International Women’s Day Conference

March 10, 2012

International Women’s Day has been celebrated all over the world since the early 1900′s. The original focus was the movement towards equality and universal suffrage. It has since grown to become a day of celebration and recognition of women’s achievements in both developing and developed countries alike. On March 8th, events are held around the world to celebrate the advancements we have made, and raise awareness for what we still have yet to accomplish. Last year, events took place in over 100 countries.

YWiB SFU will host this year’s event on Saturday, March 10th at SFU Woodwards. The event will feature keynote speakers, an interactive panel session and an expo. The speakers will be invited to share their stories in regards to personal experiences as women in their industry. The panel will discuss a variety of questions regarding the unique challenges women face in today’s world and ways to overcome them. The expo will be an opportunity to showcase entrepreneurs, startups, and not for profit organizations dedicated to women’s rights and advancement.

Early-bird registration for YWiB SFU members will open on Monday, February 13th and be available until Sunday, February 19th. Open registration begins on Monday, February 20th. For more information in regards to tickets, including pricing and availability, check out the eventbrite. Please note that the dress code is business casual.

YWiB SFU is pleased to present to you our exciting list of speakers and panelists:

Caroline MacGillivray | Host
Founder and Executive Director of Beauty Night Society

To set the tone for the event and convey the true, empowering meaning behind International Women’s Day, we thought of no one better than Caroline MacGillivray. As the founder of Beauty Night Society, Caroline and the entire team at this admirable charity have devoted all their efforts to improving the lives of women and youth living in poverty. Caroline recognizes the importance of strengthening one’s life through education and is a strong believer of using positive self-esteem to lead a healthier life. For these reasons, she has been able to make a significant and lasting impact on the lives of thousands of different women. With the meaningful and praise-worthy commitments that Caroline has dedicated her time to, it is no wonder why she has been nominated for numerous Volunteer Recognition awards in our city alone!
Read more about Caroline and Beauty Night Society here

Nira Arora | Panel Facilitator
Radio Host, TV Week Writer, Freelance Television

You hear this amazingly talented radio host every weekday morning on your way to school or work on The Beat’s Kid Carson Show. Say hello to Vancouverite’s favourite voice to listen to every morning: The Beat 94.5′s very own Nira Arora! YWiB SFU is proud to present Nira as the Panel Facilitator for our International Women’s Day Conference.

Having Nira facilitate and host our panel discussion is truly the icing on the cake for our event. Aside from being both a radio and television talent, Nira is also passionate about giving back to the community through various charities, including the BC Children’s Hospital Telethon. What makes her extra special to us is that she is an SFU Alumna who has earned her degrees in both Communications and Political Science. Nira has been working for many years in the entertainment industry as a reporter, host, writer, and producer, with past experiences working for Shaw, CTV, and more. On top of all of these commitments and accomplishments, Nira successfully balances her work life with her roles as a wife and proud mother. We are incredibly thankful to have Nira share her professional talents and charismatic aura with us on such a special day

Nicole van Zanten | Panelist
Social Media Coordinator at Canucks Sports & Entertainment

For our career-focused panel, we wanted a variety of industry professionals who can share their tips and advice. It was really important to us to have someone that is relatable to students and able to share their experience as a recent graduate. Nicole van Zanten was the perfect choice. As a former Simon Fraser University Communications Major student who specializes in Marketing and Advertising, Nicole participated in the Co-Op Education program and spent two work terms as the Marketing Associate for Canucks Sports & Entertainment. Her commendable work experiences also include her position as the Marketing Associate for Terasen Gas (now Fortis BC) and the Marketing Coordinator for Simon Fraser University Night Line. Upon graduation, Nicole strategically utilised her expertise and is currently the Social Media Co-ordinator for Canucks Sports & Entertainment. (Yes, that means she tweets for @VanCanucks)! Without a doubt, Nicole has set a prime example for University students who wish to do what they love, while earning a Bachelor’s Degree!
Read more about Nicole here

Tracy Theemes | Panelist
Financial Advisor, Sophia Financial Group, MA, CFP, FCSI, FDS.

Prior to co-founding Sophia Financial Group in 2009, Tracy gained valuable international experience with Smith Barney, a US brokerage firm. Tracy’s has a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology. She is a Certified Financial Planner, is insurance licensed and is a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. She is also a Financial Divorce Specialist. Before becoming a financial advisor Tracy spent 10 years in management with an international play equipment company. She founded, then sold, a specialty children’s furnishing company based in the US. Tracy is a believer that “we are stronger together than apart” and regularly participates in activities and events that promote and support financial literacy.

Janice Roper | Panelist
Lead Tax Partner, Deloitte

Janice is an exceptional career woman who has had over 20 years of experiences in tax matters, telecommunications, consumer business, technology, and forestry industries. She is currently the lead tax partner at the Canadian division of the renowned worldwide accountancy firm, Deloitte & Touche. Her contributions to the company and the professional services that she has delivered throughout the years are both admirable and praiseworthy. As someone who has had such a great amount of success in a field that many students are working towards in today’s generation, we feel that Janice has the valuable tips and advice that any student can benefit from hearing.

Lisa Kofod | Panelist
Detective Constable with Recruiting, VPD

Lisa Kofod has been a member of the Vancouver Police Department since 1997. During her first 10 years, she worked general Patrol in both the downtown core, and the Downtown Eastside (DTES). From 2006 to 2011, Lisa was assigned as detective constable with the Domestic Violence and Criminal Harassment Unit. A priority for this unit is to support individuals who are victims of relationship violence. In addition to ongoing regular police training, Lisa has pursued additional training in a number of areas including investigating domestic violence, implementing Risk Management and Threat Assessment tools, specialized forensic interviewing for both adults and children, computer forensics, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder training and DNA Collection. One of her greatest pleasures is to be involved in community outreach and as a result she has participated in a wide range of conferences and symposiums.

Loretta A. Cella | Keynote
Executive Program Director and Founder of Passion Foundation.

Loretta is an International Facilitator, Advocate and Life Enhancement Coach who has spent the last 11 years dedicated to the empowerment of individuals, families and communities. Having worked with diverse individuals and groups in Canada, New Delhi, Kenya and Uganda, Loretta has developed a deep appreciation and passion for diversity and connecting the human spirit to purposeful action.

Loretta founded the Passion Foundation in 2007, a unique charity that empowers young women to create their own legacy in this world using solution-focused coaching and a workshop series called the Elements of SUCCESS. Loretta has a background in Child and Youth Care Counselling, ICF certified Coaching, and is a certified Canadian Career Development Practioner.
Learn more about the Passion Foundation here

Anna Rice | Keynote
Proffessional Badminton Player, Olympian

Anna Rice is a two-time Olympian and five-time National Badminton Champion. At the Beijing Olympics, Anna became the first female singles player from a Pan American country to achieve a top-10 finish. Born and raised in North Vancouver, Anna completed a B.A. from UBC before moving to Denmark where she lived and played professional badminton for nine years. While in Europe Anna completed an M.A. in Communication for Development, with a focus on Sport & Development.

Off the court, Anna has been an active advocate for women’s rights in sport. In 2006, she successfully led a campaign to establish an equal prize money pay distribution for the international professional badminton circuit. This past year, Anna helped defeat a proposed clothing guideline that would force all female players to wear skirts or dresses for international competition. Anna returned to Vancouver two years ago and currently runs her own coaching and consulting business, and also works part time for a non-profit organization called Choose Again, which helps people struggling with depression and stress management.
Learn more about Anna here

Organizations participating in our expo:

Lavish Design Group | Butter Booth | BFrend bracelets – The Doctor’s Closet

Sloan Graphic Design | Passion Foundation | Choose Again

Girls4Girls | Stella and Dot | Maximum Impact Training & Development

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors

Gold sponsors: