The Brand is Female

MMH Blockchain Group CEO Emma Todd's pioneering role as a woman of colour on two publicly traded boards in Canada in 2022 marks a significant milestone in the tech industry. As a board member of the Canadian Blockchain Consortium (CBC), Emma has collaborated with major global financial institutions, including JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and HSBC. Her impactful speeches at venues like the Par...

Meredith Shaw, the new host of Breakfast Television, is a trailblazer with a passion for inclusivity. With a diverse background spanning broadcasting, music, and fashion, Meredith's journey is a testament to breaking barriers and creating transformative conversations. In this episode, we delve into Meredith's multifaceted career, from her time as a singer-songwriter to her pivotal role in radio. D...

Lara Murphy is the Owner and President of Ryan Murphy Construction Inc. in Calgary, which proudly stands as the only female-owned commercial construction firm in the city. Lara’s cooperative approach has played a pivotal role in its rapid growth and national recognition. With a track record of managing multi-million-dollar projects in corporate, commercial, health care, and residential constructio...

Meet Vivian Risi, a trailblazer in the real estate industry who has been forging her path since the early days of her career.  At just 18, Vivian entered the male-dominated world of real estate, facing skepticism and doubt. But she refused to yield to stereotypes, embarking on a journey where 'giving up' was never an option. Today, she is President and Broker of one North America's large...

Britt Barkwell and Alia Bissett have impressive careers on their own in fashion. With over two decades of experience combined, they both noticed a gap in the market for shirting-first brands that were classically cool and accessible. Keen on carving out their viewpoint in that niche market, they came up with T.Line, a foundational wardrobe essentials brand that offers elevated and effortless style...

Carly Moir is the dynamic founder and creative director of White Canvas Design, a thriving creative agency based in the picturesque Langley, BC. Carly's journey from being a solo freelancer in 2012 to now leading a team of 14 talented women is nothing short of impressive. White Canvas Design is more than just a design agency; it's a hub of creativity, specializing in web design, graphic design, an...

Elise Loehnen has an impressive career as a writer. Host of the famous "Pulling the Thread" podcast, she has co-written twelve books, five of which were New York Times bestsellers. She was the Chief Content Officer of goop, and she co-hosted The goop Podcast and The goop Lab on Netflix. Before that, she was the editorial projects director of Condé Nast Traveler. In her latest book, “On Our Best Be...

September 28th is International Safe Abortion Day, a global day of action dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of safe and legal abortion care and access to it. In Canada, one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime, and abortion is one of the most common healthcare needs in our country.  While most women in the country support the right to choose and access abor...

After graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Dr. Judit Lovas worked for the local government as a policy and program development specialist for years. In March 2020, Judit launched her coaching and consulting business, and ever since, she has been working with clients from SMEs to large organizations internationally, helping them implement bus...

Diane Lanctôt knew early on she’d be involved in the family business, but what she didn’t expect was that this transition wouldn’t be 100% smooth. She acquired the sporting goods company Lactôt back from her father, Raymond Lactôt, and initiated a complete remodel, making it a growing industry leader. Diane, now a seasoned entrepreneur from Montreal, has received many recognitions over the years,...

Does the name Vitruvi sound familiar? Founded by Sara Panton, CEO, along with her brother, the brand is one of the largest aromatherapy companies offering luxury essential oil blends and diffusers. Its products are in more than 300 stores in Canada, the United States and Australia, and it's the first essential oil brand to be stocked by retail giants Nordstrom and Sephora. Sara’s background in hea...

Have you ever entered a room and thought "Wow, a lot of interesting people out here, I'd love to network with ALL of them?". Exactly - no one ever thinks that way. However, in order to succeed in business and in life, networking is really important, as is understanding what your next move should be. And, for that, we have Ursula Morgan.  Ursula is a C-suite executive and advisor, part of the...

Technology and healthcare can walk side by side to uncover new paths of innovation, but also to broaden access. That's Helen Stevenson's goal. Founder and CEO of Reformulary Group Inc., she created a company at the intersection of healthcare and tech aiming to make drug plans more affordable for more Canadians. Former Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and Executive Officer of Ontario Public Drug...

Ciro Muiruri is the embodiment of resilience. Growing up in one of the toughest slums in Kenya as an AIDS orphan, she survived an attempted homicide and lived through the abduction of her young daughter. And even with everything against her, she embraced the mission of building schools and bringing quality education for young children in her community even after leaving her home country 7 years ag...

You could say Anne Miner has the unique ability to see possibilities. She is a serial entrepreneur, a skilled facilitator, a trusted CEO advisor, and a sought-after coach. She has led executive teams through change, small and large, and she excels at bringing clarity and vision as well as a strategic framework for implementation. Anne helps people and companies realize their full potential through...

In today’s tight labour market, organizations increasingly rely on recruitment experts. Daniela Correia banked on this high-growth segment to build her own recruitment business from scratch, leveraging her background in HR and her experience working with large organizations.   Today she is a sought-after recruiter and, along with her all-female team, she advocates for equal opportunity a...

When Justine and Kendall Barber realized that the average garment gets worn 7 times before being tossed, and the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse emissions, the sisters and co-founders of Poppy Barley, a Canadian slow fashion company focused on quality, sustainability and ethical production decided to create a new kind of luxury in fashion. And that they did — today, th...

Graydon Moffat had multiple careers before launching Graydon Skincare. When she started her journey as a plant-based chef and yoga teacher, Graydon, known as “The Skin Chef”, learned that beauty is connected to wellness. This explains the super-powered superfoods you’ll find in Graydon Skincare formulas alongside proven skincare active ingredients.  The philosophy of Graydon and her female-le...

With 15 years of experience in the hospitality business, Jacqueline Nicosia brought her flair for curated dining experiences and excellent food to Toronto with the opening of two restaurants, which she co-founded with her husband, chef Rob Marotta. Being a woman entrepreneur in the food space, Jacqueline experienced and witnessed first-hand the challenges of sexism that persist in the industry, an...

Michelle Faber learned to optimize her own mental health through yoga and mindfulness as a young adult, and when she saw signs of anxiety in her son, she began sharing her favourite practices with him. Seeing how much his emotional control and overall happiness improved inspired her to create a company that would help other children in the same way, and in 2019 she founded Little Yogis Academy. Li...

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Vera Milan Gervais, an author, speaker, and award-winning serial entrepreneur who is committed to helping women develop the confidence to show up and succeed in business. Vera Milan Gervais has successfully built a number of businesses throughout her career. She is currently Co-Founder and Executive VP of HealthConnect Inc, a company that ma...

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Allison McNamara, founder of MARA, a prestige line of algae-infused skincare that became an instant favourite, selling out at retailers such as Sephora, Credo Beauty, Bluemercury and The Detox Market. Before launching MARA, Allison was a television host, producer and fashion & beauty journalist for outlets like POPSUGAR, Refinery 29, Who...

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Knoxx, the New York-based creative director for the brand DVMNPIGEON. Knoxx is redefining the rules of streetwear — traditionally a space for straight men — through her identity as a masculine-presenting woman who is part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. In 2011, Knoxx created DVMNPIGEON with the hopes of representing girls like herself, typically...

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Marissa Goldstein, founder and owner of Toronto-based The Daughter Natural Wine Bar + Bottle Shop, a wine bar that focuses on farm-to-table dishes to accompany a curated selection of unique wines. Marissa did not follow a straight path into the restaurant business. Before opening The Daughter, she gave up a career in real estate to move to N...

This week, on the podcast, host Eva Hartling speaks with Nadine Artemis, Founder of the celebrated, and cult-status natural skincare brand, Living Libations. Nadine Artemis created a line of all-natural skincare before the category became a trend. Her line of products, for which she sources the best raw ingredients from across the planet, has received rave reviews in leading publications from The...