Explore Canada’s 50 Most Inspiring Women in STEM

May 9, 2018

With huge pushes for diversity and equality in STEM fields, people often overlook or forget about the trailblazers who have brought those conversations to the forefront.

Inspiring Fifty is here to recognize those leaders with their first-ever Canadian edition of the 50 most inspiring women in STEM. The list is created in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Canada along with support from the Senate of Canada.

“Canada has an amazing tech ecosystem, but whether it’s startups or enterprises, the industry lags behind when it comes to supporting women, especially in leadership roles,” said Ria Lupton, project lead of Inspiring Fifty Canada.

A list like this helps show the women who have been instrumental in shaping the face of STEM in the country, whether it be through leading tech companies, spearheading massive change in enterprise organizations, or bringing light to the diversity issues so often found in the STEM fields.

The list is far too deep to list here in its complete form, so definitely go check it out and explore some of the most inspirational women in the scene. A few highlights include the head of Borealis AI Foteini Agrafioti; Ratehub CEO Alyssa Furtado; the head of Facebook’s Montreal AI lab Joelle Pineau; and Venture Out co-founder Jeanette Stock.

Techvibes caught up with TribalScale’s president and CRO (and Inspiring Fifty member) Kirstine Stewart last week to chat a bit about diversity in STEM.

“We still have far to go when it comes to the proper representation and diversity in general in tech but I like that it’s a conversation now that people are pushing forward,” said Stewart. “Diversity happens in all kinds of formats, and people, companies and ideas only benefit from having those diverse perspectives of what will ultimately become your user base.”

Inspiring Fifty is a Netherlands-based organization that looks to highlight women who are role models in STEM fields across the world. Thier lists have spaned South Africa, Europe, Netherlands, and now Canada.