London Inc. December-January 2024 - 16

Upfront Events
WOMEN LEAD HERE
Supporting a growing leadership-focused community, a women's empowerment
organization gears up for Southwestern Ontario's largest women's conference
CREATED AS A source of support for women in all areas
of business, organizational and life leadership, ALL Women
L.E.A.D. (www.allwomenlead.ca) has grown significantly
since its launch in 2019. Even through the tough-to-engage
pandemic years, the group continued to host speaker events
virtually, connecting a growing audience with dynamic
speakers sharing their experiences of being women.
Now, that growth is going to be on full display in early
2024 at its annual International Women's Day celebration.
Anchored by Juno Award-winning singer and actress Jully
Black as the keynote speaker, the event is promising to be
Southwestern Ontario's largest ever women's empowerment
event.
" We're expecting well over 500 people, primarily individuals
who identify as women, but also non-women allies, " says
Jennifer Slay, who is co-hosting the event along with Melissa
Maloney and Courtney Hance. The hybrid event will take
place on March 4, 2024 - in-person at RBC Place London and
joined virtually by participants from across the globe.
Maloney, a vice president with TechAlliance of
Southwestern Ontario, and Slay, who is director of diversity,
equity, inclusion and decolonization at King's University
16|londonincmagazine.ca|DECEMBER / JANUARY 2024
  Melissa Maloney, Jennifer Slay and Courtney Hance of All
Women L.E.A.D.
College, were the original co-founders of All Women L.E.A.D.
Hance, who is founder and chief creative officer of The
Branding Firm Inc., has supported the organization since its
inception and officially joined as a co-host and co-owner this
past August. " When we knew we were looking to scale up, it
made a lot of sense to expand our leadership team and bring
Courtney on board, " says Maloney.
Most of the organization's growth since inception has
happened organically, building off the initial success of the
inaugural All Women L.E.A.D. workshop series and Women's
Day event early in 2020. According to Slay, early participants
appreciated a new opportunity to connect with likeminded
people to discuss the actions that had helped them achieve
their successes. " We often heard people say it would be so great
to continue these conversations and connections, " she says.
In September 2022, All Women L.E.A.D. introduced the
" Authentically Yours " virtual community hub, which has
attracted members from across Canada, the U.S. and as far
http://www.allwomenlead.ca
London Inc. December-January 2024

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