STEM Women Congress Montreal 2025

STEM WOMEN CONGRESS celebrated its second edition in Montreal to boost gender equality in STEM

The second edition of the STEM WOMEN CONGRESS Montreal took place on September 26, 2025, at the ServiceNow Offices in Montreal, bringing together more than 100 participants committed to advancing gender equality and boosting female talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Hosted by Hakima Zara Yahi, PhD, MBA, President of the Canada Chapter of the STEM Women Association and Founder & CEO of Global Science Transfer, the event provided a space for dialogue, inspiration, and networking among leaders from the corporate, academic, and institutional sectors.

A day of knowledge and inspiration

The congress began with welcoming remarks from Marie-Ève Marchand (ServiceNow), Eva Díaz (CEO & Founder of Global STEM Women and STEM Women Congress), and Magda Popeanu (Ville de Montréal), setting the tone for a day focused on collaboration and impact.

The STEM Women Annual Report – Canada was presented by Susanna Cabos, Victoria G. Torp, and Julia Kingston, highlighting national initiatives that aim to close the gender gap in STEM.

Another key moment was the presentation of the STEM Women Commitment, with contributions from professionals such as Geneviève Abbott, Ana Palacio, Andrée-Ann Lemieux, Anne Nguyen, Cybèle Robichaud, Hanna Abdel Hamid, Johanne Bohn, Kadidia Haïdara, and many others. Their testimonies reflected how institutions and individuals are working to create inclusive ecosystems and attract more women into STEM fields.

The agenda featured outstanding talks, such as Marie-Eve Laplante on her career journey in IT and Marina Sánchez presenting a breakthrough innovation: a bra capable of detecting cancer.

Panels fostering dialogue

Interactive panels gave voice to diverse perspectives:

  • Olympes de la Parole Canada, showcasing student-led research on the barriers and opportunities for immigrant women in STEM and the role of early education in shaping STEM paths.

  • “From Impostor to Impact: Thriving Authentically in STEM”, moderated by Nancy De Santis, addressed  strategies for authentic leadership.

  • Engaging Women in Cybersecurity, hosted by Delphine Avomo Evouna, gathered experts from CIRA, KPMG, RBC, and GIRO to discuss strategies to close the cybersecurity gender gap.

Additionally, Joan Ofulue (Deloitte Canada) inspired the audience with insights on thriving in the AI era.

Strengthening the STEM Women global network

The Montreal edition reaffirmed Canada’s role in the global expansion of the STEM WOMEN CONGRESS. Since its creation in Barcelona in 2019, the SWC has become a reference point for diversity and inclusion in STEM, now celebrated in cities such as Madrid, Lisbon, Milan, Montreal, São Paulo, Toronto, Cartagena, and Medellín.

Check out some of our best photos. To see them all, visit our Flickr account.

We thank everyone who participated in this event, and we invite each of the initiatives, ambassadors, speakers, and women in STEM to join this movement, this reality.

This is just the beginning, we’re going for more…

Olympes de la Parole Canada

Host:
Hakima Zara Yahi, PhD, MBA, President Canada Chapter of the STEM Women Association and Founder and CEO of Global Science Transfer

8:30 h  OPENING DOORS AND IDENTIFICATIONS

9:00 h WELCOME WORDS
Marie-Ève Marchand, Manager of Research Enablement IA at Servicenow
Eva Diaz, CEO & Founder of Global STEM Women and STEM Women Congress
Magda Popeanu, Responsable de la Performance organisationnelle, de la participation organisationnelle et de la démocratie de la Ville de Montréal

9:20 h The STEM Women Annual Report – Canada
Susanna Cabos, Global President of Data Management at STEM Women Association & Director of Quality and Customer Satisfaction at Schneider Electric
Victoria G. Torp, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and Founder and Community Leader of WIIT Hub
Julia Kingston, Junior Program Officer at Canada Border Services Agency

9:35 h The STEM Women Commitment
Geneviève Abbott, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and Executive Director at Catalonia Trade & Investment
Ana Palacio, Creator of Clé Maîtresse and Hannai (AI & Economic Integration)
Andrée-Ann Lemieux, Deputy Managing Director at H2Lab
Anne Nguyen, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and Chief AI Officer at Conseil de l’innovation du Québec
Cybèle Robichaud, Director of the Montreal Science Centre
Hanna Abdel Hamid, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and Head of Sigma Software Canada
Hortensia Sanz, Conseillère Experte en Gestion de Patrimoine clientèle entrepreneur et professionnelles en affaires chez Desjardins
Johanne Bohn, Director Organizational Development at Pomerleau
Kadidia Haïdara, Responsable du développement de Techno au Féminin + chez Concertation Montréal (CMTL)
Kathleen Fetherston, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at Genetec
Mo Wang, AI Strategist & Knowledge Trainer at Atelier PMo and AI Product Advisor at Malloy Industries
Temitope Bolaji-Jegede, Leadership and Executive Coach at Maxwell
Raya Zachs, VP, Product & Engineering at Maxa AI
Viridiana Jimenez-Moratalla Pelhate, Communications Advisor at Réseau Québec Maritime
Thais Collado, Charge d’Affairs AI of the Embassy of Panama in Canada
Nia Fiorilli-Cote, High school student of Royal West Academy, Montreal
Shaya Fadel, VOOC Ambassador 2025-2026, VOOC participant 2024-2025, EMSB-Marymount Academy International

10:00 h TALK 1: How I got to know myself through a career in IT
Marie-Eve Laplante, Data Governance Specialist at Intact
 
10:15 h TALK 2: Revolutionizing Women’s Health: The Bra that can detect Cancer
Marina Sánchez, Medical doctor, MSc in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Biomedical Engineering, and PhD candidate in Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology at Oncological Pathologies Research Group, Vall d’Hebron Hospital

10:30 h COFFEE BREAK & NETWORKING

11:00 h PANEL: Olympes de la Parole Canada
Host: Saôde Savary, Fondatrice et Directrice général des Olympes de la Parole Canada.
Team 1, Collège Stanislas de Montréal. Thème: Étude comparative des facteurs facilitant l’accès au STIM chez les femmes immigrantes;
Magdalena Gutu (Presenter), Ambassadrice des ODPC, Participante ODPC 2024-2025;
Mila Bergman (Co-Presenter)
Participante ODPC 2024-2025
Team 2, EMSB- Marymount Academy International: Thème: The Building Blocks of inequality: The impacts of early play on women’s path to STEM;
Drisana Ravichandran (Presenter), VOOC Participant 2024-2025;
Ophelia Bernier (Co-presenter), VOOC Participant 2024-2025

11:30 h TALK 3. Reinvention and Rising Together: A STEM woman’s guide to thriving in the AI Era
Joan Ofulue, Management Consulting Senior Manager for Data & AI at Deloitte Canada

11:45 h PANEL: “From Impostor to Impact: Thriving Authentically in STEM”
Host: Nancy De Santis, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and CEO/Founder of Expertis Solutions
Raya Zachs, VP, Product & Engineering at Maxa AI
Mo Wang, AI Strategist & Knowledge Trainer at Atelier PMo and AI Product Advisor at Malloy Industries
Julie Watson, CEO and Second Gen Leadership of Ultimate Tech
Amanda Swain, Director of Engineering at CIRA

12:30 h LUNCH

13:30 h PANEL: Engaging women in cybersecurity
Host: Delphine Avomo Evouna, Bilingual Press & Communications Manager at CIRA
Sanita Alias, Vice President, People, Culture and Brand at CIRA
Celine Ho, Ambassador of the Global STEM Women – Canada Chapter and Principal Security Advisor in GIRO
Diane Ouandji, Information Security & Privacy Advisory, CISO, DPO in KPMG
Giovanna Fiorilli, Director of Software Engineering, Digital Investing U.S. at RBC

14:15 h CLOSING