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The Wonder Women Conference brings together people to connect, educate, inspire and empower one another to take on new and expanded roles in work, community and life.
Wonder Women is proud to offer diverse content featuring local, professional superheroes. We invite you to build meaningful relationships with people across all industries while participating in engaging workshops and hearing from leaders on successes and challenges of women and gender-diverse folks in business.
Together, we strive to create a community of inclusivity that ultimately encourages all people to own their ambition, break down barriers, and unleash their superpowers.
The Wonder Women conference was started to empower those who have historically been denied equitable access to spaces and opportunities in the professional world. This most certainly includes those who identify outside of the gender binary. We have been working extensively with women and gender diverse folks over the years to make this event accessible, welcoming and applicable to everyone.
Our team is working hard to ensure there is representation, including gender-diverse folks, amongst our presenters and within the topics of discussion.
We are working towards a more inclusive and equitable event, and we always welcome input and feedback from our members and community. Please let us know if you have any suggestions on how we can improve this event.
Let's lift each other up! All superheroes welcome- regardless of gender!
Meet Our Superheroes
Keynote
Jenn Harper is not just a name in the beauty industry; she's a revolution. An award-winning social entrepreneur and international speaker, Jenn is the trailblazing founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics—a brand that has gracefully painted the ideals of sustainability and inclusion onto a global canvas. From its inception in 2015, Jenn has nurtured Cheekbone Beauty into a B. Corp Certified force, now gracing the shelves of Sephora Canada and 550 JC Penney locations across the USA.
Jenn's journey with Cheekbone began as a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand that took pride in its commitment to reducing environmental impact and supporting Indigenous communities. Her formidable leadership made sure Cheekbone stood out not only for its stunning products but also for its ethical backbone—it became a symphony of transparency, philanthropy, and support for women and youth. To date, over $250,000 have been donated to philanthropic causes, testament to Cheekbone's core values.
Jenn Harper stands as more than a CEO; she is a voice for entrepreneurship, exerting influence on topics that are reshaping the business landscape: social entrepreneurship, empathy, representation, inclusivity, and sustainability. Regularly sought after for her insights, Jenn weaves her narrative as both a woman and a representative of North America's Indigenous peoples, substantiating the importance of these values in today's business ecosystem.
The accolades accruing to Jenn's name bear the weight of her achievements. In 2022, she was listed among the 100 Women of Influence by Entrepreneur Magazine—a list graced by the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian. And importantly, in 2023, Jenn was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree from the Goodman School of Business at Brock University. This honorary degree recognized her unwavering dedication to community betterment and adamant endeavours in championing sustainability.
Jenn Harper, with Cheekbone Beauty, brings forth a narrative of passion, resilience, and authenticity. Her biography is not just about the ascent of a brand; it's the story of a vision brought to life, of barriers broken, and of a future envisioned where commerce and charity coalesce seamlessly, all painted with the strokes of an eco-friendly brush.
Breakout Session Speakers
Menna Riley, Founder of Leading Ladies Networking
Menna Riley is an executive networking coach and powerhouse community builder with a proven track record of events that connect, workshops that inspire and training that transforms and helps her audience convert conversations into invaluable connections.
Inspired by her vision to elevate the overall professional networking landscape and empower women in business, Menna has curated one of Nova Scotia’s most powerful communities in Leading Ladies Networking. Her signature events have helped over 5,000+ women build their careers, connections, and community since its inception in 2011.
She specializes in delivering dynamic networking events and training programs for associations, firms and individuals looking to sharpen their networking presence, performance and create connections that count.
Check out mennariley.com and learn more about The Networking Queen today!
Invest in Women Panel
Donna Harding, Real Estate Broker & Co-owner of Engel & Völkers
Donna is a visionary thinker who has a tremendous passion for people, community and real estate. Her quest for challenge led her on her journey, from Senior Naval Officer, in the Canadian Navy, to successful real estate Broker and co-owner of Engel & Völkers in Nova Scotia.
Donna’s love for real estate was a life-long one, her tenacity and thirst for professional knowledge, along with her client-care focus, earned her immediate success as she and her husband Sebastien grew the company from a “one-woman” team to a highly successful, and well-respected brokerage in only 4 years. In 2018, they opened the first Engel & Völkers franchise east of Quebec and in less than three years, they grew the brokerage to seven shops throughout the province.
Donna was inducted into Private Office with EV in 2019 and her energy thrives off the success of others so she has added teaching, coaching, and mentoring to her portfolio. Amongst her many qualifications, Donna holds the FRI designation and is a teacher with the National REIC faculty. She holds both a CIPS and SRES designations and currently is Chair of the Board for CUA, and Chair of Governance on the Halifax Chamber of Commerce board, and a Director on both the REIC National Board and Commissionaires of NS.
Donna's love of people also extends to the many charities she supports including Special Olympics, and A Home for Everyone. As a wife and mother of 2 boys, Donna enjoys spending quality time with her family whether on the boat or at the cottage and painting landscapes when time allows.
More Speakers Announced soon!
What past attendees have said:
"The Chamber of Commerce's Wonder Women Conference is one of the best events I have been a part of over my many years in the professional "scene" in Halifax. The content was fresh, the energy positive and inspiring, and the connections made and reinforced were genuine. I would highly encourage anyone with women in their workforce to SEND THEM to this conference." - Leah Rimmer - Partner, Boyneclarke
"Absolutely loved the day. So powerful to be in a room with 630+ amazing women+. Reallyappreciate the opportunity and will definitely attend again!" - 2023 Survey respondent
"I loved it - I'd go as far as to say life changing." - 2023 Survey respondent
"This has been the most valuable personal/professional development event I've attended in a long time. I can't wait to come back." - 2023 Survey respondent
Sponsorship Opportunities Available
Please contact Josh Creighton, Corporate Partnership Specialist to discuss
(902) 481-1229 or josh@halifaxchamber.com