Leading the Vancouver-based charity, Tina calls Minerva a magical place that specializes in high-impact programs. “It’s a community of people invested in supporting women,” she says.

With a focus on leadership development, Minerva helps young women redefine the idea of leadership, embrace their strengths and confidently step into their full potential — in a way that feels authentic to who they are.

“The beauty of youth leadership is an optimism, an openness to creative ideas and a different way of thinking,” Tina says. She proudly admits that program mentors learn a lot from their mentees, not just the other way around.

Speaking of learning — when asked what she’s looking forward to, Tina excitedly tells us she’s enrolled in a certificate program to shake up her own coaching and communication skills. Proof that leaders are ever evolving.

Her favourite woman-to-woman advice? Take credit for your work and don’t devalue what you're worth.

Based in New York and leading our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) efforts, Renée explains ED&I as “everybody feeling secure about who they are and being able to show up in their truest identity”.

When asked why it’s important for Aritzia to champion women’s leadership, she says “it’s the core of who we are — how could we not?”

With 73% of our senior leaders identifying as women, she adds, “it’s our responsibility and privilege to walk the talk outside our own walls and into our communities.” That’s why it’s essential for us to partner with other women-led organizations, like Minerva.

For Renée, the beauty of Women^Women lies in its flexibility and multiple meanings. “It’s a living, breathing example of the butterfly effect.”

A word of womanly advice she’ll never forget: “Before you're anything to everybody else, you're a woman to yourself first.”

After someone she looked up to in high school attended the program, Rhea decided it was time to join Learning to Lead™. That was five years ago.

This year marks her third as a Co-Chair and member of Minerva’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) working to uplift young women in BC. She credits joining YAC as the moment she felt like a leader — “I became the girl I looked up to.”

Minerva’s youth leadership programs are the reason Rhea’s been able to build up her self-confidence and say yes to opportunities.

“It’s where I learned to be empathetic,” Rhea says, “I realized every person is unique with such a different story. That bit of global perspective at such a young age is so important.” Gaining perspective is one of the reasons she encourages others to join Minerva. Another is getting to make a diverse and supportive group of friends from across Canada.

For Rhea, Women^Women means unity — standing in support and solidarity for all the women around you.

But one person immediately comes to mind when she thinks of women supporting women — her mom, “the one who puts her all into everything.”