Saint John entrepreneurs, business owners, and students can attend the first Empowering Women in Business (EWB) conference.

The theme for this year’s conference is Women L.E.A.D. — or Love, Empathy, Action, and Diversity.

The two-day event will have multiple workshops to learn about leadership, marketing and personal branding, sales, gender equality, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and work-life balance.

Opening remarks will be by Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon and New Brunswick Lieutenant-Governor Brenda Murphy.

Over a dozen guest speakers will take part, including Olaitan Onyebuoha, who is one of Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch, and Maayan Ziv, one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada and part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s 35 Innovators Under 35.

Tania Valbuena, project manager of EWB, said they expect about 300 people will attend the event, which she believes will do wonders for New Brunswick’s workforce.

“This conference plays a bigger role in raising awareness about the importance of gender equality and promoting opportunities for women entrepreneurs, which may have a positive impact on the local business landscape,” said Valbuena.

“Also, we believe this conference can contribute to fostering an environment where women feel encouraged and supported to start or grow their businesses, and this kind of initiative can increase the number of businesses run by women as they access to resources, networks and support systems necessary for success.”

The event will be held at Market Square in Saint John on March 16 and 23.

More details can be found by clicking here.