Set the intention and use our mission to 10x the impact

WLI Toronto is inspired by a long tradition of advancing women in the industry. Over the ten years since its inception, WLI has been guided by four pillars:

• Promote the advancement of women, throughout their careers as leaders within ULI and in the real estate industry.
• Increase the number of women who serve in leadership positions within ULI and in the real estate industry.
• Increase the number of women who are active ULI Full Members and support the development of young women members as leaders in ULI and in their professions.
• Increase the visibility of women leaders within ULI and in the real estate industry.

WLI leaders who have helped the organization grow over the past decade helped us realize the need for the mission to deepen from advancing women in the industry into community impact and inclusivity, creating spaces of collaboration, building relationships, mentorship, and breaking down barriers to effective mentorship for co-learning and reliable sponsorship to vouch for emerging leaders and women working on major initiatives in their career and communities.

Nowhere was this more obvious than our last 10x10x10 Championship Event, which set the intention of celebrating 10 years of WLI Toronto with 10 intimate discussion groups – each with 10 amazing individuals at various points on their career journeys.

This commitment to 10x our impact has forever changed our understanding of the power and influence of building a deeply connected community. The overwhelmingly positive response provided the groundwork for 2023’s strategic planning and programming.

Be sure to sign up for this year’s Championship Event taking place on June 20^th.

Generate new traditions to welcome more people and cultivate a shared purpose

A guiding call to action from our strategic plan was to consistently and deliberately open our meetings, spaces and events to include people who have historically been excluded or constrained by sociocultural prejudices to participate from the margins.

WLI’s Reset team was the first to embrace this principle and experiment with programming that subverts the “expert” centered model of city building to a community-focused model that celebrates diverse points of view to inform a richer picture of progress.

The team’s latest iteration of this focus was this year’s The Newcomers’ Journey in City Building: A Night of Connecting and Storytelling – a facilitated networking event to further intercultural bonds and help build stronger shared perspectives on workforce integration for immigrant talent in Toronto & GTHA’s development and construction space.

The program included various forms of storytelling, starting with a short film and panel discussion on the experiences of immigrant professionals in work-finding, followed by interactive small-group discussions to help people in the room connect with and learn from one another. The evening resulted in the start of many meaningful connections, relationships, and networking opportunities.

Another gem we have uncovered through this focus is WLI’s latest program Book Club Without the Books Series (BCWB). Inspired by similar programming featured at WLI Americas District Council in Washington D.C., this event series is designed to leverage the power of local small and approachable gatherings for established and emerging leaders who want to develop great connections with fellow ULI members.

The BCWB monthly gatherings are guided informal discussions on challenges, opportunities and “Aha!” moments of clarity we want to share with our peers.

With the help of our great sponsors and WLI leader Kim Beckman, we hosted three series of monthly events in three locations – Toronto, GTA North, and GTA West. We are thrilled to see this program grow in 2023/24.

Some new traditions borrowed from ULI Toronto’s amazing platform as the home of the industry, and just focused on setting the best environment for enjoyable open-ended social events.

Our annual WLI Fall Industry Social broke new attendance records to once again demonstrate the sheer number of women and their supporters who are transforming the industry’s growth.

WLI programming’s success would not be possible without the hard work of our many volunteers. This is why we reached out to our annual sponsors Bousfields and BTY Group to help us start WLI Quarterly Connect – a committee social to appreciate our volunteers and create more opportunities to build connections.

Amplify stories to challenge and enrich the common narrative of women in the industry

A key element to living our mission to advance the standing of women in the industry and to further equitable city building is understanding that the needs for lasting progress are not equal for all our community members.

Toronto is a refuge for many women looking to build healthy, prosperous, and safe livelihoods to take care of themselves and their families. There is a confluence of barriers they may be escaping by immigrating to the region, only to face different hurdles in accessing work and housing opportunities here.

We marked Women’s Month this year by spotlighting two programs which put into undeniable perspective that society cannot meet a prosperous future without systemically and meaningfully lifting women up.

As the regime in Iran brutally persecuted citizens protesting the death of Mahsa Amin, the protests inspired a global call for Women. Life. Freedom. زن زندگی آزادی  – here in Tehronto, our ULI member network came together to support Iranian Canadians to share experiences and hold space for their grief, their concerns, and their hopes for change.

ULI Toronto’s purpose in being the home of the industry will continue requiring insightful, unexpected, and interconnect programming to serve our membership effectively. This includes spotlighting social topics like Women. Life. Freedom, among many others, but also highlighting the innovation and new precedent women are unleashing to change the industry from the inside out.

Our Allies & Partners in Action team captured this in the insightful Women in Action: Affordable and Attainable Housing at Scale program which wrapped up International Women’s Month for WLI. The webinar featured industry leaders who are changing how housing is delivered in Toronto, including developers, lenders, and non-profit housing organizations partnering for new innovations to unlock opportunities to address the staggering need for accessible housing.

Sharing our learnings at ULI Spring Meeting and setting the stage for next year

We are grateful to the passionate leaders at ULI Americas Executive Committee, including soon-to-be WLI Global Chair Emma West, ULI Toronto’s Management Committee, including our chair Michelle Ackerman, who mindfully created opportunities for WLI Toronto to share our learnings at this year’s showstopper Spring Meeting in Toronto.

We are also very fortunate to have the dedicated powerhouse staff team – our Executive Director Richard Joy, Senior Director Alexander Rybak, and Manager Thameena Curtis – who ensured our community of volunteers was able to connect with WLI members from various different district councils.

As our beautiful city comes into the summer season, there are numerous opportunities for us to build on the successes of the past and encourage new talent and leadership to get involved in furthering WLI Toronto’s mission for a brighter shared future. We will be hosting our annual strategic planning workshop to uncover more opportunities to drive change – and leverage that compounding force for greater impact yet again.

WLI committee applications are now open and the deadline to apply is June 30, we hope you apply or share the opportunity with someone you believe in.

Upcoming ways to meet and mingle with the WLI Community (open to all)

• Championship Event taking place on June 20^th
• WLI Quarterly Connect – email [email protected]
• Continue to check out ULI’s events page for ULI and WLI events

Saira Muzaffar

Saira (pronouns they/them) is a Director of Marketing and Communications at BTY Group, a professional consultancy for project delivery expertise in real estate, infrastructure and energy asset management. They have over 14 years of experience leading communications, marketing, pursuits, strategic planning, and corporate development. Saira is the Co-Chair of ULI Toronto’s Women’s Leadership Initiative and a member of the Women’s Infrastructure Network Toronto’s Steering Committee. They also serve as Chair of TechGirls Canada, a STEM-focused research lab driving economic performance and outcomes for women.

Anna Ritacca, PLE, RPP, MCIP, MLAI, Cert. CSR

Anna is a strategic advisor in city-building and real estate investment with an expansive career bridging many facets of the industry in public and private sector organizations. She is currently the Principal and Strategic Advisor at BEL+RIT urbanism, her land and urban economics advisory practice supporting real estate and city-building organizations in strategic planning, investment, policy, and public interest. Evolving from career to purpose with intention, Anna is active in supporting women and young talent, and advancing personal and professional impact within the industry and broader community. She is the Co-Chair of ULI Toronto’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.