International Women’s Day

DIVERSEcity X Minerva Women’s Leadership Forum

What are you doing for International Women’s Day? Join us for the third annual DIVERSEcity x Minerva Women’s Leadership Forum

What does it mean to be a women leader today? What are the challenges and opportunities we face in our families, communities and workplaces? And how can we uplift and learn from each other to advance our careers and lives?

Just in time for International Women’s Day 2025, DIVERSEcity and Minerva BC are teaming up to present the third edition of our Women’s Leadership Forum, to encourage women to grow, lead and bloom!

Taking place on Thursday, March 6, 2025, 10 am – 2 pm,  at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, this inspirational event celebrates women — both emerging and established — through a panel discussion, interactive activities and more.

Event Program

This year’s event, emceed by Safeeya Pirani, Global BC’s Community Reporter, will feature:

●    Welcome remarks by DIVERSEcity CEO Neelam Sahota and Minerva CEO Tina Strehlke

●      DIVERSEtalks panel: “Grow Yourself, Lead Others, Bloom Together” led by Ria Renouf, featuring inspiring speakers including:

• Karen Dosanjh, Vice President, Marketing, OSI Digital and BC Business Woman of the Year (Entrepreneurial Leader) 2023

• Nadine Nakagawa, community organizer, creative writer and second-term New Westminster City Councillor

• Christie Sparklingeyes, Talent Acquisition Manager, Castlemain and Minerva Board member

• Marisa Espinosa, Director, Major Studies, Translink

• Leya Behra, Deputy Director, Climate Action, City of New Westminster

●      A fun, energetic Zumba® activity with May Elford and Olivia Holstein

●      A reflective and interactive break-out group activity with Ingrid Brousillon of Grigottes Polyglottes

+ Exhibition tables, free portrait studio and catered lunch!

Registration

Registration for this event is in two phases:

  1. Fee-based tickets for groups/corporate delegations starting January 31, 2025, at 12pm.
  2. Free tickets for community members and partners starting February 7, 2025, at 12 pm.

Register here via Eventbrite.

Watch our recap video from our 2024 above! 

2025 sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

 

Silver Sponsors

Media Sponsor:

Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities

Want to be involved as a sponsor or exhibitor? Email marketing@dcrs.ca or download our sponsorship and information package here.

In addition to full tables set aside for sponsors, we are offering low-cost or free half tables for women’s focused organizations.

International Women’s Day Donation

Uplifting women and women’s-focused organizations

From 2016 to 2023, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society honoured International Women’s Day by recognizing women’s-focused organizations with a donation to support their work.

2023 donation announcement

For 2023, DIVERSEcity donated a bursary (at a value of $1,500) to Minerva’s Emerging Leaders Program to one of the attendees at the DIVERSEcity x Minerva Women’s Leadership Forum. It’s a 10-week part-time development program for new managers and early career leaders that improves participants’ leadership abilities as well as their confidence to manage people and teams, all while growing their professional networks and power base.

In 2022, DIVERSEcity presented a donation of $1,000 to:

  • Pacific Association of First Nations Women, an association that envisions a matriarchal community where all Indigenous women in BC are safe and respected with a sense of belonging and connection to cultural traditions.

The donation was co-sponsored (value $500) by Pacific Community Resources Society.

In previous years, we have donated $500 to: 

2022 donation co-sponsored by: