Born to Lead Youth Conference

Women often accommodate others before they focus on their own career development. The Women in Leadership and Business Conference (WILB) focused on great reasons why women should not hold back in the workplace and build a strong personal brand.

On November 23, University of Calgary students attended the Born to Lead Youth Leadership Conference (B2L) held at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary. Delegates listened to inspiring women leaders and participated in a series of actionable workshops. B2L is a leadership and entrepreneurship focused conference devoted to aiding young women from 16 to 30 years old in their early career development and journey. It runs concurrently with the WILB, a two-day national conference designed for women proactively seeking opportunities in personal and professional growth.

Christine Leung, an accounting student in her final semester, was one of the 29 students who attended the B2L conference. Passionate about helping others, Leung attended the conference with the intention of gaining an understanding of her leadership style to better serve those around her.

“A lot of the time, women feel like they have to sacrifice either having a family or having a career over the other,” said Leung of the value in attending conferences specifically for women. “As they are often wearing many different hats at the same time, it is important for women to make time for reflection and re-evaluation of their priorities.”

Leung observed that none of the speakers’ paths to success were laid out for them. Rather, it was taking the time to reflect and learn from their experiences that contributed to where they stand today.

“We need to sometimes take the time and look back on the things that have happened in our lives and, moving forward, reflect on how our goals have changed,” said Leung. “I think the conference definitely created that opportunity for a lot of women.”

The B2L opportunity was made possible by the Graduate and Undergraduate Program Offices, the Haskayne Alumni Office and the Canadian Centre for Advanced Leadership in Business.