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A new Vancouver event is bringing together Black women from across the Lower Mainland to connect and sharpen their business skills.

Kicking off on International Women’s Day, March 8, at Best Buy’s Vancouver headquarters, the two-day Elevate her Conference aims to foster economic inclusion by promoting leadership development for Black women — through the power of professional networking.  

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Conference co-founder Nataizya Mukwavi says she also hopes to deliver a deeply needed source of connection for local Black women. 

“One of the things that I usually point out for people is that other ethnic groups in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland all have a certain area or cultural centre. But when you look at the Black community, because we’re so spread apart in each city, there isn’t really a central place to gather,” says Mukwavi. “Events like this are really important, so that people see space being created for them.” 

Mukwavi had wanted to create some kind of leadership resource for Black women ever since she founded the not-for-profit group Black Women Vancouver in 2017, she says. In subsequent years, she became close with two women who would eventually join her in founding Elevate Her: Trish Mandewo, Synergy Executive and Boards Consulting Group CEO, and Nerissa Allen, Black Business Association of BC president.

“I reached out to them and asked if they wanted to partner with me to put this out there, because both do a lot of community work in their respective fields,” says Mukwavi. “They both jumped on and really wanted to do something like this.” 

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Who should attend Elevate Her? The event’s panels and workshops are geared to leaders, and aspiring leaders, who want to take their business acumen to the next level; especially executives, senior bureaucrats, early- and growth-stage business owners and middle managers. “All the speakers we have signed up are incredible. So, I’m really excited to see how it unfolds,” says Mukwavi.  

Delivering the keynote address will be Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, a multi-award-winning scholar-practitioner in human and organization development. Gilpin-Jackson has been named International African Woman of the Year by U.K.-based Women4AFrica, and received the prestigious Harry Jerome Professional Excellence Award given in recognition of Black-Canadian achievements. As founder and Principal of SLD consulting, she has also served in executive leadership roles in British Columbia’s public sector, health-care and a Crown corporation — and is Simon Fraser University’s first vice-president of people, equity and inclusion. 

The event’s panels and workshops will hone in on topics and skills that equip Black female leaders with success in a variety of venues. “I think one of the biggest things people are learning right now is there isn’t one way of leading, or one way to define what leadership looks like,” says Mukwavi.  

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The event’s “Honing Your Leadership Skills” panel comes stacked with global experts and internationally renowned speakers reflecting such varied dimensions. Zimbabwe-born Canadian leadership expert Rohene Bouajram draws on two decades as an educator and leader in academia. Human resources executive Giselle Blackman currently serves as vice-president of People Culture at Fit-Foods Ltd., while bilingual coach Marielle de Vassoigne specializes in change management. 

Also on deck is a panel featuring “The Entrepreneurship Journey,” and workshops including: Conflict Resolution and Leadership; Leading with Power; Empower Your Path: The Self-Leadership and Decision-Making Journey; Mastering the Art of Strategic Storytelling; and Mental Health for the Modern Woman. 

For Mukwavi, the conference is a chance to level up her own abilities, while mentoring and supporting others. “I would say I’m very collaborative in my leadership style,” she says. “I like to bring on a lot of people to work with me who are just starting out, because a lot of people helped me when I was first starting, and as I grew into different leadership positions. That’s something that I’m really passionate about.” 

To learn more about Elevate Her or buy tickets, visit:  www.elevateherconference.ca.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content studio. 

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