Women in Wealth - January 24th, 2019

How truly grateful we are to have secured such an awesome spot for our first event of the year.  Situated in the heart of downtown Calgary, the Central Library stands as an architectural marvel with a striking silhouette, decorated with a hexagonal pattern. Upon entering the building, one is welcomed by the open-concept atrium, complimented by natural woods and sunlight pouring through the geometric windowpanes. Both the magnificent design and ambiance has created a space that embraces all visitors. Who would have thought a library would the happening place to be in such a young city! Perhaps we can partially thank the millennials, who are now young adults, for Calgary’s gradual transformation into a cool-and-hip city. Adjacent to the trendy industrial-esque East Village, this new hub is alive, friendly, and diverse.

Gathering in the BMO Community Room, attendees were welcomed by shiny YWIB balloons and sleek leather notebooks placed on each chair. The tapas and cocktails catered by Luke’s café were perfect for the occasion: Peasant Cheese Shop taught us that no charcuterie board is complete without caper berries. Women in Wealth was a truly successful event; the space absolutely bustled from start to finish.

Young Women in Business Calgary is on its fourth year in existence. What better way to kick off 2019 than focusing on the ever-so-current topic: women, and investing. This event was both sponsored and co-hosted by Fidelity Investments – a multinational financial services company, and one of the largest asset managers in the world with $2.46 trillion in assets under management. Meghan McDonald, the Manager of Campus Relations from the Toronto office set the tone for the evening by explaining how Fidelity operates. We learned that Fidelity Canada is a mutual fund manufacturer, with a business-to-business model.

Following Meghan’s introduction was our keynote speaker, Kathryn Black, the Manager of Regional Sales of Fidelity Western Canada. Kathryn talked about women as financial decision makers, emotions through the market cycles, and key considerations for the female investor. Kathryn was interactive and entertaining, and through her presentation, delivered a powerful message that had us take a look deeper into ourselves. We learned that women have the potential to outperform men in the stock market. Yet, while we theoretically invest better than men, we are less likely to even invest to begin with. One of the key takeaways of this event is that we as women have an ongoing responsibility in narrowing the gender wealth gap. Simply acknowledging that we have the opportunity to manage our own finances is a great start. We were left inspired by a vibrant individual: Kathryn spoke of both her experience and outlook on the women in the financial industry in a positive light.

We would like to formally acknowledge our sponsor and co-host, Fidelity Investments, with special thanks to Kathryn Black and Meghan McDonald. A further thank you to the Calgary Central Library, Luke’s Catering, Bare|Bold, and Rumble Boxing Studio for supporting our event.