Women of Influence

Award-winning Inuk singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark is one of Canada’s most unique artists, who blends the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements to tell the stories of her people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada. Aglukark’s ta...

The road to real leadership is rarely a straight one. Among Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, few have faced more obstacles than Zahra Al-Harazi. With a no-holds-barred attitude, Al-Harazi helps people and organizations realize their potential for succ...

As the president of the Canadian Black Scientists Network, Professor Maydianne Andrade shows the strength diversity brings to an organization through actively promoting the hiring, retention, and success of a diverse and inclusive workforce. Through her inform...

Trey Anthony is a visionary creator, comedian, television writer, and award-winning playwright of international significance. The first African Canadian woman to have her own program on a primetime Canadian network, she is the writer of the critically acclaime...

Sally Armstrong has covered stories in zones of conflict all over the world. From Bosnia and Somalia to Congo and Afghanistan, her eyewitness reports have earned her the Amnesty International Media Award four times over, as well as acclaim all over the world. ...

Visionary, purpose-driven leaders recognize that there is untapped potential in their organizations. When this potential is left unrealized, it can lead to misalignment between an organization’s brand promise (external experience) and culture (internal e...

The multi-talented Andrea Bain is an author, podcaster and on-air personality. A veteran TV host and broadcast news reporter, she is also the author of the book, Single Girl Problems, and host of her own radio show/podcast of the same name. Known as an insight...

Jeanne Beker is one of the most influential women in the fashion industry — in Canada and around the world. A long-time celebrity, Beker speaks on how she rose to the top of arts and culture media as the iconic host of TV’s Fashion Television, along with w...

An organization’s greatest asset is its people. Award-winning CEO Dr. Lisa Bélanger shows leaders and teams how insights from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science can be applied in the workplace to optimize performance, productivity, and innova...

At the age of 23, Cheryl Bernard started an insurance brokerage and propelled the agency to six million dollars in sales in just 11 years. At the age of 43, she helped Canada win a silver medal in curling at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Passionate about i...

Jennifer Botterill is one of Canada’s most successful athletes, achieving Olympic glory on numerous occasions. A member of the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team for 14 years, she attended four Olympic games, winning three gold medals and one silver medal. T...

On a mission to bridge the gap between young entrepreneurs and the digital future, Sinead Bovell strives to create conversations that will lead towards a progressive, informed, and thriving new era. She is a futurist and the founder of WAYE, an organization th...

Known as the “teamwork doctor,” Liane Davey knows how to create high performing teams. Having worked with organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, from across the globe helping teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, she has developed a unique p...

Perdita Felicien is a two-time Olympian, 10-time National Champion, two-time World silver medalist, and the only Canadian woman to win a World Championship gold medal in track and field. During her career as a 100-metre hurdler she earned numerous honours, inc...

A bestselling author, entrepreneur, CEO, and tech investor, Mandy Gilbert has been recognized as a United Nations Global Accelerator and ranked as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs on Canadian Business’ Profit 500 list and Chatelaine’s W100 list. ...

More people have walked on the moon than have visited many of the places that Jill Heinerth has seen on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves, to searching for never-before-seen ecosystems inside giant Antarctic icebergs, ...

Beloved comedian Jessica Holmes has been a perennial favourite on Royal Canadian Air Farce for 15 years, and has brought the house down opening for giants such as Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Peters, Jerry Seinfeld, and Oprah Winfrey. Her hilarious take on life’...

The founder of the Black Lives Matter movement presence in Canada and Black Lives Matter – Toronto, Sandy Hudson is an activist, public intellectual, and an award-winning writer. She has a unique ability to distill complex ideas into manageable concepts and ...

Jennifer Jones is Canada’s most decorated and recognizable female curler. She won an Olympic gold medal as skip of the Canadian team at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, just 18 months after having ACL surgery, and 15 months after becoming a mother for the fi...

An award-winning medical doctor, researcher, and expert on the neuroscience of adaptability, leadership, and self-motivation, Dr. Shimi Kang provides science-based solutions for health, happiness, and achievement. With 20 years of clinical experience and exten...

If you’re looking for political insight, a strategic keynote, a polished moderator or MC, look no further than Tasha Kheiriddin. Fluently bilingual, Kheiriddin is a principal with Navigator Ltd., Canada’s leading high stakes strategic advisory and communic...

As president and co-founder of n-gen People Performance, Giselle Kovary is dedicated to building strategies and programs that help clients target, motivate, and engage employees in order to increase performance and productivity. She is a sought-after resource ...

Melissa Leong is one of Canada’s best-loved authorities on personal finance. A sought-after speaker, national media personality, bestselling author, and award-winning writer, she is currently the resident money expert on CTV’s The Social, Canada...

Elaine “Lainey” Lui has been breaking entertainment news since the launch of her world-famous celebrity gossip website, LaineyGossip.com, and as a correspondent on CTV’s Canada’s #1 entertainment show, etalk. Also a co-host on CTV’s The Social, Laine...

Dr. Danielle Martin is on the frontlines of transforming the healthcare system. An internationally recognized health policy leader and executive, Martin is committed to revolutionizing healthcare to meet the demands of the 21st century. She speaks with passion...

Marnie McBean is one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians, and an expert in turning potential into performance. As Canada’s chef de mission at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a former Specialist in Olympic Athlete Preparation and Mentoring for the Canadian Oly...

As an Indigenous French-Canadian entrepreneur, Jennifer Ménard-Shand always dreamed of leading a purpose-driven organization. Today, she lives that dream as the founder and CEO of Staff Shop, an award-winning, certified-diverse staffing and recruitment firm. ...

Currently the President and Vice Chancellor of a large, multi-disciplinary post-secondary institution renowned globally for an ethos of trailblazing, Dr. Janet Morrison is an educator, thought leader, and change agent. She draws on her 35 years of experience l...

For more than 20 years, Dr. Samantha Nutt has been on the frontlines of many of the world’s major crises. A medical doctor and founder of the internationally renowned non-profit War Child, she is one of the most recognized voices in the humanitarian arena an...

Anna Olson is Canada’s baking sweetheart. With her positive and common-sense approach in the kitchen, she has become one of the country’s most recognizable television chefs. Hosting the Food Network’s Bake with Anna Olson, Fresh with Anna Ols...

One of Time magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders”, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a medical trailblazer spearheading change in healthcare and beyond. She is an accomplished physician, spoken word poet, and advocate for racialized and marginalized popula...

Throughout her career in business management and psychology, Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier has spearheaded a national dialogue on the crucial issues of leadership resilience and workplace health. She is a bilingual, practicing psychologist with more than 20 yea...

The multi-talented Takara Small helps audiences understand the technology reshaping our world. From AI and advanced robotics, to data and digital health, she offers a glimpse into the future balanced with what organizations can do today to drive growth. Her wo...

The night before the Olympic game, in the race to the gold medal, Sami Jo Small was told that she would not be on the ice. At first, she was devastated and angry, but eventually, she chose to rise above those feelings and embrace her new role with enthusiasm. ...

Barb Stegemann disrupted an entire industry from her garage, armed with only a personal Visa card and a dream to help people rebuild in war-ridden countries. Today, The 7 Virtues is an award-winning social enterprise and a leader in the clean and conscious bea...

Comedian Susan Stewart blends the wit and wisdom she’s known for with powerful messages about not taking life too seriously — especially in times of adversity and uncertainty. In her stand-up comedy style, Stewart shares ways to see the lighter side of lif...

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and author. An acclaimed storyteller, she is the author of the national bestselling book, Seven Fallen Feathers, which introduced us to seven Indigenous high school students who mysteriously died in Thund...

An Indo-Canadian daughter of first generation East Indian parents, Varughese says her cultural background allows her to find “the best of both worlds” and shed light, knowledge, and, most importantly, universal humour into the changing workplace. H...

Nicole Verkindt is passionate about leveraging the talents of entrepreneurs and innovation. Named “Canada’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year” by StartUp Canada in 2017, Verkindt has a knack for finding industry gaps and building innovative plat...

How can you stay at the top of your game and perform at the highest level, year after year? Eight-time National Long Drive Champion Lisa “Longball” Vlooswyk, went from being a high-handicap recreational golfer to a professional player who hits farther th...

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier is in the business of transforming public opinion into public policy. Experienced in working with global decision-makers for more than a decade, Watt-Cloutier offers a new model for 21st century leadership. She sp...

After escaping a decade of abuse living as a child bride in Canada, Samra Zafar has became a beacon of hope for many people facing exclusion, abuse, and gender-based violence. Now an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and social entrepren...