This webinar is part of a free public series hosted by CCMW’s Leadership & Mentorship Pilot Program, exploring the tools and relationships that move careers forward for Muslim and racialized women.
Muslim and racialized women continue to face real barriers to career advancement – barriers that are structural, not individual. The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) is launching a new Leadership & Mentorship Pilot Program in direct response to what our community told us through CCMW’s ASPIRE Study: mentorship alone isn’t enough. What’s often missing is sponsorship – someone with influence who actively opens doors, not just offers advice.
Watch the Recording
This free public webinar is your first look at the program and an opportunity to help shape it. Whether you’re considering joining as a mentor or mentee, or simply want to learn more, this session is for you.
You’ll walk away understanding:
- The real difference between mentorship and sponsorship, and how they can support career development and advancement for Muslim and racialized women
- How mentorship and sponsorship work together as a reciprocal relationship, where growth in one strengthens the other over time
- A simple way to reflect on your own network
- What the CCMW Leadership & Mentorship Pilot offers
Meet Our Speakers
Hoda Abokhadra
Hoda Abokhadra is a forward-thinking Data Strategy and Analytics Engineering leader specializing in enterprise-scale cloud transformation, machine learning operations (MLOps), and modern data architecture.
Currently leading Canadian Banking Data Strategy Enablement and Operations at Scotiabank, Hoda oversees the strategic alignment between modern data platforms and business execution. Her work centers on building resilient data infrastructure, driving the adoption of advanced analytics, and fostering data-driven decision-making across complex enterprise environments.
Beyond her enterprise work, Hoda is an active leader in the tech ecosystem and a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM. As an Advisory Group Member with Accelerate Her Future, she provides strategic guidance while actively mentoring and supporting early-career women from underrepresented groups, helping build pathways for future leaders in business and technology.
Shahenda Abou Aly
Shahenda Abou Aly is a Senior HR Business Partner at Enbridge, with over 15 years of experience driving organizational success. She holds an Execuitve MBA from Brown University and IE Business School, where she was awarded the Women in Leadership scholarship, and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from Western University.
Throughout her career, Shahenda has led people-strategy initiatives across Canada and the US, supporting thousands of employees through multi-billion dollar acquisition integrations. She is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, having designed and rolled out sponsorship-focused mentorship programs for women and underrepresented groups.
Beyond her corporate role, Shahenda serves as an Advisory Board Member and Mentor with Accelerate Her Future. She is also a proud mother of three wonderful children.
Meet Our Facilitator
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi
Dr. Golnaz Golnaraghi is the Founder of Accelerate Her Future, a leading career accelerator for Indigenous, Black, and racialized women in business and STEM, and founded its flagship mentorship program, the Fellowship Circle. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Athabasca University and an MBA from UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and her peer-reviewed scholarship on Muslim and racialized women’s experiences has appeared in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: An International Journal and The Oxford Handbook of Diversity in Organizations. She has led leadership development courses in postsecondary education, including a $250,000 MTCU-funded study on an experiential leadership model. A TEDx speaker and facilitator, she has been named a Globe and Mail Report on Business Top 50 Changemaker.
