A place to nurture and enable the all-round development of the modern-day woman.
Social Lab Directors
Dr. Chika C. Daniels | Social Lab Lead.
Christa Hill | Co-Lead & Director of Innovation
Christa Hill | Co-Lead & Director of Innovation
Christa Hill | Co-Lead & Director of Innovation
Christa Hill | Co-Lead & Director of Innovation
Christa Hill | Co-Lead & Director of Innovation
Bukky Wonda | Director of Immigrant Interest
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit | Director of Public Policy
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit | Director of Public Policy
Bukky Wonda is the founder and CEO of Shirah, a game-changing SaaS tech venture revolutionizing immigration, which is building a Predictive AI and Natural Language Calculator aimed at democratizing how individuals and businesses go through the immigration processes.
Prior to entrepreneurship, she volunteered at several organizations that a
Bukky Wonda is the founder and CEO of Shirah, a game-changing SaaS tech venture revolutionizing immigration, which is building a Predictive AI and Natural Language Calculator aimed at democratizing how individuals and businesses go through the immigration processes.
Prior to entrepreneurship, she volunteered at several organizations that are women focused such as: Young Women In Business (YWIB) and All Woman Ministry.
Bukky holds a Masters in Finance from Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Canada.
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit | Director of Public Policy
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit | Director of Public Policy
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit | Director of Public Policy
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit is a public policy and political science professor known for her expertise in political theory and contemporary governance. Dana-Marie's work explores the evolving landscape beyond traditional notions of global politics and policymaking, such as changing governance structures, the emergence of multi-nodal systems, an
Dr. Dana-Marie Ramjit is a public policy and political science professor known for her expertise in political theory and contemporary governance. Dana-Marie's work explores the evolving landscape beyond traditional notions of global politics and policymaking, such as changing governance structures, the emergence of multi-nodal systems, and the need for collaborative policymaking frameworks. Dana-Marie works with Adler University, St. Mary's University, and Prairie College.
Dana-Marie has held administrative roles at various institutions and serves on strategic management, leadership, and accountability teams and the Canadian Association of Independent Universities, Colleges and Institutes (CAIUCI) board. Dana-Marie belongs to three prestigious global recognition societies, Pi Alpha Alpha Global Honor Society for Public Affairs & Administration (NASPAA), Golden Key International Honor Society, and The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), for her outstanding academic contributions.
Beyond academia, Dana-Marie is actively engaged in mentorship initiatives, editorial boards, and non-profit organizations. She founded The Sapphire Project, a non-profit focused on poverty, education access, and discrimination in the developing world.
In this initial phase of the PAGE Project, we have partnered with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) to deliver FREE 30-hour micro-credentials and certificates or digital bootcamps to professional women who have been in a role too long and recognize that they require a new certification to advance, or women who are constrained by financial difficulty, or women who desire a career transition.
These new qualifications will be delivered through SAITs Continuing Education & Professional Studies Program and MUST BE AFFILIATED WITH THE DIGITAL SECTOR/SPACE.
Interested applicants will need to send a resume and the program of interest to this email: page@wtal.ca
Traditional financial literacy education often fails to consider the unique circumstances and systemic barriers that diverse women face, shaping their socio-economic realities. The Finance Cafe (TFC) believes that true financial literacy extends beyond technical skills—it must also address the structural challenges that impact financial well-being.
In this unique 2-day in-person session, we will take away the mystery behind the numbers in your business. You will be welcomed into a space of non-judgement to build financial confidence, capabilities, and a deeper connection to the businesses you create. The program not only focuses on technical financial skills—helping entrepreneurs understand their business story (where it’s been, where it is, and where it’s going)—but also explores personal financial beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes. This dual focus helps participants understand how their financial decisions influence the growth, success, and sustainability of their business.
TFC's financial learning programs take a holistic, systemic, and cultural approach to money and wealth. By placing diverse experiences, cultures, and values at the core of learning, TFC connects financial education to economic self-determination and empowerment.
After the two-day learning workshop, participants will receive unlimited access to all TFC's content and courses, enabling ongoing self-directed learning and continuous growth.
***See all the information around the program and the 2-day schedule below.
Learn about The Finance Cafe (TFC)
TFC is taking the mystery out of the numbers! TFC was birthed because of a passion to advance women’s entrepreneurship and the belief that it was time to build a financial literacy platform that addresses critical gender gaps and meets the unique needs of women entrepreneurs. TFC’s mission is to empower women to reach their full potential as entrepreneurs by providing education initiatives that inspire, educate and encourage women to take control of their business finances.
Meet your facilitator: Shannon Pestun
Shannon is an Indigenous financial empowerment instructor and facilitator whose vision is to accelerate an inclusive economy. A former business banker, Shannon has helped co-design, develop and deliver trauma-informed, and strength-based business and financial literary education for diverse communities that focuses on economic inclusion and resilience, economic empowerment and prosperity and advances women’s self-determination.
Shannon is the CEO of Pestun Consulting and Co-founder of The Finance Cafe.
