Event Overview:

Attendees got inspiration from fashion specialist and stylist Tania Tonello on how to boost their professional image. Together, they explored the connection between personal style and professional success, bridging the gap from their current to their dream style.

How you dress can influence your confidence. During this session, Tania provided examples of wardrobe staples, shared tips that enhanced office attire, and offered suggestions on what was suitable for video calls. Participants learned how different colors influenced perception and mood in a professional setting, and how accessories enhanced their looks and complemented their personalities.

Guest Speaker: 

Tania Tonello is a Toronto-based Fashion Stylist, Personal Shopper, and TV Fashion Expert on Cityline and Breakfast Television. She empowers through fashion styling by helping others look and feel their best. A former Second City Toronto trained improviser and High School Teacher, Tania loves combining these entertainment and education worlds to share styling tips and tricks.

Charity supported: Dress for Success Toronto.

Date: October 2024

Event Overview:

PV Women’s network hosted an evening of learning and networking with other business professionals.

Our in-house panel of experienced lawyers discussed:

• The pros and cons of different corporate structures (such as, sole proprietorships, joint ventures, corporations)
• Tools you can use, like shareholder agreements
• Planning for your space (real estate – what to consider when buying or leasing)
• Selecting, clearing, and filing trademarks
• Employment issues
• What to think about if things don’t go as planned

Our Panel

• Neeta Sandhu (Moderator & PV Women’s Network Co-Chair), Construction & Commercial Litigation
• Ann Twigg (PV Women’s Network Co-Chair), Commercial Real Estate
• Ahmed Bulbulia, Partner, Intellectual Property
• Andreea Muth, Partner, Business Law
• Maria Tassou, Partner, Employment Law
• Sarah Rustomji, Lawyer, Commercial Litigation & Insurance Defence
• Cassie Wasserman, Lawyer, Business Law

Charity supported: Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment.

Date: May 2024

Topic: Fueling Productivity with Nutrition

Guest Speaker: Julie Daniluk

Event Overview:

Our special guest and keynote speaker, Julie Daniluk, renowned nutritionist, bestselling author, and co-host of OWN Network’s Healthy Gourmet, unveiled what is required to nourish your body and mind for peak performance.

Experience provided:

• Fresh perspectives on optimizing productivity through nutrition.
• Practical strategies for fueling your body to achieve your professional best.
• Chance to network with fellow professional women across a variety of sectors and industries

Charity supported: Working for Change

Date: September 2023

Event Overview:

Pallett Valo Women’s Network hosted an estate planning panel discussion and networking event in support of The Mississauga Food Bank.

Pallett Valo lawyers Lisa Sticht-Maksymec, Andreea Muth, Alan Kay and Trevor Moum, discussed the importance of planning for the future. They shared important considerations when planning for the orderly distribution of your estate, especially in the context of business succession and real estate.

Lisa outlined some helpful tools available to organize your affairs, including will planning, the use of trusts, and powers of attorney. Andreea discussed important considerations for business succession planning. Alan focused on real estate and the upside and downside of “keeping it in the family”. Trevor wrapped up by explaining some of the implications when plans are not well thought-out or properly documented.

Moderator: Ann Twigg, PV Women’s Network Co-Chair

Charity supported: The Mississauga Food Bank

Date: May 2023

Topic: Engaging Authentically Through Networking

Speaker: Gina Alexandris

Event Overview:
The evening kicked off with a keynote address by Gina Alexandris, Career Coach and Professional Development Consultant, who shared some innovative ideas to ignite in us a fresh interest in networking. What does that term even mean these days? Why should we bother? And how can we engage authentically? How to build your own personal toolkit while you add to your professional contacts.

Charity supported: Up with Women

Date: September 2022

The Break the Silence Virtual Gala aims to raise $150,000 through online auction, live fundraising, and sharing of heart-warming stories that demonstrate the incredible impact that community support has on their program and services.

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a 30% increase in domestic violence in the region. Yellow Brick House’s mission is to end domestic violence against women and children.

Charity supported: Yellow Brick House

Date: May 2022

The PV Women’s Network celebrated International Women’s Day 2022 by sponsoring the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s virtual event: Corporate Citizenship for Gender Equality.

This virtual event explored what it takes to build equitable workplace cultures and practices, followed by a panel discussion on how to support women and gender-diverse employees in pandemic-impacted corporate environments.

Charity supported: Canadian Women’s Foundation

Date: March, 2022

The PV Women’s Network took advantage of the last days of good weather and hosted an outdoor yoga session led by an instructor from a local studio, Yoga Seven.

The class was followed by networking over an al fresco breakfast.

Date: September 2021

The PV Women’s Network was delighted to be an Ambassador Sponsor for the Yellow Brick House Virtual Gala.

The Virtual Break the Silence Gala included one hour of inspiring stories, a live entertainment performance by Chantal Kreviazuk, impact on donations, draws, and a live silent auction.

Since the start of COVID-19, there has been a 30% increase in domestic violence. Yellow Brick House’s mission is to end domestic violence against women and children.

Charity supported: Yellow Brick House

Date: May 2021

The PV Women’s Network celebrated International Women’s Day 2021 by supporting the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s virtual event: Corporate Citizenship for Gender Equity. All funds raised through this event help women and girls across Canada move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. Because of this partnership between the PV Women’s Network and the Canadian Foundation of Women, this event was open and free of charge to members of the network.

Charity supported: Canadian Women’s Foundation

Date: March 2021

Overview:
This informative session was hosted by Pallett Valo lawyers Zoe Smith and Lisa Sticht-Maksymec and was planned to take place in November to coincide with Make a Will Month.

Charity supported: Shoebox Project

Date: November 2020

Speaker: Dr. Shimi Kang 

Topic: Balancing It All

Topic Overview:
An award-winning medical doctor, researcher, and expert on the neuroscience of innovation, leadership, and motivation, Dr. Shimi Kang provides science-based solutions for health, happiness, and achievement in the workplace, classroom, and at home. With 20 years of clinical experience and extensive research in the science that lies behind optimizing human intelligence, Kang provides practical tools to cultivate the key 21st century skills of resilience, connection, creativity, and more.

This event has been approved for 1 CPD hour under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA) and may be eligible for 1 CPD hour of Professionalism Content for lawyers.

Charity supported: Vita Centre

Date: October 2020

Overview:
This informative session was hosted by Pallett Valo lawyers Zoe Smith and Lisa Sticht-Maksymec as well as CIBC Trust Corporation’s Trust & Estate Consultant Marilyn Andrade and was planned to coincide with International Women’s Day.

Charity supported: Catalyst

Date: March 2020

Speaker: Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Topic: Resiliency and Workplace Wellness

Topic Overview:
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award-winning psychology instructor who specializes in resiliency, navigating stress and change, and personal wellness in the workplace. Described as transformational, engaging, and thought-provoking, Dr. Hanley-Dafoe’s keynote provides practical strategies grounded in global research and case studies that help foster resiliency within ourselves and others.

This keynote introduces the concept of resiliency from a broad worldview. Sharing from Dr. Hanley-Dafoe’s experiences travelling around the globe, she reviews what people have in common that contributes to resiliency, and what we can do in our own lives to foster resiliency within others and ourselves. Dr. Hanley-Dafoe’s talk highlights practical strategies and ideas grounded in optimal stress, value alignment, practical focus and the importance of continued goal setting.

This event has been approved for 1 CPD hour under Section A of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Log of the Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA) and it is eligible for 1 CPD hour of Professionalism Content for lawyers.

Charity supported: Embrave Agency (formerly Interim Place)

Date: January 2020

Speaker: Sherry Strong

Topic: The Malnourished Brain

Topic Overview:
Discover everyday foods and habits that can actually be causing damage to your most powerful business tool: your brain.
In this session, you will learn how everything you ingest can impact your brain and how you nourish your brain with food and habits that can make a massive difference to how you perform and enjoy life.

Charity Supported: Habitat for Humanity

Date: January 2019

Speaker:  Louise Blais

Topic: Change the “why” to change the “x”… where “x” = greater stress resilience and health.

Topic Overview:
Exercise has been shown to be the single most important thing you can do each day to improve your health and reduce your stress, and still…we don’t do it…either at all, or enough. Join Louise Blais, a Human Kinetics professor and behaviour change researcher to learn how to make behaviour change stick; especially around physical activity. In this workshop you will learn simple and practical ways to make change an easier process around multiple behaviours; with a strong focus on changing the one behaviour, that can change your life the most.

Charity Supported: Sistering

Date: May 2019

The PV Women’s Network participated in the Bristow-Law Build Project, a Habitat for Humanity build in the Peel region. The project will result in two semi-attached houses that will be able to serve up to eight families with additional basement units later on.  Plenty of hammering and good times were had by all, and we managed to surpass our donation goal by $1,000!  Way to go PV Women’s Network!

Charity Supported: Habitat for Humanity

Date: September 2019

PV Women’s Network was excited about yet again collecting shoeboxes for the Shoebox Project Mississauga.  The Shoebox Project collects and distributes gifts in the form of shoeboxes to women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in communities across Canada and the United States.  Each shoebox is filled with items valued at $50 that any woman is likely to enjoy, but may not splurge on for herself in difficult times.

Charity Supported: Shoebox Project

Date: December 2019

Speaker: Elizabeth Manley

Topic: Striving for a Healthier You: Fit, Healthier and Happier Than Ever

Topic Overview:
Having comeback from depression to win an Olympic Medal, Manley speaks out on her struggles with Depression, and how she came back from it. Manley outlines the stigma of mental illness and talks about dealing with it and helping others.

Post Olympics, Manley shares her experiences with losing loved ones to many of today’s diseases. Manley speaks about her experience with losing her mother to Ovarian Cancer, and her father from Alzheimer’s. She opens her heart and talks candidly about taking on the role as caregiver.

Like many people, Manley had a long struggle with weight issues. She presents on when and why her struggle with her weight began, her associated health challenges, as well as the social stigma associated with being overweight (especially for an Olympian). Although it’s an everyday challenge, her presentation ends with discussing how she deals with these obstacles in her way to become more fit, healthier and happier than ever!

Charity Supported: Shoebox Project

Date: November 2018