Stories From Women Leaders Who Are Changing the World

At Workhaus, women are a driving force within our community of founders, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on a few of the women in the Workhaus community who inspire us every day. We are moved by the ways these women are shaping both the workforce and the future. They all reflected on the unique challenges of balancing leadership at both work and at home, all while emphasizing the importance of continuously pursuing your passion.

Jennifer Appleby: Advocating for Inclusion

Jennifer Appleby is an Executive Director for Best Buddies Canada,  a national nonprofit that provides friendship programs and leadership development opportunities for people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She has been passionately working with individuals with IDD since high school, serving as a Program Director for the Special Olympics along the way. In her work for the Special Olympics she oversaw volunteer development and program expansion across the country. After giving birth to twin daughters, both of whom have IDD, she enrolled them in the Best Buddies program. These experiences inspired her to pivot, dedicating her career into one that supports and advocates for people with IDD. You can read more about Jennifer in our recent member spotlight.

“I have a passion for people,” she told us. “My passion is to advocate for people with intellectual developmental disabilities because I have a personal connection, and so I made a career switch. I was working somewhere else before, but I made the switch because I felt passionately about this field.”

Advice for Aspiring Leaders: Follow Your Passion

Jennifer’s advice for women entering any field was: “Find something that you’re very passionate about and that you enjoy waking up in the morning and doing. Just go with what you’re passionate about and where you have an interest, because it’s where you spend most of your days.”

That advice aligns with the wisdom shared by Helena Ruken of Toronto AFC, who encouraged us to: “Find like-minded people, believe in yourself, navigate the ups and downs, and stay focused on a common goal. That’s really what we need to keep in mind. That’s how we get there. We might sometimes have differing views, but as long as we share the same common goal, we’re all pulling in the same direction.”

Helena Ruken: Pioneering Women’s Soccer in Canada

Helena Ruken is the CEO and founder of AFC Toronto, Toronto’s first professional women’s soccer club. She is also a founder of Northern Super League. NSL is the first ever professional women’s soccer league in Canada, and is set to launch it’s inaugural season in 2025. Helena plays a key role in both managing her own club and contributing to the overall direction of the NSL. You can read more about Helena in our spotlight on her and AFC Toronto.

Helen was inspired by her three children to get involved in soccer. She began as a team manager, then became a Director of a large not-for-profit youth club. She would eventually move into the role of President for that club. Helena held that role for three years before being recruited to lead Toronto’s first professional women’s club. Now, after two years in the making, AFC is preparing to host its inaugural game on Saturday, April 19th. Find the details in our list of events below.

Facing Challenges in Work and Life

When asked about challenges they’ve faced as women in the workplace, Helena and Jennifer shared their experiences of balancing leadership both at home and in their organizations.

“I think the biggest challenge has been to juggle my children’s schedules and appointments with a busy work schedule. Just staying super organized and planning ahead has been my success,” said Jennifer.

“Women still do a lot of work outside of the house and in the house as well,” said Helena. “There’s always the pull of meeting the kids’ needs and still continuing that work. I don’t think we have solved that very well yet as a society. I don’t really have a solution for that, but I think that’s a challenge. How do we overcome that? You know, I think we’ve just got to keep asking everybody else to also chip in.”

Takara Small: A Leading Voice in Canadian Technology

Last, but certainly not least, is the story of Takara Small, an award-winning journalist, reporter, podcast creator and host, non-profit founder, entrepreneur and public speaker. She has been named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women, a CSPN’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and is a fellow of both U.S. Young Leaders of America and Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

Breaking Down Barriers For Youth

Takara is the Founder of VentureKids, an award-winning non-profit launched in 2018. Venture Kids provides youth and students with mentorship, training, and tools to learn and succeed in STEM fields, design and entrepreneurship. In 2024 their skills training programs included courses on web development and entrepreneurship. They also offered an artificial intelligence program delivered in partnership with Northeastern University. Upcoming programs include design and product development. Student sign up is open now. For those that are interested in getting involved as a mentor, you can submit a volunteer application here.

Venture Kids offers a range of other programs designed to make it easier for students to succeed in their learning and mentorship programs. These include food support so no one has to learn on an empty stomach. They also offer tech support, so that lack of access to a laptop isn’t a barrier to learning. These additional support systems make sure their students can get the absolute most out of their programs. Additionally, Venture Kids is the driving force behind the incredible Wiki INspire campaign that works to raise awareness for women and people of color in STEM by creating Wikipedia pages for them. 

Shaping the Tech Conversation

As a journalist, Takara has written for major publications including the CBC, BBC, and the Globe and Mail, among others. She is the technology columnist for CBC’s Metro Morning, former contributing editor for Fortune magazine, and on-air technology expert for CTV ETalk. She hosted the podcasts “I’ll Go Now” for the Globe and Mail, “A Death in Crypto Land” for the CBC, and “What’s up with the internet?” for CIRA. Takara has also spoken at major business, technology and media conferences and events such as Elevate, Collision, Hot Docs, and the Canadian Academy of Cinema and TV. Her experience across platforms and topics in the technology space has established her as a leading voice in Canadian technology.

You can read more about Takara and her work with Venture Kids in our previous spotlight. For a look at her recent work, visit her portfolio.

Events & Initiatives Honouring Women 

This list of events and initiatives celebrates women’s achievements while offering valuable opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together. We invite you to explore these events and join us in championing women’s leadership.

AFC Toronto will host their Inaugural Home Match with the Northern Super League next month. AFC Toronto is Toronto’s first professional women’s soccer club and a founding member of Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league. This event takes place at BMO Field on Saturday, April 19th, starting at 4PM.

Toronto Small Business Enterprise Centre presents: The Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum 2025: Technology, Talent & Transformation. “In partnership with the Diversity Institute and the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH), the City of Toronto’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum (WEF) is a dynamic, in-person event designed to inspire, educate, and connect women entrepreneurs at all stages of their business journey. This interactive forum offers a unique opportunity to enhance entrepreneurial skills, share valuable experiences, and build meaningful connections in a supportive and empowering environment.” This event takes place at Toronto City Hall on Wednesday, June 18, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Do you know an inspiring and entrepreneurial woman? “The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the country’s leading women entrepreneurs. The awards are an initiative of Women of Influence+, an award-winning global organization dedicated to advancing women.” Nominations for the 2025 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards are now open. The awards will be held on Friday, November 14th, 2025.

Celebrate Women’s Leadership

These are only a few of the powerful and inspiring women who make our community what it is. They are also changing the world, making valuable and lasting impacts on their communities and ours. We encourage you to celebrate the women in your own life as we all work toward a more equitable future.