YWiB SFU's Launch Party!

It is time to kick-off the new semester with a birthday party! YWiB SFU is turning five and you are invited to join us on Wednesday, September 25^th from 4:30-6:30pm at the West Mall Atrium for a fun-filled evening! We will be celebrating five years of growth, opportunities, networking, and mentorship, each transforming us into the organization we are today.

Come mingle with dynamic individuals and learn all about YWiB SFU’s engaging programs and opportunities through our lovely executive team! There will also be a photobooth, hair and makeup artists, games, prizes, cake, candy, and much more! So don’t miss out! See you there!

Why You Should Be a Mentor

Supporting Our University Leaders (SOUL) Mentorship Program, initially launched in 2009, is a student-run program unique to YWiB SFU. SOUL connects SFU Alumni from various industries with talented SFU female students based on the personal and professional career aspirations of the student in order to develop an educational mentorship.

As mentioned in a Forbes article, there are benefits in how becoming a mentor can boost your career. You can:

• Better understand the business

• Better understand how people perceive you

• Create a larger network

• Help solve issues

• Gain personal satisfaction

SOUL gives an SFU Alumni the opportunity to gain those benefits. More importantly, the program provides SFU alumni the chance to contribute back to the SFU community, to meet and be inspired by passionate female students, and receive a rewarding experience of making a difference in someoneʼs life.

“SOUL is a supportive environment where both mentees and mentors are encouraged to grow and learn from one another and gain different perspectives on life,” says Sally Lee, co-executive of SOUL.

Both Sally and her co-executive, Fiona Kwong, were part of the program last year and the experience has profoundly impacted them.

“The SOUL Mentorship Program has added enormous value to my university experience,” says Fiona. “Prior to joining the program, I was lost and greatly restricted by my uncertainties and self doubt. My mentor liberally shared her personal experiences, and offered me valuable insight. Her encouragement and support helped me gain confidence that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone to take on opportunities, and achieve the goals I've set out to attain.”

As for Sally, being both a past mentee and a current executive has allowed her to develop long-lasting, meaning relationships and an understanding of SFU alumni who are passionate about giving back.

“I find SOUL to be refreshingly unique from other programs in that it is able to foster genuine and long-term relationships for each individual mentor-mentee relationship,” says Sally. “ I am so appreciative of how the program and the mentors are able to raise confidence and initiative for every mentee, including myself. I hope to have another successful year for the 2013/2014 term!”

*The duration of the program is from November to April. Deadline is August 31.

[Exec For A Day] Jocelyn's Story

At our recent International Women’s Day conference, we offered our members a chance to be an Executive for a Day, and job shadow some of Vancouver’s top executives! One of our winner’s, Jocelyn Tien, wrote this wonderful story about her experience meeting Sarah Thompson, University Relations Specialist at EA Canada!

On a sunny afternoon in late March I was making my way to the EA Canada Headquarters located in Burnaby. I was very excited and wondered what kind of a conversation I would be having with Sarah Thompson, University Relations Specialist for EA. It is Sarah’s job to recruit for EA, students out of University that would be talented and valuable additions to the EA Team here in Vancouver. When I arrived at EA, I immediately noticed the architecture and design of the building. Unless you are from the area, you really wouldn’t be able to tell just how big the EA Headquarters is until you get inside.

Once I arrived, I signed in using their sign in computer which sent Sarah an email notifying her of my arrival. Sarah came out shortly after I signed in and she greeted me with a very friendly smile. I could tell immediately that Sarah was a down to earth woman and someone I would be able to have a robust conversation with. Sarah was so generous and treated me to lunch at the EA Cafeteria! Let me tell you, that cafeteria had it all! Everything from a salad bar, to Teppanyaki, sushi, and a pasta bar- it had the works. Sarah and I were able to get a table outside on the lovely patio to enjoy the sun and our conversation. As a bonus for Easter, two Easter Bunnies were going around giving out chocolates to the employees.

I had many questions prepared but didn’t want it to be too much of a formal process, and Sarah’s personality really shone through as we spoke, so I just went with the flow. We started with the usual mini introduction of both our backgrounds and what our afternoon would look like. I learned a lot of things from Sarah and she gave some very good and constructive advice about the core values that she stood by. One of them was to try and always keep in mind that you always need to “be a human.” This concept really resonated with me because sometimes people tend to forget that they are just human. People make mistakes, you don’t always have the answer for everything and when you are working in HR (Human Resources) this factor is even more prevalent in your day to day work. When I asked Sarah what she liked and disliked about her job she told me that her job was unique because no day is ever the same and she loves the people that she gets to meet. The only thing she said she at times dislikes about her job is when it comes to the “nitty gritty” – but even then Sarah explains that it is a learning experience and it’s part of the job. I could tell that Sarah was quite positive about her work and her role at EA, because she even explained to me that while most people dread and tend to stay away from tough conversations, she takes them head on because you learn a lot from having tough conversations. What may seem to be a daunting and big issue can easily be toned down by having a conversation and figuring out what is it that someone is trying to say. An important piece of advice that Sarah left me with was that you don’t necessarily have to know everything about a product and it doesn’t have to be a product that you love and think about every day, but as an employee you should be familiar and knowledgeable about the product and get to know the lingo behind it. This will make your job easier and more fun because you are showing your co-workers and supervisors the effort you are putting in to getting to know the company, especially in the software and tech industry.

After our lunch, Sarah proceeded to give me a wonderful tour of EA. It was so cool to see that each floor to the office side had a different theme. So one floor was hockey themed based on the NHL games, the other floor would be soccer themed for the FIFA Soccer games and so on. As the tour went on you could see that EA had put in a lot of work into making their employees feel comfortable in their environment. Everything from the architecture, to the cafeteria, fully decked out gym (with classes like yoga, Pilates, and boot camp), and even a library of almost every game ever made- is all to influence the creative juices of their employees!

It was such a pleasure to spend the afternoon with Sarah and what a great opportunity it was to visit one of the largest and major players in the gaming industry. Thank you the YWiB SFU for this opportunity and for Sara and Electronic Arts for allowing me to visit!

- Jocelyn Tien

[Summer 2013] Our Reading List

The school year is finally over, and our team is looking forward to a summer filled with relaxing and recuperating! Oh ,who are we kidding. The outgoing executive team will be busier than ever, career hunting, taking summer classes, and exploring new opportunities. As our parting gift, we compiled this list of our recommended reads for those rare Sunday afternoons by the pool:

Dan Millman – The Journey of A Peaceful Warrior Recommended by Lucia, VP of Philanthropy "I recommend this highly imaginative book because it underlines the principles of kindness and perseverance that I believe are fundamental in all  interactions and relationships. I have been coming back to it years after reading it as I always discover a new valuable life lesson." 

Arlene Dickinson - Persuasian Recommended by Luvania, VP of Events This is a very motivating story of the highly sought after female entrepreneur, Arlene Dickinson. She gives you the insight and know how into how she got to where she is, as a successful business woman and mother. It's a compelling story of how you can use the art of persuasion to basically get whatever you want! 

Marianna Olszewski - Live It, Love It, Earn It Recommended by Rosa, VP of Events Very easy read, but compelling, funny, and inspiring. Not only does the book discusses financial literacy and how to be more investment-savvy - but also talks about work/life balance. Most importantly, it gives methods and strategies for achieving realistic goals and taking time for yourself (and learning how to say no!).

Shakespeare - Twelfth Night Recommended by Kathy, VP of Mentor Relations It's hilarious and laid back and quite easy to follow. Perfect for the summer time. A modernized version of it was made (She's The Man) which starred Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum.... hilarious pair and one of Channing's first big breaks! Also, I recommend it because it's one of the plays @ Bard on the Beach this summer :) 

Scott Stratten - UnMarketing Recommended by Tia, VP of Mentor Relations It's a no frills kind of book that tells people to stop marketing and start engaging. Super easy read!

Seth Godin - Purple Cow Recommended by Marie, VP of Media and Design An easy read with lots of case studies. It's a good book because it tells you how to stand out from the crowd. You want to be the purple cow! 

Walter Isaacson - Steve Jobs Recommended by Michaela, VP of Public Relations Although neither new or exciting, a really different read for anyone who needs a little bit of inspiration. Jobs was not your typical business man, and this book is a good reminder that there isn't always one right answer.

Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life Recommended by Carla, VP of Social Entrepreneurship It's a 40 day daily devotional that focuses on 5 purposes of human life on earth. 

Kelly Armstrong - The Rising Recommended by Nicole, President

Susan Cain - Quiet Recommended by Kathrene, VP of Internal Relations

[Exec For A Day] Christy's Story

At our recent International Women's Day conference, we offered our members a chance to be an Executive for a Day, and job shadow some of Vancouver's top executives! One of our winner's, Christy Liu, wrote this wonderful story about her experience meeting Christy Nguyen, CEO of Urban Bella!

As I stepped into Starbucks on a bright sunny day around 2:30pm, I knew I was one step closer to meeting Christy Nguyen, the CEO of Urban Bella. This was my first time meeting a professional, whom has the same name as me, so I was quite nervous!

I purchased a cup of warm Green Tea Latte and waited patiently, hoping to find an empty table on a crowded Wednesday afternoon. Luckily, I was able to spot one fast enough. I took a seat, took out my notebook and pen and got my list of around twenty-three questions ready. I have warned her that I am a curious person! I have sent Christy a list of my questions earlier so that she could prepare her answers.

While I sat patiently, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and heard my name being called – it was Christy Nguyen! I quickly got up and shook her hand. We were both excited to meet each other. When she took a seat, I gave her an introduction of myself and I remember her telling me to relax and just “be authentic.” Feeling at ease, I began asking her my questions on her life as a CEO, her experiences, and her company.

Christy told me a lot about herself, from her interest in acting to how her business came to life. She told me it all started with ideas on a tissue paper while eating at Tim Hortons with her friend who turned out to be her business partner. Christy’s business, Urban Bella, has been a great success. Her company helps major marketing companies promote their products through events such as campaigns and trade-shows. I was also surprised to hear that in the first two years of her business, she was extremely busy, but now, she attends many networking events and has time to exercise and read books.

Christy now manages Urban Bella by herself and works together with her great team of employees. She tells me that “there are no bad employees, there are only bad managers.” Thanks for the tips, Christy!

My conversation with Christy was casual yet delightful and comfortable. I was really grateful that I was lucky enough to able to meet with Christy and learn so much from her. My perspective of the real business world has changed a lot and my motivation to become an entrepreneur has surely grown stronger. I look forward to meeting with her again!

- Christy Liu

[Executive Recruitment] Ready for your best year yet?

YWiB SFU is excited to recruit for the 2013/2014 Executive Team! We are looking for individuals who are dynamic and dedicated in helping us continue our success. We invite you to grow with us as you experience personal growth, professional networking, and leadership development in this budding organization. All SFU students are welcome to apply.

Important Dates

March 25	Applications open
April 7	Applications due
April 10	Shortlisted candidates invited for a CandiDATE
April 12 to 22	CandiDATEs take place
April 23	Executive Team selected & emailed
April 24	Executive Team welcomed at the YWiB SFU 2013 Wrap-Up Party

Next year, we will operate under a slightly different structure. Please see below for our new organizational chart and description of roles.

Click here for a detailed description of all the roles, how to apply, and all other information.

Open positions:

Director of Media & Design | Become the expert Brand Manager of the team! Responsible for maintaining YWiB SFU’s brand. Unleash your creativity by designing print ads, developing promotional materials, and creating content. Lead a team of 1-2 Coordinators in delivering YWiB SFU’s media and design needs.

Director of Finance | Become a Financial Management expert! Put your accounting and financial organizational skills to the test. Forecast budgets and create reports with the SFU team and YWiB Finance Director to ensure cost-effectiveness of the organization.

Director of Corporate Relations | Strengthen your interpersonal and promotional skills through YWiB SFU! Work with the larger YWiB Corporate Relations Team in recruiting corporate sponsorships, partnerships, and memberships.

Director of Public Relations | Communications extraordinaire and Social Media Guru. Press releases and tweeting are your forte! Manage communication channels and strategic marketing development.

Director of Member Relations | Become the internal glue of our network! Responsible for member communications and member development, you are the key liaison between the team and YWiB SFU members.

Director of Administration | For the fabulously organized! Help keep team organization in check when it comes to all administrative work. Work with each member of the executive team to ensure proper documentation and distribution. Work closely with President and Vice President to learn the in’s and out’s of running a team.

Director of Philanthropy | Work with other great causes and non-profits by coordinating promotional campaigns, volunteer work and supporting the logistics of community events or drives. Lead a team of 1-2 Coordinators to meet the needs of this portfolio as it enters its 3rd year.

Co-Director of Events | Become a Logistics Guru! Workshops, speaker series, panel sessions taken to another level as you integrate your passion and creativity in providing valuable events to our members.

Co-Director of SOUL | Spearhead the SOUL (Supporting Our University Leaders) Mentorship Program in its 4th year. Sharpen your project management and network development skills while encouraging relationship building between students and professionals.

Co-Director of GIVE | Create social good in the community! Inspire young women to pay it forward by leading Project GIVE: Social Entrepreneurship Program in its 4th year. Widen your horizon in program development and professional networking.

IWD OC Chair | Our newest position! Become a Logistics Guru. Recruit and lead a dynamic team to plan YWiB SFU’s annual pillar event – the International Women’s Day Conference in early March. Integrate ideas and suggestions to provide a valuable experience to Conference delegates.

If you have any questions about the application process or the description of roles, please contact the incoming President for the 2013/2014 year, Rosa Tang, via email or phone call. We look forward to receiving your application! Sincerely,

Rosa Tang Incoming President rosa@ywib.ca 778-996-2345

[Top Shop] IWD Inspiration!

With less than a week until our third annual International Women's Day conference, the YWiB SFU team is eagerly finalizing details, including our outfits for they day! We are very excited to have partnered up with some especially talented fashionistas over at Top Shop on this one-of-a-kind mood board, designed especially for YWiB SFU and IWD!

The board borrows from TOPSHOP's trend entitled Debutante, which is all about ladylike dressing.  Think Princess Kate and the character Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl if they were into mixing patterns.  Florals and jacquard are recurring patterns in this trend.  We are loving the patterned trousers, structured tops and bold blazers! You can read more about the Debutante trend here: http://bit.ly/YcjBeG.

As if this wasn't enough excitement already, we are pleased to announce our next member social will be a personal shopping experience at Top Shop! More details are on the way, but for now save the date - Sunday, March 24th!

Which trend will you be rocking on Sunday, March 10th? Will it be a pair printed trousers, or perhaps a bright blazer? Either way, we are looking forward to seeing you there, looking fabulous and inspired by our mood board! You can grab your tickets for IWD here.

[IWD 2013] Young Women in Biology and Biochemistry

Lynne Quarmby is a professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at SFU. She chairs the departmental seminar committee, peer reviews manuscripts and grants (currently serving on a CIHR review panel), travels to conferences and to give seminars, and teaches undergrad and grad classes. Her passion for teaching with a view of sharing her excitement about science was recognized when Lynne was a recipient for the 2011 Teaching Excellence Awards . Lynne's love for teaching science extends beyond the university classroom  her essays can be found in the Nonfiction pages of the on-line literary magazine, Numéro Cinq and her blog, The Crux as a means of engaging a bigger audience. Lynne was also named to Vancouver Sun's 100 Women of Influence list. Hear Lynne's story at our third annual International Women's Day conference on Sunday, March 10th at SFU Woodwards.

my name | Lynne Quarmby

my company | Simon Fraser University

childhood ambition | To be a figure skater or a marine biologist.

retreat | The Wilderness

wildest dream | To be a visual artist

keeps me up at night | Doesn’t happen much anymore – there are some benefits to getting

older and wiser

how I give back | I do a great deal of service to my department, university and community.

perfect day | There are many different flavors of perfect day

first job | Waitress at Smitty’s Pancake House

[IWD 2013] Our Brilliant Hostess!

Friends, followers, and YWiB supporters, please give a warm welcome to the host of IWD 2013 - Dawn Chubai! Celebrating 9 years on Breakfast Television, Dawn’s current role as a “Live Eye” Host has her doing everything from rapelling down a 20 storey building in a latex Catsuit, to flying with the Snowbirds, as well as cooking with some of the best chefs in the Lower Mainland. The Vancouver Canucks have also recently brought Dawn on as one of the in-arena hosts!

An established Jazz Vocalist (winning an ARIA award in 1999 for her debut CD, “New Chapters for an Old Book”) Dawn also performs with the Legendary Dal Richards and has had the honour of performing at the Orpheum with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Bramwell Tovey.

In addition to morning television and the stage, Dawn can often be spotted in several television productions and feature films including Mission Impossible 4, Twilight: Eclipse and Robert Redford’s latest film, The Company You Keep

Hear Dawn's story at our third annual International Women's Day conference on Sunday, March 10th at SFU Woodwards. 

my name  |  Dawn Chubai (pronounced Chew-bay)

my company  |  I work for Breakfast Television on City, but I also offer many independent services, so I consider myself a company too!

childhood ambition  |  to perform

fondest memory  |  performing concerts in my backyard for the neighbours, mom would prepare refreshments

retreat |  Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet

wildest dream  |  to perform at Carnegie Hall

proudest moment  |  interviewing Ted Rogers for BT (one of his last before his death) and him saying "you're a star" - I was thrilled - I mean, it's his name on the sign!

biggest challenge  |  saying no is difficult for me.

keeps me up at night  |  thinking about what to do next with my life.

how I give back  |  I support as many charities as humanly possible. Sometimes it's a donation of money, but more often than not, it's a donation of my time and talents. This often adds up to hundreds of hours a year.

perfect day  |  Saturday, up at 7am, coffee with my husband of 8 years, hot yoga at Chopra yoga at 9, and then go home for a nap. After that....as long as I am not officially committed to anything, I consider it relaxing!

first job  |  bussing tables

favourite quote  |  "If a decision beyond your control has been made, and it's not to be changed...you can change your attitude, or you can leave...but you ALWAYS have a choice." it's my own quote, and I learned it from experience.

inspiration | People who live their life in service to others and who's primary goal is happiness.

[IWD 2013] Cynthia Roney - Recovering CEO

Introducing our third panelist, Cynthia Roney! Cynthia is the founder and CEO of Executive Passage, an executive coaching and business consulting company. She is a certified executive coach with over 25 years of experience and a history of mentorship and dedication to women's advancement. Cynthia is experienced working in large corporations as well as early stage start-ups.  Her industry experience focused on medical devices and life sciences working for Baxter, Physio-Control (acquired by Medtronic), Xillix Technologies Corp., PneuVation Medical and Neovasc.  At Xillix, Cynthia joined as Marketing Director advancing to VP Business Development, then President, CEO and Board Director, raising $55M venture capital and leading her company through full medical device commercialization--from concept drawing, engineering development, international clinical trials to FDA PMA approval and launch into the global market.

As a recovering CEO with a desire to pay it forward and help others succeed especially women, Cynthia graduated from Royal Roads University as a Certified Executive Coach (CEC) and became certified as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation.  In addition to working with her business and executive clients, Cynthia is Chair of the YWCA Metro Vancouver Women of Distinction Awards, a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF), a CEO mentor for BC Excels (LifeSciences BC), and she is a mentor/coach/facilitator for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE), Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC), Women's Executive Network (WXN), Minerva Foundation, Professional Women’s Network (PWN) and Canadian Board Diversity Council (CBDC) ‘Get on Board’ program aimed at helping women advance to leadership and Board of Director responsibilities.  Cynthia has written articles for Business in Vancouver, and she is a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade, Women's Leadership Circle, Chamber of Commerce and Southlands Riding Club.

In her personal life, Cynthia leads an active family life.  Married for 25 years to her remarkable husband Michael and their 3 grown children (Connor, Brandon, Taylor), Cynthia is a passionate equestrian and former owner of an international showjumper/ dressage horse, Piko's Executive Passage.  She is also an accomplished long distance runner with 4 marathons completed (Vancouver x2 and Portland x2) with more to come.

Hear Cynthia's story at our third annual International Women's Day conference on Sunday, March 10th. Tickets can be purchased here.