DMZ’s Women of the Year: 2025
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of celebrating brilliant women shaping the future of tech and business in Canada, and this year is no different. The impact of these outstanding women is undeniable, and their ambition is unstoppable. In honour of International Women’s Day, we're proud to recognize the trailblazers, innovators, and changemakers who are redefining what’s possible.
With nominations from coast to coast, this year’s Women of the Year award highlights an exceptional group of leaders who are driving meaningful change. Whether they’re leading game-changing startups, driving innovation at the highest levels of industry, or championing impact-driven initiatives, these women are setting new standards of excellence and inspiring the next wave of talent.
A huge congratulations to all the nominees and recipients for their achievements!
We’d also like to extend our thanks to the Women Innovation Summit Steering Committee for their crucial role in shaping this process. Their commitment to ensuring a fair, inclusive, and diverse review is central to the integrity of the Summit.
Bobbie Racette, Founder & CEO, Virtual Gurus
2SLGBTQIA+ Métis-Cree entrepreneur Bobbie Racette is transforming tech and innovation. As the founder of Virtual Gurus, she’s pioneering a more inclusive digital landscape, driving equitable opportunities for marginalized communities through thoughtful tech and generative AI. Bobbie’s visionary leadership not only propels her business but also inspires others to champion inclusivity and break barriers in the tech industry.
Emmanuelle Coppinger, Managing Director, Front Row Ventures
Emmanuelle is the Managing Partner of Front Row Ventures (FRV), Canada’s leading student-operated and university-focused VC firm. Under her leadership, FRV closed an oversubscribed $5.5M fund, the largest of its kind in Canada. A mentor and community builder, she cofounded Women in AI Canada and helped launch NextAI Montreal. Previously, she founded a travel brand and a nonprofit. She holds an MBA from ESSEC (France), has a background in audit and investment banking, and is a proud mom of three.
Kayla Isabelle, CEO, Startup Canada
Kayla Isabelle is the award winning Chief Executive Officer at Startup Canada, the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Startup Canada's mission is to connect Canada’s entrepreneurs with the tools, community, and support they need to start and build their businesses.
Lisa Zarzeczny, Co-Founder & CEO, Elevate
Lisa is the Co-Founder and CEO of Elevate, a not for profit that unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation across Canada's tech ecosystem. Lisa was pivotal in launching Elevate Festival which has hosted over 80,000 attendees since 2017 and welcomed speakers including Michelle Obama, Al Gore, Eric Schmidt, Martha Stewart, and many more. Previously, Lisa oversaw marquee events at MaRS Discovery District. She graduated from McGill University with a B.A Honours in Political Science.
Melisa Ellis, Founder & CEO, Nobellum
Melisa Ellis is a technology professional, community leader, and the Founder & CEO of Nobellum, a female-led social and technology enterprise with a mandate to support the startup of at least 100 Black-owned businesses in STEM by 2025. As a proud alumnus of the University of Toronto Scarborough, Melisa joined forces with her home campus to launch an endowment fund to provide access to capital to fund and train Black Innovators to develop sustainable businesses.
Noura Sakkijha, CEO & Co-Founder, Mejuri
Born in Jordan, Noura Sakkijha (Co-Founder and CEO of Mejuri) is the third generation in a family of jewelers, exposing her to the production techniques and the complexity of fine jewelry design at an early age. While she loved fine jewelry, the traditional aspect of men purchasing for women didn’t resonate with her. She chose to pursue another passion, and studied industrial engineering at the University of Jordan. This led her to immigrate to Canada to receive her MBA at Toronto Metropolitan University, and work in consulting at one of the top financial institutions in Toronto. Though she loved her job, fine jewelry was always on her mind. In 2015, Noura made the decision to leverage her learnings from the industry and her deep understanding of supply chain to create Mejuri, a fine jewelry brand that has redefined the way individuals think of and purchase fine jewelry—for themselves.
To date, the brand has amassed 2M customers and 35+ stores across North America and the United Kingdom. Since inception, Noura has built a global brand on the foundational principles of empowerment, inclusivity and innovation, while working towards making a positive impact in our communities, the industry, and the world. One of her proudest accomplishments is creating the Mejuri Empowerment Fund in 2020, which has allocated almost a million dollars in scholarships and bursaries to underrepresented women and non-binary individuals so they can have the tools and resources to succeed.
Rachel Bartholomew, Founder, Hyivy Health and Femtech Canada
Rachel Bartholomew is a 2 time entrepreneur who is now working on her second company, Hyivy Health, created after her recent fight with cervical cancer. Hyivy Health is creating a pelvic rehabilitation device for the 1 in 3 women worldwide who will experience a pelvic health complication in their lifetime. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and founder of Femtech Canada and Femtech Across Borders.
Sarah Stockdale, Founder and CEO, Growclass
Sarah Stockdale is the Founder of Growclass, an award-winning Growth Marketing Certification and community of Founders and Marketers. Prior to Growclass, Sarah helped lead growth teams for Tilt (acq by Airbnb) and Wave (acq by H&R Block). Sarah is also the Host of The Growth Effect, a Globe and Mail podcast, and the author of the popular millennial newsletter We Need To Talk About This.
Serena Nguyen, CEO & Founder, Evolve Advisory Services
Serena Nguyen is Founder of Evolve Oceans & Co-Founder of The Undertow, driving innovation for ocean health through sustainability, technology, & inclusion. As Founding ED of CILAR, she scaled a national coalition into an Inclusive-Innovation-as-a-Service platform, securing millions to support diverse youth, entrepreneurs, & leaders. A 2020 Emerging Leader Awardee, speaker, & with +10 years in tech, she serves on multiple boards to shape the future of Canada's innovation & climate economies.
Snita Balsara, Principal, BDC
I am a Principal with BDC's Sustainability Venture Fund. It’s amazing to work with passionate entrepreneurs, alongside investors and an ecosystem focused on scaling Canadian Start-Ups. I joined BDC's Sustainability Venture Fund in 2022, and was drawn by the fund's thesis to focus on early stage companies whose mission is to solve the world's most pressing sustainability challenges that will bring meaningful change and help to build more resilient economies.
