Join us for an inspiring online event that celebrates and explores the journeys of women entrepreneurs who are leading the way in innovation and business! Hear from successful founders, and change-makers as they share their insights, challenges, and successes in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a graduate student with big ideas, or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this event is designed for you!
📅 Date: 17th October 2024
🕒 Time: 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
📍 Location: Online
Let’s come together to empower the next generation of women entrepreneurs. Don’t miss out—register today here.
Meet our Panelists
Gillian Thomson
Inventor and Founder of Skipper
Member of Advisory Board on WISEST
When Gillian Thomson couldn’t find a shower cap that worked, she invented a new one. Gillian dreamed of making hair products since she was young, so she earned her chemistry degree and hairstyling license. After graduating, she developed salon and spa products, but felt the beauty industry wasn’t her cup of tea anymore and turned her career towards marketing and design. Gillian has lent her storytelling skills to a variety of city building industries such as advertising, tourism, architecture, engineering, and commercial real estate. She also co-founded a non-profit called High Level Line, advocating for a linear park throughout the heart of Edmonton. When the idea for a better shower cap came along, she combined her unique background and reignited her dream to make products. Skipper’s patented shower caps are now selling across Canada and USA.
Dr. Hilal Gul
Founder, President and CEO at MySteMBiotech Inc.
Industrial Professor at Biomedical Engineering Department of University of Alberta
Dr. Gul is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MySteMBiotech Inc. Previously, she was a senior scientist at University of Alberta (UAlberta) spinoff company IntelligentNano Inc., and research associate at the UAlberta. Edmonton AB, Canada. As a researcher, Dr. Gul developed and implemented a variety of novel methods to control stem cell fate and function for stem cell-based therapies. As an entrepreneur, she has played a key role in project management, IP, technology development, collaborative research initiatives, non-dilutive financing, and business planning. She is currently an Industrial Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, UAlberta. Her focus is the applications of stem cell technology in regenerative medicine.
Dr. Afsaneh Lavasanifar
Co-Founder and Scientific Chief Officer of Meros Polymers Inc. and Synchomix Plus Inc.
Professor of Pharmaceutics in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr Afsaneh Lavasanifar is a Professor of Pharmaceutics in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with a joint appointment at the Department of Chemical and Material Engineering at the University of Alberta. She is the co-founder and Scientific Chief Officer of Meros Polymers Inc and Synchomix Plus Inc. Her research is focused on the development of delivery systems that can increase solubility, modify the pharmacokinetics, reduce toxicity and increase the activity of different therapeutics with a focus on the development of nano-medicine for cancer chemo and immunotherapy as well as inflammatory disorders. She is also the associate editor of Molecular Pharmaceutics, and ACS Bio & Med Chem Au, the Associate Scientific director of Nanomedicine Innovation Network (NIMIN), and a member of the board of directors at the Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Scientists (CSPS).
WiSER 