WLI Toronto recently hosted an event to address the challenges faced by newcomers, especially women, in the city-building industry to find meaningful employment opportunities. The event aimed to provide support and connections to the newcomers in the network chain.

The event featured a panel discussion and rotating facilitated roundtables with newcomer professionals, employers, and educators. Basima Roshan, CFO of Evoco Ltd. and Management Consultant, moderated the event. At the same time, the panellists included Sabina Michael, Associate Director of the Intercultural Skills Lab at the University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management, Eman Sabour, Neighborhood Climate Action Champion Intern at the City of Toronto, and Jane Wilson, Project Manager of Equity and Diversity Initiatives at the Toronto Community Benefits Network.

The discussion focused on challenges, best practices, and opportunities for supporting newcomer professionals to find and succeed in meaningful employment, followed by rotating facilitated roundtables that brought together these professionals and members of the city-building industry to create meaningful opportunities for relationships and future collaboration. A diverse group of participants attended the event, and the discussion generated valuable insights and recommendations for addressing the challenges newcomers face in the city building industry.