She Speaks: Sharing Stories & Building Confidence In Our Community
Watch the full event below.
WBN’s event SOLD OUT The Sid Williams Theatre! Maybe it will be an annual event!
Guests from across Vancouver Island gathered to be inspired, empowered, and deeply moved by nine remarkable female entrepreneurs—and they were not disappointed. Our female-led, TEDx-style evening highlighted the honest, unfiltered stories women often carry quietly. Speakers stepped beyond the expected to share the truths that shape their lives, exploring leadership, mental health, identity, motherhood, aging, community, and the invisible pressures women navigate.
Built on a proven framework and launched in partnership with WeBC and the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, this curated event showcased the power of structured support, collaboration, and a stage where women can truly be heard.
Collaborators Chrissie Bowker and Pauline Stevenson brought the She Speaks event to life over a cup of coffee—proof that powerful partnerships often begin with a single conversation.
Chrissie Bowker, Comox Valley Women’s Business Network President, She Speaks Event Producer
Pauline Stevenson, WeBC Regional Ambassador, She Speaks Moderator
Allison Seller
Keynote Speaker & Business Strategist
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: How to De-Fine Your Life by Defining Your Purpose
Allison Seller is a keynote speaker, business strategist, and #1 best-selling author who helps women align purpose with growth in both life and business. As the Founder of The WELLthy Entrepreneur®, she guides entrepreneurs and leaders to create clarity, confidence, and sustainable success without burnout.
Tanja Yardley
Broken Squirrel Wellness
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: Integrating Resilience and Recovery into Leadership
Tanja Yardley is CEO and Founder of Brainnovation Network, designing healthier workplaces and communities. She helps women in business integrate resilience and recovery into leadership and systems design.
Tasha Page
Glacier Counselling Services
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: Held, not fixed: A Story of Infertility, Motherhood, and Community
Tasha Page, RSW, MSW, MA, is a perinatal therapist and the founder of Glacier Counselling Services, where she supports women and couples through infertility, loss, pregnancy, and the profound emotional shifts of parenthood. As both a clinician and a mother, Tasha is a passionate advocate for care that is relational, community-centred, and purpose-driven—especially during life’s most vulnerable seasons
Dr. Elisabeth Crisci, MD
Pacifica MD - Medical Aesthetics and Wellness
Member: Oceanside Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: When “Normal” Isn’t the Whole Story: The Midlife Drift That Shapes How We Age
Dr. Elisabeth Crisci is a Canadian physician with 25 years of experience, specializing in proactive prevention for women in midlife. She translates complex physiology into practical, evidence-based steps to maintain health, strength, and resilience.
Shannon Donohoe-Simpson
Shannon Donohoe-Simpson | Speaker, Joybringer, Fierce Heart
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: Brave Enough To Choose Joy
Shannon Simpson is a TEDx speaker, storyteller, facilitator, and joybringer. She helps individuals reconnect with their truth, reclaim joy, and transform fear into courage and authentic living.
Dawn Elgin
Practical Spiritualism
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: The Aligned Human: Remembering Who We Are Before What We Do
Dawn Elgin is an Architect of Human Alignment, Contrarian Soul Guide, and founder of Practical Spiritualism. She is the creator of The Aligned Human Project, a body of work devoted to integrating science, spirituality, and embodied awareness to restore coherence in how we live, lead, and relate.
Ame-Lia Tamburrini
HUM Consulting
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: All In for Heartbreak: Why Community Is Worth the Risk
Ame-Lia Tamburrini is the Founder of HUM Consulting and a trusted facilitator of courageous conversations grounded in emotional intelligence, human connection, and restorative conflict resolution. With decades of global experience, her coaching, speaking, and teaching weave diverse practices together to foster inclusive spaces, strengthen collective responsibility, and help people move closer together.
Tracy Holbrook
FCU Community Financial, a division of Vancity
Member: Comox Valley Women’s Business Network
Talk Title: Unapologetically Woman; Redefining Power in a Corporate World
With decades of experience as a Financial Advisor, Tracy delivers talks on financial empowerment, values-driven leadership, and building influence with confidence and authenticity. A former small business owner across wellness, private education, and professional services, Tracy combines disciplined financial insight with a people-centered approach.
