Host Kailey Armstrong talks all about advocacy, specifically skills advocacy, with Andrea Cox, manager of Government Relations at YW Calgary. How do we stand up for ourselves and use our voices effectively? Andrea defines advocacy in this context as “helping people find their voice,” which can translate into women finding how to convey what they need from any audience member. Andrea has a wealth of experience in this area, and she shares key pieces of advice and guidance from her own journey and what she’s observed along the way. 

One of the ways in which women are faced with everyday advocacy is in salary negotiation or work benefits discussions. In negotiating, we all have priorities, and one of the things Andrea points to is learning to decide what lands in the Venn diagram of our interests and organizational interests. Andrea and Kailey discuss the language that has the most impact in advocacy, the power of narrowing down our messaging into a one-minute pitch, and having a solution prepared in advance so the audience member has something to say yes to. Andrea shares personal success stories, highlights how we can use our voices to advocate for others, and explains the need for us to believe in our own messaging to avoid sowing doubt in our audience's minds. 

About Andrea Cox:

Andrea Cox is responsible for furthering cooperative and collaborative relationships between YW Calgary and government partners at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. She represents YW Calgary’s interests when working on joint advocacy with other non-profit organizations with aligned goals. 

Andrea has over 8 years of advocacy, policy, and government relations experience, having worked in progressively senior roles within the Government of Alberta focused on intergovernmental and international relations. Prior to working with YW Calgary, Andrea was Manager of Federal and State Relations in the Government of Alberta’s office in Washington, DC, where she built extensive networks with government, private and non-profit stakeholders to advance Alberta’s trade interests with the United States. 

Andrea holds a Master of Global Affairs from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University, majoring in Political Science. Andrea is passionate about utilizing her skill set to advocate for policies and projects that further gender equity.

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Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]
  
  

Contact Andrea Cox | YW Calgary: 

• Website: ywcalgary.ca
• LinkedIn: Andrea-Cox-4a1b0358
  
  

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Naomi Brown, Senior Talent Manager at Neo Financial, to the show for a discussion on the tech sector and Naomi’s experiences within it. Naomi shares that one of the greatest things about working in tech is constantly learning because technology itself is always evolving and changing. She and Kailey talk about what to do if someone is interested in getting into tech, either a startup or an established firm, the differences in pacing between different tech sectors, and the agility needed to forge successful careers. The opportunities are wide open, but it also takes an open-minded approach to succeed in the tech world. 

Naomi speaks about the necessity of being able to accept feedback without taking it personally. She says to consider feedback like market research; it’s information that lets us view setbacks as opportunities to fuel solutions. Working in tech has expanded her confidence greatly, and Naomi shares her personal story of navigating changing careers while raising a child alone. She says taking action on decisions is key, regardless of the outcome, because the longer we wait to act, the harder the decision becomes. Naomi weaves personal advice and experience into practical insight on the tech sector for an enlightening look at potential tech careers and what’s needed to succeed.

About Naomi Brown, CPHR:

Naomi Brown is an accomplished HR leader with nearly 15 years of experience driving people and culture strategies at Suncor, and most recently scaling high-growth teams in Canada’s leading tech companies, including Shopify and Neo Financial. Her work focuses on building strong organizational foundations while helping individuals thrive in fast-paced environments.

Beyond her corporate career, Naomi has served on the boards of Girls Inc. and Waypoints, where she champions equity, empowerment, and efforts to break the cycle of domestic violence. A passionate advocate for designing life with intention, she believes our careers are catalysts for freedom, fulfillment, and, most importantly, greater choice.

Whether she’s exploring new destinations, planning her next bold move, or proudly cheering her daughter on at rugby games, Naomi is committed to living big—and helping others do the same.

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Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]

Contact Naomi Brown, CPHR | Neo Financial: 

• LinkedIn: NaomiBrown2
  
  

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Suzanne Ebelher, Principal and Managing Director of Mission Ignite Consulting and Senior Business Advisor at YW Calgary, to the podcast to discuss entrepreneurship. Suzanne has launched many businesses throughout her career journey, including a franchise consulting business, and her expertise is shared through workshops like ‘Vision to Venture’ at YW Calgary. She talks with Kailey about the realities of building a business and what is needed to become an entrepreneur. 

Falling in love with a problem is a strength that makes for a good entrepreneur, in Suzanne’s experience. Rather than simply trying to fit their idea into a market, a good entrepreneur is open to listening and getting excited by finding problems they can solve. Suzanne and Kailey explore why innovation is important, how women entrepreneurs differ in the business market, and how to face the challenge of impostor syndrome. Women are most likely to be hardest on themselves right out of the gate, and having a community of collaborators and fellow entrepreneurs can greatly assist in achieving a kind of balance in entrepreneurship. What Suzanne offers and what YW Calgary provides is that community, and they foster partnerships between women entrepreneurs who can help each other succeed. Suzanne’s insight is both practical and powerful, offering actionable advice and internal reflections for any entrepreneur to consider. 

About Suzanne Ebelher, CMC, CPHR, MBA:

Suzanne Ebelher, CMC, CHRP, MBA, is the Principal and Managing Director of Mission Ignite Consulting. Suzanne has over 20 years of experience assisting clients on a variety of consulting topics such as business process improvement, strategic planning, change management, business planning, focus group facilitation, project management, compensation reviews, HR policy & organizational effectiveness and customized training programs. She has worked closely with various stakeholder groups, facilitating community engagement discussions.

Suzanne works collaboratively with her clients to help facilitate decision making and business improvements by providing the necessary support documentation, policies, processes, tools and plans in order to achieve their desired goals and vision of success. She has worked with Indigenous communities, provincial departments, unionized organizations, large private corporations, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations, assisting them all with meeting various needs.

​Suzanne brings knowledge from her MBA specializing in Executive Management, her Bachelor of Arts degree, her Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation, Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP), IAP2 certification, designation and certificates in E-Learning and Adult education. Suzanne is also certified in Prosci® Change Management, Strategic Doing, has an Executive Compensation Certificate and several courses towards her CCP designation.

Suzanne also serves as the Senior Business Advisor at YW Calgary.

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Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]
  
  

Contact Suzanne Ebelher | YW Calgary | Mission Ignite Management Consulting Inc.: 

• Website: MissionIgnite.ca
• LinkedIn: Suzanne Ebelher
  
  

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Lauren Hutchison, the YW Calgary leader of women’s economic prosperity, to the podcast to talk about wellness in finance. Lauren explains that her view of financial wellness is embodying pieces of our financial stories that allow us to live our lives fully balanced. She highlights the difference in financial engagement and empowerment for women, which can be different from their partners, and is a focus of her work and the conversation between her and Kailey. How can people get excited about learning to be confident in navigating decisions about their own finances? 

Lauren shares that the new program on financial futures that YW Calgary recently launched helped her continue learning even as she facilitated the programs. There can be a sense that finances are not entirely our own when we have a partner and a child. Learning confidence in decision-making while managing household finances is a key part of education. By inspiring curiosity instead of anxiety when it comes to financial literacy, Lauren hopes to shift the narrative away from negative stories that influence decision-making in misaligned ways. She and Kailey discuss stories shared by program participants, the types of actions that can influence positive change in financial wellness, and how to make decisions that authentically align with our future goals.

About Lauren Hutchison:

Lauren is the Supervisor of Women’s Economic Prosperity for YW Calgary. She is a passionate and motivated individual who supports resiliency and leadership in communities through education, opportunity, and engagement.

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Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]
  
  

Contact Lauren Hutchison | YW Calgary: 

• Website: ywcalgary.ca
• LinkedIn: Lauren-Hutchison-9580ba93
  
  

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Jessica Vandenberghe, Assistant Dean of Community and Culture at the University of Victoria and Founder of Guiding Star Consulting, to YWAIT | Women Advancing Ideas Together. Kailey and Jessica discuss Jessica’s journey through STEM education, obtaining her Masters in Engineering, her First Nations heritage, and why she founded Guiding Star Consulting. Jessica highlights the need for female STEM role models for children and why diverse voices are key to fostering collective understanding and facilitating Truth and Reconciliation. 

Jessica is First Nations from the Danita First Nation in Treaty Eight territory, and her background story includes a sense of self-motivation learned from her parents, and why she chose a STEM career over a more creative pursuit. She speaks about why diversity, equity, and inclusion are not simply about reducing barriers, but need to focus on building the supportive and safe environment needed for people to thrive. Jessica’s career journey was fundamental in leading her to establish Guiding Star Consulting. She shares with Kailey how she was shaped by her experiences and the STEM mentorship and parenting inspirations she now passes to her own children. The conversation is eye-opening and insightful, highlighting Jessica’s profound understanding of what is needed to foster greater DEI and support Truth and Reconciliation.

About Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng. FEC FGC (Hon) FCAE:

Jessica Vandenberghe, P.Eng., FEC, FCAE has worked in oilsands, infrastructure, mining, regulatory, and a variety of other industries. She has built her experience off the Bachelors and Masters Engineering degrees from the University of Alberta. Jessica has strength in project management, people leadership and business strategy with a compassionate, authentic approach and makes decisions through a risk-based lens.

As a mother and an Indigenous female engineer, she is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion along with Truth and Reconciliation. She serves on a variety of Boards and Councils and you can find her doing volunteer outreach work with students in her spare time along with co-hosting the Podcast called Unsettled: Journeys in Truth and Conciliation.

She is excited to be part of the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Victoria, serving as the Assistant Dean, Community and Culture.

Her consultancy firm, Guiding Star Consulting, serves Indigenous Communities and those who wish to contribute Reconciliation in a good way. She also delivers workshops, keynotes, strategies / business planning, environmental scans, and engagement on equity, diversity and inclusion. She brings her lived experience to work on governance, policy, development and facilitation of human centred learning, strategic and business planning and Reconciliation implementation to her clients.

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Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]
  
  

Contact Jessica Vandenberghe | Guiding Star Consulting: 

• Website: linkedin.com/company/guiding-star-consulting
• Linkedin: jessica-vandenberghe-p-eng-alberta
  
  

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes you to YWAIT: Women Advancing Ideas Together, a podcast featuring interviews designed to inspire action. The bold discussions with leaders, changemakers, and strong women will be centred around entrepreneurship, economic wellness, and professional growth, aiming to create change. Join the conversation on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform and be part of the movement toward a future of possibilities. Why wait?  

Contact Kailey Armstrong | YW Calgary: 

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• Email: [email protected]