National Women in Leadership Day - Vancouver Chapter - VIRTUAL EVENT

Join us for a virtual event as we celebrate the inaugural national Women in Leadership Day on May 31. 

Women Change Leaders!  Three women speakers each started their own associations and are sharing their stories of what inspired them, their vision, how they got started,  and where they are now!  Maureen wi nll be the moderator for the event.

Speakers include  Kelsie Priest,  Lisa Kearney, and Winnie Hsu

Speaker Bio:

Kelsie Priest, Co-Founder, Women in Counsulting Engineering (WCE)

Kelsie Priest is a Project Engineer with her Professional Engineer designation at Glotman Simpson Consulting Engeers and over 10 years of progessive experience in structural design.  She specializes in the structural design of concrete high-rises and wood-frame projects and has contributed to many iconic projects shaping the skylines of Vancouver, Seattle, and Los Angeles.  Kelsie is dedicated to creating an environment where women can flourish in their engineering careers.  In 2018, she co-founded Women in Consulting Engineering Vancouver (WCE), an organziation that supports and empowers women in engineering with a goal of increasing gender diversity and inclusion in the industry.  She is currently Co-Chair of this vibrant community with over 500 members.  Kelsie is also a Director for the Canadian Centre for Women in Science Engineering Technology and Trades (WinSETT Centre).

Lisa Kearney, CEO, Women Cybersecurity Society (WCS2) 

Lisa Kearney is a highly accomplished cybersecurity professional and nonprofit CEO based in Vancouver, BC  With a passion for promoting diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity, Lisa founded the Women CyberSecurity Society (WCS2), an organization dedicated to advocating, empowering and support career opportunities and online cyber safety for women in this rapidly evolving industry.   Recognizing the need to celebrate women's cybersecurity achievements, in the fall of 2018, Lisa initiated International Women in Cyber Day (I.W.C.D), an annual celebration held on September 1.  this initiative serves to honor and highlight the contributions of women throughout the lifecycle of their cybersecurity careers.  In 2022, nine out of ten provinces proclaimed September 1 as International Wome in Cyber Day and countless individuals, government entities, and groups celebrated globally across social media and with in-person events.   With an impressive career spanning over 20 years, Lisa has amassed extensive expertise across major industries, including maritime cybersecurity and critical infrastructure.  Protecting sensitive inform and systems within IT/OT enviroments remain her focus.  Her deep understanding  of compliance and regulations in North America has made her a sought-after advisor in navigating the complex cybersecurity landscape.   Lisa's knowledge and insights have earned her recognition as a thought leader in the field.  She has authored numberous articles and has been a featured expert in interviews with prominent media outlets such as C.B.C. National News, Global T.V., Globe and Mail, The Hill Times, I.T. World Canada, ServiceNow, and others.  Her ability to articulate complex cybersecurity concepts in a relatable manner has made her a trusted voice in raising awareness about cyber threaths and promoting best practices.    Through her leadership and advocacy,  Lisa Kearney continues to contribute significantly to the cybersecurity community, empowering women and driving positive change within the industry.  Her dedication to creating a more inclusive and secure digital world inspires aspiring cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

Winnie Hsu, Co-Founder, Vision2Reality Foundation (V2RF)

Winnie Hsu came to Canada thirty years ago as a financially struggling from China, working several low-paying jobs to sustain herself.  Eventually, she started her own accounting business.  But that was 20 years ago.  Today, she has a eam of fifteen professionals serving over 200 small businesses in the great Vancouver and Fraser Valley in BC.   Winnie never stops learing.  Wanting to achieve more, she studied for an MBA with Jack Welch Management Institute (JWMI) in the USA by taking online classes during the pandemic.  Ysubg tge 18-month fasgt track route, she graduated with all honours for all 12 of her courses at the end of 2021, also winning the distinguished scholar award with the JWMI at age 59 - all while working full-time to manage her business.  Fall of 2021, with three fellow co-founders, she started her dream impact project by founding Vision2Reality Foundation (V2RF) - a 100% online, free business community to help newcomers with their entrepreneur journey.  Today, the V2RF online community has over three hundred members on its platform who have and are all willing to share, learn and grow with local business owners and professionals.  These have and will include people of different races, colours, genders, and cultural backgrounds who came to North America and dreamed of building a better life for themselves and their families.  Winnie believes that V2RF is a rare, truly multicultural, inclusive online community that welcomes anyone with a dream and the ambition to turn their visions into reality.  Today, Winnie and her professional advisors in NexGen Accounting Inc. made V2RF the company's social impact project, so all staff in NexGen Accounting and their business clients could contribute knowledge and money and offer support and mentorship to anyone who has an entrepreneurial mindset.

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Women in Leadership Day 2023

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Proclamation

Annually – the last Wednesday in May, WIL Wednesday

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 (176,000+, 7 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 22nd year, we invite you to join us on May 31, 2023 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.

In the next three years, more than 20% of the Canadian workforce is eligible to retire, nearly double the amount in the previous five years (Rubin, 2022). Attracting, recruiting, and retaining underrepresented groups will become vital to fill the workforce gap. Employees are demanding a more supportive, inclusive workplace, “which is what the next generation of employees — and especially younger women—want and expect.” (Women in the Workplace Report, page 15).

We hope you will be part of the change. We aim to transform workplaces by accelerating change with employers building or amending policies and procedures to support more women applying for leadership and decision-making positions through the Bridge to Gender Equality Project. The Women in Leadership Foundation acknowledges the financial support provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada for the Bridge to Gender Equality Project. Through the project, we have created a Women in Leadership Policy and Toolkit and are holding information sessions in Spring 2023 to engage employers and stakeholders to transform workplaces, shift mindsets, and empower women.

Join us to be part of the change and we will see you at one of our chapter locations: Victoria, Vancouver, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

Sincerely,

Maya Kanigan, BComm.

Founder & President, Women in Leadership Foundation