IEEE WIE ILS 2018 TORONTO | 15TH-16TH SEPTEMBER
IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Summit (WIE ILS) is here for the first time in Toronto, Canada!
IEEE Canada WIE is delighted to invite you to meet us on September 15thand 16th, 2018 at the Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale and participate in our 2-day summit. With “STEMpowered Leadership” as the theme, the summit aims at inspiring, engaging, and empowering women in STEM.
IEEE WIE International Leadership Summit is launched as a part of IEEE WIE’s portfolio of global initiatives that provide opportunities for networking, mentorship, and collaboration. Past IEEE WIE Summits have been extremely successful and have made an outstanding impact on communities around the globe!
So, what can you expect from the IEEE WIE ILS Toronto’18?
Professional advancement:
The summit will bring together engineers, scientists, politicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and social activists to share their perspectives on multiple hot topics in tech and soft-skills topics to facilitate your professional development and career advancement.
Build a wide and global network:
This summit will serve as a networking venue for an international gathering of professionals, researchers, industry leaders, and students. Join us to meet, discuss, learn, share, and create connections that matter!
Become part of one of the IEEE WIE:
You will learn about IEEE WIE and the greater IEEE organization, the benefits of joining, and the available resources for members. You will also discover multiple ways to get involved in a vibrant community, to make a true difference and exercise meaningful leadership skills.
Empower future female leaders and entrepreneurs:
The summit will host various tracks featuring Leadership, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and future technologies to help unlock women’s potentials as leaders in tech fields. It will also help them build resilience and self-confidence as they embark on their professional journeys.
IEEE Canada Women In Engineering Group is looking forward to meeting you all!
IEEE WIE
IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) is one of the largest international professional organizations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists, and inspiring girls around the world to follow their academic interests in a career in engineering. With the mission of facilitating the recruitment and retention of women in technical disciplines globally, it envisions a vibrant community of IEEE women and men collectively using their diverse talents to innovate for the benefit of humanity.
Join IEEE WIE
JoinIEEE CANADA WIE
IEEE Canada Women in Engineering (Region 7) group has been established to promote achievements of women professionals in STEM fields, and in particular the engineering fields, across Canada. With an incredible and inspiring group of volunteers from every province of the country, we work together towards supporting and promoting our members’ professional growth and elevation.
Read moreProgram
8:00-8:30 | Registration (Graydon Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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8:30-9:00 | Summit Opening: Dr. Maike Luiken - Region 7 Director-IEEE Canada President (Graydon Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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9:00-10:00 | Keynote: "Leaders Don’t Journey Alone: Collaborating to achieve greater diversity and inclusion in the engineering profession for a resilient future" Jeanette Southwood - Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, Engineers Canada (Graydon Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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10:00‐10:30 | Coffee Break & Exhibits (Lower Floor) |
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10:30-12:00 | IEEE Track | Leadership Track (Club Studio 3 (Lower Floor)) | Future Technologies Track (Club Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) |
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IEEE WIE | IEEE YP | |||
10:30-11:00 | "Volunteer Leaders through IEEE: Volunteer Leadership Training Program (VoLT) & Center for Leadership Excellence (CLE)" Sean Garrity - Territory Account Manager, Omron Automation, Americas & IEEE Canada Young Professionals, Chair (Garden Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) | "How WIE can Lead the Development of the Next Educational System" Witold Kinsner - Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Past President of IEEE Canada, and Vice President of IEEE Educational Activities | "The Changing Nature of the Workplace and Education" Sheldon Levy - CEO of NEXT Canada & Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development & Former President of Ryerson University |
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11:00-11:30 | "Inspire, Engage, and Advance Women in Engineering" Saida Maaroufi - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal & IEEE Canada WIE East Area Chair & IEEE WIE Montreal Vice-chair (Garden Studio 2 (Lower Floor)) | "Community Outreach Opportunities with the IEEE & Team Buidling Activity: Ship the Chip" Murray MacDonald - Principal at Murray MacDonald Consulting & IEEE Canada Central Area Chair Garden Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) | "IEEE WIE - Excellence in Community, Education, and Leadership (Ex.C.E.L.)" Bozenna Pasik-Duncan - Professor, University of Kansas & IEEE Women in Engineering, Chair | "Technology Innovation for Improved Public Safety" Alex Ferworn - Professor at Ryerson University |
11:30-12:00 | "Why IEEE - A Journey to discovering IEEE Amy Pinchuk - President and founder of InField Scientific Inc. (Garden Studio 2 (Lower Floor)) | "Impact with Authentic Leadership" Haniyeh Yousofpour - Principle at Proac Consulting Inc, Global Professional Consultant and Assistant Professor at McMaster University | "Creativity in Science and Engineering" Emanuel Istrate - Assistant Professor at Universiy of Toronto & IEEE Toronto, Past-Chair |
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12:00-13:00 | Lunch & Keynote: "Engineering Skills for the Future" Tom Murad - Country Lead, Engineering, Technology & Academic Relations & Head of Siemens Canada Engineering and Technology Academy - (Graydon Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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13:00-14:30 | "Future of Artificial Intelligence, Future of Our World" Panel Moderator: Amy Pinchuk, President and founder of InField Scientific Inc. Tom Murad - Country Lead, Engineering, Technology & Academic Relations & Head of Siemens Canada Engineering and Technology Academy Ana Luisa Trejos - Assistant Professor-Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, Western University & Associate Scientist, Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics, Lawson Health Research Institute Pooja Viswanathan - Founder, CEO at Braze Mobility Inc. Marlys L. Koschinsky - Scientific & Executive Director, Roberts Research Institute & Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Adnan Chaudhry - Regional Vice President, Central Canada Power Systems Group, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (Graydon Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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14:30-15:00 | Coffee Break & Exhibits (Lower Floor) |
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15:00-17:00 | IEEE Track Young Professionals (Garden Studio 2 (Lower Floor)) | Professional Development Workshops (Garden Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) | Leadership Track (Club Studio 3 (Lower Floor)) | Future Technologies Track (Club Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) |
15:00-15:30 | "How does YP fit/ types of events Kazu Arai - IEEE Canada Young Professionals, Vice Chair | "The Brand Called You Become Known as the 'go-to' Expert in Your Field" Shahab Anari - Multiple Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Coach and Trainer | "Creating an Environment that Empowers Innovation and Creativity" Farzad Rayegani - Dean of Applied Technology, Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning | "Novel Technologies to Improve Respiratory Disorders during Sleep" Azadeh Yadollahi - Assistant Professor at Universiy of Toronto & Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network |
15:30-16:00 | "IEEE Funding" Sean Garrity - Territory Account Manager, Omron Auomation, Americas & IEEE Canada Young Professionals, Chair | "Inclusive Excellence and Empowered Leadership" Imogen Coe - Dean of the Faculty of Science at Ryerson University , Affiliate Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Keenan Research Centre, at St. Michael’s Hospital | Panel: "Future of Textile Computing" Moderator: Adriana Ieraci - Founder, Conveyor Built, Founder & Director, GYBO Robotics Network & Lecturer, University of Toronto Abdul Javaid - Data Scientist, Myant Debbie Wu - Biosensor Engineer, Myant Michelle Zheng - Director of Industrial Design & UX, Myant Adrian Straka - Director of Hardware & Manufacturing, Myant |
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16:00-16:30 | "How to Market Your Events" Sean Garrity - Territory Account Manager, Omron Auomation, Americas & IEEE Canada Young Professionals, Chair | "Leadership Lessons – Key Takeaways" Katherine Kristoferson - Research & Development Engineering Supervisor at ZTR Control Systems | "Leadership: The Power Within" Puica Nitu - Managing Director, First North Energy |
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16:30-17:00 | "Academic Leadership: Finding Your Voice" Marlys L. Koschinsky - Scientific & Executive Director, Robarts Research Institute & Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry | "The Harmony of a Glass of Malbec" Shahram Sean Yousefi - Professor, Queen's University and Co-founder, President, and CEO, MESH Scheduling Inc. |
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18:30-19:00 | Reception (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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19:00-19:40 | Dinner (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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19:40-20:15 | Keynote Andrew Maxwell - Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship at Lassonde School of Engineering, York University & Director Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) "Why you will fail to become a successful technology entrepreneur?" (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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20:15-21:30 | Awards Ceremony & Networking (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
8:30-9:00 | Registration (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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9:00-10:00 | Keynote: "Advancing Stem Leadership: Where We Stand And Where We Must Advance To?" Cindy Gordon - National STEM Spokesperson for CATA, & Founder, CEO of SalesChoice & Purnima Bihari - Chief Product Officer, SalesChoice (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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10:00-10:30 | Coffee Break & Exhibits (Lower Floor) |
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10:30-12:00 | IEEE Track Young Professionals (Garden Studio 2 (Lower Floor)) | Innovation Track (Garden Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) | Entrepreneurship Track (Club Studio 3 (Lower Floor)) | Empowerment Track (Club Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) |
10:30-11:00 | "Volunteer and Member Engagement" Scott Tully - Power Systems Engineer, BBA | "Innovation through Inclusion" Deanna Matzanke - Senior Director, Ideas, Insights, and Innovation, Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion | "Ready Player One: The Real Unreal World of Entrepreneurship" Jason Long - Chief Technical Officer-CML Education & Technology (Nanjing) Limited & President of Engenuics Technologies Inc. | Workshop: "Developing Confidence to Communicate Your Message Effectively" Darla Campbell - Sustainability & Asset Management Specialist-Dillon Consulting |
11:00-11:30 | "Innovations in wearable mechatronic devices for lifelong mobility" Ana Luisa Trejos - Assistant Professor-Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering & Biomedical Engineering, Western University & Associate Scientist, Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics, Lawson Health Research Institute | "Secrets to Start-Up Success" Chris Carder - Entrepreneur in Residence at Schulich School of Business and Board Chair, Kinetic Companies |
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11:30-12:00 | "Global Nature of Engineering Gordana Andjelkovic - Manager of Information Services, Hydro One | "How AI & Blockchain would empower human being: Autonomous Revolution" Omid Sadeghi - Serial Entrepreneur & Commercialization Expert, Leading Blockchain & AI Think tanks at LPD, York University | "Amplify your success: #Fearless Learning" Anu Bidani - Founder and CEO Stem Minds Corp. |
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12:00-13:00 | Lunch & Keynote: "Leveraging Cultural Intelligence to Optimize Collaboration" Ritva Nosov - Founder and CEO of TalentEd Consulting (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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13:00-14:30 | Panel: "Entrepreneurship in Canadian Ecosystem: Challenges and Key Blueprints" Moderator: Andrew Maxwell - Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship at Lassonde School of Engineering, York University & Director Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) Jennifer van Amerom - Founder & CEO at Refine Recruitment Inc. Lucia Casacia - Vice President Cities and Infrastructure Projects Siemens Canada Limited Marguerite Mcleod-Fleming - Country Managing Director, Canada at SIT Innovation, Systematic Inventive Thinking & CEO-Innovation Culture Group Alicia Sullivan - Senior Associate, Corporate Engagement at Catalyst Inc. (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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14:30-15:00 | Coffee Break & Exhibits (Lower Floor) |
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15:00-16:00 | Innovation Track (Garden Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) | Entrepreneurship Track (Club Studio 3 (Lower Floor)) | Empowerment Track (Club Studio 1 (Lower Floor)) |
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15:00-15:30 | "How Will You Innovate Your Journey" Boris Tsimerinov - CEO & Managing Director, Semper8 Capital | "Medical Technology Development: Building Advanced Technologies for International Healthcare Markets" Brian Courtney - Clinician Scientist at Sunnybrook and Executive Chairman at Conavi Medical | "The 7 Pitfalls for Women in Business" Stephania Varalli - Co-CEO, Head of Media, Women of Influence |
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15:30-16:00 | "The future of the C-suite is female - Why the next generation of technology executives must include more women" Jaime Leverton - General Manager, VP - Canada and APAC | "Entrepreneurship: Building the future, the courage to be a founder" Helen Kontozopoulos - Co-Founder/Director, University of Toronto Department of Computer Science Innovation Lab | "Managing International Projects" Celia Desmond - Senior Project Manager and Owner at World Class Telecommunications |
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16:00-16:45 | Keynote: "Maximizing Our Strengths: Discovering the Power in What We Bring to the Table" Major Lauren Banks - Deputy Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |
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16:45-17:00 | Closing Remarks (Hazel McCallion Ballroom (Main Floor)) |

Meet Our Speakers
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ALEX FERWORN
Professor at Universiy of Toronto
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Alicia Sullivan
Senior Associate, Corporate Engagement at Catalyst Inc.ademy
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Amy Pinchuk
President and founder of InField Scientific Inc
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ANA LUISA TREJOS
Assistant Professor-Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering- Western University and an Associate Scientist- Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics, Lawson Health Research Institute
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Ann Cavoukian
Former Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Canadian province of Ontario; Distinguished Expert-in-Residence- Privacy by Design Centre of Excellence at Ryerson University
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ANU BIDANI
Founder and CEO Stem Minds Corp.
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AZADEH YADOLLAHI
Assistant Professor at Universiy of Toronto & Scientist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network
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BORIS TSIMERINOV
CEO & Managing Director at Semper8 Capital
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Bozenna Pasik-Duncan
Professor of mathematics at the University of Kansas and IEEE Women In Engineering, Chair
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BRIAN COURTNEY
Clinician Scientist at
Sunnybrook and Executive
Chairman at Conavi Medical -
Celia Desmond
Senior Project Manager and
Owner at World Class -
Telecommunications -
Chris Carder
Kinetic Commerce Co-Founder &
Entrepreneur in Residence at
Schulich School of Business -
CINDY GORDON
National STEM Spokesperson
for CATA, & Founder, CEO of SalesChoice -
Darla Campbell
Sustainability & Asset
Management Specialist -
Deanna Matzanke
Senior Director, Ideas,
Insights, and Innovation,
Canadian Centrefor Diversity and Inclusion
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Farzad Rayegani
Dean of Applied Technology,
Humber Institute of Technology
and Advanced Learning -
Helen Kontozopoulos
Co-Founder/Director,
University of Toronto
Department of Computer Science
Innovation Lab -
Imogen Coe
Dean of the Faculty of Science
at Ryerson University,
affiliate scientist in
the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute,
Keenan Research Centre,
at St. Michael’s Hospital -
JAIME LEVERTON
General Manager,
VP - Canada and APAC -
JASON LONG
Chief Technical Officer-CML Education & Technology (Nanjing) Limited & President of Engenuics Technologies Inc.
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Jeanette Southwood
Vice President, Corporate
Affairs and Strategic
Partnerships Engineers Canada -
Jennifer Van Amerom
Founder & CEO at
Refine Recruitment Inc
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KATHERINE KRISTOFERSON
Research & Development Engineering Supervisor at ZTR Control Systems
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MARGUERITE MCLEOD-FLEMING
Country Managing Director, Canada at SIT Innovation - Systematic Inventive Thinking & CEO-Innovation Culture Group
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Lucia Casacia
Vice President Cities and Infrastructure Projects Siemens Canada Limited
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MURRAY MACDONALD
Principal at Murray MacDonald Consulting & IEEE Canada Central Area Chair
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PUICA NITU
Managing Director, First North Energy
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PURNIMA BIHARI
Chief Product Officer, SalesChoice
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RAED ABDULLAH
Strategic Planning and Distribution Engineer at Hydro Ottawa
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Sarah Saka
Co-Founder and
CEO of Feminuity -
SEAN GARRITY
Territory Account Manager, Omron Automation, Americas & IEEE Canada Young Professionals, Chair
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Shahab Anari
Multiple Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Coach and Trainer
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SHELDON LEVY
CEO of NEXT Canada & Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development & Former President of Ryerson University
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Stephania Varalli
Co-CEO, Head of Media, Women of Influence
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Tom Murad
Head of Siemens Canada
Engineering & Technology Academy
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WITOLD KINSNER
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Past President of IEEE Canada, and Vice President of IEEE Educational Activities