Inclusive Workforces, Local Solutions
Building the future of women's workforce participation — one region at a time.
The GROW Women Leaders Summit 2026 brings together employers, policymakers, educators, and community leaders to move beyond conversations and into deployable workforce solutions.
This is not a traditional conference.
It is a workforce activation platform designed to help employers access skilled talent, strengthen retention, and increase women's participation across sectors.
📍 Hosted in Alberta. Designed for national impact.
Dress Code: Business Formal
What to Expect
A solutions-focused experience built around action, not panels alone.
Participants will engage with:
Employer-ready workforce models
Transitional employment and talent pipeline strategies
Women's leadership and retention frameworks
Place-based solutions addressing labour shortages
Policy-to-practice implementation tools
Job seekers will participate through structured career pathways, including:
Skills and readiness sessions aligned with employer needs
Exposure to real hiring pipelines and transitional employment opportunities
Mentorship and leadership development experiences
Connections to programs that move participants from learning to employment
Every session is designed to answer one core question: How do we increase women's workforce participation in ways that benefit employers, job seekers, and the economy?
Who Should Attend
This Summit is designed for decision-makers and implementers, including:
Employers and HR leaders facing hiring and retention challenges
Policymakers and government representatives
Workforce development and economic development leaders
Post-secondary institutions and training providers
Community organizations supporting employment pathways
Funders and partners investing in inclusive growth
This Summit is designed for those responsible for shaping workforce outcomes.
Participation for job seekers is structured through partner-led pathways connected to real employment opportunities.
Why This Summit Matters
Across Canada, women, particularly immigrant, Indigenous, and racialized women remain underrepresented, underemployed, or excluded from workforce opportunities, even as employers face persistent labour shortages.
The GROW Women Leaders Summit exists to close that gap.
This Summit focuses on what works locally and how it can be implemented immediately by employers, institutions, and governments seeking real outcomes, not theory.
2026 Theme
INCLUSIVE WORKFORCES, LOCAL SOLUTIONS
Inclusive hiring is not one-size-fits-all.
The Summit highlights how local workforce solutions, when designed intentionally, can produce national impact. Rather than focusing on best practices in isolation, the Summit showcases deployable models that reflect regional realities and employer needs.
Alberta serves as the host and flagship model — demonstrating how inclusive workforce solutions can be built, tested, and scaled.
The Nurture Empowerment Initiative™
From conversation to implementation.
The Summit concludes with a collective call to action through the Nurture Empowerment Initiative — Alberta's flagship model demonstrating how:
Paid transitional employment
Women-led social enterprise
Entrepreneurship pathways
Employer partnerships
can directly supply businesses with diverse, skilled, and work-ready talent.
Employers are invited to move beyond interest and into partnership — supporting pilots, placements, and scalable workforce solutions.
Employers: Why Participate?
Employers who engage with the Summit gain:
Access to vetted, work-ready talent pipelines
Practical tools to improve retention and workforce stability
Insight into inclusive practices that drive productivity and growth
Opportunities to partner with workforce initiatives that reduce hiring risk
This is an opportunity to be part of the solution — and to benefit from it.
Steering Committee
Guest Speakers
Agenda
For Partners and Sponsors
The GROW Women Leaders Summit offers partners and sponsors:
Visibility as leaders in workforce innovation
Direct access to employers, policymakers, and decision-makers
Alignment with measurable workforce and economic outcomes
Opportunities to support pilot projects and scalable models
Partnership is not transactional — it is strategic.
Our Collaborators
Coming Soon
Marketplace Exhibitors
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Outcomes You Can Expect
The Summit is designed to deliver measurable outcomes, including:
Employer commitments to inclusive hiring
Workforce partnership agreements
Expanded employment pathways for women
Policy and program alignment discussions
Increased adoption of transitional employment models
Post-Summit, outcomes are tracked and reported through the GROW Women Leaders ecosystem.
About GROW Women Leaders™
GROW Women Leaders™ is a national workforce development and economic inclusion platform focused on helping women — particularly immigrants, BIWOC, and underrepresented groups, access meaningful employment, leadership pathways, and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Through initiatives such as the Canadian Career Plus Program™, bridgeHIRE™, the Nurture Empowerment Initiative, and the GROW Women Leaders Summit, GROW designs integrated systems that connect talent to opportunity and inclusion to economic growth.
Join Us
The GROW Women Leaders Summit 2026 is where workforce challenges meet local solutions — and action begins.
Whether you attend, partner, or sponsor, your participation contributes to building inclusive workforces that work for everyone.
* Looking for support from your leader to attend the Grow Women Leaders Summit 2026®? Find our sample Letter to Leader here.
Venue
GROW Women Leaders Summit Gallery
Companies
Best Workplace for Diverse Women Award
Solutions
Direct Hire
Train to Hire
T4 Contractor
T4A Contractor
The Orange Hub Building
10045 156 St, NW
Edmonton, AB
T5P 2P7, Canada
(780) 306-0896
(844) 223-2987
© 2024 Grow Women Leaders. All Rights Reserved