Meet some of the women behind student success

🎉 Relive the 2023 International Women’s Day Conference

It’s a powerful thing when our students, employees and community come together to #EmbraceEquity.

On March 8, SAIT and Women in Trades and Technology hosted the fifth annual International Women’s Day Conference.

We heard from acclaimed artist Vivek Shraya on the importance of all women showing up for one another and uniting against misogyny. Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President of First Nations University of Canada, reflected on our shared awakening during the pandemic and the lasting impacts of Canada’s residential school system.

We awarded members of our community who are driving inclusion in trades and tech:

• Influencer Award: Madeleine MacDonald, Instructor, School of Hospitality and Tourism, SAIT
• Initiative Award: Marina Muenchrath, Operations Coordinator and Chair for the Emerging Leaders Group, Fluor Canada
• Innovation Award: Elise Ahenkorah, Inclusion Strategist and Founder, inclusion FACTOR and #shemeets

We explored the importance of building community through the shared experiences of our esteemed panelists:

• Dee Adekugbe, Founder and Executive Director, Ruth’s House
• Gayathri Shukla, Founder, Campfire Kinship
• Sherifat Akinwonmi, Business Information Security Officer, TD
• Sumana Jeddy, CEO, Jeddy Wellness and The Workplace Wellness Collective

Afternoon workshops zeroed in on important topics like hiring for inclusion, women and wealth, sexual harassment and breaking barriers in male-dominated fields.

⏯ A recording of this year’s event will be posted in the days to come — check back soon.