Top 25 Women of Influence™ Awards Luncheon
Water Activist Autumn Peltier and Human Rights Activist Sally Armstrong Will Take the Stage on March 3
March 1, 2020 – Toronto, ON – On Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Women of Influence, in partnership with CIBC and Ricoh Canada, will shine a spotlight on Canada’s most accomplished role models at the 2020 Top 25 Awards Luncheon. Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Sally Armstrong, Canadian journalist, author, human rights activist, and 2020 Top 25 Award Recipient Autumn Peltier, Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner, are the feature speakers at the ceremony, taking place at The Hilton Toronto.
“Our goal at Women of Influence is to recognize and celebrate the diverse accomplishments of role models across Canada by bringing them into the spotlight,” said Alicia Skalin, Co-CEO, Head of Events & Programming.
This year’s Top 25 women represent a variety of sectors, career stages, and contributions to women’s advancement. Across the country they are accomplishing incredible feats, from launching meaningful initiatives to winning awards on the world stage, their achievements are worth our recognition, and our celebration. They are academics and executives, athletes and activists, and, by any benchmark, individuals of immeasurable influence.
Meet the 2020 Top 25 Women of Influence
- Amanda Jetté Knox – Writer, Public Speaker & LGBTQ+ Advocate
- Autumn Peltier – Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner & Clean Water Activist
- Bianca Andreescu – Professional Tennis Player
- Brandi Leifso – Founder & CEO, Evio Beauty Group
- Brooke Henderson – Professional Golfer
- Candies Kotchapaw – Founder & Executive Director, Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today (DYLOTT)
- Caro Loutfi – Executive Director, Apathy is Boring
- Donna Strickland – Physicist & Professor, University of Waterloo
- Gina Cody – Engineer & Business Leader
- Hanadi Saad – Human Rights Activist & President, Justice Femme
- Ishita Aggarwal – Founder, Mom’s The Word
- Jann Arden – Singer-Songwriter, Actor, Producer, Author
- Jess Tomlin & Jessica Houssian – Co-CEOs, Equality Fund
- Joanna Griffiths – Founder & CEO, Knixwear
- Keisha and Teagan Simpson – Co-Founders, Live Life Unfiltered
- Louise Sertsis – Founder, Advanced Freedom
- Marion Buller – Chief Commissioner, National Inquiry into Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls
- Nathalie Crosbie – Director of Artificial Intelligence Strategy, BMO Financial Group
- Rina Rovinelli – Co-Founder, Speaker Slam
- Rola Dagher – President, Cisco Systems Canada
- Shari Graydon – Founder & Catalyst, Informed Opinions
- Sue Tomney – CEO, YW Calgary
- Taya Cook – Director of Development, Urban Capital
- Teara Fraser – Founder & CEO, Iskwew Air
- Vivene Salmon – Lawyer & President, Canadian Bar Association
About the Keynote Speakers
- Autumn Peltier: At only 15 years old, Autumn Peltier is teaching us all to be more responsible about water. Having taken over the position of Chief Water Commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation from her late great-aunt, she received a nomination for the 2019 International Children’s Peace Prize, and is clear on her stance of clean water: “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: we can’t eat money or drink oil.”
- Sally Armstrong: As a foreign correspondent, Sally Armstrong has spent decades dedicated to shining a light on the struggles of women and girls in conflict zones around the world, earning her the Amnesty International Media Award four times. Often called “the war correspondent for the world’s women,” she has given a voice to countless individuals by sharing their stories. Passionate about women’s rights, her latest effort has been to uncover the reason why and how women have been treated as unequal for so long.
About Women of Influence
Women of Influence, now in its 26th year, is one of North America’s leading organizations dedicated to the advancement of women in the workforce. With global events, print and digital content, and courses in executive leadership, Women of Influence annually reaches over 300,000 professional women and men across Canada and internationally. Signature events include the Women of Influence Spotlight Series and the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards. For more information, please visit www.womenofinfluence.com.