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What to say about the WIN: Women in Innovation awards. As I left the event on Friday evening, having spent hours listening to and celebrating exceptional women, I couldn’t help but feel a wee bit hopeful. The ceremony was centered around the idea of the future being collective; that women uniting their talents in support of a common goal is not only how we’ll drive innovation to make the now and near better, but how we’ll clear paths, craft seats, and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. I was privileged to spend a few minutes speaking about the power and opportunity of being openly imperfect, and true innovation requiring room for diversity of thought, capability, and circumstance. I spoke of being neurodivergent, my lack of higher education, and my experience as an immigrant. I spoke of doing the thing anyway. That if I can, others can (with a wee bit of grace and space). It was extremely humbling to have my personal experiences resonate with so many, and the candid stories that were shared with me afterward have not only reaffirmed the work to be done in allowing women to bring their whole selves to the table, but have given me hope that it 𝗰𝗮𝗻 be. If any collective can pull it off, it’s the humans that were in that room. So well done WIN: Women in Innovation, you left me better than you found me. I hope to return the favour sometime.