It’s been a busy year for OWIT-Toronto board members who participated as speakers and guests at a number of trade events organized by our partners and raised our profile.  These included:

CAN-CHAM Monterrey (Mexico) Annual Women’s Forum in March:  Women in Today’s World:  Powerful Journeys featured a stellar panel of accomplished businesswomen from Canada and Mexico who shared their secrets to success and how they navigated the bumps along the way. As a result of a Collaboration Agreement signed with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce—Monterrey, Mexico—in March 2023, OWIT-Toronto was directly involved in selecting topics and recruiting two Canadian speakers for the forum. The messages delivered by Canadian entrepreneur Sahiza Hossenbaccus and  by Clare Barnett,  Director of Economic Development for the City of Brampton and OWIT-Toronto Board Member,  motivated and kept the Mexican and Canadian audiences engaged.  We will continue this successful collaboration in the coming Women Forums.

               

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub’s March International Women’s Day event: Attended by some OWIT members, who participated in a roundtable on exporting and heard inspiring remarks from guest speaker Minister of  Small Business Rechie Valdez.

Casa Foundation for International Development Annual Women Inspire Forum in March:  In honour of this year’s International Women’s Day, Casa hosted this 5th edition of the forum as a celebration of women in business and leadership. OWIT Board Member Clare Barnett was invited to speak on a panel discussion - Presenting Case Studies of Women Entrepreneurs in Canada - Stories of Rising Entrepreneurs.

Supporting Women in International Trade event in April:  Presented by the Delegation of the European Union in Canada and hosted by Dentons,  this roundtable discussed trade promotion policies and instruments and shared best practices that support women’s participation in international trade under the CETA free trade agreement between Canada and the EU.  OWIT VP International Susan Baka participated in a moderated panel Q & A on inclusive trade in action.

                

Belgian-Canadian Business Chamber’s Awards Gala in April.  Several OWIT-Toronto members, including Justine Namara, Sue Rauth and KC Goundiam, attended this high-energy annual gala as part of our partnership with BCBC.

GroYourBiz EXCELerate2024 conference in Vancouver also in April.  OWIT-Toronto President Audrey Ross  joined fellow OWIT-International members for  a panel on Going Global: The Road to Globalization.  

City of Toronto May Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum 2024: Women Shaping Global Business. Anita Agrawal, a Past President of OWIT-Toronto and owner of Best Bargains Jewellery, participated in a panel on Growing Your Business Globally.  She shared why she joined OWIT, not only because she is an exporter, but membership has also allowed her to gain trade knowledge, be introduced to experts to help transfer knowledge, and to find a ‘hype women’ who lifts her up and connects her with valuable contacts.