Career Services hosts second Women in Work Conference March 6-8

Building on the success of last year's inaugural conference, Women in Work 2018 will take place from March 6 to 8. This year's theme, Disrupting the Status Quo, will be explored through the lens of entrepreneurialism, technology, Indigenous connection, and mental health.

"Career Services is keen to explore new ways of connecting students with a wide range of employers, and last year’s conference had great success in doing this," says Nora Molina, manager of career services. "This year, we deliberately built an even broader agenda to appeal to our diverse student population and we’re excited to announce that our 2018 keynote speaker is beer baroness Manjit Minhas."

Minhas is co-founder and CEO of Minhas Breweries, Distillery and Winery, a company she founded at the age of 19 with her brother, Ravinder Minhas. A former engineering student turned entrepreneur, Minhas is now in her second season as a Dragon on the popular CBC program Dragon’s Den. 

With her experience starting and expanding Minhas Breweries to the U.S. and 15 other countries in Europe, Asia and South America, Minhas knows what it takes to succeed in business. As a keynote speaker, she frequently shares the secrets of her success with students as well as aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned businesspeople.

For every Women In Work event that students attend, they will be entered into a draw to win lunch with Minhas.

"We hope to attract a more diverse student group to this year's conference, and based on our feedback from last year, each event has been designed to appeal to people from all genders," says Lauren Remple, conference leader and employer relations specialist for Career Services.

Workshops such as Exploring Creativity in Entrepreneurial Thinking, and Taking the Leap (Even When it’s Scary), will investigate what it means to be innovative and confident in your ability to follow your passions.

Panel discussions, such as Meet the Leaders and Meet the CEOs, will give students the opportunity to receive advice from people at the top of their fields. Daily breakfast roundtables will touch on topics like equity-focused leadership and the power of authenticity.

Closing out Women in Work 2018 will be a TED-style event featuring five people who are disrupting the status quo in their fields of work.

"Through storytelling, we hope to inspire attendees to follow their passions and make true change in their workplaces and communities," says Remple. 

Attendance for Women in Work is free for all University of Calgary students and staff. Check out the full conference schedule and registration details.