BCBusiness
B.C.’s boldest businesses and visionary leaders
Our sixth annual awards honour 21 winners who are breaking new ground in B.C.
What a year for women in business in B.C.
For our sixth annual Women of the Year awards, we are introducing a new format for our list of honourees. Instead of one winner and two runners-up in each category, we now have three winners in each category. With so many incredible applications pouring in from across B.C. and so many deserving leaders, it seemed only right to give full honours to more women in this province who are stomping through barriers, disrupting their industries and creating positive change in their communities.
This year saw the greatest number of applicants in our six-year award history—a testament to the talent we have here in this province. For 2025, we also expanded the number of people on our all-female judging panel. Without the contributions of these women, powerhouses in their own industries, these awards would simply not be possible.
Read on to dive into the 21 inspiring stories of what it takes to be a change maker in B.C. Welcome to our 2025 BCBusiness Women of the Year.
Erin Seeley is CEO of YWCA Metro Vancouver. One of B.C.’s largest multi-service charities with a budget of $50 million and almost 500 employees, YWCA currently operates 73 programs supporting women, families and allies across 178 locations. Prior to YWCA, Seeley served as SVP of the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA).
Dr. Carol Liao is an associate professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law and is a UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the University of British Columbia. Liao is also the co-director of the Centre for Climate Justice and chair for the Canada Climate Law Initiative.
Shauna Harper is CEO of WeBC. As a federally funded not-for-profit organization, WeBC provides thousands of women entrepreneurs across B.C. with business loans, expertise, training, resources and peer support to help their businesses grow and thrive.
With over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the social impact sector, Tina Strehlke is CEO of Minerva BC, a registered charity dedicated to advancing the leadership of women and girls. Strehlke also volunteers with Young Women in Business UBC and is a member of the Prosperity Project’s Rosie Initiative Advisory Group.
Tassan Sung is the founder of SPOKEN Leadership and Education, a nonprofit network that promotes social progress and fosters innovation by amplifying the voices of thought leaders through a speaker series, networking, mentorship and workshops. She is board chair of the Dr. Peter Centre and serves as a director at Rise, an organization empowering entrepreneurs affected by mental health challenges.
Jen Murtagh is the co-founder of Maturn, which supports women through the challenges they face while advancing their careers and growing their families, while advocating for gender equity. An ICF accredited leadership coach, Murtagh spearheads a Brave Leadership for Women program and has more than two decades of experience spanning both corporate and nonprofit leadership.
Kirsten Koppang Telford, an award-winning strategist and entrepreneur, is CEO of the Forum, which pledges to support women’s entrepreneurship in Canada. She previously co-founded the ePACT Network in 2011, a platform used by millions of families and organizations to prepare for and respond to emergencies.