About WIL & Programs

BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEADERSHIP

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 the largest community of women professionals across Canada and offers deep expertise in creating impactful programs and content to raise awareness and drive tangible results for our community. 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 – Women in Leadership Foundation (WIL) delivers inspirational programs that bring all women together to collaborate in the development of their leadership skills & creates positive change in the future of women’s leadership.

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 National Team Staff

David Mossman

Program Director

CHIEF LEANNE JOE

Project Lead

Michelle Negreiff

Project Coordinator
Bridge to Gender Equity

Emily Crichton

Communications Assistant

Dana Crichton

Social Media Specialist

Annabella Feeny

Project Assistant

WIL Highlights

Celebrated 21 years of impactful programming and projects that promote diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Established a track record of success by delivering 13 Labour Market Partnerships with the Federal Government in five provinces to showcase female role models in various non-traditional sectors.

Partnered with the Ontario and British Columbia governments for a research-driven approach to address gender equity in the workforce. Conducted studies on the attraction, recruitment and retention of women in financial services, engineering, mining, and construction industries.

Hosted 11 provincial Indigenous Women in Leadership Forums across Canada to celebrate the achievements of accomplished Indigenous women and matriarchs.

Mentored 2,200+ participants through our award-winning WIL Mentorship Program.

Founded local chapters in Vancouver, Victoria, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Toronto-US, Ottawa, and Montreal.

Visited 17 universities coast to coast through our first program creating awareness and holding Women’s Career Forums.