Women of Influence

Women of Influence A global community elevating women's leadership through stories, events and research.

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 understand 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.

Linell Grudnitzki, CEO of GC Group of Companies, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur RBC Momentum Award finalist a...
10/09/2026

Linell Grudnitzki, CEO of GC Group of Companies, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur RBC Momentum Award finalist and a leader building her business in an industry where women remain significantly underrepresented.

Through GC Construction and GC Powerline, Linell has grown a Saskatchewan-based group of companies while championing greater opportunity and representation within the construction sector. Her leadership extends beyond business growth to conversations about diversity, inclusion, and creating stronger pathways for others in the industry.

Meet Linell and discover how she is growing a construction business while helping broaden who gets to lead in the sector.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/recipient/linell-grudnitzki-gc-group-of-companies/

Rotem Stark, Founder of Stark Wellness Clinic, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Start-Up Award finalist and a r...
10/08/2026

Rotem Stark, Founder of Stark Wellness Clinic, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Start-Up Award finalist and a registered psychotherapist building a different kind of mental health practice.

Rotem created the Toronto clinic around the belief that strong clinical care and genuine human connection should go hand in hand. Today, Stark Wellness Clinic provides in-person and virtual psychotherapy for adults, couples, children, and teens navigating anxiety, trauma, ADHD, relationship challenges, and other mental health needs.

Meet Rotem and discover how she is building a practice designed to make high-quality mental health care feel more personal and accessible.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/recipient/rotem-stark/

Community impact is most powerful when it isn’t treated as something separate from the business, but as part of how an o...
10/08/2026

Community impact is most powerful when it isn’t treated as something separate from the business, but as part of how an organization operates.

For Laura Galbraith, Director of Community Impact at Vidyard, that belief has shaped a career spanning tech, education, employee engagement and community building.

In our latest Five Questions With, Laura shares what it takes to embed giving back into company culture, why access and representation remain so important for girls in STEM, and what she has learned about creating meaningful connections between people and the causes they care about.

She also reflects on the collaborative spirit of Waterloo Region and why she believes communities can accomplish more when businesses, organizations and individuals come together to solve problems.
Read the full interview.

https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/?p=381514

For more than 30 years, Women of Influence has connected ambitious women through meaningful relationships, leadership co...
10/08/2026

For more than 30 years, Women of Influence has connected ambitious women through meaningful relationships, leadership conversations and opportunities that help careers and businesses grow.

Today, we’re excited to introduce Women of Influence Memberships. A new way to join Canada’s leading community of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and change makers.

The Professional Membership helps you expand your network. The Thought Leadership Membership helps you build your profile. The Combined Membership brings together both at a preferred rate, so you can grow your connections and visibility at the same time.

Swipe to explore which membership fits your goals or DM us for more info.

Fiona Coughlin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Social Change Award...
10/07/2026

Fiona Coughlin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Social Change Award – Regional Impact finalist and a community leader working to expand access to safe and affordable housing.

Under Fiona’s leadership, Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex works alongside families, volunteers, donors, and community partners to create pathways to homeownership while addressing a challenge affecting communities across the country.

Meet Fiona and discover how she is bringing people together to help more families build stable futures through housing.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/recipient/fiona-coughlin/

Some of the skills that shape a career never appear in a job description.Knowing how a decision will really get made. Re...
10/06/2026

Some of the skills that shape a career never appear in a job description.

Knowing how a decision will really get made. Reading the dynamics in a room. Staying composed when a conversation gets difficult. Understanding when to push an idea and when to build support first.
When we asked 3,484 people which “least visible” skill had helped them advance, 40 per cent chose emotional regulation and 39 per cent chose organizational awareness.

That raises a bigger question: if these skills play such an important role in who gets ahead, why do we so rarely teach them?

We look at the hidden curriculum of career advancement — and what happens when access to it depends on having the right manager, mentor, sponsor, or network.

Read more at the link below:
https://www.womenofinfluence.ca/2025/06/02/why-womens-career-growth-depends-on-the-right-kind-of-network/

Melanie Antoine, CEO and Co-Owner of A.P.E. Maintenance Ltd., is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Excellence Award...
10/06/2026

Melanie Antoine, CEO and Co-Owner of A.P.E. Maintenance Ltd., is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Excellence Award finalist and a business leader with deep roots in Northern Alberta.

Based in Fort McMurray, Melanie has helped grow A.P.E. Maintenance from a home-based operation into an established industrial business serving the region. Alongside that growth, she has remained deeply involved in economic development, entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and community organizations across Wood Buffalo.

Meet Melanie and discover how she has built a business while continuing to invest in the community around it.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/recipient/melanie-antoine/

A business doesn’t have to be big to be building something significant.Meet the three 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entreprene...
10/05/2026

A business doesn’t have to be big to be building something significant.

Meet the three 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Micro-Business Award finalists.

Lyndsay Seafoot, CEO & Founder, Curbridge Group
Nardine Samuel, CEO & Co-founder, Cove Neurosciences Inc.
Cinthia Marques, Founder, Made With Love by Cinthia

Each has taken an idea and built a business around it, creating something distinctly her own along the way.

Meet Lyndsay, Nardine, and Cinthia and learn more about the businesses they’re building.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/
https://canadianwomenawards.ca/2026-finalists/

Lucrezia Spagnolo, Founder and CEO of VESTA Social Innovation Technologies, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur So...
10/02/2026

Lucrezia Spagnolo, Founder and CEO of VESTA Social Innovation Technologies, is a 2026 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Social Change Award – National Impact finalist and a social entrepreneur using technology to create safer pathways for survivors of gender-based violence.

After a career in corporate leadership, Lucrezia turned her attention to building technology around the needs and lived experiences of survivors. VESTA develops secure, trauma-informed digital tools that help people record their experiences, find support, and explore reporting options while maintaining greater choice and control.

Meet Lucrezia and discover how she is using technology, privacy, and survivor-led design to change how people affected by gender-based violence access support.

https://canadianwomenawards.ca/recipient/lucrezia-spagnolo/

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