Alicia Woods

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• Mining for Opportunity: The Covergalls Story

  Alicia Woods spent years working in an industry that wasn’t made for her, so she decided to change it.

  Raised in a mining family, Woods dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. But at 21, stepping into mining equipment sales, she quickly discovered the industry had no room — literally — for women. No facilities underground. No proper safety gear. Just ill-fitting coveralls and the expectation to make it work.

  Instead of quitting, Woods grabbed a seamstress and created her own solution. When other women started asking where they could get one of her custom coveralls, she realized she wasn’t just solving her problem, she was filling a massive market gap.

  From pitching on Dragons’ Den to building Covergalls into a complete workwear line, Woods’ story proves that the best entrepreneurs don’t just adapt to broken systems — they rebuild them entirely. Through sharing her entrepreneurial journey, audiences will learn how to turn frustration into opportunity, build resilience in the face of skepticism, and transform obstacles into opportunities for innovation.

• Building Cultures of Innovation

  While working in mining equipment sales, Alicia Woods noticed women had no proper safety gear — a gap missed by an entire industry for decades. She partnered with a seamstress, created a solution, and turned that solution into a business now disrupting the workwear sector.

  As CEO of Covergalls Workwear, Woods shares her entrepreneurial journey to help audiences unlock innovative thinking within their teams, foster inclusive cultures where problem-solving is encouraged, and reframe challenges as opportunities to try new approaches. Attendees will leave empowered to spot the gaps in their own industries and organizations — and inspired to fill them.

• Breaking In: How to Build Your Own Path

  This keynote is for anyone who’s ever walked into a room where they weren’t expected.

  At 21, Alicia Woods walked into mining equipment sales knowing she’d have to prove herself. She worked three times the hours, learned every technical term, took night courses — whatever it took to be taken seriously in an industry that questioned whether she belonged there at all.

  Through sharing her story, Woods illustrates what it takes to break into spaces that weren’t built for you: getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, finding mentors who see your potential, and going all in. She reveals how she turned “that silly idea with no market” into a thriving business, and why you’ll never see your true potential until you commit 110%.

  Audiences will leave with practical insights on overcoming self-doubt, navigating skepticism, and refusing to let other people’s limitations become your own.

• Health and Safety: The PPE Gap

  Safety equipment should protect everyone equally, but does it? Surveys conducted by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) revealed that women across Canada face significant challenges with personal protective equipment (PPE) that wasn’t designed for their bodies. Alicia Woods discovered this firsthand when she stepped off the cage at a mine site and found no proper facilities or properly fitting safety gear for women. Forced to choose between safety and dignity, she experienced the dangerous workarounds women employ daily — modifying ill-fitting garments, skipping protective equipment, or simply enduring discomfort that compromises both safety and performance.

  This keynote exposes the systemic gaps in workplace safety standards and demonstrates how proper PPE isn’t just about comfort — it’s about equality, retention, and creating truly safe workplaces. Learn why organizations committed to attracting and retaining diverse talent must prioritize proper safety equipment as a non-negotiable standard.