On The Move

Marching Forward: Sonya Shorey's Vision for International Women's Month and Beyond

Karolina Chachulska, Lissa Franklin (WAT)

Sonya Shorey is a World Economic Fellow, Vice President of Strategy, Marketing, and Communications for Invest Ottawa, Bayview Yards, and Area X.O; the Co-Founder, Executive, and Director of the Board of SheBoot, a national non-profit corporation dedicated to helping women tech founders acquire investment to scale and succeed; and a strategy executive and management consultant with more than 24 years of leadership experience in public and private organizations.

About International Women’s Month: www.investottawa.ca/IWM

  • On March 8th, the world celebrates the economic, social, cultural, and political achievements of women on International Women's Day.
  • In Canada's Capital, we join forces with 40 to 60 partners and people across our region, country, and worldwide to create an entire month of impactful initiatives dedicated to advancing these important goals: International Women’s Month
    • Members across our local, national, and global community participate in, and benefit from, a series of leadership events and initiatives for current and aspiring women leaders from all walks of life
  • International Women's Month is far more than a set of activities - it's a powerful driver for long-term, sustainable change.
    • Together, we leverage and harness the power of our collective resources and strive to create a critical mass of successful women leaders from every walk of life who significantly impact our economy and society.
    • We unite to inspire, empower, and equip women in professional fields spanning tech, entrepreneurship, investment, industry, government, academia, research, media, and nonprofits during the entire month of March
    • It shines a spotlight on the work we undertake as a community all year long
  • Strategic, collaborative action is needed now more than ever.
    • According to the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full gender parity.
    • We call on all regions and nations to join in and create an integrated, powerful wave of global action to move the dial.
  • Over the last five years (2019-2023), IWW has engaged more than 20,000 participants, and women leaders from all walks of life.
    • This includes internationally recognized speakers such as Mandela Schumacher-Hodge Dixon, Monique Woodard, Sarah Kunst, Dr. Anita Sengupta, Melissa Hanna, Sarah Lacy, Esosa Johnson and Regina Gwynn, the founders of Black Women Talk Tech, Elizabeth Yin, Arlene Dickinson, Michelle Romanow and Manjit Minhas (all from Canada’s Dragon’s Den akin to the US Shark Tank), Joanna Griffiths (Knix), Jenn Harper, and Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Health Officer



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