To celebrate International Women’s Day 2017, CivicAction will be highlighting some of the incredible, dynamic, and diverse women who are shaping communities all across our city-region. Over the next 24 hours, we’re taking to Twitter to showcase 24 incredible women city-builders who are shaping the GTHA region with their passion. Follow #24inGTHA on Twitter and get to know these inspiring women.
See what Sevaun Palvetzian, our CEO, has to say about Pulling Your Chair Closer to the Table here.
Rudayna Bahubeshi, 2017 DiverseCity Fellow; Communications Manager, Inspirit Foundation
I have one of 6.5 million experiences in the GTHA and it’s deeply important that my leadership and voice aren’t presumptuous. There are times we all need to sit back, listen, and learn.
Learn more about her here.
Julia Blackburn, Executive Director, NPower Canada
I am so proud to lead an organization, NPower Canada, which consistently seeks gender equality on our board, on our staff and in our classroom. I believe it is essential for the health of our community that we all stay focused on the importance of a diverse workplace and that it is up to women in leadership roles to foster and mentor the female leaders of tomorrow.
Learn more about her here.
Idil Burale, Senior Associate, MaRS Solutions Lab
Being at the table must come to mean more than token representation, but true engagement and empowerment of leaders in all our communities.
Learn more about her here.
Pat Capponi, C.M., O.Ont, Mental Health Advocate, Author, & Co-Lead, From Surviving to Advising, CAMH, Voices from the Street
Civic leadership is as necessary to community development as the air we breathe. True leaders are self-examining, constantly learning, never asking others to do what they have not attempted and encouraging of those who try and fail.
Learn more about her here.
Hibaq Gelle, Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities, Government of Ontario; Toronto Youth Equity Strategy Community Panel, City of Toronto
Leadership that is in the trenches and doing the work is often overlooked. As a Somali-Canadian who is challenging inequitable power structures, I am thrilled that CivicAction has seen the value of my work and I hope this award creates room for other women like me to imagine themselves in new ways.
Learn more about her here.
Eleni Han, Strategy and Partnerships Lead, NU (New Understandings); Associate, Global Markets Team – Family Planning, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc.
A crucial factor that sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to work together to surmount challenges. Strong leadership facilitates this and brings us together in times of struggle, whereas poor leadership can do the very opposite.
Learn more about her here.
The Honourable Mitzie Hunter, MPP (Scarborough-Guildwood), Minister of Education
Leaders shape our cities, making them vibrant places to live, work, play and grow old. CivicAction’s leadership programs expose rising leaders to new networks and ideas and provide them with the skills to become the kind of collaborative leaders that cities need.
Learn more about her here.
Sumeeta Kapur, 2016 ELN Executive Committee Advisor, Manager, Strategic Planning & Operations, Infrastructure Ontario
Many people believe leaders are born – I prefer to think they are made through a collection of experiences, trials, tribulations and successes.
Learn more about her here.
Li Koo, Communications and Stakeholder Relations Professional
Diverse leadership is important because when organizations, cities, and governments are reflective of the demographics that they serve, we create new possibilities of authentic engagement and transformative learning.
Learn more about her here.
Lana Majid, 2016 ELN Executive Committee Member; Senior Public Health Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Leaders should possess an inherent ability to empower and energize others. Something pretty magical happens when leaders treat everyone (regardless of job title) as equal, ask questions rather than provide answers, and give staff ownership over their work.
Learn more about her here.
Emily Mills, Senior Communications Officer, CBC; Founder, How She Hustles
The world has so many challenges and opportunities – diverse leadership is needed to address them all effectively and from a variety of perspectives.
Learn more about her here.
Elisha Muskat, 2016-2018 ELN Co-Chair; Executive Director, Peacebuilders International (Canada)
Making meaningful change is hard, and can be hard on you. Having supportive, inspiring, and collaborative peers makes it possible. ELN provides that network of leaders to keep me charged and striving to do more.
Learn more about her here.
The Honourable Ratna Omidvar, C.M., O.Ont.; Senator, Senate of Canada; Distinguished Visit Professor, Global Diversity Exchange (GDX), Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University
Authentic leadership is diverse leadership – everyone has a voice in shaping our collective future.
Learn more about her here.
Adaoma Patterson, 2010 DiverseCity Fellow; President, Jamaican Canadian Association
One thing I do to ensure I continue to grow and develop as a leader is stay connected to people who are not often heard. I strongly believe people in positions of power and influence need to stay grounded in the reality of life that most Canadians face daily.
Learn more about her here.
Anowa (Irene) Quarcoo, 2015-2016 DiverseCity Fellow; Senior Advisor, Strategic Communications, Ontario Ministry of Finance; Co-founder, Civic Tech Toronto
To grow as a leader, I continually challenge myself to do something in my stretch zone (that space that makes you super uncomfortable but allows for personal growth). In other words I am constantly doing something that pushes me forward.
Learn more about her here.
Alicia Raimundo, Mental Health Consultant; Advisory Mentor, The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme
When I was in Tech – I was the only woman on a floor of over 60 guys. It was a big fight to be taken seriously, to find role models who understood my struggle, and have my personal space respected. Having a diversity of women in leadership positions is important because not only do we bring new and innovative solutions – we inspire young woman to know that their dreams are achievable.
Learn more about her here.
Alicia Rose, 2015-2016 DiverseCity Fellow; Manager of Community Investment Program, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Diverse leadership is important because the uncomfortable spaces is where the magic happens.
Learn more about her here.
Letecia Rose, 2014-2015 DiverseCity Fellow; Coordinator, Programs and Outreach, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
As I was growing up it was essential for me to see people who looked like me in positions of leadership and influence. It allowed me to say to myself, “If they can, so can I.”
Learn more about her here.
Carley Smith DeBenedictis, 2016 ELN Executive Committee Member; Senior Communications Advisor – Media, City of Mississauga
Great things happen when people come together and work together. The GTHA is experiencing a groundswell of rising leaders with a strong voice that is impacting community beyond municipal boundaries.
Learn more about her here.
Anjum Sultana, Junior Fellow, Wellesley Institute
Having diverse voices around the table is critical in ensuring that all perspectives are considered when making decisions that impact the larger community. Diversity in leadership is not just beneficial for pushing forward the priorities of underserved populations, but ensures that the whole of society is also able to benefit from the talents, knowledge and skills of diverse communities.
Learn more about her here.
Helen Tewolde, 2011 DiverseCity Fellow; Senior Researcher and Manager, Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
We can’t see or feel what we have never lived. Diversity in leadership facilitates new ways of identifying challenges and potentially pre-emptive ways of dealing with them.
Learn more about her here.
Beth Wilson, CivicAction Board of Directors
Growing the pipeline for leadership starts with developing tomorrow’s civic leaders today. Our society needs transformational leaders who understand the diversity of our communities’ needs and are ready to inspire trust and confidence, empower others, and have the passion to drive lasting change.
Learn more about her here.
Eva Wong, Co-Founder and COO, Borrowell
We all benefit from our community being stronger and more vibrant. This is where we live, and it’s important for us to contribute to the fabric of the city.
Learn more about her here.
Selena Zhang, Manager of Programs and Research, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance
To me, leadership means rejecting the paralysis of gold standard solutions in order to bridge the gap between policy on paper and in practice.
Learn more about her here.
Filed Under: ELN Spotlight