A Triumphant Celebration: Honouring the 2025 WIL Mentorship Program's Success

What an extraordinary journey we've shared! As we reflect on the past six months of the 2025 WIL Mentorship Program, our hearts swell with pride and gratitude. We didn't just celebrate an ending; we honoured a transformation. This year, we celebrate a total of 51 graduates through our Women in Leadership Mentorship Program from across Canada and parts of the US. From Vancouver to Ottawa and in the US from Ohio and Georgia. Our mentees are working in diverse industries such as technology, avionics manufacturing, renewable energy, government, engineering, agriculture, retail, business consulting, social work, and education.

As we close our 2025 mentorship program, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed their support and big hearts to make this program possible:

To our remarkable committee team—Shannon Mayer, Heather Thomson, Ozohu Adaba, Maya Kanigan, Jaclyn Masse, Janani Ram, Kerilyn Voigt, Ella Misfeldt, and Olaide Akinlabi—your dedication was the backbone of this year's program's success. From meticulously matching 25 ambitious mentees with 26 extraordinary mentors to designing career-shaping workshops and creating spaces for authentic connection, your tireless efforts have changed lives. You transformed challenges into opportunities for growth, and your collective brilliance made magic happen across six chapters during our National Women in Leadership Day.

A special ovation to our workshop facilitators—Penny Izlakar, Shannon Mayer, Heather Thomson, Liz Punch, Keri Schwebius, Ifeoma Ngwudike, and Ella Misfiedlt—who equipped our participants with tools for emotional intelligence, purpose-driven leadership, and continuous improvement. Your expertise ignited sparks that will light our mentees' paths for years to come and transformed our networking event into genuine relationships rather than just connections.

Most importantly, to our mentors and mentees: You've embodied the true spirit of WIL. The testimonial videos shared aren't just stories; they're proof of how over 50 strangers became a powerful force for change.

Since 2001, our vision has been to advance women in leadership and empower the next generation. We thank the Government of Canada and our National Partners for making our projects and programs possible. Through our Transforming Workplace Opportunities Project, we have designed and built an inclusive human resource framework to support more women in applying for and being considered for leadership roles. The Women in Leadership Foundation acknowledges the financial support of Women and Gender Equality Canada for this initiative.

We also thank our National Partners, IBM and the Ted Rogers School of Management, for their incredible support and partnership.

Because of this support, we were able to award 7 scholarships to individuals from underrepresented communities (who identified as Women of Colour, LGBTQIA2S+, and Neurodiverse individuals) to participate as mentees.

As the Mentorship Director, I am most proud of how we've turned our mission into motion. Those late-night planning sessions, last-minute adjustments, and heartfelt mentoring moments have all led to this graduating class walking away with sharper skills, stronger networks, and unshakable confidence. This isn't goodbye; it's "watch this space." Our alumni network awaits, the 2026 cohort is on the horizon, and the ripples of the program will spread far beyond. To every hand that shaped this program: Take your victory lap. You've earned it. Now let's go make more waves together! Congratulations to the Graduates of the 2025 WIL Mentorship Program!

Watch the 2025 mentee testimonial video here.