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About WIL & Programs
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEADERSHIP
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Founded in 2001, the Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL) is a national non-profit organization committed to creating a platform to promote diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. WIL brings together a large community of women professionals across Canada and offers deep expertise in creating impactful programs and content. We help all women to have the confidence and opportunities to pursue positions of leadership and help employers hire, grow, and support a diverse workforce.
Vision – Advancing women in leadership
Mission – Advance women's leadership development and placement into leadership roles
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​The Women in Leadership Foundation acknowledges that our head office operations is located within the traditional and unceded territory of the Okanagan Syilx people. We recognize, honour and respect the presence of all Indigenous people, past, present and future.
MAYA KANIGAN
Founder & President of WIL
“I started Women in Leadership because, as an emerging young leader starting out in my career, I was searching for my life purpose and it was important for me to do work that I loved. After graduating from my commerce program at university, I found myself looking for women role models and women leaders in the business world. The landscape for women leaders in business was not what I had expected and I wondered why there were so few women in leadership positions and few ways for us to connect. Filling this void became my passion. I saw how important mentors were to me with my own career, helping me build faith in myself and overcome obstacles. And I saw how they could help others carving their own path while joining together would create a sense of community and belonging in the business world.
As women, there is tremendous power in joining together. Not only do we benefit from shared experiences, but together we can have a massive impact on our children, our families, our workplaces, our economy, and our planet. I want to see more women in leadership because it would make the world a better place: with a more peaceful, progressive and sustainable approach to business, community, and beyond.”
Board of
Directors
Chief Leanne Joe
Farhana Mahbub
Jennifer Kardash
Maya Kanigan
Photo from Left to to Right:
Farhana Mahbub, Chief Leanne Joe, Maya Kanigan.
Missing from photo: Jennifer Kardash
WIL Highlights
Celebrated 23 years of impactful programming and projects that promote diverse and inclusive workplaces.
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Established a track record of success by delivering 15 Labour Market Partnerships with the Federal Government in five provinces to showcase female role models.
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Hosted 11 provincial Indigenous Women in Leadership Forums across Canada to celebrate the achievements of accomplished Indigenous women.
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Mentored 2,300+ women in our award-winning WIL Mentorship Program.
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Founded local chapters in Vancouver, Victoria, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Toronto-US, Ottawa, and Montreal.
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Visited 17 universities coast to coast through our first program creating awareness and holding Women’s Career Forums.
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Launched the Women in Leadership Day May 2023.
Our Values
Celebration - We are a dynamic group of people passionate about inspiring women to be their best and celebrating their unique talents and successes.​
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Relevant - We are dedicated to showcasing authentic female role models in a wide variety of sectors. ​
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Collaborative - We bring individuals, companies and organizations together to create positive change.​
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Mentorship - We believe that we all can learn from, inspire and encourage each other through all stages of our lives.
Supportive – We foster a supportive, fun and accessible environment that brings together women of all ages, intersectionalities, and stages of their careers.
PARTNERS
Women in Leadership Day
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Join Us to Be Part of the Change
Established in 2001, the Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL) is a national, non-profit organization committed to creating a platform to promote diverse & inclusive workplaces. WIL offers deep expertise in creating impactful programs and content to raise awareness and drive tangible result for our community (200,000+, 10 chapters). We help all women across Canada to have the confidence and opportunities to pursue positions of leadership and help employers hire, grow, and support a diverse workforce.
As we celebrate our 23rd year, we invite you to join us on May 29, 2024 to show your support for advancing women in leadership, share your story, showcase your leaders, and highlight your commitment to build on your diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership to promote healthy workplaces. We are honoured to work with WIL Champions from across Canada committed to making a positive difference. WIL is about working together to get there.
Join us to be part of the change.
Sincerely,
Maya Kanigan, BComm.
Founder & President, Women in Leadership Foundation
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