastest way to success is learning from the mistakes of others. Name a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. There are a number of influential women that I admire. Among them are Jane Austen, my favourite author, who pushed literary boundaries through endearing and witty novels that questioned women’s roles in society. Catherine the Great, who made her ambitions a reality through a matrix of alliances, inspired me. She modernized Russia and made it one of the great powers of Europe. Amelia Earhart was a pioneering aviator and female trailblazer of her time. She was a role model and constant advocate for gender equality.
Vice President, Delivery, Capital Markets CIBC Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book Contributor
resilient, compassionate,
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What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? She is a woman who is unapologetically ambitious. She is able to inspire others to be their best selves and she leads with humility. How would you describe your approach to leadership? My prominent leadership style is what is coined as “servant leadership”. I have high expectations of my team while doing everything in my power to support each member in achieving their goals. Our collective success is greater than what we can each accomplish independently. If you could turn back time and know then what you know now, is there anything you would change about your career? Wisdom comes from learned failures over time. There isn’t too much that I would change. I wish, however, that I had overcome my fear of rejection and failure sooner, been more forthright in asking for help when needed and voiced what I wanted. Sometimes the words of others can lift our spirits. What words lift you? What has always rung true for me is a quote by Lao Tzu, “He who conquers others is strong, he who conquers himself is mighty.” I have come to realize that only when I am my best self can I be of use to others. Does it help to recognize the achievements of women? Highlighting the successes of women builds self confidence, increases one’s willingness to lead—especially in male-dominated industries and creates role models who are trailblazers for our next generation and the growing number of visible minority women in Canada. The recognition of women inspires hope for achievements borne of intentional effort and not luck. Setbacks and successes are part of growing a business and a career. What has contributed to your success? That would be cultivation of a healthy network of advocates. I have invested significant effort in maintaining a wide network of subject matter experts in relevant industries, mentors and sponsors for career development and, most importantly, a network of like-minded professionals that have become my personal advisory board.
, pragmatic
A single word can be a powerful motivator. What is your one word for 2021? Resilience. If nothing else, the pandemic has proven that humanity perseveres in adversity, is opportunistic in calamity and can be compassionate in times of great distress; we will continue to be resilient in the next phases.
Humanity perseveres
Has being a woman in a visible in adversity, is minority group hindered or opportunistic in enhanced your career? The calamity and can absence of female role models compassionate in in the workplace is alarming especially regarding those of of great distress. a visible minority. Women hold roughly 40% of management positions and, of those, less than 7% are held by visible minority women. The higher up the corporate ladder I reached, the more it was apparent that I was different; corporate behavior was contrary to popular or traditional Asian cultural teachings.
be times
Overcoming emotional tax and identity covering in the workplace was a struggle. It took much courage and persistence to be heard. I learned to appreciate and embrace the fact that my difference gave me a competitive advantage; my perspective and experiences created a unique voice that contributed to better collective outcomes. The lack of female role models, many career trials and numerous supporters created the drive and need for me to give back. It’s important for women to be career role models, provide open encouragement and champion advocacy for other women.
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[ SPOTLIGHT WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE ]
CEO and President, Lynx Air Calgary, Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book Contributor
MERREN MC ARTHUR My story is defined as much by my failures and disappointments as my successes. I have had an unconventional career which is characterised by taking risks, challenging myself and pivoting to new opportunities when things don’t turn out as planned. I have never accepted the status quo and I have refused to accept that certain opportunities should be closed to me because of my gender or my profession. It hasn’t been an easy path but it has been My story is defined as a hugely rewarding one. My hope is that my daughters and much by my failures other younger women will be and disappointments able to achieve their goals as my successes. without so many challenges.
Merren has held executive roles in a variety of industries including Executive Partner at one of Australia’s pre-eminent law firms, Deputy State Solicitor of Western Australia and Chief Advisor for Rio Tinto Iron Ore and several roles in the aviation industry.
What do you think has been the secret of your success? My husband for sure! When we had our first daughter, we agreed to each take six months off to look after her but at the end of his six months, he couldn’t bear to part with her. As a result, he didn’t go back to work and, thus, became the primary caregiver for all our four daughters. People often refer to me as a trailblazer, but I think he is really the trailblazer. Fathers who choose to be full-time caregivers for their children are very rare…even to this day. They are much more rare than working mothers, in fact. He had no support networks and had to build his sense of self outside of the traditional expectation of the man who “brings home the bacon”. His decision has enabled me to pursue a very demanding career without having to juggle childcare and housework as so many working mothers must do. And our girls have grown up with a wonderful male role model. How lucky are we! 46 | UWOMEN
What is your definition of success? I don’t have a definition of success per se. For me success is a continual journey. I continually set goals for myself to keep myself mentally stimulated and personally fulfilled. Some of these goals are professional, some are personal and once each goal is achieved, I roll to the next one. What are you most proud of with respect to your success in business? Successfully returning Tigerair Australia to profit in just 18 months. The airline had incurred significant financial losses over a period of five years as it had drifted from its low-cost base over that time, operating two fleet types, an ageing fleet, three crew bases and a failed launch of services to Bali. When I took on the CEO role, team morale was low and the airline had been embroiled in a twoyear-long dispute with its pilots. I restructured the management team, established multiple channels of direct communication across the organization from management to front line pilots and cabin crew. I then embarked on a business simplification program and a technology driven transformation. We reached a “win-win” agreement with the pilots, reduced our costs and improved our revenue to deliver a $50M (10%) improvement in profitability.
COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? That we should never take for granted the lifestyle and freedoms that we enjoy and that humans have an amazing capacity to innovate and adapt in the face of a crisis. If you won the lottery yesterday, would you continue to operate your business or continue your career path in the same way? Yes, I most certainly would!
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What is one favorite thing you do for self-care and why? Is it a non-negotiable item? When I am stressed at work, the best detox for me is to watch a movie or TV drama. Not something light and fluffy. It has to be intense and engrossing. I think watching other people in more stressful occupations or situations than mine somehow put things in perspective for me, or perhaps it simply provides an alternate channel for me to divert my stress! Who knows but it works every time! What is your go-to hack for getting unstuck or staying motivated? Sleep on it! If a problem seems insurmountable at first, I set it aside and continue my day as planned. I find that, while I am working and sleeping, my mind is subconsciously working on the problem in the background. Invariably, the answer comes to me in the shower the next morning! What are the top three things that you believe someone should consider before starting a business or making a life changing decision? 1) Data - Get the facts and do the analysis—without emotion. 2) Challenge - Test your analysis and decision-making with people who you trust to be frank with you. This will help to remove any bias driven by emotion 3) Worst-case scenario - Work through what the worst-case scenario is and get yourself comfortable with how you would deal with it. It’s rarely as bad as you think. If the worst case is that the business fails and you have to close it down and return to paid employment, that’s not so bad. At least you gave it a go and won’t die wondering.
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How would you describe your leadership? One of my team members described my leadership style as follows: “Merren possesses a rare mix of vision, intelligence, business intuition, practicality and genuine care for people”. Another more junior team member described me as the most connected CEO she had worked with. I seek to adhere at all times to my three Ts of leadership: Truth, Trust and Transparency Tell us about a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She overcame so many extraordinary setbacks and challenges For me success is a in both her personal life continual journey. I and professional career continually set goals for and never gave up. Most importantly, she proved that myself to keep myself women can have it all—a mentally stimulated and family and a career—and personally fulfilled. she broke all the rules of the era (and many that persist to this day) in the process. She was courageous and determined in the face of the most extraordinary prejudice and disdain and ended up proving all her doubters very, very wrong! The world is a better place because of her.
passionate, c
What leadership traits are you most proud of? I pride myself on being a great talent-spotter. This skill has enabled me to create great teams and we have achieved outstanding results together. It has also given me great satisfaction to watch talented team members gain confidence and exposure from the opportunities I have given them and to watch them move on to bigger and better opportunities. I remember looking around the executive table one day and realizing that four of the eight executive committee members had previously reported to me and were now sitting alongside me as my peers. I could not have been more proud! What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A woman who paves the way for others to follow through breaking the barriers of prejudice and through finding a way to make things easier for women who follow in her footsteps. When you were 12 years old, Sleep on it! If a what did you want to be when problem seems you grew up? What one piece insurmountable at of wisdom would you share with young women today? first, I set it aside When I was 12, I wanted to be and continue my a zoologlist because I loved day as planned. animals! In the end it took me until I was in my 40s to find a career that I am truly passionate about and it had nothing to do with animals or my university qualifications. My advice would be to take the opportunities that are presented to you. You never know where they might lead you. My test for any new opportunity is: will I regret it if I pass this up? If the answer is: yes; then go for it, no matter how scary or unconventional it is.
courageous, curious
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MANJIT MINHAS What is one thing that you can say has been the single biggest thing to help you achieve success? Resilience. When difficulties present themselves, I appreciate my ability to recover quickly. To me, resilience is its own special kind of toughness.
What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A woman who can fill someone with the desire or urge to do something they dream of. She is someone who is not limited or restricted by the status quo regarding practices or expectations but rather sets her own standards for success. Some might say she knows how to work inside the proverbial box but does not see herself or those she inspires as being required to stay there. Recognizing the achievements of women is critical. Why? Women need to learn NOT to be humble and inspire each other to follow their dreams and passions. We need to recognize all the risks and sacrifices they have undertaken.
Tell us about your SupportHERs™ and how male champions have supported you. From the day we I have had the privilege of having many male champions in my life: are born to the day my father, my brother and business we leave this earth partner, Ravinder, my husband, we surely need each Harvey and numerous male mentors. other. We are in this They have supported me by offering me their brain to pick, their ear to together, we cannot listen and sometimes a push in the survive alone. right direction. What is the first thing you do in the morning to start your day to set yourself up for success? I take 15 minutes to myself when I wake up while lying in bed and think about what I want to accomplish today. I write my goals down the night before and review them in my mind first thing as I truly believe in starting with the right mindset. What do you admire most about other female leaders? I admire two things: integrity and resilience. I especially respect integrity. I have a high regard for people who care about doing the right thing— who care about looking another person in the eye with honesty and transparency. I think of integrity as the glue that helps things to get done the right way despite challenges. It’s what fuels the successful manifesting of win-win outcomes.
CEO and CO-founder, Minhas Breweries and Distilleries Calgary, Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book Contributor
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Resilience, on the other hand, is what yields the resources to make that lemonade from lemons. It is the ability to flex and bend and transcend. Resilience is what arrives on the scene after the pain, the suffering or the sorrow from a loss or a forced change of direction. Once the flame of resilience is lit, there is no telling what strengths may be revealed to fulfill the achievement of a goal. What words motivate you to be the best you can be? There is no excuse for not trying. Be brave enough to suck at something new.
What is your go-to hack for getting unstuck or staying motivated? When you are in a rut, tackle it by starting small. Clear away your smaller tasks that have been piling up. Reply to your emails, organize your documents, declutter your workspace and reply to private messages. Whenever I finish doing that, I generate positive momentum which I bring forward to my work. If you are stuck in a rut, it’s usually a sign that you have been working too long and too hard. It is time to take a break. Take a vacation! A couple of days off can do wonders. I don’t check work emails or do anything work-related when I am on vacation. I relax, do my favorite activities, read and spend time with family members. I always return to work recharged and ready to start. Contrary to popular belief, the world will not end from taking a break from your work. In fact, you will be much more ready to make an impact after proper rest. I combat dips in motivation by networking and going out to events. Connecting with others can be invigorating and rewarding. I thrive on contact, shared experiences, and helping others. The opportunity to share and learn from each other can help alleviate the sense of being alone in business. Also, I highly recommend finding a mentor, or becoming a mentor! What are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business or making a life-changing decision? 1) Weigh the pros and cons. Make a list of what’s good about the decision and what isn’t. Then decide which outweighs the other. Compare the risks versus the rewards. What’s the safest course of action? What’s the riskiest one? What could you do to minimize the risks and/or enhance the potential rewards? 2) Listen to your gut. Find a place to get quiet and just sit and listen to what your inner voice is telling you about the decision. What thoughts or feelings come up? Check the alignment. How does the decision align with your passion, values and priorities? 3) Seek advice. Share your thoughts with someone you know and trust. Sometimes the biggest help is simply hearing yourself talk out loud about what you’re thinking and why you’re thinking that way. Avoid negative drivers. Decisions are often driven by fear more than anything else. Making a decision is the only way to move forward. So remember, any decision is better than no decision.
ambitious, honest, courageous
What one piece of wisdom would you share with young women today? My advice would be not to measure your success and progress by someone else’s ruler. Figure out what you are good at—what you are passionate about.
Resilience, on the other hand, is what yields the resources to make that lemonade from lemons. It is the ability to flex and bend and transcend.
COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? Self-care is not selfindulgence!! What leadership traits are you most proud of? That I am self-aware, adaptive, resilient, and accepting of feedback from others. I do think I am also an effective listener and open to change. Operating a business can be lonely. What are some of your biggest challenges? It can be lonely being an entrepreneur. You have to make decisions and you have to take responsibility for all of them from the easiest to the toughest decisions. Being a boss makes it difficult to also be a friend to others in the organization. What is the biggest overall lesson you learned running your business? Life is short so have fun and take some risks! 2020 was life-changing in so many ways. What is your sauce for staying motivated or focused or innovative? Set a crazy, huge and unrealistic goal for yourself or your business. How do you know if you’ve set the right goal? Ask yourself these 3 questions: 1) Does it scare you? It should. 2) Is it well outside of your comfort zone? It should be. 3). Do you believe you can do it? You should. Whatever the goal is that you land on, it has to pass the litmus test of igniting a fire within you. It will take hard work and real commitment, but it’s worth it. Where do you see your business in the next five years? Tell us about one thing you want to achieve? I always plan and make goals for myself and my business but I know opportunities can come my way that I didn’t plan for and couldn’t even imagine (such as being a Dragon on Dragons’ Den for 7 years and counting!) so I don’t share but stay tuned!
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[ FEATURE – LeadHERs ]
KATHERINE (KATIE) DUDTSCHAK Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak leads RBC’s eight personal and business regions in Canada. This includes more than 20,000 advisors in branches and business centres, as well as expert advisors. Prior to her current role, she was CEO of RBC’s operations in 19 Caribbean countries and led a highly complex multicultural and jurisdictional transformation. Committed to community leadership, Katie is a member of the United Way Greater Toronto’s Board of Trustees as well as their woman Campaign Cabinet and a member of the Board of Directors for Jack.org.
I am also a with gender transition experience and, in 2019, revealed my journey to embrace my true self as a woman.
Katie holds an MBA from Ivey Business School and a Partners, Directors and Senior Officers certificate as well as an InstituteCertified Director (ICD.D) certificate. She is also a Director of the Mutual Funds Dealers Association, Canada’s mutual funds regulator.
Executive Vice President, Regional Banking, RBC Royal Bank Toronto, Ontario Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ Diversity and Inclusiveness Award
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I am a proud parent of four children, an Executive Vice President with one of Canada’s leading financial institutions and a friend and mentor to many women and men. I am also a woman with gender transition experience and, in 2019, revealed my journey to embrace my true self as a woman. Coming out to family, friends and tens of thousands of colleagues is one of the most terrifying things I have ever done. Being deeply fearful of hurting my family and afraid of being rejected by the world—all too common responses in the transgender community—I was pleasantly surprised. I was received, instead, with overwhelming love and support. Today, I am living my best self.
14 million clients coast to coast to coast. Over the past five years in this position, I’ve played a key leadership role in defining the bank’s digitally enabled relationship strategy. During this time, my team and colleagues have achieved multiple years of industry-leading client experience employee engagement as well as client and business growth results. While facing my true gender was the hardest experience of my life, it provided me with a unique and powerful view on society and the role and practices of business leadership moving forward. I use my voice and experiences to carry the message of what it means to be a purposedriven and inclusive leader and business. Over the past two years, I have spoken to national and international audiences on this theme. Last fall, I was invited by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to speak. I believe deeply in being an advocate for human rights and inclusion— they are fundamental to building a better world. One of my greatest career highlights includes signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the bank and the Assembly of First Nations. Advancing our efforts with the indigenous community has been a true honour and a critical life learning experience.
What was the turning point in life that led you on your current path to launch your career, or follow your purpose? There was no turning point, but rather a constant journey of selfreflection; overcoming fears and challenges with courage and action; building life experience and insight. In June 2019, this ultimately took me to coming out to the world as the woman I am and was meant to be. I work every day to follow my sense of purpose.
determined, curious, empathet
Like many, my childhood experiences had a significant influence on the person I am today. My parents were humble farmers in small town southwestern Ontario; I had learning challenges in school. Both my mother and my father had survived WWII camps when they arrived in Canada as post-war newcomers. Those early hardships made me even more determined to prove myself in the world.
Women deserve
What are the top three things you role models that believe should be considered before making a life changing decision? bring out their There are a few but I believe the best... their true most important are: 1) What does my and authentic best. passion, heart and true self tell me to do? 2) Who can I draw upon as my support group—who are the people that will give me strength and wisdom I will need every day to make it? 3) Who are my role models, leaders and companies that have done this before that are my source of inspiration and knowledge? What is the biggest overall lesson you learned during your career? Finding your purpose, and being curious, flexible and adaptable. What leadership traits are you most proud of? Intellectual curiosity and connecting dots over the short, medium and long term; care and compassion; empathy. Operating a business can be lonely. What are some of your biggest challenges? One of the most significant challenges any leader can have is ensuring the business and leadership team is balancing the immediate, the mid-term and longterm best interests of our stakeholders including clients, employees and communities.
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NANCY E. KLENSCH What one piece of wisdom would you share with young women today? You are capable just as you are. Let me repeat that. Just. As. You. Are. You don’t need to be taller or shorter. You don’t need to be skinnier or prettier. You don’t need to wait until you are everything you think you’re not. At some point someone said something to you—something critical or mean—and you bought into it. You’re now paralyzed waiting for the feature they criticized to be magically fixed. Don’t wait. You’re amazing and capable just as you are. Someone once told me that my eyes were too big. Instantly, I hated my eyes. How irrational is that? First, I can’t change the size of my eyes. Second, what does the size of my eyes have to do with my abilities or talents? And third, my eyes might just be my best feature! What is the biggest lesson you learned running your business? You’re going to hear NO a lot. Like, a lot. Get used to it and don’t let it deter you from where you’re going. I’ve learned that NO isn’t actually no, it’s just go another route—go to another source or most often it means You are do it yourself and screw the naysayers. You know what you want to do so just capable get creative and find a way to make it just as you happen. If I had stopped when I heard are. Let me NO, I never would have gotten started.
repeat that. Just. As. You. Are.
What are you most proud of with respect to your business success? The day I realized we hit $1M in payroll was my biggest aha moment. I was so busy growing the business and building my team that I didn’t realize we had hit $1M in revenue let alone that we were putting money back into the community by way of people’s incomes.
Creator and Innovator, Summit Kids Calgary, Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book Contributor
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fierce,
COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? We’re meant to do hard things. COVID-19 forced me to take a pause and evaluate where I was going. And when I say take pause, I don’t mean stop. I think that was the biggest lesson, DO NOT STOP. Do not let the unknown paralyze your momentum. I was able to keep moving forward despite all of the unknowns and positioned myself for what was next. In the three months that we were closed, I launched a new company and created two new brands as well as grew my existing businesses. I believe stopping and waiting—being paralyzed—is the death knell of a business. What are the top three things someone should consider before starting a business? I think you need to stop considering it and just do it. Had I stopped to think about the what-ifs of starting a business in 2009 (on the heels of the global financial crisis of 2008 no less!), I never would have done it. Solid, well-thought-out businesses that serve a need or solve a problem can still thrive in a severe worldwide crisis. Mine did! What was the turning point that led you on your current path? When I realized that if I didn’t like something—in this case, the childcare options for my son—I knew that I needed to fix it myself. I wasn’t going to be happy until I could get my hands around it and make the change I was seeking. I stepped up, leaned in and embraced a new idea. That idea became a new reality for me and for an entire industry. Tell us about your SupportHERs™ and how male champions have supported you. My biggest SupportHER is my husband, Tyler. He joined my company a few years after I got started and has been our biggest asset. He’s helped me grow the business and make my vision a reality. He supports my crazy ideas. He puts up with my need for perfection. He sees me for who I am, not who I’m supposed to be. When I stumble, get frustrated and give up, he’s there. He picks me up and dusts me off and pushes me back into the arena. What is the first thing you do in the morning to start your day? The first thing I do each morning is give my son a kiss.
Tell us about a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. My grandmother, Amelia. 64 years ago, my grandmother packed up her family of six, including four children ages 7 to 17 and came to Canada. It was a terrifying midnight move from communist Poland with only a vague description of what she was running toward: “a better life”. I like to think that she lived up to her dream of a better life. I think she’d be proud of me. A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021? Grace as in simple elegance, courteous goodwill. Grace is my word because I am working to have grace under pressure, I want to be known as a kind, supportive, competent leader, partner and mother. I want to be known for my grace under pressure. When you were 12 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? What one piece of wisdom would you share with young women today? At 12, I wanted to write and act. As a child, words were my canvas. I loved how The day I they allowed me to escape to makerealized we hit believe lands. I followed my heart and $1M in payroll studied acting only to realize I wanted to speak and write my own words. was my biggest The clues to who we are are found aha moment. in the innocence of our younger I was so busy selves. If you’re unsure of what you growing the want to do professionally, or who you are, go back to your memory bank. business and Rediscover the activities that made building my you happy as a kid.
team that I didn’t realize we had hit $1M in revenue!
What is the biggest lesson you learned participating in your family business? As cliche as it is, there is no fast-track button to success or professional respect for your contributions. Respect is earned through consistency. Show up with a smile on your face and the promise to yourself that you will strive to always work to the best of your ability. For me, patience was something I needed to learn. Success is a team effort— one that requires empathy for those with whom we work and trust in the ability and commitment of others.
creative, disruptor
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grateful, active, motivated.
Co- Founding Partner, Hawco Peters and Associates Inc.
2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Nest Award Universal Women-Led™ Calgary, Alberta Canada
Women of Inspiration™ – Women Driving Change Book Contributor
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SARAH HAWCO What, if anything, do you feel you sacrificed as you were starting your business? Early in my career the biggest sacrifice I made was my voice— not speaking up for fear of negative repercussions and outcomes. By the time I started my own business though, I had grown well into myself and my confidence. I had found my voice. The sacrifice then became, of course, financial. “I gave up a salary with benefits to chase this “better way” that I envisioned. And I would not change a thing.” Running a business can come with big lessons. What have you learned? The biggest lesson I have learned is to trust my gut. I believe it was Maya Angelou that said, “When someone shows you their true colours, believe them”. What do you admire most about female leaders? Women work hard. We, as women, have so much that we are juggling and perpetually trying to accomplish on any given day. I admire female leaders who admire other women! I admire female leaders who celebrate others and who recognize that another woman’s win is not their loss. I admire female leaders who are at the top of their game not because of nor in spite of being female but because knowledge and expertise is not genderspecific. I admire female leaders who acknowledge the playing field is still uneven and are proactive in levelling it out for more women to join. Name a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. I am surrounded by so many Women of Inspiration. Over the years I have intentionally crafted a village around me that lifts me up. The members of my village of women come from different ages, stages and vocations. The common thread among them is that they lead with compassion while being incredibly tough and successful experts in their field. Is there a word for 2021 that is your guiding light? My word is “Gratitude”. Why? Because leading with gratitude, even when things do not go as planned, changes one’s perspective. It allows one to appreciate the wins but also reframe the losses.
Is there a self-care item that is non-negotiable for you? Exercise! Absolutely non-negotiable! Taking care of myself by eating a plant-based, whole-foods diet and exercising every day is a gift to myself. These things are acts of honouring not only myself but also the people in my life for whom I care. How does your day start? The first thing I do in the morning— every morning—is: meditate, coffee, run. This all happens before anyone else in the house is awake. I meditate because I read that I am supposed to. I am not good at it but keep trying. I have a coffee so I can ease into my morning prerun. I run because that is my true meditation. No matter the weather, time outside is a gift. It settles my mind and sorts out any issues. I game plan my day and feel proud of myself for doing it. Does it matter if the achievements of women are recognized? Women are the fabric of our society and culture. When we empower women, we empower our families and communities. Recognizing women’s achievements recognizes women themselves. Recognition places value on female-centric skills such as empathy, cooperation and collaboration which need not be unique to women. When we recognize the achievements of a woman, we celebrate all of her. How do you define a Woman of Inspiration? My definition of a Woman of Inspiration is someone who intimately knows and accepts herself. She embraces her strengths and acknowledges her weaknesses. It is inspiring to me when a woman celebrates others as well as herself. A Woman of Inspiration is someone who makes space for others and who uses her influence to help, not hinder.
SupportHERs™ and male champions can make a difference. Tell us about yours. My SupportHER is my business partner, Kent Peters. Kent respects and values me as well as what I bring to the partnership. He sees me as an equal in every sense of the word. We have the same work ethic but different skill set. It is our differences that create valuable alternatives on approaching any given problem, task or challenge. He has championed me in both our shared business and my separate fitness business. Was it easy to find other like-minded women who are in business? My biggest challenge was finding peers—female peers, in particular. I think this is a larger problem because as women we are working so hard and so often working while performing a balancing act raising children. Time is a mother’s most precious commodity so taking time for networking and socializing can seem indulgent. If you had it to do again, how would you have started your business differently? I would have sought out female mentorship—as hard as it was to find. I would have become involved in networking in a different way—not just the malecentric version. I would have had the confidence to learn more and recognize that there is room and value in different perspectives. However, with respect to a bunch of the other pieces, by the time I started my own business, I think I was prepared and had the skill set to do it.
Was there ever a turning point that steered you toward your current path? My AHA moment(s) all came down to the question: am I living in alignment with my values? Is there a better way to do this? I want to know that whatever I am doing is adding value, be it for a client, my family or for myself. Are my actions in alignment with my values? Am I walking the talk or just talking the talk? As long as I am striving to improve, be better and stay the course, then I am moving in the right direction. I took the risk to leave a reliable job with a reliable paycheque and start my own firm because I thought there was a better way. It was terrifying and it has been well worth it. With respect to your personal traits as a leader, what do you take pride in about your work? Empathy and grit! I do not expect anyone to work harder than me but I respect that we all have different strengths, weaknesses, motivators and style. I try to encourage people through acknowledging their strengths and I do my best to mentor without judgment. Everyone is an expert at something but no one is an expert at everything. Let others shine.
When your business gets stuck, what do you do? Lists. Goals. Enter When we into the calendar. Fact—if I am not writing things down, then I’m not recognize the getting paid! That is easy motivation achievements for an entrepreneur. There is no of a woman, safety net. The risks and rewards all we celebrate lie with me. If I can’t get my head around a problem, then I talk it over all of her. with my business partner. Insofar as non-business things go such as teaching fitness classes, I have to show up. I made a commitment; others rely upon me. How has doing business during the pandemic impacted you? COVID-19 was a forced adjustment for everyone. It changed the landscape for how we work, socialize and interact. It highlighted how differently we react to situations and how, simultaneously, we demanded patience and respect for perspectives. The interruption to my work was not significant; it just had to be refocused. With all of the work and education and experience I had gathered over the past 20+ years, I could weather this pandemic storm. I had the tools even if I had to sharpen a few. 59 | UWOMEN
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[ DIVERSITY & INCLUSION ]
Raising the Bar!
The Universal Womens Network™ is a global platform committed to advance gender equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), by raising the bar to advance women in their network, community, and workplaces. We recognize the achievements of women through the Women of Inspiration™ Awards. We are advocates of women-owned and women-led businesses, and champion female entrepreneurs along with allies who SupportHER™! Our global network promotes the advancement of women. We recognize and celebrate thought leaders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals from diverse industries and backgrounds and work with like-minded organizations committed to inclusivity and moving the needle to close the gender gap! We are Stewards of Diversity™ and dedicated to the unity of humanity by acknowledging our differences, asking questions, and valuing voices at all levels. We do not tolerate bullying, hatred, or racism at any level.
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ANDREA CARTER What has your research uncovered regarding the neuroscience of belonging in the workplace? The most concise summary statement I can make is that there is statistical significance to workplace belonging and there is a direct correlation to talent, performance and succession planning. What did you want to be when you grew up? What guidance would you offer career seekers? At 12, I wanted to be a doctor. While I am not a doctor, my research and the content around the neuroscience of belonging in the workplace is certainly helping people! The wisdom I share is that life will always guide you to The key is to listen your bigger purpose. The key is to your gut and not to listen to your gut and not be be swayed by what swayed by what other people other people expect expect or demand from you. When you value your worth, or demand from there will always be opportunity.
you. When you value your worth, there will always be opportunity.
What do you do in the morning to set yourself up for success? I have had my same morning routine for years. It is based on the neuroscience of intentionality. When I wake, with my eyes still closed, I note the people in my life for whom I am grateful. I send them all positive intentions. It takes less than 10 minutes and it sets the tone for my day every day.
CEO and Founder, Building Better Organizations Neuroscience Based Equity and Inclusion Intelligence Consultant Oakville, Ontario Canada Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
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What was your biggest sacrifice when you started your career path? When I chose to return to school at age 43 with two children who have neurodivergent differences, people told me I was selfish, too old, compromising my husband’s career, not valuing motherhood and devaluing what I had already achieved. What I realized was that their reaction to my returning to school had nothing to do with me but had everything to do with how they saw themselves. To stay focused, I had to turn my back on needing their approval. I had to be okay with them not being okay with my decisions—and that was tremendously hard. Without the love and support of my husband and the backing from my children, I could not have done it. What I am learning is so worth it!
ally, de
What do you admire most about other female leaders? Research has shown me that female leaders are judged more harshly than their male counterparts. They are judged for their leadership style. They are judged for how they behave socially. They are judged for their womanhood and motherhood, their sense of style, their sexuality, their approach to getting work done, their means of influencing others, their education—the list is endless. So, what I admire most about female leaders is their ability to stand in the face of judgment and keep going. What is the biggest overall lesson of your career? People will undervalue your worth and underestimate your capability when you doubt your own value. Every human has value. Value is not predicated on perfection. Value does not diminish as a result of mistakes; rather, it increases because you’ve learned. Women must stop looking to others—to family, friends, colleagues, bosses and clients—to show them the value that exists uniquely within them. As a woman, you are valuable, worthy, deserving and incredible exactly as you are—so be you. 2020 was life-changing in so many ways. How did you stay motivated? Don’t laugh…neuroscience. When you break down how emotions are made and understand that you feel a certain way because your brain is responding to a certain stimulus, you can detach from the negatives that drain your energy. I had to choose my companionship wisely and make my happiness a priority over the pandemic. When you feel pressured, your energy levels naturally deplete. To stay motivated, focused and innovative, I had to do what lifted me up. I used to be that person who gave everything to everyone no matter what. 2020 changed that and forced me to say ‘no’ when I otherwise would have said ‘okay’. My kids and husband are also extremely wonderful and funny; we laugh a lot together and that has made everything doable. What makes recognizing the achievements of women critical? The brain is constantly trying to make sense of the world around you. When there is not a model or structure to draw on, you experience what’s called, “experimental blindness”—a term used in behavioral sciences. For women to advance and real equity to come to fruition, we need to cure the experimental blindness our culture is experiencing around the value and differences women bring to the table.
COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of your biggest lessons? Not everyone in your circle will always meet your needs or get where you are at. Compassion, empathy and understanding are possible when there is acceptance rather than judgment. For women to The pandemic created division advance and real by highlighting differences. Those differences, when intersected with equity to come compounding pressure, revealed to fruition, we the strengths and weaknesses of need to cure the humanity and highlighted the value experimental of people versus things. A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021? Belonging. The human brain searches for belonging in every situation. In the workplaces, communities and even in families, belonging in its true form, rarely exists for people with differences. It’s time we change that.
blindness our culture is experiencing around the value and differences women bring to the table.
What is your personal motto? There are three: I have plenty to spare and share. Act with intention, attention and no tension. Everything I do matters. If we could magically create a day eight, how would you spend it? My husband says I should say “sleeping”. I would take the extra day to refuel my energy. I think having a fully-dedicated day to just re-energize is what most women need right now. What is one favorite thing you do for selfcare? I laugh. I laugh every day—no exception. Big belly laughs. I invite them, I create them, I harvest them! Plus, I use situational visualizations daily. It’s part of my morning routine and bedtime routine. It’s non-negotiable. Knowing what you know now, what would you have changed about starting your career path? Nothing. What I have learned is that you cannot plan your whole life and expect it to perfectly align. I believe in being optimistic. I believe in failure. I believe that love gets you through everything. I believe that life and business is messy and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Your ability to pivot, tweak, test, and explore is as important as just starting. There will never be a perfect time and it is never too late. The only failure that exists is not trying.
edicated, optimistic
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CAROLYN LEVY President Technologies and Chief Diversity Officer, Randstad Canada Calgary, Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
Career progression for women into senior leadership roles can be challenging when stereotypes and biases about commitment or ability are at play. How have you overcome these obstacles? I had the opportunity to evolve in an environment where men at the top are aware of these issues. For example, my CEO, realizing there were not enough women in the boardroom, made an extra effort to find and hire a female CFO. It was critical for me to choose a work environment where I felt there was a commitment and openness to empower women. Through two maternity leaves, I was promoted twice into executive positions, President of Engineering and President of Technologies. Last year, I was also appointed Chief Diversity Officer. May my passion, my skills and my ambition have an influence on building more inclusive workplaces in the Canadian market.
How do your describe your role as a leader? Before I stepped through the doors at Randstad on my first day, I vowed I would bring my whole self to work every day—no matter what! I was committed to stay authentic on a daily basis and strive to be my best self even if that gauge wasn’t at 100% every day. I knew I was human and could get through anything with an agile mindset. With a few months under my belt, I started to dream bigger. I am always looking for the next step supporting others or searching for new opportunities to move closer to setting and leading strategy. I went with the mindset of, “tell me how high the bar is and I will push it higher!” What do you admire most about other female leaders? Every woman has her own story and it’s always incredible when they share their journey. I admire the community that most female leaders create to lift and inspire others.
You hold the key to your happiness. Unlock that gift for yourself and watch it spread joy to everyone that surrounds you.
Top three things before making a life changing decision? Know your purpose, stay connected to your values and dream big.
What leadership traits are you most proud of? Over the last two years, there has been so much transformation happening from a professional, organizational and social standpoint. Moving to a remote setting overnight and being appointed Chief Diversity officer has deeply affected how I interact with my employees, clients and partners. I have found myself being more transparent, vulnerable, courageous and collaborative as a result of these changes. COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? Practice gratitude daily. Say I love you more often and slow down to appreciate the little things.
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curious,
What is your go-to hack for getting unstuck or staying motivated? Breathing, wine and a quick break! Also, connecting with peers to challenge my perspective. A word can be a powerful guiding light. What is your word for 2021? Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the power of the pause before you react or engage. It can change the trajectory of your intention and impact. Tell us about your male SupportHERs™ and how they have supported you. My Dad, brother, husband and many coaches have championed everything I have ever done. I have always known that limits are just something you manifest yourself. Tell us about a Woman of Inspiration who inspires you. I have had a transformational coach through my leadership journey for the last four years. I always have renewed energy after connecting with her. Coaching can be most important to get through the complexities of life! Knowing what you know now, what would you have changed about your career path? Nothing! The journey—the glory, the pain, the celebrations and setbacks—I took led me to where I am today. I will always share my learnings and stories to help other women avoid some of the setbacks I faced. What is the biggest lesson you learned during your career? Being authentic and making a commitment early on to evolve through continuous learning, instead of striving to obtain expertise in all facets of business, allowed me to make more meaningful connections and unlock innovative ideas. Also, let vulnerability, humility and empathy shine through! Where do you see your business in the next five years? As talent architects in the world of work, we will not only reflect the communities that we serve to drive opportunity and innovation, but we will also embed our human-forward brand as technology continues to expand. We will be a leading support in global economic recovery as we drive to build a diverse and sustainable workforce. What is one favorite thing you do for self-care? Walk away from my screens—all of them! It is nonnegotiable. I take vacations and spend time with family and friends. It means I take time off so I can be fully present for everything else that is important outside of work!
What has been the single biggest thing to help you achieve success? Not allowing my fears to get in the way of my opportunities. 2020 was life changing in so many ways. What is your sauce for staying focused or innovative? Practicing mindfulness, a meditation technique through which you are purposely focusing your attention on the present moment, has helped me alleviate the tension and stress that comes with the incredibly packed and busy daily life of an executive and mother of two. It clears my mind and provides me with the headspace that I need to come up with solutions and new ideas! What is your motto? Adapt like water. What is your definition of success? To me, success is achieved when you are authentic —when you give yourself the space and time to clarify your goals, whatever they are, to devise a plan to get there, to be proud of your accomplishments, to acknowledge the setbacks and learn from them, to overcome fear and to believe in yourself. What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A woman who strives to inspire others to be their authentic selves through work with her business and community, has the courage to share her story and is comfortable being vulnerable. Most importantly, she embraces the craziness of life without looking to be perfect! What makes recognizing the achievements of women critical? Research has shown me that women are less likely than men to self-promote their abilities, which contributes to a disparity in promotions and pay. Recognizing women’s achievements can definitely inspire them to pursue leadership opportunities. What words form your guiding light? I will close by saying to anyone glancing at this quick synopsis of me: love without boundaries, live without regrets, commit to a continuous learning journey for the rest of your life and embrace all of the little moments in life! You hold the key to your happiness. Unlock that gift for yourself and watch it spread joy to everyone that surrounds you.
courageous, confident
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TRIM SIZE:
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PEER TO PEER JAM + ROLE MODEL TALK Peer to Peer Jam & Role Model Talks for our youth to connect with peers and learn from inspiring leaders from diverse industries sharing their inspiring stories, career paths and leadership wisdom. This is a golden opportunity to build confidence, learn from inspiring leaders, and meet like-minded peers from all across Canada! Peer to Peer Jam offers opportunities for young women to start their leadership journey, learn the value of building trusted relationships, setting goals, making healthy decisions overcoming barriers, aim for the stars and dreaming big! universalwomensnetwork.com
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PEER TO PEER JAM + By Sophia Fairweather
Sophia is an interesting leader, award winner in STEM, Board member to AWSN.org, policy influencer, entrepreneur, and inventor. She has won 6 Awards and many other recognitions: Canada 150 Women of Inspiration™ Millennial Leader Award, ASTECH Award, Manning Innovation Award Alberta, TEC Venture Award, ATB BoostR Award, and Alberta's Leaders of Tomorrow Award. For her efforts, she has been recognized in both the Alberta Legislative Assembly, the Canadian Senate and the Parliament of Canada; as well as being invited to speak and present. Role Model Talk with Hazel McCallion This November I had the great pleasure of meeting Hazel McCallion!! How was a 13-year-old able to meet with Hazel “Hurricane” McCallion? Well, I have the pleasure of being part of Universal Womens Network™ Peer to Peer JAM + Role Model Talks. Where I can meet with amazing role models and discuss topics with other curious and blossoming youth. I also achieve this by being a motivated youth in entrepreneurship, with StartupBySophia and Key-Angels under my belt!! I am the interviewer in both sections of the Peer-to-Peer JAM/Role Model Talks. As an interviewer, I was able to talk with Hazel McCallion. A few things I was able to learn were:
UWN Youth Ambassador 2017 Women of Inspiration™ Millennial Leader Moderator, UWN Peer to Peer JAM + Role Model Talk
Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
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• When you commit yourself to something. Keep the commitment. • Having a plan or goals help get it done • Decide if you want to be a wallflower or make or do something • Be interested in the world around you and get involved. • Do your homework! Plus a whole pile of other advice can be viewed when the Peer to Peer JAM/ Role Model Talks are shared in 2022!
UWN Interview
with Sophia Fairweather UWN: Every woman has a story. Tell us about your story! When I was younger, I was fascinated by the idea of making things and creating this by yourself, and learning made me feel and still made me feel content!! With this at 5 I started making cookies and coffee and selling them to my parent’s work, which I remember walking through the hallways and putting then things needed for coffee at the coffee stations. After a while I wanted to move on to something else so because I went to an art school, I went with making something ugly into something pretty, and voila I made funcro but at the time called it decals and named the company declsbysophia! At that stage and that time, I learned A LOT in how to present myself, how to accept help and not accept help, and I just have found that at that stage I learned A LOT! Then I came up with more products by using the falsify “ find a problem and fix it” not the other way around! My newest is SASSI, a Smart Air Sensor System and I stand for IoT (Internet of Things)! Also, I am focusing a lot on my education which this online and tech explosion has helped a lot with, because before this I was taking University courses and other things online for learning!! Now that everything has gone online it has made it quite nice and easier! Now I am expanding and trying to get more out there and promote STEM and women and girls in STEM because if you see someone like you in something you're more likely to go into it! I am a huge proctor of peerto-peer learning!
+ ROLE MODEL TALK UWN: How does it feel to be acknowledged as a Women of Inspiration™? I think it is amazing and another opportunity to meet and talk to other amazing women and people, and hopefully, get out to more girls so they can see how to get too many opportunities and take advantage of every opportunity step by step. Even if the opportunities are small, like now with there being many learning opportunities around, so you can get two degrees or three and use your extra time to explore and learn more!!
UWN: How has your adversity, and journey prepared you to lead through the pandemic? What is one thing that has helped you when faced with uncertainty or a challenge? I will do the one I swear by is online learning and platforms, they help me still be out there also I don't need to show my face and will be taken seriously! Learning and having the amazing people I do around me that have taught and have helped me see and connect things for opportunities and to be sometimes have an advantage!!
UWN: Why is recognizing women in leadership roles critical? Why now more than ever should we recognize the achievements of leaders at all levels, including the unsung heroes. To be honest it has always been important to get the unsung heroes recognized but now it's happening a little more often, every opportunity to prove the quote “bad things happen to good people” wrong is amazing!! It's important to help those who help others so they can help others, and they can help others, and want to do it more and more often and feel excited to keep the loop!!!
UWN: Has this time of PAUSE given you time to gain a new perspective? What are some of the realizations you have made? Yes, they have and I have said this the millionth time but with online learning also seeing how many amazing platforms are out there! That we can now help and can use!! Be proactive and think ahead as well, because it helps for what is now the present. Plus, the problems that are going to need some time and thinking to get through that are going to happen in the winter. Also give people the chance and time and they can do amazing things!!
UWN: We are honoured to have you part of our journey. Why did you make the decision to become a National Youth Ambassador? Well, I had the amazing advantage of Monica actually reaching out to me!! I took it because I thought it would be an interesting experience and help me get them and me out there learning new skills, meeting other young women and getting more young women involved. UWN: Are you finding inspiration in stories of courage, bravery, perseverance to support you through this time? I find it amazing that even during this time and where you need to be careful that people are still standing up for things, but also saying goodbye and farewell to others like Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the many flags at the Washington monument!! UWN: What words of inspiration and wisdom would you offer for leaders to through this historical time? Thank you it is definitely needed and keep it up but make sure you listen to the people while helping, you never know how you’ll meet and what you’ll learn!!
UWN: How has the Global Pandemic affected you personally and professionally? Tell us how this has changed, motivated or inspired you? I have found some of my friends are feeling down and sad, and of course miss each other and I miss them. Also, I have my grandparents living with me so I have to be extra careful. Professionally not too much besides I am probably getting rusty with talking and presenting. UWN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years? I would say doing the same thing as now and everything, but in truth I don't have a clue where I will be, but I hope something like what I am doing now because it's amazing!! Also, I really want to still be in school and learning!!
Photo by: Jordan Stothers
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Everyone can play a role to promote gender equality. The Universal Womens Network™ works with likeminded individuals and companies committed to moving the needle to advance women! Become a visible SupportHER™. Contact us to learn about Sponsorship opportunities for the National Women of Inspiration™ Awards. Become a Corporate Member. Become SupportHER™ Certified!
• Certification Program • SupportHER Membership • MentorHER • Women of Inspiration Awards – Nominate a SupportHER™! • Sponsorship
Become a Visible Champion and SupportHER™ universalwomensnetwork.com
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We are championing for women in our networks, communities and workplaces! Together We Are Stronger!
[ SupportHER™ ]
Empower
Everyone Plays a Role to SupportHER™ Recognizing the achievements of women is critical. It empowers them to stay on path, gives them confidence, and paves the way for others to follow in her footsteps. How to be a SupportHER™, champion for women in your network, workplace and community: • Commit to your organization’s visibility as a SupportHER™. • Weave gender diversity into your company’s policies (hiring, mentoring, training, promoting). • Join membership groups, such as the Universal Womens Network™ which are actively lobbying and campaigning for change. Knowing that empowering women in your company has the potential to increase your company’s bottom line is reason enough to invest in diversity, inclusion and equity programs. Beyond programs, it becomes about what you do post-program to amplify women. A few ways for you to support women in your company today include: • Invest in diversity/inclusion/equity programs. • Invite women to participate at the boardroom table. • Create a mentorship program for women mentors and mentees in your corporation. • Role model inclusive behaviors. • Write a testimonial on her LinkedIn page. • Invest in women-owned businesses. • Showcase women leaders in your organization • Introduce/refer her to a key stakeholder It is no secret that for real change to happen, we must shine a light on those in positions of power and opportunity who are already at the table championing women. No longer can conversations about advancing and promoting women in the workplace be solely on the shoulder of women leaders. Although it is crucial for women leaders to use their position to amplify the voices of other women, it is just as crucial to understand that everyone in your network, workplace and community plays a role in supporting women. Everyone plays a role to SupportHER™.
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In 2016, my husband and I left careers in management to start an IT services and consulting organization. We were intent on getting people back to work in a difficult Alberta economy, leveling the playing field for women in tech, providing opportunities for marginalized populations and mentoring the next generation. And so Levvel was born. Doubling revenue year-over-year between 2016 and 2019, we were recognized as one of Canada’s fastestgrowing start-ups in 2020 by Canadian Business and featured in Maclean’s magazine.
CHANTAL MILLOY
How important is it for men to be role models and equal partners? It’s critical. Perhaps not every man has a wife, sister or daughter but every man has a mother and should be able to I’ve always appreciate wanting their mother or the other believed that women in their lives to have every opportunity that men have in life. Ultimately, that’s what gender equality being an equal partner will create and being a is everyone’s male role model is about advocating for that business and that equality first within our own lives and families it takes both men and then externally within the societal groups of which we are a part. and women to
work at advancing this agenda.
What role do you feel men need to play to move the needle for gender equality? Although I’ve always believed that gender equality is everyone’s business and that it takes both men and women to work at advancing this agenda, it wasn’t until I joined the board at Black North that I understood the important role that allies play in fighting for equality. When I first joined, I feared I wouldn’t be able to truly help because I didn’t have the personal experience of being a Black Canadian. But with every meeting we had, I began to learn how important my advocacy was within the white community and how important my visible support was within the black community. For gender equality, men have the same opportunity to appeal to other men in the same way. If more men openly talk about the importance of gender equality and push for change in policies and in their own teams, the more commonplace this will become, making it hard to ignore the inequities that surface. Why is it more important now for leaders (women and men) to be visible SupportHERs™ and champions of diversity, inclusion and equality? The pandemic has highlighted many inequities and injustices. For the first time, conversations about those inequities surrounding gender, race, culture, mental health and age to name a few, are front and center. Now that we are talking openly about these topics and no longer pretending that they don’t exist, we have an obligation to do something and not just talk. 72 | UWOMEN
What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? A woman who uses her voice to empower and support others by tapping into her unique strengths. Someone who truly believes that elevating others and calling out inequities is the true definition of success. COVID19 was filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? COVID-19 put a big shining spotlight on the inequities that exist in our society today. A big lesson for me was that we all have to do a better job of standing up and acknowledging that these inequities exist before we can even begin to make a difference.
Co-founder and COO, Levvel Inc. Calgary, Alberta Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ SupportHER Award Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
BRIAN MILLOY
As a single parent, raising two small, rambunctious boys into men, was not a trivial task for a single woman. As one of those boys, it wasn’t until years later that I truly appreciated the strength, sacrifice, kindness, and resilience that my mom was made of!
When my father walked out on the three of us, my mom was left with mortgage payments and two small boys to raise. She immediately went back to work and held down two jobs to keep the house and provide stability for her kids. Despite the long hours she put in, she still managed to keep us in sports and attend all our hockey games and football practices. Years later, as we grew older, she returned to university and completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, For gender equality eventually retiring from a management to truly exist, it will position at a large Canadian company.
require men to stand beside women in this movement and continue to educate other men on the value to all parties when equality is achieved.
I saw how hard my mom worked through those years and the adversity and challenges she faced as a woman that as a man, I never experienced in my career. This launched my resolve early on—to not sit on the sidelines but to speak out against the inequities that I saw in (and out of) the workplace. My views on gender equality were sometimes not well received by my male counterparts during these years, especially when some of them were my boss. But watching what my mom endured in her career, my stance on this became personal and my resolve to be her voice for others, unbending.
Co-founder, President and CEO, Levvel Inc. Calgary, Alberta Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ SupportHER Award
As co-founder of Levvel, trust and integrity are the values I hold dear and they are what guide me in life, both personally and professionally. I was born in Montreal, Quebec. Several decades, companies, and Canadian cities later I arrived in Calgary, Alberta, which I now call home. For over 30 years, I’ve had the privilege to work with and learn from some amazing people in several worldclass organizations across Canada. I have held a variety of roles in the Information Technology space from software developer, solutions architect, project manager, to executive. During this time, I’ve experienced dramatic advancements and how it has changed the way companies and people do business with each other. Technology is my trade, but people are my passion and business done right is my drive!
I found these same attributes of strength, kindness and tenacity in Chantal, my partner, spouse, and company co-founder. Together we founded Levvel in late 2015. As one of Canada’s fastest-growing startups, and with a leadership team composed of 60% women and 40% men, our focus on gender equality and diversity is one of our pillars of success. It is directly responsible for our growth and ability to expand during a global pandemic. Growing up, my mom always reminded us that we could be anything we wanted to be if we put our minds to it. Through her focus and hard work, she certainly led by example. What role do men need to play to move the needle for gender equality? It is imperative that men and boys play a significant part in raising awareness and correcting gender inequality. To remain silent on this issue is to condone/accept it. For gender equality to truly exist, it will require men to stand beside women in this movement and continue to educate other men on the value to all parties when equality is achieved. 73 | UWOMEN
Chairman, Founder, Surecall Contact Centres Inc. 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ SupportHER™ Award Calgary. Alberta Canada Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change Book™ Contributor
MARC BOMBENON Marc Bombenon holds a university degree in business. First startup in 1982 in Paging. Second startup in 1985 in Cellular. Third startup in 1989 in Dispatch and Call Centres. Multiple companies after that. Love being an entrepreneur, I am my only limiting factor. Love to learn, love to share knowledge and experience. Equality is fundamental. Purpose is fundamental. Being positive is fundamental. Big supporter of clean energy like solar, wind, tidal. Love dogs.
My life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change. I believe the best things come from living outside of my comfort zone. The road to success always seems to be under construction. Whenever I have a problem, I just sing. Then I realize my voice is worse than my problem. The bad news is, “Time flies.” The good news is, “I’m the pilot.” Whether I think I can or think I can’t, I’m usually right and then I power through. Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who I am. I believe creativity solves everything. There isn’t anything in life that I can’t turn positive through humour.
My life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change.
What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? I share the one that comes from the founder of UWN, “She is an extraordinary woman who leads by example, lives on purpose and inspires others to be more and do more.”
The four key factors to my happy life: diet, exercise, sleep and mindset. Is it important for the achievements of women to be recognized? It’s always been important! Now there are better opportunities with changes to our culture and a younger, more insightful generation moving up. Millennials don’t have the same predisposition that older generations might have to inequality. Ask a millennial when women received the right to vote in Canada. They will quizzically look at you and assume when men had the right to vote. Good on them, historically incorrect, but delivering what should be the right answer. Recognizing the achievements of women highlights the benefits and strengths of women for others to appreciate and take note of. The more recognition, the more the influence and impact of women’s equality.
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creative,
As an ally for women, how do you see your role? Demonstrating what is needed and what is expected. Expanding on the benefits of women in business, their core strengths and competencies.
While equality is coming, it is at a glacially slow pace. The male role models have to be the ones that embrace it and insist on equality.
Men as role models are of pivotal importance. We are in a slowly declining, maledominated culture. While equality is coming, it is at a glacially slow pace. The male role models have to be the ones that embrace it and insist on equality. How does it feel to be recognized as a SupportHER™ champion for women? I appreciate the recognition and believe it is important for men to understand how pivotal our role is to recognize and champion women. Men must support women in business and criticize the nay-sayers. Men who are true leaders are supportive and vocal about women’s equality. What role can men can play to move the needle for equality, diversity, and inclusiveness? My opinion is that we can literally “pin” the needle when men want to support women and become gender agnostic. Having a desire to be fair, supportive and speak out to those men (and women) who want to maintain an unequal and dismissive attitude toward women. We know mentorship is critical to advancing personally and professionally. How do you feel about mentoring women? I am a firm believer and strong supporter of mentorship. Mentorship benefits both participants as everyone learns new and important lessons. The most important thing we can do is share experiences so that others can benefit from it. I am an advocate of mentorship for both women and men, equally.
What advice would you give to business leaders navigating today’s issues with diversity in the workplace? Make equality and diversity a cornerstone of your personal and business values. Include it in core mission and value statements, then walk the talk. Become a change leader. How does your company lead by example to SupportHER™? My President and CEO is an inspiring woman. She rose to the position through hard work and dedication, and we were vigilant to preserve her right to succeed and not limit her due to gender or ethnicity. Our company tribe has more women than men working with us, and our leadership is very equally split. This is not because we seed positions for women, we have recognized their right and ability to lead based on their attributes, their commitment and their talent. Our compass is equality. We pay the same rate for any position. We are not gender-driven. in terms of supporting gender equality, the recipe is simple. Believe in it. Support it. Want it. Make room for it. Step in and push back hard on those who do not.
adventurous, driven
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MIKE GIANNOUMIS Mike started his career in 1992 as a Network Administrator and has since progressed into more senior IT roles. He joined Paysafe in 2015, bringing with him over two decades’ experience in the tech sector, 15 years of which were spent in management roles. Mike has extensive experience in strategic planning, systems development, project management and the implementation of a broad range of business-enabling technological initiatives. He is an energetic “hands-on” leader with the outstanding ability to build highly talented and qualified teams exclusively focused on achieving compelling business results. Mike is the Senior Vice President of Technology Operations at Paysafe Group (Paysafe), where he leads a global multidisciplinary team of over 160 IT professionals. What role do you feel men can play to move the needle for equality, diversity, and inclusiveness? Gender equality is not just a women’s issue, it’s a human issue. Knowing that women face challenges with equality and aren’t always afforded the same opportunities as men have made me recognize the responsibilities men have to uphold as “Power Partners”. We must start by acknowledging male privilege and becoming active listeners in order to better understand the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace. Men need to get involved, engage others in their organizations in conversations about gender equality, resist stereotypes, advocate for fair workplace policies and become dependable allies to women both inside and outside the workplace. It is vital that every woman is made to feel heard, respected, valued and empowered.
Senior Vice President of Technologies at Paysafe Group (Paysafe). 2019 Women of Inspiration SupportHER
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How does it feel to be recognized as a champion for women? It is truly an honour to have been nominated for the Power Partner award and to be recognized as a champion for women. It is also humbling to be acknowledged as an advocate for women in the workplace, especially in the relatively male-dominated field of technology. As a father of two teenage girls, I intend to continue to give back and facilitate the path for women to succeed and climb the corporate ladder, through my advocacy and mentoring and by leading by example.
How do you support and empower women in your professional life? Personal Life? I feel that empowering women can come in many different forms. It can be as simple as giving credit where it is due, looking for opportunities to acknowledge success, offering equal access, as well as listening and showing respect to all. In life, not everyone is given the same opportunity to excel and succeed. Because of that, I will always commit to sharing my experience and my professional network, as well as use my position to help women around me attain their goals and receive equal opportunities. In the workplace, I consider it an obligation as a leader to participate in recruitment, whether it be to speak with young women in schools and universities about considering a career in IT or to help connect women to others within my network who could support their career development. I also always encourage my female colleagues to attend training sessions and conferences. I want them to feel confident in advocating for themselves, but I also want them to know that the men in our department cheer on their success. What advice would you give to business leaders navigating today’s issues with diversity in the workplace? To navigate diversity issues, business leaders need to establish a committee or program for accountability within their workplace. Taking action is an important responsibility and it’s vital for leaders to always try and advance their workplace culture a step further. This could involve being a diversity and inclusion (D&I) champion, initiating relevant training sessions in your organization, or mentoring and connecting women within your professional network. Unsurprisingly, the evidence reveals that when men are actively engaged in supporting gender inclusion, the progress made within an organization is significantly greater than when they are not. Diversity fosters growth. It maximizes the potential of employees and creates equal opportunities for those who may be overlooked. Business leaders should focus on breaking down barriers rather than raising them. Diversity also ensures that all colleagues feel free to be who they are and share their ideas in a safe environment.
We know mentorship is critical to advancing personally and professionally. How do you feel about mentoring women? Mentoring and offering professional advice are passions of mine — I genuinely enjoy seeing others succeed and grow. I remember being at the very beginning of my journey and looking for guidance. I am currently at a point in my career when others seek my mentorship and advice, and I’m more than happy to share my experiences (both good and bad), advise on career moves, or help in any other way I can. I believe that mentoring women can have a profound impact on equality and opportunity for women in the workplace. By celebrating their achievements, Mentoring and acknowledging their ambitions offering professional and guiding them through their advice are passions of professional challenges, women are more likely to advance into mine — I genuinely leadership positions, especially in enjoy seeing others IT, where the ratio of women to succeed and grow. men is quite low. What is your definition of a Woman of Inspiration? Who are the most inspiring women in your life? In my experience, a woman of inspiration demonstrates strength, resilience and exceeds expectations. She is empowered both personally and professionally. She paves her own path, even when the odds are against her. A woman of inspiration is also confident, humble and open to collaboration. She carries a positive attitude and is a role model to those around her. I am fortunate to be surrounded by strong women who inspire and motivate me. My wife’s constant support has been one of the pillars of my success. Her hard work and dedication to our family inspire me to be the best version of myself. My two teenage daughters have changed my perceptions, and they motivate me to get involved and contribute to the changes I want to see in the world. I am lucky to have worked with and learned from many exceptional women leaders and colleagues throughout my career. The presence of influential women who deserve to be recognized and celebrated has been a constant reality across all aspects of my life. For that, I am grateful beyond words.
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LEADH R VIRTUAL SERIES January 12, 2022 In conversation with Andrea Carter – Belong! 4:00 pm PST | 5:00 pm MST | 7:00 pm EST
Connect monthly with women from diverse industries! Commit to your success. Build your circle of influence. Participate. Belong! REGISTER and DETAILS Become a Member and access ALL 2022 LeadHER Series events! universalwomensnetwork.com
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supporting women who are transforming the workplace Randstad Canada is proud to support Universal Womens Network, as they celebrate the achievements of remarkable women who drive change. Congratulations to all 2021 Women of Inspiration Awards winners. At Randstad, we are committed to helping women achieve their full potential. Together, let’s continue to build an inclusive, sustainable, and empowering world of work. Learn more at randstad.ca/women
SureCall is a woman-led, purpose-driven organization that helps businesses grow by providing custom-designed contact center solutions. SureCall is a diversity leader and an advocate for gender parity and is proud to partner with SupportHER! Congratulations to all the Women of Inspiration nominees and winners for their outstanding contributions to their communities.
surecallcc.com | @surecallcc
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Associate Vice President, Practice Management and Head of the Women Canadian Advisors Network, Raymond James Ltd. Victoria, British Columbia Canada 2021 Women of Inspiration™ - Authentic Leader Women of Inspiration™ - Women Driving Change Book
ANDREA LINGER I have always admired women who seem to have it all figured out at a young age—like my beautiful daughter, who at age 17 knows she wants to be a lawyer. At her age, I did not understand myself well enough to know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Being the first child with first child syndrome, I needed to learn the hard way and did not like listening to the advice of others. This did not serve me well, and I stumbled a few times—okay, more than a few if I am being honest.
I grew up within an entrepreneurial family in a small town in Alberta. We eventually moved to Vancouver Island when I was 19. I worked As a leader, it is with my parents for many years in the family businesses. important to have I enjoyed working with my the right people family and was good at what I doing the right did but I always felt like I was things—utilizing each not reaching my full potential. I knew I needed to spread my other’s strengths wings and prove to myself that I and offsetting each could make it on my own. Contributor
other’s weaknesses.
At the age of 30, with two small children, I made the decision to leave the family business and go back to school to complete my university education with a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management. Going back to school and completing my degree was such a fulfilling experience that provided me with new confidence in my own abilities to achieve success. Upon graduation from university, I made a list of the most successful women I knew in Victoria, and I asked the person at the top of my list if I could take her to lunch to pick her brain on how she became so successful. Well, that night she called me up and invited me to come work for her. Although I had no experience in the financial services field and we were not sure what exactly I would be doing, we opened that door together. She became one of my mentors and sponsors throughout my 10-year career in the financial services industry. I have worked hard to reach the level that I am at now and I continue to strive to reach higher goals.
I believe that you need to have courage to live your life your way, be passionate about what you do and have the commitment to follow through to the end. What have you learned from your experience with COVID-19? It is important to look after yourself as well as others. As a working mom, it is easy to focus on everyone else, but you risk burning out when you do that. Because of the uncertainty and stress over the past year, it has been more important than ever to look after our mental and physical health. How would you describe your leadership? My leadership style is team-based. A leader is only as strong as their team. As a leader, it is important to have the right people doing the right things—utilizing each other’s strengths and offsetting each other’s weaknesses. It is important to create a space for each team member to have input and to shine. What makes recognizing the achievements of women critical? Women bring a different perspective to the table in so many aspects of business. However, we women tend to have a hard time recognizing our own achievements and celebrating them. That is why it is important for others to recognize the achievements of the wonderful, strong women around them. The more we recognize and lift women up, the better our world will be and the future for our daughters will be so much brighter.
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What was the biggest sacrifice you made when you started on your career path? When I started my financial advisory business 16 years ago, I gave up the security of a full-time salary to start a business based solely on commissions. This was at a time in life when our family had a large amount of household debt, two teens and I was the higher income earner. It was a terrifying decision I knew I had to make. Over the previous nine years, I had worked for several different advisory teams at two different firms and noticed the investment industry was not particularly good at providing financial services targeted at women, especially single, divorced and widowed women. As the daughter of a divorced, immigrant woman, I saw this gap clearly. I saw an opportunity. I began offering unbiased financial advice to women through free educational seminars and created a space where their voices could be heard—where they could safely ask questions in complete confidence. By helping others, I was able to create a successful business for myself. I have never looked back. My only regret is I wish I had done it earlier. Kamal Basra, Financial Advisor, Diversity & Inclusion Council Member What is your personal or professional motto? Confidence is a way of living life. You either have it or you don’t. Having confidence—believing in myself— gives me strength, fuels my ambition and supports my confidence to achieve my goals. If I had to pick a word, I would choose tenacity, or to make it more personal to me, “Tina-city”. I know that my determination and tenacity to accomplish what I want to in my business and in my community will be the biggest influence on my success—and the path, of course, isn’t linear. If you fail or make a mistake, brush yourself off, own up to it and learn from it. Keep moving forward and always remember who helped and supported you along the journey. Tina Chow, Portfolio Manager, 2020 Women of Inspiration™️ Authentic Leader COVID-19 is filled with lessons. What was one of the biggest lessons for you? One of the biggest lessons COVID-19 taught me was about letting go. Letting go of expectations about the way I thought things should be. The restrictions weren’t easy and working from home with my girls learning online meant my days were not always going to go the way I expected them to go. Letting go of fear of the unknown. I was answering questions from clients and from my children about the future but I didn’t know the answers. I had a strong belief that all would turn out well and I just let go of my fear. Lastly, letting go of limitations. Working from home felt overwhelming. How could I truly help clients if I couldn’t see them in person? I stepped out of my comfort zone and hosted Zoom lunch meetings, webinars and even Zoom cooking classes and Spanish lessons. Without limits, there are so many possibilities! Trixie Rowein, Portfolio Manager What was a turning point in your life that led you onto your current path? I was unhappy in my prior career but I was afraid to leave my cushy, comfortable position. Despite having mastered the learning curve and my job being easy, I was bored and felt I had little purpose. I wanted to help people in a significant way and I realized that aspiring to another level would mean facing fear and discomfort. I learned I had to work continuously and hard. I know now that pushing past my comfort zone contributed to my success and finding or, rather, redefining my purpose. One more thing—never, never give up! Linda Shick, Portfolio Manager
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[ UWN WELLNESS ]
Gratitude
Gratitude Journaling is sometimes easier said than done! Not to worry as gratitude isn’t an all or nothing thing for our mental health. So, if you are just starting your gratitude journaling journey and struggling to journal 7 days a week, here are a few tips to help you make this a habit to slowly and sustainably implement rather than simply adding another thing to add to your to-do list. 1. Start small and be realistic. Rather than committing to journaling 7 days a week, 10 things to be grateful for every time, commit to something smaller that you can do with confidence. For instance, start with committing to 3 times a week for gratitude journaling. 2. Schedule it. Yep - commit to specific times to do this journaling and get it on your calendar. Knowing you are going to gratitude journal 3 times a week, decide which days at what time. Build this into habit. 3. Build it into routine. If struggling to do the journaling itself, combine it with a routine you already have. E.g., make it part of your bedtime routine: wash your face, brush your teeth, get into bed, journal your gratitude, lights out, etc. Or part of your morning routine: wake up, run, stretch, journal, tackle the rest of the day!
Vision
4. Celebrate: Make it fun and for all those weeks you achieve your journaling target, celebrate yourself! Then, if you need, increase your journaling over time until your reach your goal of journaling 7 days a week.
It’s time for those 2022 vision boards to begin! BUT – every badass woman knows that vision boards are not merely cutting and pasting pictures of wishes and things. A vision board is a visual representation of the individual you want to become through experiences, challenges, lessons, and achieving specific goals. It should be kept somewhere in your room/office/home so you can see it daily. This will help you when you need to make decisions, determine which habits you need to continue/begin/ eliminate, and even the individuals you should surround yourself with. Before you begin building your 2022 vision board, ask yourself the following: 1. Who do you want to be? 2. What do you want to manifest for the year ahead? 3. What experiences do you want to have to support you in becoming who you want to be? 4. What goals are you willing to go after and achieve? 5. What is missing in your life currently that will help you become the individual you said you want to be in question 1? Once answered, begin building your board using your answers as a guide. The “how to build” is varied and depends on who you are. You can build one digitally, or manually. You can use cut-out magazine pictures, hand-drawn images, words only. The key is doing whatever feels right for you and will keep you inspired every time you look at it, 365 days of the year.
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[ UWN WELLNESS ] Mindset matters. We all have heard this. AND – our environment impacts our mindset. That’s right – we can support our mindset by setting up our surroundings. For instance, you may have a goal of writing 2500 words each morning from 7:30 - 9:00 am. How are you setting up your area around you to best encourage you in the actual writing process:
Mindset
• Are all notifications on your phone silenced during your writing time? • Are other people trying to get your attention, pulling you away from your task at hand? • Do you have a plan for what you’re going to be writing during your scheduled writing time? • Is there a specific routine that you have that triggers your creative writing juices that you need to do? Mindset is absolutely important. And, having the right environment set up around you will help you turn your mindset into tangible action and results! So – go and look at your environment to see how it can best support you as your most badass self.
What’s your purpose? A big question which can intimidate many, but not you. The key is simply breaking it down and tapping into your passion. A few questions to start asking yourself:
Purpose
1. What do you value in this world? Not things, but beliefs that guide your actions? 2. Where do you find flow in your day – those moments where you’re so lost in time and space that hours seem like five minutes? 3. What social roles do you have that motivate you? That you wear with pride and why? 4. How do you fit into your world? YES – into YOUR world because you are the star in your own life. Within the core of these answers, you will start to see your true self start to shine through. And in this, your purpose will begin to reveal itself. So, you badass woman, what is your purpose?
The sweet songbird has it right – there’s nothing quite like music to help us heal. While the type of music we listen to is oh so personal, there are some common threads of how music can help us across the board.
Music
• Music...helps reduce stress. Think of those relaxing sounds when you go into a spa. • Music...lifts your mood. Positive, uplifting music has been shown to improve a mood. • Music...gets you motivated (who doesn’t have a power song?!). • Music...creates focus. This helps with cognitive performance and memory. • Music...can help manage pain. Music is universal and a great tool for badass women’s mental health.
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[ UWN WELLNESS ]
Focus
Finding it hard to focus? You’re not alone. This often comes from brain fog, the inability to think or focus enough to put your thoughts into words. While not a medical term, this often is impacted by several factors. If you’re experiencing a big of brain fog, check if you’re: • Sleep is out of sync, impacting your brain’s ability to recover properly from your day. • Eating a well-rounded diet, providing you with all the amino and nutrients your body needs. • Holding stress and not taking the time to mindfully release it. • Physically too stagnant. Humans are meant to be physically active, so take a break and stretch. Take the time to check in with yourself when focus just isn’t coming. This will help you lift that brain fog much quicker.
Burnout
NOTE: while brain fog can often be lifted through lifestyle, diet, etc. it can also be an indicator of something deeper. If you find prolonged brain fog, see a physician to ensure there are no underlying physical reasons (including things such as depression, anxiety, thyroid issues, IBS, chronic pain and a whole slew of other options).
It’s a common theme I’m hearing in the UWNTM community. So, let’s zero in and highlight some of the common signs of burnout to support you BEFORE you finally run out of fire. • Physically signs: tired, headaches, muscle pain, change in diet and/or sleeping habits. • Emotional signs: lack motivation, feelings of failure and/or doubt, sense of helplessness, detached, lack of satisfaction. • Behaviour signs: withdrawing from activities you enjoy, procrastinating, coming in late/ leaving early from work, easily frustrated, coping mechanism to “feel better” (e.g. drugs, alcohol, food), etc. Burnout often brings with it a sense of disconnection, of blasé attitude. While there are a plethora of resources available, the above will help you be more aware of where you’re at. In the meantime, rest, connect with people, and take time to make yourself and your health a priority.
Article Contributor: Lindsay Harle Kadatz
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Celebrating the leaders of today and tomorrow! Raymond James is proud to support Universal Womens Network and the work they do to celebrate the achievements of community leaders! Congratulations to all of the 2021 Women of Inspiration Award Recipients.
Member Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
SUPPORTING WOMEN LEADING INNOVATION. HEXO Corp is delighted to support the Universal Womens Network as they celebrate the 2021 Women of Inspiration Awards. We are proud to help honour this incredible collection of trailblazers who make a difference in their communities every day. Congratulations to all the 2021 WOI winners and nominees! Learn more at www.hexocorp.com
Carbon neutral company. Plastic neutral packaging. Proudly Canadian owned.
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ELTON JOHN, DUA LIPA – COLD HEART (PNAU REMIX) Stream it and tell me you cannot help but feel in a good move and shake your booty!
Download the original mix on YouTube
@UWomensN etwork | univer salwomensnet work.com
MY LIFE ON THE ROAD – GLORIA STEINEM On my nightstand! There is nothing like an inspirational memoir to learn from women who have taken the road less travelled. This is one of my favorite books that capture Gloria’s story, a lifetime of advocacy, grit and incredible journeys. Gloria is a living legend and this book is a must read. I remember meeting her in person at Sundance 2020 just before the pandemic. She is timeless, humble, authentic and totally badass at 87!
network.com @UWomensNetwork | universalwomens
FAVOURITE THINGS
Insight TImer – https://www. insighttimer.com
@UWomensN etwork | univer salwomensnet work.com
M LIST
INSIGHT TIMER APP Daily meditation is one of my happy places. You can meditate with anyone around the world. My night time sleep ritual includes lavender mist and Peaceful Sleep Meditation.
@UWomensN etwork | univer salwomensnet work.com
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Blissy – https://blissy.com/collections/ pillowcases/products/pillowcase-gold-king
Hillberg & Berk – https://hillbergandberk.com/ products/sparkle-ball-long-necklace-pendantversion-2?variant=32313764184158
Available on Amazon – https://www.amazon. ca/dp/0679456201/ref=cm_sw_em_r_ mt_dp_CY4WG5DVKMWTRBSDH1CR?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Monica’s Kretchmer: Photo by Kenneth Fung
BLISSY PILLOWCASE Sleep is self-care! This silk pillowcase is the ultimate sleep companion. Cool in the summer, hypoallergenic, moisture retraining and helps manage unruly morning hair!
.com ensnetwork universalwom sNetwork | @UWomen
These are a few of my favorite things. I love the classics. While some may think black and white staple is boring, it brings me comfort and it never goes out of style! I believe in quality over quantity, keeping it simple, attention to details, small luxuries, experiences and being inspired!
HILLBERG & BERK – SPARKLE BALL LONG NECKLACE PENDANT – GOLD I fell in love with the brand and the story of Hillberg & Berk. Rachel Mielke, Founder and CEO started her company in 2007 at her kitchen table. Her success and story are equally inspiring as the impact she continues to make to empower women to share the sparkle! The Gold Sparkle Ball Necklace is the perfect length, just the right amount of glitter to dress up your look or pair with a tee, tights and boots!
Inspire others!
WHEN WE E CELEBRAT AN, ONE WOM ATE WE CELEBR . ALL WOMEN schmer Monica Kret
WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™ DON’ T WAIT FOR OPPORTUNITIES, THEY CREATE THEM. Monica Kretschmer
Badass!
INSPIRED SERIES – NOTE CARDS Does she inspire you? Let her know you see her, you hear her and she is worth it! I am a fan of handwritten note cards. We designed our blank note cards that are perfect to inspire your team, say thank you, or congratulate. Recognition goes a long way. Handwritten cards are cherished and never forgotten.
UWN SHOP – https://universal-womens-network. myshopify.com
WOMEN OF INSPIR ATION™ – WOMEN DRIVING CHANGE The collective voices in this book range in age from 12 - 100. The strength of the stories gathered during the Covid-19 pandemic shows resilience, innovation, grit and determination. Discover your voice within their voice.
UWN SHOP – https:// universal-womensnetwork.myshopify.com
FAVOURITE SPA GET AWAY A short drive away from the Calgary city, nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains to recharge and honour self-care! Getaway with your BFF, your loved one or treat yourself to this unique Alpine Sanctuary!
Nordic Spa – Pomeroy Kananaskis Lodge https://lodgeatkananaskis.com/product/ kananaskis-nordic-spa-package
LIP CARE STAPLES For years I was a bold red lip gal. You could see my lips a mile away. Now, my every day is NUDE. Paired with a gloss for a little sparkle for an evening out or podcasts. When in doubt go with the classics. I believe less is more!
Bobbi Brown – Art Stick Rich Nude https://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.ca M.A.C. – Lip Pencil Subculture https://maccosmetics.ca
RON WHITE – ESRA STUDDED LEATHER ANKLE BOOTIES These boots are made for walking! Black with gold studs! Fell in shoe-love with these boots surfing the HSN during the pandemic. I love staples that can be worn with jeans, tights or your favorite LBD.
Ron White – https:// ronwhiteshoes.com/products/ esra?variant=32007715061875
treat yourself!
relax & renew
R ASPBERRY MARTINI True story. I had a bottle of Rasberry Absolut in my cabinet for almost 20 years. Over the holidays, I decided to break it open and create a signature martini for the first holiday gatherings that I had since before the pandemic! These Raspberry Martinis were a hit for the holidays. This bottle won’t be back on the shelf with the elf after the holidays. 1 oz Simple Sugar
Fresh Raspberries
1 oz Cranberry Joice
Rosemary Sprigs
1.5 oz Raspberry Vodka Mash sugar, juice, vodka and a handful of raspberries in a martini shaker. Add a few sprigs of rosemary, zest of lemon ice and shake it baby shake it. Garnish with raspberry on the sprig of rosemary and enjoy!
INDR A NOOYI – MY L IFE IN FULL A role model for all women. Former chairman and CEO, PepsiCo shares her authentic journey as the first woman of colour and immigrant to run a Fortune 50 company. She is wll known for her authentic leadership as she transformed PepsiCo. In this book, Indra bares her lived experience balancing work, family, and the life lessons along the way. She shares her words of wisdom, path to the C-Suite and a call to action for companies to build a culture for women to rise!
Available on Amazon – https:// www.amazon.ca/dp/059319179X/ ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ RJA4XZFAVM9DH4S5Q5C9?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1
- EMPOWERING WOMEN TO SUCCEED The Nest Foundation™ is a grassroots non-profit with a big mission to transform the lives of women and their children who have overcome adversity. Our research confirms this is a segment under-recognized and underfunded. We are grateful for your support and look forward to sharing the stories of transformation for women that you will make possible. With your support, we can directly impact the lives of women and children in our local community, create more female leaders and evoke a global circle of reciprocity.
Empower women to rebuild their lives for themselves and their children. When women succeed, families succeed. | Learn more: TheNestFoundation.org
CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR. YOUR FAMILY WILL THANK YOU. SKIBANFF.COM 1.877.542.2633
PROUD TO BE A
SUPPORT
her
CONGRATULATIONS to 2021 Women of Inspiration Award Recipients!
TURBO-IMAGES.COM |
Podcast
WOMEN OF INSPIRATION™
WITH MONICA KRETSCHMER Inspiring stories extra-ordinary women who lead, inspire and motivate others to greatness! LISTEN on Spotify
@UWomensNetwork | universalwomensnetwork.com
89 | UWOMEN
[ WOI ALIMNI ] 2015 Woman of Inspiration Legacy Award: Diane Harms 2016 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Tamara Jones 2016 Game Changer Award: Teresa de Grosbois 2016 Boss Chick Award: Kim Deep 2016 Difference Maker Award: Elizabeth Lewis 2016 Millennial Leader Award: Mackenzie Murphy 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award: Donna Dahl 2016 Cultural Ambassador Award: Aretha Greatrix 2016 Health & Wellness Award: Jacqualine Cameron 2016 Mentorship Award: Lana Wright 2017 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Deanna Burghart 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award: Lea Romanowski 2017 Game Changer Award: Karen Klassen 2017 Mompreneur Award: Lisa Mundell 2017 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Marija Pavkovic-Tovissi 2017 Boss Chick Award: Michelle Andrishak 2017 Cultural Ambassador Award: Sophie Armstrong 2017 Millennial Leader Award: Sophia Fairweather 2017 Difference Maker Award: Raman Kapoor 2017 Boss Chick Award: Nora Molina 2018 Global Impact Award: Audrey Mascarenhas 2018 The Nest Award: Cindy Luffer 2018 Unsung Hero Award: Debora Bergeson 2018 Difference Maker Award: Dr. Jody Carrington 2018 Global Influencer Award: Dr. Laura Hambley-Lovett 2018 Boss Chick Award: Filomena Abdi 2018 Power Partner Award: Heather Erlen 2018 Millennial Leader Award: Jessica Tsang 2018 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Karen Stewart
2019 Innovator Award: Dr. Liza Egbogah
2019 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Sandy Pound
2020 SupportHER Award: Paul Doroshenko
2019 Cultural Ambassador Award: Luma Qusus
2019 The Nest Award: Sarah Hawco
2020 SupportHER Award: Victoria Lennox
2019 Mentorship Award: Maria Sofia
2019 Integrity Award: Sarah Leamon
2020 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Anu Bidani
2019 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Marnie Grundman
2019 Humanitarian Award: Sharilyn Amy
2020 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Sara Badiei
2019 Impact Award: Sharon A.M. MacLean
2020 Vision Builder Award: Jessica Jui
2019 Global Influencer Award: Sheila Musgrove
2020 Vision Builder Award: Towunmi Coker
2019 Innovative Leader Award: Shirley Penner
2020 Women in Media Award: Angela Sterritt
2019 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Sydney Cowling
2020 Women in Media Award: Tracy Lamourie
2019 Cultural Ambassador Award: Teresa Spinelli
2020 Youth Excellence Award: Boluwatife Adefemi
2019 Change Agent Award: Uyen Nguyen
2020 Youth Excellence Award: Chloe Shingoose
2020 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Jodeme Goldhar
2021 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Trish Guise
2020 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Monique Auffrey
2021 Authentic Leader Award: Andrea Linger
2019 Mompreneur Award: Sandra Challenger 2019 Power Partner Award: Michael Hyatt 2019 SupportHER Award: Mike Giannoumis 2019 Rising Star Award: Mylene Tu 2019 Rising Star Award: Nadine Abdallah 2019 Rising Star Award: Prajwala Dixit 2019 SupportHER Award: Rebecca McKillican 2019 Indigenous Leader Award: Rochelle Laflamme 2019 Cultural Ambassador Award: Sappho Smythe 2019 Innovative Leader Award: Shelly Elsliger 2019 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Siobhan Calderbank 2019 Impact Award: Trish Ronan
2020 Covid-19 Leader Award: Angie Kim
2019 Inspire Award: Trudy Trinh
2020 Covid-19 Leader Award: Evelyne Nyairo
2019 Vision Builder Award: Vanessa Vakharia
2020 Cultural Ambassador Award: Krista Malden
2019 Mentorship Award: Theresa Rowsell
2020 Cultural Ambassador Award: Sabine Weber
2019 Millennial Leader Award: Katie Schaffers
2020 Customer Ex[erience Award: Adele Spraggon
2019 Change Agent Award: Tracy Schmitt
2020 Customer Experience Award: Judith Virag
2019 Authentic Leader Award: Anila Lee Yeun
2020 Difference Maker Award: Vanisha Breault
2019 Difference Maker Award: Alison Springer
2020 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Keshia Holloman-Dawson
2019 Game Changer Award: Am&a Hamilton 2019 Heath & Wellness Award: Andrea Muir 2019 Difference Maker Award: Andrea Robertson 2019 Cultural Ambassador Award: Angel Guerra 2019 Go-Getter Award: Angie Ostojic 2019 Innovation Award: Anne Sellmer 2019 Power Partner Award: Arjun Channa
2018 Authentic Leader Award: Marsha Laine-Dungog
2019 Mentorship Award: Brenda Beckedorf
2018 Cultural Ambassador Award: Michelle Minke
2019 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Cara Wolf
2018 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Rena Tabata
2019 Rural Leader Award: Carmen Vetian
2018 Lifetime Achievement Award: Vera Goodman
2019 Indigenous Leader Award: Carrie Manitopyes
2018 Mentorship Award: Yvonne E.L. Silver
2019 The Nest Award: Christma Nathali
2018 SupportHER Award: Tara Wilson
2019 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Christy Lane
2018 Innovative Leader Award: Maria Martinello
2019 Unsung Hero Award: Cynthia Hamilton Urquhart
2018 Mompreneur Award: Shannon Collins
2019 SupportHER Award: Deb Milimaka Miles
2019 Indigenous Leader Award: Anaida Deti
2019 Global Difference Maker Award: Desiree Bombenon
2019 Youth Advocate Award: Brenda McWilson-Okorogba
2020 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Lorin MacDonald 2020 Dream Builder Award: Anuja Sharma-Virani 2020 Dream Builder Award: Monica Dauenhauer 2020 Game Changer Award: Jennifer Commins
2021 Authentic Leader Award: Fatima Israel 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Heather Lochnan 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Kayla Isabelle 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Laura Didyk 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Marcela Lay 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Payal Puri 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Stephanie Leheta 2021 Authentic Leader Award: Victoria Nguyen 2021 Black Women Leader Award: Evangeline Chima 2021 Cultural Ambassador Award: Patti Jannetta 2021 Customer Experience Award: Eldeen Pozniak 2021 Difference Maker Award: Dr. Smita Pakhale 2021 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award Presented by Randstad Canada: Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak 2021 Dream Builder Award Presented by AMJ: Campbell Jennifer Green 2021 Economic Empowerment Award: Sonya Shorey 2021 Game Changer Award: Suzie Yorke
2020 Game Changer Award: Karen MacNeill
2021 Global Impact Award: Dr. Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima
2020 Global Impact Award: Helle Bank Jorgensen
2021 Health & Wellness Award: Amber Zenith
2020 Global Impact Award: Jeanette Jackson
2021 Heidi Stevenson Unsung Hero Award: presented by Canada's Valour Games Captain Linda Feuerhelm
2020 Health & Wellness Award: Connie Jakab 2020 Health & Wellness Award: Karen Adams 2020 Indigenous Leader Award: Lori Campbell 2020 Indigenous Leader Award: Wendy Lumby
2021 Indigenous Leader Award: Presented by Hexo Corp. Jennifer Ménard-Shand 2021 Influencer Award: Vahen King
2020 Influencer Award: Blaise Hunter
2021 Innovation Award Presented by Turbo Images: Sarah Jordan
2020 Influencer Award: Jana Webb
2021 Inspire Award: Dr Sonya Richmond
2020 Innovation Award: Laura Grant
2021 Integrity Award: Rose Marie Gage
2020 Innovation Award: Sharon Vinderine
2021 Lifetime Achievement Award: Hazel McCallion
2020 Inspire Award: Lisa Lisson
2021 Mentorship Award: Erin Bigney
2020 Inspire Award: Neeru Schippel
2021 Millennial Leader Award: Charlie Wall-Andrews
2020 Integrity Award: Karen Fellowes
2021 Raising the Bar Award: Helen Filipe
2019 Lifetime Achievement Award: Elfriede Holtkamp
2020 Integrity Award: Karen Somerville
2021 Rising Leader Award: Rebecca McLaren
2019 Mentorship Award: Eno Eka
2020 Jr. Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Gurjot Kaur Singh
2021 Rural Leader Award: Kara Alicia Kennish
2019 Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award: Diane Colley-Urquhart
2019 Game Changer Award: Cassandra Nordell
2019 Global Impact Award: Gina Cherkowsk
2019 Global Executive Leader Award: Catherine Yuile
2019 Inspire Award: Grace Yan
2019 Diversity & Inclusiveness Award: Chantel Soumis
2019 Global Achievement Award: Jennifer Carlson
2019 Global Achievement Award: Christine Nielsen
2019 Rural Leader Award: Julie Boake
2019 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Dana Tessier
2019 Youth Excellence Award: Kaiya Gamble
2019 Authentic Leader Award: Debbie Burke-Benn
2019 Inspire Award: Karen Sherbut
2019 Rural Leader Award: Denise Alison
2019 Mentorship Award: Kendra Kincade
2019 Inspire Award: Faten Alshazly
2019 Indigenous Leader Award: Kyla Lee
2019 Millennial Leader Award: Jamie Kramer
2019 SupportHER Award: Larry Goerzen
2019 Mompreneur Award: Jennifer Ladouceur
2019 Customer Experience Award: Layna Segall
2019 Global Impact Award: Joan Kelley Walker
2019 Vison Builder Award: Lesley Rigg
2019 Authentic Leader Award: Jocelyn Flanagan
2019 Influencer Award: Lindsay Harle-Kadatz
2019 Global Influencer Award: Johanne Belanger
2019 Mompreneur Award: Marlo Brausse
2019 SupportHER Award: Julian Smit
2019 Unsung Hero Award: Mary Fischer
2019 Humanitarian Award: Kavita Dogra
2019 Inspire Award: Rhonda Goldberg
2019 Health & Wellness Advocate Kim Fitzpatrick
2019 Indigenous Leader Award: Rhonda Head
2019 Inspire Award: Lindsey Penrose
2019 Trailblazer (STEM) Award: Robyn Woods (Henderson)
90 | UWOMEN
2020 Black Leader Award: Margaret Adu 2020 Black Leader Award: Nothabo Ncube
2019 Millennial Leader Award: Arlene Seymour
2019 Cultural Ambassador Award: Armineh Keshishian
2020 Authentic Leader Award: Jenn Lofgren
2019 SupportHER Award: Tim Alison
2018 Game Changer Award: Kimberley Van Vliet
2019 The Nest Award: Andrea Twizell
2020 Authentic Leader Alma Arzate
2020 Lifetime Achievement Award: Karen Fonseth 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award: Patricia Gagic 2020 Mentorship Award: Deborah Rodrigo 2020 Mentorship Award: Susan deRyk 2020 Millennial Leader Award: Lindsay Jones 2020 Millennial Leader Award: Lulu Liang 2020 Nest Award: Maeghen Cotterill 2020 Nest Award: Sibel Coskuner 2020 Rising Leader Award: Geetika Joshi 2020 Rising Leader Award: Jolie Gan 2020 Rural Leader Award: Ejibola Adetokunbo-Taiwo 2020 Rural Leader Award: Shelley Uvanile-Hesch 2020 Social Impact Award: Carlene Donnelly 2020 Social Impact Award: Margot Witz 2020 SupportHER Award: Christina Chow 2020 SupportHER Award: Dominic Vogel 2020 SupportHER Award: Marc Bombenon
2021 Social Impact Award: Meseret Haileyesus 2021 SupportHER™ Award Presented by Raymond James: Chantal & Brian Milloy 2021 Nest Award Presented by Banff Sunshine” Village Koleya Karringten 2021 Trailblazer Award Presented by Mitacs: Jaime Leverton 2021 Transformational Leader Award: Theano Evagelou 2021 Transformational Leader Award: Christine Dagenais 2021 Vision Builder Award: Phoebe Wasfy 2021 Women in Media Award: Tracie Gray 2021 Women-Led Award Presented by SureCall: Robin Kovitz 2021 Youth Excellence Award Presented by RBC: Olivia Day 2021 Youth Excellence Award Presented by RBC: Zafina Zaman 2021 Immigrant Leader Award: Ariyike Akinbobola
[ CONTRIBUTORS ]
Monica Kretschmer Editor in Chief and Publisher
Crystal Pretula Creative Director
Jordan Stothers Photographer
Kassey Shier Photographer
Become a Contributor! Share your voice. Become a UWomen Magazine Contributor to share your thought leadership on business and life. Apply Here: https://universalwomensnetwork.com/contact Become a Sponsor – Contact Us: https://universalwomensnetwork.com/contact
Donna Dahl Content Editor
Lindsay Harle Katatz Content Contributor
Weekly Dose of Inspiration – Subscribe NOW to our UWN Newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/universalwomensnetwork. com/newsletter Connect with Us: Twitter: @UWomensNetwork Instagram: @UniversalWomensNetwork Instagram: @WomenofInspirationAwards
Kenneth Fung Photographer
Krista Malden Sales and Marketing
LinkedIn: @UniversalWomensNetwork https://www.linkedIn.com/ universalwomensnetwork.com
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92 | UWOMEN
Name
Title, Company
Website
Aimée Foreman
Founder and CEO, Silvermark
silvermark.ca
Allison Mclauchlan
Executive Director, Kelowna Women's Shelter
kelownawomensshelter.ca
Ally Stone
Founder, The Inspired Leader
theinspiredleader.com
Amelie Mongrain
Fashion Entrepreneur, AM360 Sphère Inc.
makingfashion.co
Andrea Carter
CEO and Founder, Building Better Organizations | Neuroscience Based Equity and Inclusion Intelligence Consultant"
buildingbetterorganizations.com
Andrea Linger
Associate Vice President, Practice Management and Head of the Women Canadian Advisors Network, Raymond James Ltd.
raymondjames.ca
Aretha Greatrix
Executive Producer, Miyo Pimatisiwin Productions Inc.| 2016 Women of Inspiration™ Cultural Ambassador Award
arethagreatrix.com
Armineh Keshishian
Founder and CEO, Wealth and Wellness Global
wealthandwellnessglobal.com
Boluwatife (Bolu) Adefemi
Singer and Songwriter, BoluSings | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Youth Excellence Award | UWN Youth Ambassador
bolusings.com
Carmen Vetian
Owner and Partner, Carmen Vetian Professional Corporation | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ Rural Leader Award
cavprofcorp.ca
Carolyn Levy
President Technologies & Chief Diversity Officer, Randstad Canada
randstad.ca
Chantal Milloy
Co-founder and COO, Levvel Inc.
levvel.ca
Chesand S. Gregory
Entrepreneur, Jchess
chesandgregory.com
Cheryl Cardinal
Director of Indigenous Policy and Procurement | Office of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada
Chloe Shingoose
Singer, Athlete | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Youth Excellence | UWN Youth Ambassador
Cindy Watson
CEO and Founder, Women on Purpose
womenonpurpose.ca
Connie Jakab
CEO, Brave Tribe | Senior Manager, Wellness Innovate | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Award Health and Wellness Award
conniejakab.com
Crystal Pretula
The Head Honcho. Prairie Chick Prints | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ SupportHER™ Award
prairiechickprints.com
Cynthia Hamilton Urquhart
Authour, Speaker | Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer (Ret’d) | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Unsung Hero Award
cynthiahamiltonurquhart.com
Dana Levenson
TV Personality
danalevenson.ca
Denise Allen
President and CEO, Food Producers of Canada(FPC) foodproducersofcanada.ca
Desiree Bombenon
CEO and Chief Disruption Officer, SureCall Contact Centers Inc.| 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Global Difference Maker Award
surecallcc.com
Devi Rajani Villegas
Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
fticonsulting.com
Di Gallo
Digital Marketing Executive Leader
Diane Harms
Family Law Lawyer, Daunais McKay + Harms | 2015 Woman of Inspiration™ Advocate & Catalyst for Change - Legacy Award
dmhlaw.ca
Dixie Dayka
Fund Development Coordinator, The Mustard Seed | UWN National Ambassador
theseed.ca
Title, Company
Website
Donna P. Dahl
Master Empowerment Coach, Editor and Author | 2016 Women of Inspiration™ Lifetime Achievement Award
donnapdahl.com
Dr. Suhayya (Sue) Abu-Hakima
Co-Founder and CEO, Alstari Corporation | Member of the Order of Ontario
alstari.com
Eldeen Pozniak
Owner and Senior Consultant, Pozniak Safety Associates Inc.
pozniaksafety.com
Elizabeth BlakeThomas
Storyteller and Philanthropist, Mother and Daughter Entertainment | UWN Global Ambassador
motheranddaughterent.com
Eni Oszlai
Musical Financial Doctor
empoweringwomentosucceed.com
Geneviève Cabana-Proulx
President, Executive Producer, SOMA PUB | Universal Women-Owned™
soma.ca
Gina Perrault
Founder, Restorative Sports Therapy
restorativesportstherapy.com
Gloria Steinem
Writer, Lecturer, Political Activist and Feminist Organizer
gloriasteinem.com
Haley Daniels
Olympic Athlete, Canoe Slalom
haleydaniels.ca
Hazel McCallion
The Former Mayor of The City of Mississauga, Ontario from 1978 until 2014
Jackie Sanz
Managing Director, Risk and Compliance, Protiviti
protiviti.com
Jaime Leverton
Chief Executive Officer, Hut 8 Mining
hut8mining.com
Janelle Doyle
Operations, T. Doyle Transport Ltd.
doyletransport.com
Jenn Lofgren
Founder, & Executive Coach, Incito | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader
incito.ca
Jennifer Ménard-Shand
Founder and CEO, Director, Client Happiness, Staff Shop
staffshop.ca
Jennifer Jackson
President, Universal Geomatics Solutions Corp.
ugsc.ca
Jocelyn Flanagan
Founder and CEO, e=mc2 Events | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ Authentic Leader Award
emc2events.com
Judith Virag
Owner, Clean Club Calgary | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Customer Experience Award
cleanclubcalgary.com
Kaiya Gamble
Singer and Songwriter, Kaiya Gamble | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ Youth Excellence Award | UWN Youth Ambassador
kaiyagamble.com
Kara Alicia Kennish
Owner and Operator, Tim Hortons Franchise
timhortons.com
Karen Fonseth
Chief Executive Officer, DASCH | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Lifetime Achievement Award
dasch.mb.ca
Karen Sherbut
President and Co-Founder, Safe Haven Foundation of safehavenfoundation.ca Canada | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Inspire Award "
Katherine (Katie) Dudtschak
Executive Vice President, Regional Banking, RBC Royal Bank
rbc.com
Katy Campeau
General Manager, Lettrapub
turbo-images.com
Kendra Scurfield
Director of Brand and Communications, Banff Sunshine Village"
skibanff.com
Kim Ruse
CEO, Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter (CWES)
calgarywomensshelter.com
Kimberly Reeves
Owner and Operator, Castrol Raceway
castrolraceway.com
Koleya Karringten
CEO, Absolute Combustion International
absolutecombustion.com
Krista Malden
Founder, Community Now! Magazine | 2020 Women of Inspiration™ Cultural Ambassador
communitynowmagazine.com
DIRECTORY
Name
93 | UWOMEN
94 | UWOMEN
Name
Title, Company
Website
Kween
CEO, The Kween Company
thekweencompany.com
Kyla Lee
Criminal Lawyer, Barrister and Solicitor, Acumen Law Corporation | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Indigenous Leader Award
kylalee.ca
Laura Didyk
Vice President and National Lead Women Entrepreneurs, BDC
bdc.ca
Lindsay Harle-Kadatz
Brand Strategist, The Write Harle | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Influencer Award
thewriteharle.com
Lindsay Jones
Investment Banker, Scotiabank | 2020 Women of Inspiration™ Millennial Leader Award
gbm.scotiabank.com
Lindsay Sill
Vice-Chair, Steering Committee, The Nest Foundation™
thenestfoundation.org
Lori Campbell
Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Engagement), University of Regina | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Indigenous Leader Award
uregina.ca
Lorin MacDonald
Founder & CEO, HearVue Inc. | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Diversity and Inclusiveness Award
hearvue.com
Louise H. Reid
Founder, LHR, Leadership Development Expert & Author
louisehreid.com
Maeghen Cotterill
Owner, 5 Elements Martial Arts | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Nest Award
5elementscalgary.com
Margaret Adu
President, Aomega Group Inc. | 2020 Women of Inspiration™ Black Women Leader Award
aomegalodges.com
Manjit Minhas
CEO and Co-founder Minhas Breweries and Distilleries
minhasbrewery.com
Maria Sofia
Corporate Leader, Health and Life Coach, Trauma Practitioner | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ Mentorship Award
mariasofia.ca
Marija Pavkovic Tovissi
CEO, MaKami College | 2017 Woman of inspiration™ Advocate & Catalyst for Change Award
makamicollege.com
Merren McArthur
President and CEO, Lynx Air
Michelle Cameron Coulter
CEO and Founder, Inspiring Possibilities/Gold Medal Inspirations
michellecameroncoulter.com
Michelle Minke
Owner and Medium, Michelle Minke Health and Wellness | 2018 Woman of Inspiration™ Cultural Ambassador Award
michelleminke.ca
Monica Dauenhauer
Pilot, Kenn Borek Air Ltd. | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Dream Builder Award
borekair.com
Monica Kretschmer
Founder and CEO, Universal Womens Network™ Inc. | Women of Inspiration™Awards | SupportHER™
universalwomensnetwork.com
Monique Auffrey
CEO, Author, Board Member of COSW | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Advocate and Catalyst for Change Award
Nadiya Manji
CEO and Founder, Profound Wellness
profoundwellness.ca
Nancy E. Klensch
Creator and Innovator, Summit Kids
summitkids.ca
Patricia Gagic
International Artist | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ Lifetime Achievement Award
patriciakarengagic.com
Patti Jannetta
Founder and President, JANTA Entertainment Group pattijannetta.com
Title, Company
Website
Phoebe A. Wasfy
Principal, Philopateer Christian College
pccnet.ca
Rhonda Goldberg
Founder, Oh! Naturals Flavoured Snacks Inc. | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Inspire Award | Universal Women-Owned™
oh-naturals.com
Rhonda Head
Singer, Songwriter and Show Host, Indigenous indigenoussuperstars.com Superstars | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Indigenous Leader Award | Opaskwayak Cree Nation 21
Roberta Battaglia
Singer
robertab.official.com
Rose Marie (Rose) Gage
Founder and Principal of Great Governance Matters and MPOWRU, Board Member (Public, Private, N4P)
greatgovernancematters.com
Ruth Vachon
President and CEO, Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec (RFAQ)
rfaq.ca
Sandrine Leroy
President, ExpertMed Solutions Inc.
expertmed.ca
Sarah Hawco
Co- Founding Partner, Hawco Peters and Associates Inc. | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Nest Award | Universal Women-Led™
hawcopeters.com
Sharlene Massie
Founder and CEO, About Staffing
aboutstaffing.com
Shelley UvanileHesch
CEO, Women's Trucking Federation of Canada | 2020 Women of Inspiration™ Rural Leader Award
wtfc.ca
Shirley Der
President and Owner, Foam Works Inc.
foamworksinc.com
Siobhan Calderbank
Director, Talent Management, LCBO | 2019 Woman of Inspiration™ Diversity and Inclusiveness Award
siobhancalderbank.com
Sonya Richmond PhD
Royal Canada Geographic Society Expedition Leader, Come Walk With Us | Sechelt, British Columbia | Canada
comewalkwithus.online
Sophia Fairweather
Founder, StartUpBySophia | 2017 Woman of Inspiration™ Millennial Leader Award | UWN Youth Ambassador
Suzie Yorke
CEO and Founder, The Good Fat Co. Ltd
lovegoodfats.com
Tara Slone
TV Host, Singer, Loudmouth, Sportsnet
sportsnet.ca
Teresa Spinelli
President, Italian Centre Shop Ltd. | 2019 Woman of italiancentre.ca Inspiration™ Cultural Ambassador Award
Theano Evagelou
Certified Authentic Tantra Practitioner and Relationship Coach
thetheano.com
Trish Guise
High Conflict Divorce Strategist
trishguise.com
Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt BEd, MBA
Motivational Speaker, TV Host, Decorated Paralympic Trialist | 2019 Women of Inspiration™ Change Agent Award
unstoppableTracy.com
Victoria Nguyen
Vice President, Delivery, Capital Markets
cibc.com
Marc Bombenon
Chairman, Founder, Surecall Contact Centres Inc.| 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ SupportHER™ Award
surecallcc.com
Dominic Vogel
Founder & Chief Strategist, CyberSC | 2020 Woman of Inspiration™ SupportHER™ Award | UWN National Ambassador
CyberSC.com
Brian Milloy
Co-founder, President and CEO, Levvel Inc.
levvel.ca
DIRECTORY
Name
95 | UWOMEN
@UWomensNetwork @WomenofInspirationAwards @UniversalWomensNetwork universalwomensnetwork.com
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Women of Inspiration are badass, ambitious women with grit!
~ ©2021 UWOMEN Magazine™
