This project is special initiative created by Jess Sinclair and Alessia Di Biase, this year’s Directors of Marketing and Internal at Women in Leadership Laurier. At WILL, we believe that leadership and empowerment take many forms.

To showcase the lasting impact of WILL, we connected with four incredible alumni to hear about their career journeys, lessons learned, and what empowerHER truly means to them. A heartfelt thank you to Nadia Shivratan, Chloe Brown, Cassidy Huang, and Olivia Lewis for your time in sharing your stories and insights. Your words inspire the next generation of leaders and remind us of the strength that comes from community, confidence, and lifting each other up. We’re so proud to share these stories and hope they empower you as much as they’ve empowered us.​

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From Laurier to Leadership: Where Are They Now?

For many, WILL was the stepping stone to incredible career paths. Nadia Shivratan, now a Commercial Real Estate lawyer, credits her time at WILL for strengthening her communication and networking skills, which proved invaluable in the corporate world. Olivia Lewis, who started in advertising project management, built the confidence to work on large-scale campaigns for brands like Audi and Rexall. Others, like Cassidy, have taken on exciting roles in sports and tech, from working with the Vancouver Canucks to consulting at IBM.

Each alum’s journey is unique, proving that success doesn’t follow a straight path. Chloe Brown, now an Associate Marketing Manager at Pepsi, worked across different industries—from banking at Scotiabank to consulting at BCG—before landing in brand marketing. She reflects, “Your career isn’t always linear. The skills you build along the way shape your future in ways you might not expect.”

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Lessons from WILL: Confidence, Leadership & Networking

One of the biggest takeaways from WILL? Confidence. Olivia recalls how stepping into leadership roles gave her the courage to engage with professionals, saying, “Being VP of Corporate meant working directly with executives, which helped me develop the confidence to network in a professional setting.”

For Cassidy, working on events within WILL mirrored her current job in tech and sports. “It taught me how to collaborate across different teams, which is something I do every day in my career,” she shares.

Beyond confidence, relationship-building is a key lesson. Chloe highlights how managing sponsorships and funding for WILL’s large-scale events gave her critical experience in maintaining business relationships—an essential skill in her marketing career today.

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Memorable Moments: The Events That Inspired a Generation

From speaker panels to mentorship programs, the experiences within WILL left a lasting impact. Chloe recalls an inspiring Laurier alumni panel, where professionals shared how they balanced career growth, motherhood, and personal fulfillment. “It showed me that leadership takes many forms and that success is defined differently for everyone,” she says.

For Cassidy, one standout moment was a collaboration with Western’s WILL team, which allowed her to work with diverse leaders and expand her network beyond Laurier. Olivia, as WILL President, led a flagship year-end event, bringing in top industry speakers—an experience that solidified her leadership skills

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What Does EmpowerHER Mean?

At its core, empowerHER is about uplifting women and fostering confidence in every space—whether at school, work, or in life. Olivia sees it as “giving women the skills to be confident in the workforce and embrace who they want to be.” Cassidy, reflecting on her career in the male-dominated sports industry, shares, “Seeing women who looked like me succeed in sports was empowering—it showed me what was possible.”

For Chloe, empowerment goes beyond work—it’s about supporting and advocating for women in all areas of life. “Speak highly of women, even when they’re not in the room. That’s true empowerment.”