Women's Business Network upcoming events

Membership Maximization Meeting (19 Aug 2026)

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Maximize your WBN membership benefits and elevate your connections!

Encouraging all existing Members and Future Members to attend (SHARE invite with colleagues and friends)! These recurring virtual workshops provide an ongoing, engaging, and interactive environment designed to help you make the most within your WBN community.

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

Rise & Thrive - Morning Power Connections (26 Aug 2026)

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:30:00 GMT

Protect Your Time While Scaling Your Business

Scaling a business changes more than your just workload. The way you manage your time needs to change too. In this interactive session, you'll explore how your Time Magic Type influences the way you plan, prioritize, and make decisions as your business grows.

When you register, you'll be sent a quiz to discover your Time Magic Type. Using your personalized quiz results, you'll connect with other attendees, learn the two most impactful strategies for your style, and explore how your time management needs evolve through different seasons of business so you can scale with more clarity and less overwhelm.

Guest Speaker - Jill Wright

Jill Wright is a Time Management Expert and the founder of Energy + Hours, where she helps high-performers manage their lives through practical strategies that fit their season of life. Blending practical time and calendar management strategies with rest, intuition, and self-care, Jill teaches people how to manage both their hours and their energy so they can create sustainable, aligned success. Her framework integrates productivity tools, energetics, and a neuro-affirming lens that supports real people with real lives. Jill’s work has been featured on 80+ podcasts, in organizations, schools, and community events across North America.

Location

Grounded Scratch Kitchen, Coffeehouse & Bar
1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8P9

Please follow the signs to Grounded Scratch Kitchen to the furthest parking lot and take the parking ticket to enter. Parking will be validated at the event.

Can't attend this event?

No problem. You can still make the most of your membership! Explore our upcoming sessions and find the ones that best fit your schedule.

➡️View the full Calendar

If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.

Deadline to register is August 25 at 5pm.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. Cancellations must be submitted in writing at least 7 days before the event to be eligible for a credit. No credits will be issued for cancellations made within 7 days of the event. However, tickets may be transferred to another person at any time at no additional cost. Please note that registrations cannot be transferred to a different event.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca.

Membership Maximization Meeting (16 Sep 2026)

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

September Lunch and Learn (17 Sep 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Elevate Your Leadership: Strategic Use of Coaching, Leadership & Sponsorship

When it comes to supporting a team, what’s the difference between coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship? They’re not interchangeable, and treating them as if they were can limit both individual and organizational growth.

Executive and Leadership Coach Kirsten Dubreuil will break down the real differences between these three forms of support and show how each one plays a distinct role in developing talent, building confidence, and accelerating careers with practical insight leaders can use immediately.

Participants will explore how to choose the right approach for the right moment, how to shift out of default advice-giving, and how to recognize when someone needs not just guidance but active advocacy. They’ll leave with simple tools to elevate their conversations and a clearer understanding of how coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship work together to create stronger, more capable teams.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this session, you’ll be able to:

- Distinguish between coaching, mentorship, and sponsorship, and understand the unique purpose of each

- Identify when someone needs a thinking partner (coaching), a guide (mentorship), or an advocate (sponsorship)

- Use three practical coaching moves that improve conversations without adding time or complexity

- Spot the common traps that pull leaders into unhelpful advice-giving and learn how to redirect

- Apply a simple decision filter to choose the right development approach in real workplace scenarios

- Leave with one question and one action you can use immediately to strengthen your next 1:1.

Kirsten Dubreuil, Leadership & Executive Coach at Maven Executive Coaching, helps leaders strengthen their leadership and elevate the way their teams work together. Her approach is practical, strategic, and grounded in lived experience. She focuses on what strengthens decision-making, relationships, and team culture; the work that changes how leaders show up.

With 25 years as a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Kirsten has led in one of the most male-coded, high-pressure environments in the world. That experience shaped how she sees power, politics, communication, and culture — and it’s the lens she brings to every coaching engagement. Clients value the steadiness, perspective, and pattern recognition that come from a career spent leading in complexity.

As a coach and leader, Kirsten helps clients see what matters, act with intention, and lead in a way that aligns with their values. They leave our work with clearer insight, stronger conviction, and a renewed sense of direction — individually and with their teams.

Kirsten is also an avid global explorer, having lived on three continents and travelled to more than 40 countries. She's happiest outdoors with her husband and kids — hiking, cycling, snowboarding, or camping. Her days usually start with a workout, end with a book, and include strong coffee, great food, and a very snuggly dog.

Please register by the event start time to confirm your attendance.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. If you need to cancel you will be issued a credit to use toward a future event.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca

Rise & Thrive - Morning Power Connections (30 Sep 2026)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:30:00 GMT

Curiosity, Courage, & the Power of Mentoring Relationships

What if the greatest barrier to your growth isn't a lack of ability, but a perspective you haven't yet considered?

As leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals, we often feel the pressure to have the answers. Yet some of our greatest breakthroughs happen not because we know more, but because someone helps us see differently.

In this engaging and thought-provoking session, Lisa Siragusa shares a personal leadership journey that transformed the way she approaches challenges, learning, and growth. Through authentic storytelling and practical insights, you'll discover why the most meaningful mentoring relationships are built on curiosity, courage, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

No matter where you are in your leadership journey, you'll leave with a renewed appreciation for the power of mentoring relationships to shape not only careers, but confidence, leadership, and lives. Whether you're seeking a mentor, becoming a mentor, or embracing both roles, you'll be inspired to approach every mentoring relationship with greater intention. Because growth and meaningful change rarely happen in isolation.

Guest Speaker - Lisa Siragusa

For more than 25 years, Lisa Siragusa has built her career at the intersection of entrepreneurship, education, facilitation, mentorship, and leadership development. As an entrepreneur, MBA-trained business educator, professor, and mentor, she is passionate about helping people grow in confidence, capability, and leadership.

Drawing on her experience as the former President of a national telecommunications company, along with her work in post-secondary education and professional development, Lisa creates engaging learning experiences that connect real-world business insight with meaningful personal and professional growth. She has mentored entrepreneurs, women business owners, professionals, and emerging leaders, and has taught in both Canadian and international settings.

Lisa believes that growth begins with curiosity, requires courage, and flourishes through meaningful relationships. Whether facilitating a workshop, mentoring a leader, or teaching in the classroom, she creates environments where people feel supported, challenged, and inspired to discover what they are truly capable of.

Location

Grounded Scratch Kitchen, Coffeehouse & Bar
1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8P9

Please follow the signs to Grounded Scratch Kitchen to the furthest parking lot and take the parking ticket to enter. Parking will be validated at the event.

Can't attend this event?

No problem. You can still make the most of your membership! Explore our upcoming sessions and find the ones that best fit your schedule.

➡️View the full Calendar

If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.

Deadline to register is September 29 at 5pm.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca.

Membership Maximization Meeting (07 Oct 2026)

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 15:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

2026 Businesswoman of the Year Awards Gala (14 Oct 2026)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:30:00 GMT

Businesswoman of the Year Awards Gala

Join us as we celebrate the shining stars of Ottawa and the collective impact of our community. The 2026 Businesswoman of the Year Awards celebrates the incredible businesswomen of Ottawa and continues our legacy of building something brighter, stronger, and more impactful than any of us can alone.

The WBN and the BYAs are an enduring network that connects and and amplifies the women whose collective light guides the next generation.

Since 1983, the BYA Gala has been a must-attend event for Ottawa’s business elite. Come be a part of the 2026 BYA Gala at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, where we will shine the spotlight on our inspiring finalists and award the recipients of the Businesswoman of the Year Awards!

Please note: All attendees must be 19 years of age or older to attend this event.

Table Purchases

If you are purchasing a table, we will recognize your support in the program and sponsorship reel. Please provide your company or individual name for recognition when purchasing your table.

Pay It Forward Program

This initiative aims to inspire and support new businesswomen and female students. Pay It Forward Fund tickets will be added to a pool of tickets and given to qualifying individuals who might not otherwise have the chance to attend the gala. Recipients of these tickets receive valuable networking opportunities, introductions to industry leaders, and the motivation to pursue their dreams.

Pay It Forward Fund tickets are not available for purchase for specific individuals and will be distributed by the WBN.

Membership Maximization Meeting (21 Oct 2026)

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

October Lunch and Learn (22 Oct 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Ethical Marketing: Building a Personal Brand People Actually Trust

In a market full of noise, hype, and sameness, the people who stand out aren't the loudest. They're the most trusted and the most clear. This workshop is for women building a career, a business, who know they have something valuable to offer but struggle to put it into words. We'll start with the question that stops most people in their tracks, "What makes you unique?", and turn it into a clear, confident answer to "Why you?" From there we'll tackle the part so many find hardest: how to take a decade of pivots, reinventions, and life changes and shape it into one coherent story that connects, using a simple three-part arc of beginning, turning point, and next chapter.

The heart of the session is a different definition of ethical marketing: honoring yourself as a person, not packaging yourself as a product. You'll learn to draw a clear, intentional line between your private self and your public brand, deciding what to share, how much, and when, all reverse-engineered from where you're actually headed. We'll look at why "building in public" can quietly backfire, how to share hard moments from the scar rather than the wound, and why a deliberate boundary makes a personal brand both more protective and more authentic.

Attendees will leave able to:

- Articulate their unique value in a single, clear statement that answers "Why you?" without leaning on a job title

- Map their personal story into a memorable brand narrative- Apply a simple framework for deciding what's theirs to share and what stays their own, ready to use the moment they leave the room

Guest Speaker - Katherine Tuominen

Katherine Tuominen is the founder of Catalyst Brand Strategy, a boutique PR and communications agency for impact-driven health and wellness founders. With over a decade across entertainment, luxury, and wellness marketing, she helps purpose-led founders earn credible visibility through ethical, evidence-led storytelling. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Women's Health, and Glossy, and she keynotes on "Ethical Marketing Is Not an Oxymoron.

Please register by the event start time to confirm your attendance.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. If you need to cancel you will be issued a credit to use toward a future event.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca

Rise & Thrive - Morning Power Connections (28 Oct 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:30:00 GMT

Location

Grounded Scratch Kitchen, Coffeehouse & Bar
1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8P9

Please follow the signs to Grounded Scratch Kitchen to the furthest parking lot and take the parking ticket to enter. Parking will be validated at the event.

Can't attend this event?

No problem. You can still make the most of your membership! Explore our upcoming sessions and find the ones that best fit your schedule.

➡️View the full Calendar

If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.

Deadline to register is July 29 at 5pm.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca.

Membership Maximization Meeting (04 Nov 2026)

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

WBN November Wind-Down (10 Nov 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Don't miss out on your next connection!

Explore our upcoming events and save the date for your next great networking opportunity.

➡️View All WBN Events

If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.

Deadline to register is May 11th 2026.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. If you need to cancel you will be issued a credit to use toward a future event. If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca.

Membership Maximization Meeting (18 Nov 2026)

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

November Lunch and Learn (19 Nov 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Please register by the event start time to confirm your attendance.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. If you need to cancel you will be issued a credit to use toward a future event.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca

Rise & Thrive - Morning Power Connections (25 Nov 2026)

Wed, 25 Nov 2026 12:30:00 GMT

Strategic leadership for a Changing World

Many organizations today are navigating complex challenges - from outdated systems and unclear priorities to increasing compliance demands and limited resources. This session offers a practical, strategic approach to leadership that helps attendees work smarter, safer, and more intentionally. Drawing from her upcoming book Reset the System, experienced business consultant Heather Cayouette will share a framework for rethinking how your organization operates, so you can lead with clarity, confidence, and resilience - whether you're growing, stabilizing, or simply trying to make things work better.

You'll learn how to:

- Lead with intention: aligning your systems and strategy to support your goals

- Build trust, reduce risk, and make smarter, more confident decisions

- Untangle operational legacies and simplify how work gets done

Guest Speaker - Heather Cayouette - CIPP/C, CIPT

Heather Cayouette is Founder and CEO of Firefly Strategic Consulting. With over 20 years of experience, she helps small and mid-sized organizations build smarter, safer, and more scalable operations.

Heather brings deep expertise in strategy, organizational and change management, governance, program development, information technology, and privacy. A Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/C) and Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT), she specializes in aligning strategy and systems through a risk management lens, with a particular focus on operational reviews, IT strategy, privacy, and AI readiness.

She is the author of the upcoming book, Reset the System: A Practical Guide to Rethinking the Way You Work - to Power Why You Do It.

Location

Grounded Scratch Kitchen, Coffeehouse & Bar
1545 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8P9

Please follow the signs to Grounded Scratch Kitchen to the furthest parking lot and take the parking ticket to enter. Parking will be validated at the event.

Can't attend this event?

No problem. You can still make the most of your membership! Explore our upcoming sessions and find the ones that best fit your schedule.

➡️View the full Calendar

If you are a WBN member, please LOG IN to your account to register for the event at the member rate.

Deadline to register is July 29 at 5pm.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca.

Holiday Spark: Celebrate, Reflect & Connect (01 Dec 2026)

Tue, 01 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Membership Maximization Meeting (02 Dec 2026)

Wed, 02 Dec 2026 16:30:00 GMT

A glance at what we cover together:

Tour of exclusive benefits – Spotlights, Offers, and Directory listings
Tips to optimize your WBN member profile and grow your network
Ways to connect with members that best fit your needs and objectives
Overview of Programming, Speaking opportunities, and Events
Volunteer and Leadership opportunities to strengthen connections and grow professionally
Navigation of the WBN website and social media communities

Scheduled every 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of the month - daytime and evening for your preferred availability!

December Lunch and Learn (17 Dec 2026)

Thu, 17 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Please register by the event start time to confirm your attendance.

Please note, we do not offer refunds. If you need to cancel you will be issued a credit to use toward a future event.

If you are having difficulty registering or if you have inquiries about our membership, please contact info@womensbusinessnetwork.ca