We are thrilled to host a marketplace of women entrepreneurs during the opening reception.

Marketplace Vendors:

• Saponetti
• Siika Foods
• Revitalize Health
• BAO Life
• Lumehra
• Pure Botanica
• SALT
• Diamond Shapers
• Bynumide
• Rossahut

7:45 AM / Registration

8 AM / Breakfast

8:50 AM / Summit Welcome

9:15 AM / Opening Keynote: The Power of Diversity with Laura Liswood

10:45 AM / Leadership Session for CEOs, Presenter: Laura Liswood

10:45 AM / Leadership Session for Advisors: How do we work toward disability inclusion? Perspectives from research and experience, Catherine Connelly & Wanda Deschamps

11:45 AM / Lunch Break

1:15 PM / Mental Health Session for CEOs: REALTALK – Navigating Mental Health in Challenging Times, Cherry Rose Tan

1:15 PM / Mental Health Session for Advisors & Leaders: The overlooked factor in business success, Shulamit Ber Levtov

2:45 PM / Leading with Inclusion: Lessons from year one of the WEOC National Loan Program, Moderator: Saijal Patel

3:30 PM / From Startup to Success: Four Entrepreneurs on their Innovative Business Journeys, Moderator: Miriam Johnson

Jennifer Bessell is currently the chief executive officer with the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs.  Jennifer is an accomplished senior leader in the non profit sector with extensive experience in both professional associations and charitable organizations.  She has held executive director roles in professional legal education and with the Canadian Bar Association as well as executive positions with the Association for New Canadians locally and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada nationally.  Jennifer has a demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams with a people first approach to leadership.  She is an experienced executive leader who enjoys both program and finance management.

In addition to her work with WEOC, Jennifer is also a board member with Women in Science and Engineering, Newfoundland and Labrador and volunteers with Junior Achievement of Newfoundland and Labrador as a mentor for their company program.

Shulamit (she/her) is the Entrepreneurs’ Therapist. She works with women business owners to care for their mental and emotional well-being and their money psychology in an era of relentless stressors that can make you want to lose your crap on the daily.

Shulamit has been an entrepreneur for over 28 years and has more than 23 years of professional experience in the field of mental health and personal growth. She also teaches in private and university business programs and speaks locally, nationally and internationally about mental health, money and entrepreneurship.

As an award-winning entrepreneur, masters-level, licensed trauma therapist and trauma survivor, with certifications in the Trauma of Money method, Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead methodology, Nonviolent Communication and Yoga, Shula brings a unique perspective and approach to supporting women in business.

With over 20 years of tech experience, educational technology curriculum development and instruction, Kelly has demonstrated a passion in using tech for good. She is one of the cofounders at Poptronic, a virtual reality solutions provider that connects Canadians to VR technologies, across the country. Kelly has worked in San Francisco, Toronto, Ottawa, and overseas in the federal government, nonprofits and Salesforce. She moved back to her hometown of Cornwall to bring new technologies and innovative opportunities to her community.

Dr. Catherine Connelly is a Professor and Canada Research Chair of organizational behavior at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is the author of the book “Enduring Work” and has published over 65 other academic journal articles and book chapters. She has won over $4.7 million dollars in research funding to support her research on the experiences of Canadian workers, including workers with disabilities. Catherine was awarded the Globe and Mail “Changemaker” award in 2022, and her research has been featured on CBC radio and TV, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the New York Times, as well as several podcasts.

Dr. Wendy Cukier is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Founder and Academic Director of the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, Academic Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and Research Lead of the Future Skills Centre. She co-authored the bestseller “Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership From Java to Jurassic Park” and is a leader in disruptive technologies and innovation. She is the former Vice-President of Research and Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University and has authored more than 200 articles on diversity, inclusion and innovation.

She has been recognized with many awards, including the Harry Jerome Diversity Award, the Bob Marley Award, the Metropolis Research Award, the CATA Alliance and the Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and she has been recognized in the 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN. She has been named a YWCA Woman of Distinction, one of the “100 Alumni who shaped the Century” by the University of Toronto and an International Women’s Forum 2020 Women Who Make a Difference. She holds a PhD in Information Systems, an MBA, an MA, and honourary doctorates from Laval and Concordia universities. She has also received Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, and is the founder of several startups, social enterprises and nonprofits.

Wanda is the founder and principal of Liberty Co – a consultancy focused on increasing neurodiverse employment with a special emphasis on autism due to Wanda’s own diagnosis at midlife. Her approach is centered on the IDEA (Inclusion-Diversity-Equity-Accessibility) framework and highlights inclusive leadership, entrepreneurial thinking and employee retention.

A champion for inclusion, she enjoys speaking and writing under the banner of the Inclusion Revolution, a worldwide movement launched in 2018 to spearhead broader thinking about disability, especially disability employment. As part of this, Wanda is a proud advocate for women with autism, including as an advisor and participant in research into autistic women’s experiences in the workplace

Prior to founding Liberty Co, Wanda enjoyed a twenty-five year career in the philanthropic sector.

She gives back to the community and industry in various ways and was recognized as the Life Sciences Ontario 2023 Volunteer award recipient.

Wanda lives in Waterloo with her husband and two sons.

As a highly skilled Chartered Professional Accountant and Family Enterprise Advisor, Shauna Frederick brings a wealth of experience to her roles as Founder of Frederick OTG and Co-Founder of The Finance Cafe. With a primary focus on empowering entrepreneurs, Shauna is not only a sought-after financial literacy educator but also a passionate advocate for advancing the rights of women and girls in business.

Shauna’s dedication to empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering financial empowerment is evident in her commitment to providing accessible and comprehensive financial wellness education. She also co-created a Girls’ Leadership Program, a five-week initiative designed to cultivate leadership skills in young girls. Through these initiatives, Shauna aims to change the conversation around finance and bridge critical gender gaps in financial literacy.

In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Shauna has played pivotal roles in various organizations, serving in Treasury, Co-Chair, and Chair roles. Her extensive experience has provided her with valuable insights and opportunities to connect with entrepreneurs, oversee committees across Canada, and collaborate with external partners and government officials.

Chatnie graduated with a Masters of IT Management with Distinction from SUNY Potsdam and has over 10 years experience in tech, policy in government, non-profit sectors and finance. Chatnie brings her love of technology for good as a cofounder at Poptronic and last year placed in the top 1.5% in Pow Wow Pitch Competition of 2500 Indigenous Entrepreneurs across Turtle Island. Chatnie’s been accepted into a prestigious Artificial Intelligence Train the Trainer program which will allow her to connect with AI experts across Turtle Island and bring this knowledge back to her community of Akwesasne.

Anna Hunter is a first generation sheep farmer and wool mill owner in Eastern Manitoba, Treaty One Territory. Anna, her husband Luke, and their two kids raise Shetland sheep and run the only wool mill in Manitoba. Anna is passionate about building community and connecting rural fibre farmers with urban consumers, fibre artists and crafters. Anna believes that regenerative agriculture and climate beneficial food and clothing is integral to moving forward as farmers, fibre artists and Manitobans. Anna is passionate about growing a vibrant Canadian wool industry and has recently published her first book, Sheep, Shepherd and Land. To learn more about Anna and her farm/wool mill, check out www.longwayhomestead.com.

As the Chief Executive Officer of WESK, Miriam has a strong passion and commitment to enabling Saskatchewan to flourish. Equipped with a growth-focused mindset and diverse experience across multiple sectors, she is well-positioned to lead WESK’s team towards achieving their mission of closing the gender entrepreneurship gap.

If you ask Miriam what she is most excited about regarding the future of WESK, she will share how inspiring it is to be part of an organization driving for and seeing progressive change. She recognizes the demands and challenges women entrepreneurs face every day. She is inspired to strategically address gaps and barriers and identify opportunities to foster a strong community of women entrepreneurs. She believes that supporting women is integral to building a strong Saskatchewan.

During her recent tenure at the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Miriam was fundamental in securing the bid for the upcoming Grey Cup, launching the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, and developing many successful programs addressing opportunities around the fan experience. Her work leading the Marketing and Community Relations portfolio connected the Riders with fans across the province through community programs such as Cameco Touchdown for Dreams to the game-day fan experience at Mosaic Stadium. Miriam’s community-minded leadership approach will continue to grow and develop the impact WESK makes across Saskatchewan.

Miriam has a strong penchant for giving back. She is currently the Co-Chair of Communications for the Grey Cup Volunteer Host Organizing Committee, successfully seeing the process in its entirety from bid to execution. She also held the Vice-Chair Sponsorship position for the 2022 Saskatchewan Winter Games.

When Miriam isn’t around the WESK offices, you will most likely find her in the comfort of her home being a short-order cook for her family or in an ice rink around Regina, watching her three children, Eli, Eden, and Emerson, play the sport they all love, hockey.

CEO – Manitoba Women’s Enterprise Centre (MWEC)

A Certified Professional Accountant and former small business owner, Max Kashton brings rich entrepreneurial experience, a deep understanding of the finance, risk and strategy, human resource, and information technology requirements facing the sector, as well as a well-developed set of community and business relationships.

Kashton has honed and applied her leadership skills in her current and past C-Suite roles. MWEC’s CEO since January 2022, her past roles include serving as Chief Operating Officer with Canadian Lutheran World Relief, an international humanitarian and refugee resettlement organization, and as the Chief Financial Officer for The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

The Mayor of Winnipeg recently appointed Kashton to the CentreVenture Board of Directors where she is the Finance Chair. CentreVenture’s mandate is to work with the city, and private and non-profit developers to increase downtown housing in Winnipeg. She currently sits on the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada Board of Directors and is the Finance & Audit Committee Chair.

A leader in the women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Alison was named the inaugural CEO of WEOC in September 2019. Since then, she has grown the organization from a Board-run initiative to an integral resource for women’s entrepreneurial support organizations across Canada. Forging long-lasting connections within government and industry, Alison leads from experience, with 20-plus years in communications management and a decade as a certified small business counsellor.  She has led the creation of comprehensive training programs and the development of innovative funding initiatives and has had the opportunity to share her knowledge and experiences with women entrepreneurs and organizations in Ukraine and Vietnam. Alison is actively involved with CUSMA SME Counsellors Network Pilot Program; Canada 51 venture capital initiative, Canadian Women’s Chamber of Commerce, COVID Communications Roundtable and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

Nadia Ladak is the co-founder and CEO of Marlow, a period care brand that is revolutionizing women’s health. The brand’s award winning product is the first-ever lubricated tampon for smoother and more comfortable insertion. But beyond their product, the team is leveraging the power of social media and has built an online community and cult following of 55,000 individuals and are going viral on TikTok with 100M+ views and 8M likes with their educational content aimed at reducing the stigma around menstrual health.

Prior to founding Marlow, Nadia worked as a management consultant at KPMG in their consumer and retail sector and at TELUS Digital in digital strategy. She is passionate about advocating for entrepreneurs and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. She is a member of the G20 Young Entrepreneur Alliance where she works on international entrepreneurship policy and on Startup Canada’s Women Advocacy Network where she speaks with government leaders to advocate for women entrepreneurs. She has been recognized as one of Forbes 30 under 30 and as one of the top emerging leaders by the Peak. She’s also committed to giving back to her community through her role as co-chair of Holland Bloorview Children’s Hospital Catalyst Council.

During our opening keynote, Laura Liswood will unpack the powerful business case for adopting diversity, equity and inclusion.

More about Laura Liswood, Secretary General, Council of Women World Leaders, and Former Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

In August 1996, Laura Liswood co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders with President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland located at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC.  Ms. Liswood is the Secretary General of the Council, which is composed of women presidents, prime ministers, and heads of government.  It is the only organization of its kind globally.

From 2001-2016, Liswood was also named Managing Director, Global Leadership and Diversity for Goldman Sachs and later became a senior advisor.  She continues to speak to audiences globally on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Liswood holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from California State University, San Diego.  She holds a J.D. degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California and Massachusetts.  After the events of 9/11, she became a reserve police officer in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and retired as a sergeant.

Liswood is the author of four books The Loudest Duck-Moving beyond Diversity, The Elephant and the Mouse, Women World Leaders, and Serving Them Right.

She is a commissioner and chair of the New Mexico State Personnel Review Board and a board advisor for EDGE, a diversity, equity and inclusion consulting group

Marcela has explored the world of business through a globally focused business undergraduate degree, designation as a Certified International Trade Professional and more than twenty years of global experience developing and implementing business strategies. A career highlight has been taking on leadership roles at Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) to support AWE’s goal to build stronger communities and economies through women’s participation in entrepreneurship.

Marcela believes strongly in continuous learning and contributing to the community. In addition to serving as Vice-Chair of the Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada, she volunteers her time on the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, University of Alberta Professional Development for Graduate Students Advisory Board, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization Canada Board of Directors and the Edmonton Region Innovation Network Steering Committee. In 2019 Marcela was appointed as Edmonton Regional Ambassador for the UN Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization.

Saijal Patel is the Founder and CEO of Saij Wealth Consulting, a financial consultancy and education platform dedicated to empowering women’s financial independence and security.

With over two decades of experience in the financial industry across North America and Asia, she holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and has served in roles as a financial strategist and analyst.

Saijal is the renowned creator and host of the Strictly Money podcast. Formerly a business anchor and correspondent for Canada’s Business News Network (BNN) and CNBC Asia, she provided insightful commentary and analysis on global economies, stock markets, and corporate news to millions of households worldwide. Her exceptional coverage earned her recognition as one of the most influential South Asian Women Executives in the Media and Entertainment Industry.

With experience in business banking and lending, Heather brings a natural curiosity and strong critical-thinking skills to her role as loan manager at WEOC. With 18 years in the Manitoba Credit Union system, most were spent working with small businesses and non-profits which has given her a strong foundation in financial literacy as well as an understanding of the highs and lows that come with being a business owner. A proud feminist, she is pleased to work for an organization that recognizes the unique challenges women face in entrepreneurship while also valuing their equally unique contributions. Heather is a graduate of Red River College’s Business Administration program and has volunteered with a number of local organizations including Peg City Car Co-op, The Winnipeg Folk Festival, and The Jubilee Fund. Heather is excited to bring WEOC’s National Loan Program to life!

Fifth-generation entrepreneur Cherry Rose Tan is a General Partner at Renew Venture Capital, whose mission is to solve society’s biggest challenges by purposely renewing how we invest in and help build companies. With nearly two decades of experience in Entrepreneurship, she has built a reputation as the First Mover in several industries, including crypto, edtech, and mental health.

General Partner at Renew Venture Capital; Entrepreneur in Residence at Schulich School of Business

Her previous company #REALTALK, the mental health movement for the tech industry, is known for being North America’s first and largest platform on Founder Mental Health. Specializing in working with high-net worth and C-Suite clientele, Tan grew the movement to 40,000 leaders and 70 national champions in four years, with a synonymous Top 14 Business podcast on iTunes as well.

Currently, Tan is the Entrepreneur in Residence at the Schulich School of Business, based in Canada’s third largest university, where she advises a global ecosystem of 225 startups and 3,000 members. As an Innovation & Mental Health Speaker, she works with organizations to ensure that leaders build the future of their organization, without burning out along the way.

She also sits on the boards for Wellspring and the Canadian Mental Health Association.