Meet Valérie Poulin, the passionate founder of Danse Bloom, a supportive, collaborative space for youth to grow and develop while staying active through dance.
Read MoreYWiB has expanded and we want you to get to know our newest executive members! Meet one of our Legal Team members!
name| Leah Plumridge social| @LawLeah email| lplumridge@thor.ca
why YWiB |I became a part of YWIB’s legal team in January 2012. I first encountered YWIB at a Professional Women’s Network event where I heard Jen and Paulina speak about their goal of furthering young women in business. Not only was their energy contagious, they also used a number of great quotes from a favourite Ted Talk of mine given by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. When I heard that YWiB was looking for assistance with its organizational structure, I knew this was a perfect opportunity for me to work with some amazing talent while getting an opportunity to ‘give back’ to my community. I have been blessed to have countless incredible female mentors in my life and I am looking forward to every opportunity I get to pay it forward.
childhood ambition| alpine ski racer
my home| vancouver, BC (born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia)
wildest dream| circumnavigating the globe by my own power
proudest moment| beating all the men in Super G!
biggest challenge| establishing realistic goals
favorite quote| “don’t take your foot off the gas pedal” ~ Sheryl Sandberg
inspiration| my friends – the women in my life are always going for it. they are ‘yes’ people who look at the glass as half-full and always try to think of how something can be done instead of the reasons why it can’t. they support each other and don’t judge.
name| Megan Rendellsocial| twitter: @meganrendell web| Linked In: Megan Rendell email| meganrendell@ywib.ca
why YWiB | i joined YWiB’s new Marketing team in December 2011 because I wanted to get more involved with the team! i had helped out with YWiB events in the past but wanted to commit to something for longer than a day at a time. i love sharing my experience with others and YWiB lets me do that while meeting and learning about other fabulous women in Vancouver. i studied Commerce at UVIC grading in summer 2009 and quickly moved to Vancouver without having much of a network base here. shortly after settling in Van I heard of YWiB and its mission and begged to volunteer at Beyond Pink 2009! where I got to meet some of the inspiring members. fast-forward a couple years later, I just completed SFU's intensive Public Relations program and am looking for a career I'm passionate about in PR & communications. you can never underestimate the wealth of knowledge you gain in working with like-minded, passionate women all while building a solid network via YWiB!!
childhood ambition| marine Biologist (the interest is definitely still there)
my home| Kitimat, BC, as much as I love Vancouver nothing beats Northern BC!
wildest dream| travel the world learning about people and cultures all while changing the lives of others daily. if you are doing this and want my help, please contact me!!
proudest moment| being awarded an appreciation award for my work at the Department of National Defence. it was humbling to be awarded something from such inspiring people that have devoted their lives for the everyday freedoms we have in our country.
biggest challenge| balancing my personal needs with the demands of my professional development. this is something that will probably take a lifetime to master!!
favorite quote| “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” ~ Marianne Williamson
inspiration| my parents – they have always prioritized their children’s needs before their own and that sort of love should never be taken for granted.
We love to see our ladies succeed and gain recognition for their achievements! Congratulations to YWiB SFU's last president, Stephanie Wong for winning the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Award!
Stephanie was selected for her outstanding academic achievement and record of student leadership. At SFU, she helped establish SFU’s Young Women in Business (YWiB) chapter. Additionally, she founded programs such as the Supporting Our University Leaders (SOUL) Mentorship Program and GIVE (Generating Innovative Visions of Entrepreneurship) for Social Entrepreneurs.
Over the next five years, this prestigious award will be granted to four female SFU students and our very own Stephanie Wong is the first to receive it! As a recipient, Stephanie will receive $10,000 per year for her final two years of her Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Way to go!
“It is an incredible honour to be the first SFU recipient of the HSBC Women in Business Leadership Awards,” said Stephanie Wong. “This generous award will enable me to further my education and dedicate my time to making a positive impact on the issues I am most passionate about, including building a more diverse workplace for myself and my peers.”
Well Stephanie, we can't tell you how proud we are to have you on our side! We have no doubt that you will make your mark, inspire difference and create a better workplace for all ladies out there. Congratulations again and we wish you luck with the rest of your studies! :)
Read the full article here
name| Carolina Hornasocial| twitter: @CarolinaHorna email| carolina@ywib.ca
Introducing a new bio-blog series called “my {YWiB} story: member highlights”. YWiB has expanded and we want you to get to know our newest executive members - Meet a member from our Marketing Team!
childhood ambition| Singer or Doctor
my home| Surrey, BC (Born in Peru but I’ve lived here all my life, this is home)
wildest dream| To dance contemporary on “So You Think You Can Dance”
proudest moment| Walking across the stage as I accepted my degree!
biggest challenge| To not over analyze, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”
favorite quote| “Keep Calm and Carry On” ~ British Poster 1939
inspiration| My mom - She moved to Canada with my dad and started her life from scratch; all while raising a new family and starting her career. She is my image of success :)
With YWiB there is always a story to tell – featuring Sasha Evans ~written by Darya Niknamian I sat down with Sasha Evans, a YWiB fan, a go getter and most importantly a good friend. Sasha’s story and overall YWiB experience drove me to volunteer with the organization and I am writing this in hopes of sharing a glimpse into one person’s experience with Young Women in Business.
Sasha’s exposure to YWiB began with the 2008 Beyond Pink Conference, an event she called “inspirational, welcoming and educational.” She met many inspiring women and speakers who taught her that you can do anything you put your mind to, you just need to follow your passion and have a vision. After the conference Sasha could not sit still, Beyond Pink and all of its elements provided her with a great platform and a spark that led her to develop a fundraiser.
Sasha knew she wanted to do something she was passionate about – dance! At the time she was involved with Global Agents for Change (a non-profit organization) and decided to incorporate her love for dance and desire to raise money for a good cause and voila, a fundraiser called “An Evening for Arts” was cooked up. Working to produce the event for four gruelling months, Sasha was able to raise a total of $10,000 in one night.
Throughout our conversation, Sasha reiterated time and time again that you can do anything you want but it is extremely important to know why you are doing it! She had to put up her own money to rent the dance hall and was turned down by several companies when searching for sponsorship and in-kind donations. At times the whole planning process was discerning and difficult and Sasha found herself asking “why am I doing this?” Her answer always turned out to be the same, I believe in the cause I am supporting and I love dancing.
Now working at a finance firm and pursuing her 3rd level CFA, Sasha is working towards another goal – to be taken seriously as a young female investor. One experience she reflected on at Beyond Pink was an activity where everyone had to write down their biggest life goals and whether or not they had the resources to help them. She remembers an individual writing ‘I want to cure cancer’ – a goal which reminds us to all aim high and let nothing stop you from following your passions.
Young Women in Business is a community for emerging female leaders and young professionals who want to create their own success.
We believe every woman and young professional stepping into the workforce or growing in their career should be well equipped with the proper set of tools and knowledge to reach their fullest personal and professional potential.
We provide young women and professionals with events, programs and an engaged network of ambitious women, to help them become successful in their careers, take on new challenges and develop skills.
