Women in Power – Globe and Mail
I came across this series from the Globe and Mail on Women in Power. It is always interesting to me how there is so much focus on women in leadership, in power and in business.
We are really seeing the success of women in different areas and in all areas of their lives. Women for the first time are holding positions of powers while balancing their personal lives. We have come a long way from when the women was a second class citizen.
Join us as we talk about the ways we can incorporate both our left and right brains – the creative and analytical approach – to our work, even if we have never considered ourselves “creatives” or “storytellers.”
Everyone has a story to tell, either about their work, personal lives, history, culture, or the way they see the world. It’s our superpower and so many of us keep it hidden because, at some point in our lives, we were told we aren’t smart enough, creative enough, or capable enough.
In this chat, we will discuss tangible steps on how to cultivate more thought leaders and empower them to tell their stories and speak from their lived experiences.
Ishu Kler is a photographer and Social Media Manager at Veza Global. She currently owns and operates a freelance photography company called Ishu Kler Creative where she specializes in branding, portrait and event photography. Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., her love and passion for photography led Ishu to travel and live in New Delhi, India, where she obtained her Diploma in Photography. She also travelled to Costa Rica in 2015, where she obtained her Certificate in Documentary Photography from Photographers Without Borders.
“My love for stories came from my love of travelling to new places, learning new things and hearing of all the experiences people across the world have had and live. Diversity and inclusion has always been something I have been passionate about, and through my work at Veza I have been able to learn so much about the power that inclusion and belonging have. As a photographer, one of the most rewarding experiences I have is being able to bring out the inner-confidence of my clients. It’s more than taking a photo, it’s listening and working through self-doubt, confidence and my client’s past experiences in their lives. Diversity and inclusion is so important in my work, and I want for people to be able to know that the sky is the limit, regardless of what background they come with.”
Jodi is a passionate writer, editor, and organizer with high attention to detail. Committed to clear communication and integrity, Jodi works with individuals and organizations who are making the world a better place, helping them express their essence and reach more people.
Her experiences in travel, working with equity-deserving communities in other countries, holding space for healing, and studying human behavior for over 15 years have given her a compassionate perspective and open mind to bring more inclusion, belonging, and diversity of thought to all her projects at Veza Global and beyond.
Kelsey is a passionate Multimedia Designer & Communications Specialist with a diploma in Multimedia Production and over nine years of diverse design experience in different areas of the world including roles within multinational in-house marketing teams Microsoft and Technetix, marketing agencies and freelance. These experiences have led her to develop strong use of design principles, skills in Adobe Creative Cloud, knowledge in motion graphics and video editing, and knowledge in creating effective communication for a wide range of audiences and cultures.
Currently she is finishing a Bachelor in Professional Arts Major in Communication Studies, a degree program that compliments her multimedia production background with theory and research from the communications field, allowing her to apply her expertise within national and international mass media and communication contexts.
Shreya is currently an IDEA+B Consultant with Veza Global, and passionate about creating inclusive environments for everyone. Shreya has spent 6 years in the Technology industry, focusing on Talent, Operations, and DEI. Shreya’s purpose in life is to help others by making their lives easier and ensuring everyone is treated fairly along the way.
Shreya looks for opportunities to improve processes, and create efficiencies everywhere she goes, with the IDEA+B lens on everything. Most recently, Shreya worked with an edu-tech company, where she was able to blend her passion for creating equal opportunities and inclusive environments for everyone by owning Talent Operations and leading their IDEA+B initiatives.
Shreya has also taken a coaching course through the International Coaching Federation, and loves to mentor her peers. At Veza, Shreya contributes to process improvement and People & Culture related projects.
Ranked #15 globally on the 2020 EmPower Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list, Manpreet Dhillon is the Founder, Veza Global. Over the past 15 years, Veza Global has built and supported the implementation of IDEA-B throughout all levels of an organization by applying research-based organizational maturity models and utilizing proprietary assessment technology developed from our international experience. Manpreet has over 20 years of leadership, coaching, human resources, and community development expertise. She focuses on creating systemic change to address institutionalized inequalities through representation from the communities being served.
Manpreet serves as an Ambassador with the Women’s Enterprise Center and as a past Business Coach for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities program. Veza has worked with several notable organizations including UN affiliate: Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, UN Women, HR Tech Group, Immigrant Employers Council of BC and Terramera. Manpreet has also led a trade mission of women entrepreneurs to Croatia – one of the first held by a private company to further the mission of increasing export by women entrepreneurs. She has held positions as a board member of Canada India Education Society, liveBIG Society, British Columbia Institute of Technology Alumni Board of Directors, past Board Member of Royal Roads University, and has served on various arts and health boards.
Manpreet received her Masters in Organizational Management as is a Certified Human Resources Professional, Certified in Gender Mainstreaming and Certified Internal Auditor and is a settler, born in Canada with parents from India. She is a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul, and a contributing author to Forbes, Thrive Global, and CHRP People Talk.
Andisheh is an IDEA-B Consultant at Veza Global. She has experience in community engagement, facilitation, anti-racism, anti-oppression, human rights, as well as mass atrocity prevention and response. She holds a Master of Arts in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science with International Relations from the University of British Columbia. She has worked with and volunteered for numerous organizations, including Impact North Shore, Simon Fraser University, the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP), Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, UN Women in Afghanistan, and the North Shore Women’s Centre.
Andisheh was born in Tehran, Iran and is a visitor on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh). For Andisheh, inclusion means having a sense of belonging and freedom to be your true self without fear. As an EDIB constant at Veza Global, Andisheh works with clients to embed Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging across their operations.
John is an IDEA-B consultant with Veza Gobal. He has over ten years of experience in the justice sector. He worked in a private law firm, as a government counsel and in the Nigerian judiciary, first as a researcher and later as a judicial officer. He led diverse teams in the justice sector and collaborated with relevant stakeholders to promote and protect the human rights of the people. In addition, John has experience in community mobilization, and he has worked with several organizations and communities to create peaceful and inclusive societies.
John is a human rights activist and has taught graduate students International Human Rights Law in the University. He has attended several human rights training in prestigious institutions, including the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation, University of Lucerne, Switzerland.
John holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law. He was called to the Nigerian bar. He is also a graduate of the Master in Intellectual Property and Development Policy programme, jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the Korea Development School of Public Policy and Management.
He is an experienced public affairs analyst, a policy researcher and analyst, and a community mobilizer. He is a leadership expert who became exposed to leadership as a teenager. He has since participated in numerous youth-centred programmes and initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally while also providing leadership.
He is a certified IDEA-B professional. His principal motivation for joining Veza Global was to contribute to creating a world where humans will live daily in the consciousness of the truth of their shared Humanity— the truth that every one of us is sacred, has dignity, and has the right to wellbeing in this human experience. As a consultant to Veza Global, he Provides strategies and advice on how to help organizations embed Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in their operations.
To John, inclusion is means that no one is denied the right to enjoy the collective human experience.
John is a visitor to the unceded and ancestral territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Ramya is a Leadership Training Consultant at Veza. A Change Agent, Ramya has spearheaded several transformational initiatives around strategy, KPIs, marketing, hiring, company culture, processes, employee engagement, and more.
Creating an accessible and inclusive work environment is at the core of every leadership role Ramya has essayed. Her work has helped mitigate bias in business planning and strategy across multiple organizations. She has nurtured innovation through diversity of thought while cultivating a climate for progressive feedback. All this enabled Ramya to build high-performing and super-engaged teams of 70+ individuals.
Her passion for enabling organizations to thrive led her to leave behind a rewarding 11-year career at Yahoo to start her own Strategy Consulting business in 2021 as a new immigrant in Sweden.
Michelle Casavant is mixed heritage, French, Cree-Metis, and Irish from central Saskatchewan. She has been a visitor on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil Waututh people since 1997. Michelle has a background and formal training in fine arts, education and law. As a member of the urban Indigenous community in Vancouver for 20 years she has been actively involved in breaking down barriers for Indigenous peoples and students and building bridges with non-Indigenous peoples and communities.
Michelle’s work in Aboriginal law began 15 years ago. She has worked for the federal government for 10 years in numerous roles involving Indigenous peoples and communities: she was part of the legal team at the Department of Justice that conducted the Independent Assessment Process hearings for residential school survivors, she has been a Negotiator with Crown-Indigenous Relations, and managed a consultation team for major projects with Indigenous Services Canada.
Michelle has sat and sits on many boards and committees providing Indigenous perspectives to policies and programming. She has a passion for sharing her culture. Michelle actively hosts Indigenous authors book clubs, cultural competency training, community engagement, and cultural workshops.