By Kunpeng Yu
On March 6, 2025, MNLCT hosted its inaugural Uplifting Newcomer Women in Tech event to celebrate International Women’s Day and to dedicate space and meaningful conversations to supporting women entering the tech industry.
“As we know, women-identifying folks are the glue in families and communities and at the frontlines of many service-industry jobs. They are also typically caregivers to children and other family members. Thus, leaving them with limited time to network” remarked Mehrangiz Monsef, the Bridging Program Manager at MNLCT overseeing the C-Women program.
“For us at MNLCT, doing everything we can to remove barriers that prevent women from entering the coding, software automation, and IT sectors and creating bridges between them and value-centred, stellar employers is our priority. The more effective we are as an organization, the better the clients will be to be able to leverage those relationships for placement opportunities, employment opportunities, and also starting their own business,” Monsef continued.
For newcomers, women and gender-non-confirming individuals particularly, a combination of lacking Canadian-specific education, minimal or no professional networks, and societal differences in workplace culture and communication often lead to barriers in the job search and procurement hiring process.
The C-Women Bridging Program for Immigrant Women Reskilling into IT Coding professions, one of four unique Bridging Programs offered at MNLCT, dedicates itself to uplifting women-identifying folks wishing to enter the Canadian Tech industry, and provides students with relevant training, formal certification, career support, and networking opportunities.
In lieu of her absence, the Honourable Judy A. Sgro, federal MP representing Humber River-Black Creek, sent a formal letter to congratulate the graduates of MNLCT’s C-Women Program. She praised their dedication and perseverance as they embark on their exciting careers in the tech and coding sectors. She also highlighted the event as a powerful reminder of the importance of community and collaboration in fostering diversity within STEM fields.
The event brought together industry leaders, entrepreneurs, community partners, and C-Women program graduates to share their journeys, discuss challenges, and explore solutions for increasing the representation of women professionals in the tech sector.
Guest speakers emphasized the importance of providing support, mentorship, and resources to empower women to succeed in tech.
Sabrina Castellanos, CEO of 2 Get There Connections, delivered an inspiring presentation titled Unleash the Power of Time Management: From Architect of Your Time to Architect of Your Life. During her presentation, Castellanos emphasized that individuals are the architects of their own lives, making choices that shape their futures. Castellanos challenged attendees to maximize productivity during work hours, free up time for personal pursuits, gain clarity, and eliminate feelings of overwhelmingness, ultimately achieving a harmonious work-life balance.
Lola Edwards, a multidisciplinary IT strategist, shared her working experience, working in the tech sector in areas of digital transformation and user-centred innovation. Edwards underscored that beyond the need for better representation and opportunities, companies ought to prioritize inclusion in order to build more effective, reflective, and user-oriented technology.
Founder and CEO of Scale Without Borders, Nouhaila Chelkhaoui, focused her presentation on how her company is dedicated to connecting immigrant tech talent with employers and offers a range of resources, including networking opportunities, workshops, and mentorship programs, to help newcomers integrate and advance in the tech sector.
Sara Askari, a C-Women alumna, and Quality Assurance Specialist, shared her job search journey, including how she built connections, prepared her materials, and crafted her resume and cover letter to effectively showcase her skills. She also discussed the support, guidance, and empowerment she received from the C-Women program, which played a key role in helping her secure a job. As a final speaker with the most relatable journey to many of the C-Women graduates, her story provided meaningful inspiration and valuable insights to her fellow alumni.
Following the presentations, there was a lively networking session during which entrepreneurs, employers, and C-Women graduates engaged in face-to-face discussions and established professional connections.
Following up with Monsef after the bustling event, she reflected on its success sharing she felt that MNLCT’s goal was undoubtedly achieved.
“In a time where there is a lot of negativity and fear and anxiety and racism, quite frankly, discrimination, I think it was a much-needed celebratory event. Our goal was to uplift and empower women, especially graduates within MNLCT’s C-Women Bridging Program, but also uplift everyone else that was there as well.”
MNLCT looks forward to future events for these important dialogues and meaningful relationship-building opportunities.
