Women of Influence+

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Women of Influence+

Where ambitious women come together to create a new future for themselves and for the world of work a

Women of Influence+ isn’t here to change the narrative, we’re here to rewrite it. For almost three decades, we’ve been telling the unfiltered success stories of diverse role models, and providing a reimagined definition of what it means to be a woman of influence in today’s business world; a definition that actively includes thinking about how our influence impacts the world around us. We understa

nd that there are many challenges women and their intersectionalities face when trying to navigate advancement in their careers. Instead of watching from the sidelines, we take a proactive, inclusive, and multi-faceted approach to ensure women are supported and celebrated every step of the way. At WOI+, we equip women with connections, support, training, and tools to carve new pathways, and excel within their careers on their own terms. No matter what stage you are at in your career when you discover the WOI+ platform, there is something here for you.

06/13/2026

Succession planning is one of the most significant decisions a business owner will make, yet it is difficult to find advice.

Transitioning leadership, preparing the next generation, preparing to sell, or building a legacy are deeply personal milestones to ensure the business you built thrives when you are no longer at the helm.

To that end, Women of Influence is bringing together entrepreneurs who have navigated, or are currently navigating, succession planning for an upcoming conversation on leadership transition, legacy, and business continuity.

We want to hear from you if you have firsthand experience in:
- Successfully transitioning a business to new leadership
- Preparing a family member or successor to take over
- Selling a company and navigating what comes next
- Currently working through the process and open to sharing their experience

If this describes your journey – or if you know a peer who would be the right fit – DM us or email us at [email protected].

06/11/2026

Eighty-three per cent of Canadian women entrepreneurs face at least one significant barrier when dealing with financial institutions.

Unclear loan denials. Higher collateral demands. Advisors who never quite grasped what they were building. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. And you shouldn't have to build around it.
New research from the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and TD Women in Enterprise reveals that 72 per cent of women founders identified bankers who understand their specific needs as a priority. Not faster approvals. Not lower rates. Real understanding.

Joycelyn David, owner, and CEO of AV Communications, knows what that difference looks like in practice.
As she scaled her multicultural marketing agency, Joycelyn learned that growth wasn't just about winning more business. It required understanding her own value first, then building the systems, pricing, and partnerships to match it.

"Valuing your work is the first step to elevating your impact. When we overhauled our internal systems and reset our pricing, we needed a financial partner who could see past basic accounts, and understand our scaling vision." – Joycelyn David

That shift from undercharging to owning your worth is a turning point every founder faces. The question is whether you're facing it alone or with the right people in your corner.

Swipe through to follow Joycelyn's journey from a single pricing decision to a complete leadership transformation.

06/09/2026

In 2009, Chantal Michel took over a Montreal bookstore weeks from closing. She grew the team from 25 to 125 people and built Laralivre to help independent bookstores across Quebec go digital. When a competitor forced her out of the store‘s 45-year home, she set up across the street, and reopened.

Today, she runs three companies and last year she won the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Innovation Award.
”You don’t have to have money. You don‘t have to have everybody beside you. If you have passion and if you trust yourself, you can grow where you want to go.“

Read her full story.
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2026/06/08/how-chantal-michel-built-a-literary-empire-by-keeping-her-eyes-on-the-road-ahead/

06/08/2026

Many women know what it feels like to be told their results are “normal” and still feel like something is off.

The gap between a reference-range result and how you actually function is real. And for women managing demanding lives, early signals can be easy to miss when the system is only screening for what is obviously wrong.

This piece from our partner explores:
- Why “normal” bloodwork does not always reflect optimal health
- Which markers are often absent from standard annual reviews
- How trend data and personal baselines can give women a clearer, more actionable picture over time

Read the full article at the link below:
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2026/05/20/what-normal-doesnt-tell-you/

06/02/2026

Karla Congson spent 25 years leading digital transformation for Fortune 500 companies like Canada Post, CIBC, and WPP. She watched enterprise organizations access AI capabilities that mid-market companies couldn‘t afford or implement. So she built Agentiiv to close that gap.

As the official technology partner of the Vector Institute and an RBC Women of Influence Entrepreneur Award winner, Karla’s approach to AI is practical: start with AI literacy, test one high-impact use case, and treat it as business transformation, not just an IT project. She‘s proving that who gets to shape AI matters as much as the technology itself.

Read the full interview.
👉https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2026/06/01/five-questions-with-karla-congson-ceo-of-agentiiv/

05/29/2026

According to a study from Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and TD Women in Enterprise , Canadian women entrepreneurs generate over $100 billion in annual revenue and support more than one million jobs; yet, a staggering 84 per cent are using personal savings to launch their businesses. The capital system wasn‘t built for them – a fact confirmed by the 83 per cent who report facing at least one barrier with financial institutions. That’s changing.

Our conversation with for the TD × Women of Influence Entrepreneur Series centred on one idea: financial support and clarity doesn‘t just keep your business alive, it gives you the confidence to grow it.

Jenn’s experience offers a practical framework for every founder:
✅ How financial command of your P&L, cash flow, and strategy unlocks growth, and secures funding
✅ Why the right advisor shifts your questions from ”can I?“ to ”how do I?“
✅ How Indigenous-led businesses can navigate capital systems that weren‘t designed with them in mind

Watch the full episode. To take the next step on your own journey, explore the resources available through TD Women in Enterprise and they will connect you with an Accredited Women in Enterprise Banker. A banker who understands women founders.

https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/td/cheekbone/

05/25/2026

Anna Tung learned her first lessons in business behind the counter of her family’s store, watching her parents build a retail business after immigrating from China with no English and few resources.

She brought that same work ethic to Scotiabank, believing the results of her hard work, determination and discipline would speak for themselves.

They did. And then a senior leader gave her a career-changing advice; be intentional about what you want next. She’d always known how to work hard, and this was a first invitation to work with intention. And she took that advice and ran with it.

Today, as Senior Vice President, Internal Audit at Scotiabank, she uses that lesson (among many others) to lift up the people around her, through mentorship and as executive sponsor of Audit’s Women in Leadership Employee Resource Group.

Read her full story at link in our bio.
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2026/05/25/a-leadership-journey-shaped-by-purposeful-choice/

05/22/2026

Building a business can be deeply rewarding, but it can also feel isolating.

Last week, in partnership with TD Women in Enterprise , we hosted an exclusive dinner bringing together founders from our Entrepreneur Video Series for an evening centred on connection, conversation, and shared experience.

Around the table were women entrepreneurs who have built something meaningful from the ground up. We know that many women founders experience isolation at the top, and what emerged throughout the evening was a powerful reminder: community can change the way we grow. Our curated approach created an intentional space for like-minded founders to connect openly and share their journeys.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed so openly to the conversation. We’re grateful to create spaces where women can come together, support one another, and feel seen.

A special thank you to our partners at TD (Julie Dimitri, National Manager, Women in Enterprise and Julia Kelly, Vice President, Small Business Banking ), our president, Linda Kuga Pikulin, our guests, and the incredible team behind the evening for bringing this experience to life.

05/21/2026

“The best advice I‘d give future entrepreneurs in choosing a financial advisor is to pick someone who really believes in you and your vision. That is the most important pairing that you can have.”
- Dr. Woganee Filate , MD, FRCPC, MSCP, Co-Founder of Lume Women + Health

We’re honoured to share Dr. Filate’s story as part of our latest video in our TD × Women of Influence series.

As Co-Founder of Lume Women + Health, Dr. Filate is helping reimagine women’s healthcare through an integrated model designed to support women in midlife with evidence-based, collaborative care.

But bringing that vision to life also meant stepping into the realities of entrepreneurship, from managing operations and hiring a team to negotiating contracts and making financial decisions that would enable long-term growth.

With the right guidance, Dr. Filate and her Co-Founders were able to move from idea to ex*****on, building a clinic where women feel seen, heard, and supported as whole people.

Her story highlights the importance of having advisors who understand not only the business you are building, but the impact you want it to have.

https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/td/woganee-filate/

Julie Dimitri

05/20/2026

Dana Blaquiere Norkum was a registered nurse when her father passed away in 2014 and she stepped in as his successor at NPLH Drilling (during a downturn, no less). Leaning on her transferable skills and the training she received on her family farm, she showed those in the male-dominated industry that sometimes the best way to get ahead is to have empathy and focus on people first.

Today, under her leadership, NPLH has grown into a 250-person operation with over 40 drills across Northern Ontario. She‘s made it a model for intentional Indigenous partnerships and created real opportunities for women in the skilled trades. And as a member of the Economic Growth Council of Canada, she’s proving that resource-based communities don‘t have to choose between economic success and social progress.

Read the full interview.
👉https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2026/05/05/five-questions-with-dana-blaquiere-norkum-co-owner-nplh-drilling/

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http://www.womenofinfluence.com/

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