Women of Influence

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., was raised to be a leader. The daughter of a hereditary chief and Indigenous leader, she always knew that she would seek leadership roles and responsibilities. This led her to becoming Canada’s first Indig...

The winner of three Olympic gold medals — five medals in total — Tessa Virtue is one of the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. She, with her partner Scott Moir, has skated into the hearts of people around the world after becoming the younges...

One of Time magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders”, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is an accomplished physician, spoken word poet, and advocate for racialized and marginalized populations. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s F...

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...

A world champion single sculls rower and a four-time Olympic medallist, Silken Laumann knows what it takes to be the best in the world. She also knows what it means to overcome adversity. While at the peak of her game, a boat crashed into her leg, almost endin...

Since launching Knix in 2013, Founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths has built it into one of the fastest growing intimate apparel brands worldwide. Through its mission to empower women and its focus on product innovation, Knix has become the sixth fastest growing c...

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...

Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal is a leading global authority on resilience, well-being, and mental health. Previously the head of executive leadership development and talent strategy at Nike, she is now the founder and chief resilience officer of the Resilience Lead...

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...

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...

Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour is a gutsy trailblazer, whose resume is an impressive collection of firsts—including being the first Black woman combat pilot in the US Armed Forces. Prior to that she worked as a police officer, served two tours of duty ...

When the challenges are steep, and the competition fierce, Robyn Benincasa provides individuals and organizations the tools they need to inspire themselves and one another to their greatest heights and to cross their most challenging finish lines. As a two-tim...

Erica Dhawan says we all have the power to drive innovation, but first we need to get past the roadblocks we create for ourselves: endless meetings, cross-team dysfunction, resource-wasting duplication, and a lack of real, meaningful inclusion. Drawing on her ...

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...

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...

Considered by many to be the go-to expert on anything to do with technology, Amber Mac helps companies and audiences to stay ahead of the curve. She is an industry veteran, renowned as a journalist, moderator, entrepreneur, consultant, and bestselling author. ...

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...

Colonel Nicole Malachowski defies stereotypes. The first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds, a combat veteran, and a White House Fellow, her distinguished 21-year Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams. But the dream came to a quick end when a devastating t...

As the president and chief storytelling officer at Stellar Collective, Kindra Hall has worked with top organizations across industries to help tackle today’s communication challenges through storytelling. She is a sought-after keynote speaker trusted by ...

Jennifer Barroll is a passionate communicator. With a background as an actor, media personality, and stand-up comedian, Barroll uses her quick wit and energetic personality to deliver practical leadership training and communication tools. Having worked with so...

Internationally acclaimed Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Kellylee Evans has been making waves around the world with her energy-charged performances. She shares her inspirational journey of recovery and showcases the importance of self-care and finding yo...

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...

For Serena Ryder, music is medicine. Her raw and earnest songwriting, and beautifully electric live performances, have made her a favourite amongst fans, peers, and critics alike. The award-winning singer-songwriter has won six prestigious JUNO Awards, a MuchM...

Passionate about fintech, business, financial literacy, inclusion and diversity, and uncovering the behind-the-scenes stories of successful business minds, Chloé James has worked extensively as an emcee, panel facilitator, and interviewer. Her stage roles hav...

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

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is an engineer, author, broadcaster, and award-winning social advocate. Her powerful TED talk, “What does my headscarf mean to you” has more than 1.8 million views, and she has become an internationally renowned speaker on the topics o...

As a young, black woman working as a lawyer on Bay Street, Dr. Hadiya Roderique delivered a wake-up call to corporate Canada in the form of her Globe and Mail feature essay, “Black on Bay Street.” Shared more than 13,000 times on Facebook, with the acc...

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...

Described as one of the most sought-after, engaging, thought-provoking, and truly transformative international speakers and scholars in her field, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award-winning psychology and education instructor who specializes in resilienc...

A thought leader on agile business processes, digital transformation, and the future of work, Lital Marom is an expert at helping organizations unlock the potential of their business by leveraging exponential thinking, emerging technologies, and new business m...

As the Vice-Dean of Faculty Affairs and Equity at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Professor Maydianne Andrade shows the strength diversity brings to an organization through actively promoting the hiring, retention, and success of a diverse and in...

Nicknamed “the negotiator” since childhood, Fotini Iconomopoulos is an expert communicator with a passion for helping organizations and individuals get what they want. For the last decade, she has been helping Fortune 500 clients and audiences to achieve t...

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. ...

The world is facing a global leadership crisis. 77% of leaders think they do a good job of engaging their people, yet 88% of employees say their leaders don’t engage enough, and 65% of employees would forgo a pay raise to see their leaders fired. Leaders...

Motivated by her passion to correct societal “isms” like racism, sexism, classism, and plain old stupidism, it’s Risha Grant’s personal mission to expose the value of diversity and inclusion, while shining a light on the economic impact...

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...

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...

Jade Simmons is a creator of transformational experiences designed to activate audiences into becoming the biggest, boldest version of themselves possible. The world-class concert artist has been called a “musical force of nature” with an “un...

Hailed by audiences worldwide as “life-changing”, “riveting”, “extraordinary”, “bold”, and “deeply moving”, Allison Massari’s message of courage, kindness, and resilience resonates with participants long after an event has finished. Liste...

In her globally acclaimed TEDx talk, Mel Robbins wowed the world with the science-backed secret to change: The 5 Second Rule. More than 17 million views later, the 5 Second Rule has become a bestselling book and a life-changing movement that challenges thinkin...

Jennifer Keesmaat is passionate about creating places where people flourish. A renowned urban planner, she was named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Maclean’s, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life, and one of the top Women of ...

The Honourable Rona Ambrose is a dynamic national leader, a champion for the rights of women and girls, the former Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons, and the former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Rona knows politics....

Named one of Marketing Magazine‘s “Top 30 Under 30”, Erin Bury is an entrepreneur, marketer, former technology journalist, and startup advisor. A monthly columnist for the Financial Post and a tech commentator on CTV News, Bury shares the ins...

What is it like to always have a front row seat at the CFL? From interviewing the league’s top players and coaches, to sharing behind-the-scene moments with fans, Brodie Lawson holds the job that many only dream of. The host of the Canadian Football Leag...

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, ...

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...

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...

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...

Internationally recognized for her inspiring story, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, is an acclaimed author, humanitarian, broadcaster, and spokesperson who has spent much of her life in the glare of the public spotlight. Speaking candidly about her person...

Today’s fast-paced business environment requires leaders who can create impact and influence others with sound communication practices. Stacey Hanke has trained over 15,000 executives to influence, persuade, sell, or simply effectively communicate face-to-fa...