GROW Women Leaders Summit 2025

Investing in Inclusive Hiring for the Future of Work

October 22-24, 2025

25days

19hours

25minutes

10seconds

About the GROW Women Leaders Summit

The GROW Women Leaders Summit is an annual gathering that brings together equity-driven professionals, HR leaders, employers and government officials from across Canada to collectively build inclusive hiring systems. This year's theme, "Investing in Inclusive Hiring for the Future of Work," focuses on breaking barriers, fostering innovation, and rethinking how we define talent.

The Summit includes keynote talks, industry panels, workshops, and breakout sessions that lead to real-world implementation of inclusive and competency-based hiring practices. It is designed to support public and private employers on their journey toward equitable workforce transformation.

What to Expect

High-impact keynotes
Actionable workshops
Cross-industry panels
Public-private collaboration roundtables
Marketplace of inclusive hiring
Celebration of inclusive leadership

Outcomes You'll Leave With

A toolkit of inclusive recruitment strategies
Access to cross-sector partnerships
A commitment roadmap for your hiring systems
Recognition for your role in building a fairer workforce

Target Audience

Professionals

HR Leaders

Employers

Government Officials

Note: We're pleased to announce that the GROW Women Leaders Summit 2025 is Pre-Approved for CPHR Alberta Continuing Professional Development Hours. Training hours will be granted to eligible participants who attend DEI-related workshops and provide proof of attendance. Others will receive a certificate of attendance. This accreditation supports inclusive hiring and contributes to increasing the workforce participation of underrepresented women across sectors.

Why This Summit Matters

The future of work is being shaped now—and inclusive hiring must be at its foundation. Despite growing workforce needs across sectors, too many talented individuals—especially BIWOC, immigrants, newcomers, and youth—continue to face systemic barriers to employment.

The Grow Women Leaders Summit 2025 is where changemakers come together to invest in solutions. This is not just another HR conference—it's a bold, cross-sector gathering of employers, policymakers, community leaders, and innovators who are redesigning hiring systems to be more equitable, sustainable, and future-ready across all industries.

2025 Theme

Investing in Inclusive Hiring for the Future of Work

We believe equitable hiring is not charity—it's strategy. This year's theme challenges employers to move from intention to action.

Intention Action

Prioritizing skills over credentials
Designing bias-aware recruitment systems
Building cross-sector partnerships for long-term inclusion

Steering Committee

Dr. Hellen Gateri

Paula Kirman

Jean Bruce Koua

Izabela Figueiredo Shudra

Natasha Delany

Guest Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Fiona Edwards Akunesiobike, MSW, PhD

Jenny Okonkwo

Facilitators

Tracy F. Barry

Shauna Feth

Justine Dogbe

Dr. Elizabeth Farrell

Moderators

Antonia Stiuca, CPA, MPAcc

Dr. Ashish Thomas

Lydia Wright

Nova Andrews

Peter Guest

Dr. Eniola Salami

Carrie Lamb

Dr. Lili, Jardine

Amma Brew-Amponsah

Dr. Olugbenga Ibikunle

Co-Contributors

Teresa Fowler

Speakers

Irit Shaposhnikov

Janice Baskin

Justine Dogbe

Donna Coccimiglio

Paula Kirman

Jan Fox

Agenda

GROW Women Leaders Summit 2025

Day 1 - Redesigning Recruitment for Equity

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 - Venue: Edmonton Convention Centre

Registration & Networking

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome Remarks

9:15 AM - 9:30 AM

Opening Remarks

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Keynote: "Hiring Beyond Barriers: The Workforce of the Future"

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Panel: Beyond Resumes: Rethinking HR Systems for Inclusive Hiring

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch & Networking Break

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Workshop: Creating a Bias-Awareness Culture: Best Practices for Fostering Inclusive Recruitment Pathways

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Breakout Sessions (Candidate Focused)

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

Implementing Best Practices as an Employee: Leadership & Mentorship Readiness

Track Focus: Preparing job seekers to step confidently into inclusive workplaces by demonstrating leadership potential, leveraging mentorship, and embodying workplace best practices that set them apart from employers.

Breakout Sessions (Employer Focused)

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM

Pathway to Inclusive Hiring Solutions

Employer-focused sessions tailored to specific fields, exploring innovative hiring strategies.

Industries covered: Healthcare, Finance, Hospitality, Technology, Mining, Oil and Gas, Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation, Logistics, and Utilities.

Topics: "From Credentialism to Competency", "How to design an Inclusive Job Descriptions & Interview Protocols.”

Bringing Together Candidates & Employers

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Pathway to Inclusive Hiring Solutions

Topics: Discussion on what employers want in candidates and what employers are looking for and what candidates are looking for, open interest, what skills they need in the industry rather than credential, and skills they want in the industry.

Validating job descriptions and job postings and skills.

Closing Remarks

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

This program has been approved by CPHR Alberta for 16 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.