WEOC Team

She has built and led multiple national and international organizations, championed women’s leadership and Indigenous economic development, and represented Canada on state visits and global summits. Recognized with the Meritorious Service Medal, the APEC Women Icon Award, and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion, Victoria is a trusted institution builder and advocate for inclusive economic growth.

In her role as National Centre of Excellence Lead, Karla contributes to advancing women’s entrepreneurship at a systems and policy level. Her work focuses on practical entrepreneurship, helping founders make informed decisions and build sustainable businesses within the Canadian ecosystem. 

A recognized leader in her field, Karla has been named the Nation’s Capital Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year and a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant. She is a TEDx speaker, a business advisor with Invest Ottawa and ADAAWE, and a volunteer mentor for several national organizations. 

In addition to her leadership at WEOC and IEC, Karla is the founder of Karla Briones Consulting and the owner of two Canadian-owned Global Pet Foods stores in Ottawa. Her unique perspective as both a boots-on-the-ground retail owner and a strategic policy advisor allows her to bridge the gap between entrepreneurial reality and national economic strategy. 

He has worked with corporate clients like Microsoft, Henkel, ArcelorMittal, L’Oréal, Vale and Embraer to improve employee efficiency, and develop cross-cultural training and change management programs. Before joining WEOC’s team in 2020, Bruno lived in Brazil, Italy and Germany. He holds an MBA from Polytechnic University of Milan and a bachelor’s in communication and marketing from UMESP. Passionate about gender equality, he currently volunteers supporting women impacted by domestic abuse.

Prior to working with WEOC, Heather spent 18 years with a MB Credit Union, working mostly with small businesses and non-profit organizations which has given her a strong foundation in business financing and an understanding of the unique challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship.

Always excited to explore new areas of development, her bright attitude has been an asset in leading key projects that crossed North America, including bringing journalism education to students and creating curriculum pieces for teachers.She brings her creativity to a variety of interests, hobbies, and general nerdery. When she’s not in the office she’s either finding new places to eat or pestering her cat as best she can. She’s nearly always planning her next adventure.

With over 20 years of entrepreneurial and finance experience, Tanis brings both expertise and passion to her work and the team. Driven and dedicated, she delivers exceptional results with care and professionalism, while valuing collaboration and building relationships that make a lasting impact.

Favourite Woman-Owned Business: The Sapphire Hair Lounge

A strong communicator and collaborative team member, Natalie can build consensus with a keen attention to detail, sound analysis, and clear recommendations. Natalie is an advocate for gender equality, and is enthusiastic about supporting women-owned businesses. She is a graduate of the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Wilfrid Laurier University.

She has successfully delivered on multi-industry transactions leveraging on her Leadership & People Management skills. Obashola is also a Gender Lens expert which involves educating and supporting female entrepreneurs on financial products. She is also an ardent public speaker.Prior to arriving Canada, Obashola worked as an Investment Manager with GroFin Nigeria – a  specialist impact-driven financial institution that helps entrepreneurs succeed by providing them expert advice, continuous guidance, and financing to grow their businesses. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the prestigious Business School of Netherlands, a Masters in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos and bachelors degree from the University Of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is also an accredited Small Business Consultant (ASMEC). Obashola was also a volunteer mentor in the Women In Africa (WIA) 2022 mentorship program.

Before joining WEOC, Laura worked for Banco de Bogota, one of Colombia’s leading financial institutions, Laura excelled in roles within Corporate and Commercial Banking, demonstrating a strong dedication to client satisfaction and a meticulous attention to detail.

Laura is a native Spanish speaker with a bachelor’s degree in finance and international Relations. She is committed to ongoing professional development and is passionate about contributing to the success of women-owned businesses.

An MBA graduate of the University of Sherbrooke in Canada, and a bachelor in marketing from University of Quebec in Montreal, Isabel has worked in many fields such as telecommunications, non-for profit and the federal government. She wears many hats: strategic consultant, freelancer and  employee in a women’s organization.Before joining WEOC, Isabel worked in as a business developer and coach for various organization in Ontario. Always passionate about the success of businesses, especially women owned businesses in Canada.

Natasha joins the WEOC team at a defining moment for Canada’s economy, where the success of women-owned businesses is a vital driver of long-term prosperity. With a background in shaping meaningful dialogue and fostering the next generation of policy thinkers, she brings a strategic lens to national coordination and inclusive economic growth.

Her leadership has been recognized nationally, including being named to the Forty Under 40 (2023) list and The Peak’s Emerging Leaders List (2024). Natasha is dedicated to ensuring that the voice of women entrepreneurs remains a central priority in government relations, building on WEOC’s role as a trusted national delivery partner and advocate.