Join us on February 28th, 2025, for "An Evening to EmpowHER", as we come together to celebrate International Women's Day. This year's theme focuses on empowerment: sparking connections, meaningful conversations, and lasting memories all set in a vibrant evening hosted at Acadia University. Accompanied by hors d'oeuvres and local wines, the evening will highlight women at every stage of their professional journey. The program will feature addresses from current AWIBS executive members and alumni, followed by a dynamic panel discussion featuring accomplished women from unique fields. These incredible women will share their experiences, insights, and lessons learned, offering empowering perspectives to inspire and uplift all in attendance.

Ticket prices vary; purchase them here.

Panelists:

Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo, Moderator

Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo is the Provost and Vice-President Academic at Acadia University. Before coming to Acadia, Ashlee was the Founding Vice-Provost of the Labrador Campus and the Founding Dean of the School of the Arctic and Subarctic Studies at Memorial University, where she spent 8 years working with Indigenous communities, all levels of government, and university leadership to design and launch a new Indigenous-led campus and academic programming. As a leader, Ashlee focuses on institution building, Indigenization and EDI-AR, equity and justice in post-secondary spaces, and working together to create meaningful change for students, staff, and faculty. She is internationally renowned for her ground-breaking work on climate change and mental health and ecological grief and anxiety, is a former Canada Research Chair (Tier 2), and a Member Emeritus of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Artists, Scholars, and Scientists.

Jo Napier, Panelist

Jo Napier is the artist-producer of The Great Women Portrait Project - an initiative, now entering its third year, that uses art to reveal the female face of history and STEM innovation. Her Great Women portraits hang in boardrooms and offices of companies such as Lockheed Martin Canada, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals and RBC Dominion Securities - as well as universities, hospitals and medical schools. Jo is the author of Technology With Curves: Women Reshaping the Digital Landscape Harper Collins, and a former journalist, and national columnist for Globe and Mail, who has developed documentaries for PBS, the National Film Board and Discovery Channel. When Julia was young, she started painting portraits for her daughter to show her the faces and stories of the ‘great women’ of Nova Scotia.

Doanya Gholami, Panelist

An entrepreneur and creative leader who believes in the power of storytelling to bring communities to life. As the founder of Doanya, a Canadian-made fashion label, and co-founder of nüülee, a luxury cashmere brand based in New York, I focus on creating bold, meaningful designs, concepts and brands that inspire connection. With a background in marketing from Acadia University and fashion studies at JCI Institute in Vancouver, my journey has included roles such as Instructor in the Fashion Business & Creative Arts program at JCI Institute, People Events & Recognition at Aritzia, Marketing Consultant, and stylist for clients such as Sophia Bush and Mary J. Blige and collaborations with publications such as Glamour and Teen Vogue. I’m dedicated to building brands and sharing stories through creative mediums that celebrate individuality, sustainability, and craftsmanship.

Dr. Shannon Murphy, Panelist

I am a hematologist and assistant professor at Dalhousie University/Nova Scotia Health. Before joining the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Oncology at Dal, I completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology at Acadia University and a Master of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University. I did my medicine and hematology training at Dalhousie University and subsequently pursued a clinical fellowship in lymphoma at the BC Cancer Centre for Lymphoid Cancer in Vancouver. My practice focuses on clinical management of lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. I co-chair our Tumor Site Group for Hematology and sit on the NS Health/Cancer Care Program subcommittee on Oncology Therapy. I have a keen interest in clinical trials research. I am the Nova Scotia representative for the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) and member of the CCTG Lymphoma and CLL Working Groups, which seek to promote investigator-driven research to improve outcomes for patients with lymphoproliferative disorders in Canada.