Brian Milloy

BRIAN MILLOY

Co-founder, President and CEO, Levvel Inc.

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!

2021 Women of Inspiration SupportHER Award

Jordan Stothers

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, eventually retiring from a management position at a large Canadian company.

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.

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.