Agenda LEAP 2026
DETAILS
March 6, 2026
Connecting, Inspiring, and Empowering Women in Construction
When:
7:30am – 7:00pm
Where:
Fairmont Waterfront
900 Canada Place Way
Vancouver, BC
V6C 3L5
Cost:
$525 per ticket / $3800 table of 8
Schedule
7:30am – 9:00am
Registration & Breakfast
Time for attendees to finish checking in and to get your LEAP conference badge at registration at the Waterfront Ballroom and Foyer.
8:45am
Opening Remarks and Overview of Day
Presenters
Jeannine Martin, President – VRCA
Stephanie Hun, Vice President, Business Development, Canada – Flatiron Dragados
9:00am
Opening Keynote – The Working Brain – “Unlocking Your Full Potential”
In this powerful opening keynote, Dr. Brynn Winegard reveals the science behind how high-performing professionals actually think, focus, and thrive at work. Drawing from neuroscience research and real-world corporate experience, The Working Brain acts as the missing manual for your brain, showing you how to work with your brain instead of pushing against it.
Attendees will learn how to tap into their brain’s natural rhythms and apply Dr. Brynn’s MERIT Framework (Move, Eat, Rest, Interact, Think) to design workdays that drive clarity, confidence, productivity, and long-term mental wellness—without burnout.
Mental Fitness Over Willpower
Learn why willpower is overrated—and how aligning your work with your brain’s natural rhythms leads to stronger focus, energy, and decision-making.
The MERIT Framework in Action
Walk away with a practical, science-backed framework you can immediately apply to optimize your workday, performance, and mental well-being.
Sustainable High Performance
Discover how to protect your cognitive health while building a long, successful career—boosting confidence, resilience, and clarity at every stage.
Presenter
Dr. Brynn Winegard
Sponsored By
10:00am
Toolbox Session – The Smart Side of Soft Skills
This workshop explores how soft skills, such as communication, empathy, clarity, and connection, can be the strategic differentiators that move a career forward.
Before entering the engineering industry, Sophie spent eight years working in hospitality. That experience shaped the way she communicates, collaborates, and navigates challenging situations. She credits much of her early career success, and the positive feedback she received from leaders, to the soft skills she developed long before she landed her first role in engineering. Those foundational abilities opened doors, built trust quickly, and helped her stand out in environments where communication is often just as important as technical expertise.
This workshop breaks down why soft skills matter, how they influence reputation and opportunities, and how to intentionally build them over time. Participants will learn practical strategies for strengthening communication, and demonstrating leadership through everyday interactions. The session also covers how to cultivate presence and professionalism in ways that support long-term career growth.
Presenter
Sophie Warick, Co-CEO & Co-Founder – The Thoughtful Co.
Sponsored By
10:20am
HERStory
Women arrive at events ready to learn and connect — and we navigate them with a set of decisions that have become second nature: who we trust, what we engage in, when we leave, and how we guard our own comfort. These decisions don’t pull us away from the professional experience; they’re part of it.
This session looks at that truth directly and explores what those choices teach us about boundaries, intuition, community, and the quiet reality that safety shapes how we move through our careers. It’s an invitation to reimagine what our spaces could feel like when presence isn’t negotiated against protection, and when women don’t have to manage safety and opportunity at the same time.
Presenter
Ada Nadison, Public Safety Manager – FortisBC
Sponsored By
10:20am
Networking Break
Networking Challenge
Presenter
Erin Wormald, VRCA
Sponsored By
11:00am
Toolbox Session – Leading with Compassion
Leading with Compassion is a 20-minute leadership session designed to help industry professionals strengthen their leadership approach through empathy, awareness, and accountability. The presentation explores how compassionate leadership is not a soft skill, but a strategic one, improving communication, retention, and team performance.
While rooted in the principles of trauma-informed practice, the session frames compassion as a universal leadership approach that benefits everyone. It holds particular relevance for women in construction and those who identify as allies, as it validates and amplifies leadership qualities such as emotional intelligence, and trust-building.
Participants will leave with practical tools and insights to apply immediately, building stronger, safer, and more connected teams across all levels of the organization.
Presenter
Nicole Bryant, CEO – NRCA
Sponsored By
11:25am
Toolbox Session – Owning the Room
Owning the Room is a 20-minute leadership session designed to support women in construction as they step into professional spaces with confidence, credibility, and presence. Drawing on firsthand experience supporting construction leaders through recruitment, leadership development, and workforce strategy, this session explores what it truly means to “own the room” in environments that have not always been designed with women in mind.
Rather than focusing on personality or performance, the session reframes presence as a practical leadership skill. It
addresses the real dynamics women in construction face, from walking into rooms where they may be the only woman, to navigating technical conversations, site-based leadership, and decision-making environments with clarity and authority.
Participants will leave with practical tools and mindset shifts they can apply immediately, along with a deeper understanding of the shared responsibility to create space and opportunity for the women coming up behind them.
Presenter
Natasha Jeshani, President & CEO – Career Contacts
Sponsored By
11:50am – 12:55pm
Lunch Break
Networking Challenge
Presenter
Erin Wormald, VRCA
Sponsored By
1:00pm
Panel – Brought to you by Popular Demand: Allies in Action
Who are our allies—and what does the next stage of allyship and sponsorship look like for Women in Construction?
This thoughtful and engaging panel brings together male allies who are actively championing inclusive workplaces and helping create real pathways for women and gender-diverse individuals to advance in the construction industry. Moving beyond awareness and good intentions, the discussion will explore what effective allyship looks like in practice—on jobsites, in leadership teams, and across organizations.
Panelists will share candid insights into how they are using their influence to advocate for equity, challenge outdated norms, sponsor emerging talent, and foster environments where women can thrive and lead. The conversation will also examine the evolution from allyship to sponsorship: what it takes to move from support to action, and how allies can help open doors, amplify voices, and drive meaningful change.
Designed to be honest, practical, and forward-looking, this panel will offer tangible takeaways for leaders, managers, and peers who want to strengthen their role as allies and help build a more inclusive, resilient construction industry—together.
Moderator
Chris Atchison
President – British Columbia Construction Association
Sponsored By
1:45pm
HERStory
TBA
Presenter
Sponsored By
2:00pm
Sisterhood at Work – Thriving Through Change
The Sisterhood Panel brings together influential women leaders and change-makers from across the construction industry for an engaging, candid discussion about the opportunities and challenges women face on the jobsite, in the boardroom and throughout their careers. Building on the success of the Sisterhood at Work panel featured at the 2025 conference, this session emphasizes community, resilience, and actionable strategies for career advancement and workplace inclusivity.
Moderated by Stephanie Hun, President of CCW, the panel will explore topics such as:
• Navigating work-life balance and well-being in a demanding field.
• Fostering mentorship, sponsorship and internal support networks.
• Practical ways organizations can champion diversity, equity and belonging.
• Personal stories of resilience, leadership and professional growth.
Moderator
Stephanie Hun, Vice President, Business Development, Canada – Flatiron Dragados
Sponsored By
3:00pm
Networking Break
Networking Challenge
Presenter
Erin Wormald, VRCA
Sponsored By
3:30pm
Fireside – “The Future We’re Building” – A Strategic Conversation with Women Shaping the Next Decade
The Fireside Chat, an intimate, dynamic conversation that brings together visionary leaders to share their personal journeys, lessons learned, and strategic insights on navigating and transforming the industry. This discussion offers attendees an opportunity to gain real-world perspectives on leadership, resilience, and professional growth from women who have shaped change.
Moderator
Jeannine Martin, President – VRCA
4:30pm
Wrap-up
Closing Remarks
Presenter
Jeannine Martin, President – VRCA
Stephanie Hun, Vice President, Business Development, Canada – Flatiron Dragados
4:30pm – 7pm
Stay, connect, and end the day on a high note!
Don’t rush out just yet. Close out LEAP by joining us for an intentional wrap-up networking session designed to turn inspiration into real connection. This is your time to reflect, exchange insights, and build meaningful relationships with women and allies from across the construction industry. Whether you’re expanding your circle, finding future collaborators, or continuing a powerful conversation from the day, this relaxed and welcoming environment is where connections truly take shape. Stay, connect, and leave LEAP with more than notes—leave with a network.
Presenter
Sponsored By
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Supporting LEAP is more than sponsorship, it’s leadership.
Our partners align with a movement that invests in talent, culture, and the long-term strength of the construction industry. Join us in building what’s next.
