Manjit Minhas, Canadian entrepreneur, Dragon’s Den judge, and venture capitalist will be the keynote speaker of TOGETHER: Women of Inspiration Celebration on Saturday, March 18, 2023 at Shell Place.

“I’m thrilled to be chosen as this year’s Women of Inspiration Celebration keynote speaker. I firmly believe in the mission of Girls Inc., to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. There can be no doubt that growing up to be a confident and strong woman paved the way for my current and future successes. I’m elated to have the opportunity to come up to Fort McMurray and speak with all of you,” said Minhas.

Each year five remarkable women are inducted into the Series, who have empowered girls and women by breaking barriers and taking positive risks. This year’s event will be presented by Bouchier with a hybrid offering of both virtual and in-person components.

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“These are women who are role models, inspiration, and icons; and two of them are in their early 20s demonstrating to our girls that success can be achieved at a young age if you have the ambition to strive for it. This year we will be featuring girls-led entertainment, curated specially by our girls for our guests. For the first time, we will also have the Champion of Girls and Women Award, which will recognize men and non-binary folks who drive change and advocate for women’s and girls’ rights and opportunities,” explains Sundas Shamshad, who joined Girls Inc as Interim Executive Director in July of 2022.

Speaking on inviting Minhas to be their keynote, she adds:

“We approached Manjit Minhas to be our headliner because we felt she represents what our girls strive to be. As a successful woman of colour from Alberta, we believe she is a role model for not only the girls we serve, but women of all ages. She started her company at the age of 19, which is a testament of taking positive risk and not letting your fears hold you back in accomplishing your dreams. Being the owner of the ninth largest group of breweries and youngest owner at the time, her perseverance and drive have been an inspiration to girls and young women,” continued Shamshad.

“Demonstrating success in a male-dominated industry, she shows our girls that you can be successful despite struggles, if you persevere and work hard to accomplish your goals. She is a philanthropist and knows the importance of free education and programs as she funds a free, all-girls engineering school, which propels girls to be masters of their own destiny through education in STEM.”

TOGETHER: Women of Inspiration Celebration 2023 will kick off on International Women’s Day (Wednesday, March 8, 2023) with youth-focused programming, shared with students across the region. In-person guests will enjoy a series of delicious meals, beverages, auctions and various activities, and guests participating virtually will share the moment via at-home celebration kits. The evening will wrap up with more local entertainment and an after-party.

Early bird pricing will end on January 15, 2023.Tickets can be purchased via:

https://girlsincofnorthernalberta.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/TOGETHERWomenofInspirationCelebration2023/tabid/1335811/Default.aspx