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BCBusiness + WNorth During the fifth Annual WNORTH Conference, you will hear the journeys of some dynamic women who have set benchmarks in their chosen fields.
Today’s top female business leaders are chartering the corporate world unabashedly and fearlessly. Each of them is scripting her own success story in today’s world. During the fifth Annual WNORTH Conference, you will hear the journeys of some of these dynamic women, who have set benchmarks in their chosen fields.
During WNORTH, you will hear from a self-motivated group of visionary trailblazers from across North America, who will each deliver keynotes, short talks and actionable workshops based around the theme of this year’s conference; Colour Our World: Diversity, Creativity and Disruption.
One such keynote speaker is Amy Nelson, founder and CEO of Seattle-based The Riveter, a co-working space geared toward women entrepreneurs. At the time, Nelson was pregnant with her third child and, like many other businesswomen, faced challenges.
“I don’t think that balance is truly possible, but I’m only able to juggle it all with the help of an army,” Nelson says. “At the end of the day, building a support system around you is vital to success and personal health while achieving big things.”
Nelson says companies can assist moms and leaders in the business world by expanding parental leave policies and more flexible work environments.
“Mothers need to have access to areas and time where they can pump or breastfeed if their child is nearby, or where a kid’s sick day or delayed school start doesn’t completely throw off a work day,” she adds.
The woman behind the successful conference is Heather Odendaal. In 2015, the savvy entrepreneur and sales executive for a Fortune 500 wine company founded WNORTH Conference.
Five years later, the boutique-style symposium has kept up with the ever-changing business landscape.
“The post #MeToo years have revived the gender diversity agenda in many companies, and it has become a top priority for many CEOs,” says Odendaal. “Because WNORTH is focused on development, we have seen growth of attendees from organizations big and small across North America.”
Odendaal went on to say: “WNORTH has really resonated with our audience, and we have seen tremendous support and growth within our community. There is a real appetite and demand for our programming in other markets. In this light, we are thrilled to announce that, this June, we will be bringing the WNORTH Conference to Toronto. This one-day forum will bring together high-achieving female leaders at the Globe and Mail Centre in June 13.”
The fifth annual WNORTH Conference, presented by PwC, takes place April 10 to 12 at Whistler’s Nita Lake Lodge. To register or for more information, visit wnorthconnect.com/conference or email info@wnorthconference.com.