Where women’s leadership knows no ceiling: RCWIB's 15th Annual Women's Leadership Symposium

On January 19 and 20, the eagerly anticipated 15th annual Women’s Leadership Symposium (WLS) made its return, hosted by Rotman Commerce Women in Business (RCWIB).

For 200 aspiring female leaders, the symposium provided a great deal of connection, inspiration, and transformative learning. As Rotman Commerce’s largest conference, the event fostered a collective energy among the attendees, creating an atmosphere filled with shared purpose for knowledge, empowerment and the pursuit of leadership skill development.

Inioluwa Ajenifuja, Vice President at RCWIB, explained, “WLS is a stage that welds relationships across women in different courses of life… it is about creating a safe environment to put into practice various skills that pave the way into the business world while facing the real challenges of being in these spaces”.

The conference commenced with an evening social at the Omni King Edward Hotel, where eager attendees seized the opportunity to connect with fellow participants and network with recruiters and industry professionals.

The momentum carried over into the following day, when Emily Lyons, a serial entrepreneur, gave a compelling keynote speech. She referenced the strength she found after her sister’s passing in 2011, her passion for love that led to Lyons Elite Matchmaking and building True Glue Beauty after encountering an allergy to a beauty product. Laughter, tears, and awe filled the room as attendees listened to Emily’s inspiring career journey.

Following Emily’s speech, participants immersed themselves in a diverse range of panels and workshops covering technology, finance, fashion, beauty, and more. The 90 speakers from over 30 diverse companies, including Microsoft, TikTok, Google, KPMG, and Estée Lauder, shared powerful insights during these sessions.

Joanna Han, a first-time attendee, gained valuable advice from the fashion and beauty panel. Her key takeaway was, “You should always say ‘yes’ to any opportunity you can get. It’s always beneficial to learn as much as you can, put yourself out there, and you never know where it might lead you!”

It was not only the attendees who had transformative experiences. For eight months, the Conference team, Angela Su, Jennifer Racovan, Alina Guo, Abbirah Athithan, Chloe Cheong, Chelsea Kim, Francisca Tuzson, and Karen Ho experienced significant personal and professional growth fuelled by the experience.

Angela Su, the Conference director, shared, “Juggling numerous responsibilities was often overwhelming and demanded meticulous planning and execution”. Her co-director, Jennifer Racovan, echoed the same sentiments, reflecting, “I am most proud of the way we handled last-minute challenges, including unconfirmed speakers and additional attendees. Due to our team’s collective hard work, WLS ran smoothly on both days”.

WLS was once again a resounding success, embodying RCWIB’s commitment, as emphasized by Inioluwa Ajenifuja, Vice President of RCWIB: “As a community, we stand to restore women’s voices and foster success in their chosen fields”. In a world where women’s rights face increasing challenges, WLS lays the foundations for women to thrive by providing empowering opportunities filled with tools, insights, and valuable connections. The conference shapes a future where women’s leadership knows no ceiling.

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By Sonia Singh (BCom ’25) | January 31, 2024