The speakers at this year’s Niagara Leadership Summit for Women (NLSW) all have one important quality in common: courage.

Twenty-two people — 12 of them Brock faculty, staff, students and graduates — will harness that inner strength to share their personal and professional experiences at the annual event dedicated to encouraging and celebrating women leaders in the community and engaging in conversations about women’s issues.

Hosted by the YWCA Niagara Region, the summit is set to take place online from Tuesday, Oct. 26 to Thursday, Oct. 28 and will feature 14 virtual sessions, three networking opportunities and a keynote address by Robyn Bourgeois, Brock University’s Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement and Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies.

Tickets are $30 each and include access to session recordings after the event.

This year’s theme is Courage to Lead, which NLSW Planning Committee member Demi Toms (BKin ’16, MA ’19) says is especially timely during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“Leadership can happen at any level, and it takes an immense amount of courage to lead authentically,” said Toms, who is also an Inclusive and Adaptive Physical Activity Specialist with Brock’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. “Brock has many strong and influential leaders who lead with courage in their professional and personal lives. They are the people who show up as they are, lead with courage each day and who have supported their teams and colleagues through the uncertainty and fear of this past year and a half.”

In addition to Toms, Kristen Smith (BA ’98), Brock’s Manager, Community Experience and Leadership, also sits on the event’s planning committee.

For more information on the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women and to purchase tickets, visit niagaralsw.ca

Sessions involving Brock University speakers at the Niagara Leadership Summit for Women

Keynote speaker — Robyn Bourgeois, Acting Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement and Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Brock University.

Webinar: Indigenous Resilience — Marcella Blanchard (BRLS ’16), Brock alumna (Bachelor of Recreation and Leisure Studies in Therapeutic Recreation and Psychology) and Youth Navigator, NPAAMB Urban Indigenous Youth Employment and Training.

Panel discussion: Cancer, Courage and Self Advocacy — Holly Bolvari (BA ’07), Brock University Learning and Organizational Development Manager, Human Resources, and Brock alumna (Bachelor of Arts in Psychology).

Panel discussion: Courage to be Authentically You — Lesley Clarke, Professional Management Certificate from Brock University, and Manager of Environmental Performance, Walker Industries; Stacey Stemplowski-Wills (BA ’02), Brock alumna (Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies and Communications), registered psychotherapist, and certified yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner; and Janet Westbury (BPhEd ’93, MEd ’00), Brock Experiential Education Co-ordinator, Department of Health Sciences, and Brock alumna (Bachelor of Physical Education and Master of Education).

Webinar: Imperfect and Unapologetic: A mother’s leadership journey during a pandemic — Stephanie Harper (BBA ’05), Brock Associate Director, Career Education, and Brock alumna (Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management).

Webinar: Holding Up Half the Sky: Lessons from Women Activists for Our Future — Leela MadhavaRau, Brock Director, Human Rights and Equity.

Workshop: Express Yourself: Speak confidently about your skills to go after your goals — Venessa Magny, Brock Employer Development Manager, Career Education; and Kristen Nilsen (BBA ’12, MEd ’18), Brock Experiential Education Co-ordinator, Goodman School of Business, and Brock alumna (Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management and Master of Education in Administration and Leadership).

Workshop: Investing in Alignment: Values-based Decision-making — Jessica Potts, Brock Business Communications Instructor with Goodman Group, Goodman School of Business, and President, Inspired Strategy Group.

Webinar: Dare to Discover the YOU you Dream of — Aishah Sonekan, undergraduate student in Brock University’s Psychology Co-op Program with a minor in Business.

A full list of NLSW speakers is available on the event’s website.