Speakers

Silvia Vidal
Employment Skills Program Manager
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
Silvia immigrated to Canada in 1977, landed in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved to Calgary, Alberta after a short period of time. A social worker by profession, Silvia has more than 20 years of experience working with women around the world in non-profit organizations, such as Immigrant Services of Calgary, YWCA and, CIWA mainly in the area of employment training and assisting immigrant women achieve self-sufficiency through empowerment.

Andrea Silverstone
Executive Director
Peer Support Services for Abused Women
Andrea Silverstone is a Registered Social Worker and has been the Executive Director of Peer Support Services for Abused Women for 9 years. Andrea has over 14 years experience working in the domestic violence community with abused women and their children.

Andrea is also in private practice at the Wild Rose Clinic focusing on holistic mental health. She is currently completing her Holistic Therapist designation at the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing.

Hamda Umar
Program Coordinator of Cross-Cultural Parenting
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association
Hamda Umar holds a masters degree in Home Economics from India. Prior to coming to Canada in 1977 she was an assistant professor in a city College. Hamda has been working as Coordinator of Cross-Cultural Parenting Program for the past 24 years at the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA). She also supervises Healthy Families Program at CIWA.

Cheryl Oberg
Cheryl Ann Oberg is a certified laughter leader, founding member of the Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowns, and founder of Calgary’s Caring Clown Association. She’s also a gold member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. Cheryl’s experience crosses many fields. She’s had the opportunity to share humour and laughter with families and children in the hospital setting, for seniors living in care facilities, corporate teams in the workplace, youth career forums, and with all the people who need some more laughter in their lives.

Selena Murillo
Women's Venture Accelerator Facilitator
Momentum
Selena is a Certified Executive Coach (CEC) from Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. As an entrepreneur since 1997, Selena understands both the challenges and rewards of self employment. In 2007, Selena joined Momentum to help other women start their own businesses with the intent of helping those women to be better prepared for the challenges that show up in self employment. Selena's passion is in working with women to become empowered in their own lives!

Salimah Kassam
Momentum
Salimah has been working in the non-profit sector for over ten years. Her specialization revolves around using Theatre/Drama in Education and Theatre for Social Change techniques to build healthy communities, foster the settlement process and encourage pluralism. Salimah's body of work as a teacher includes teaching Drama and Humanities for Mzizima High School in Tanzania, working on Alberta Theatre Projects' LEGACY youth program, creating and developing the Belfry Theatre's Incubator program for emerging artists and teaching for Dramatic English in Hong Kong. Salimah has carried a strong commitment to reducing poverty and engaging societies in healthy poverty reduction strategies through her work both overseas and at home in Calgary.

Muneerah Dateen
Bow Valley College
Muneerah is a professional Career Counselor with over 15 years of career development experience in providing O/O career and employment counseling/coaching, workshop facilitation and consulting experience. She presently works with Career Connection, Bow Valley College as a Career Development Professional. She holds extensive experience working with multicultural populations, including women. Muneerah holds a Masters degree in Counseling (specializing in Career Counselling, Bachelors degree in Education (BEd) as well as a certificate in Career Development. Presently holds a professional designation as a Certified Career Development Professional (CCDP), a member of the Canadian Counseling Association (CCA) Career Development Association of Alberta (CDAA), and been trained / experienced in facilitating various career and personality assessments necessary for career planning.