The 2025 YWCA Women of Distinction Awards Presented by Scotiabank Recipients
YWCA Metro Vancouver is pleased to announce the recipients of its 42nd annual Women of Distinction Awards presented by Scotiabank.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, nominees' biographies have been written by YWCA Metro Vancouver staff, with information retrieved from the nomination packages.
Arts, Culture & Design
Ashlie Corcoran
Artistic Director, Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Society
Ashlie is the Artistic Director of the Arts Club Theatre Company and oversees the programming and direction of up to 18 productions each year. Ashlie champions accessibility in the Theatre’s productions and has introduced relaxed performances for neurodivergent audience members and for those with sight or hearing challenges. She has also employed disability experts and cultural consultants to guide Arts Club productions and introduced several artistic programs to support BC’s theatre industry. Ashlie is a mentor through the Loran Scholars’ Foundation, which empowers youth to uplift their communities, and nurtures emerging talent through the Canadian Guild of Stage Directors and Choreographers. In 2020, she received the Jessie Award for Outstanding Production and in 2024, the Sterling Award for Outstanding Direction.
Business & the Professions
Radha Curpen
Partner, Client Relationship Ambassador and Group Head, ESG and Sustainability for McMillan
Radha is Partner and the first ever National Client Relationship Ambassador for McMillan, a business law firm serving public, private and non-profit clients. Championing environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues since the 1990’s, she’s McMillan’s Group Head for ESG and Sustainability and a member of the ESG Advisory Council to the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. She is on the Board of Governors of the Business Council of BC and a member of the Council of Governors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. In 2021 she made Business in Vancouver’s BC500 list of Most Influential Business Leaders and, in 2023, received the Influential Women in Business Award. In 2024 she was named an “environmental legal eagle” on Vancouver Magazine’s Power 50 List.
Community Champion
Cindy Beedie
Executive Director of Beedie Foundation
Cindy is the Executive Director of the Beedie Foundation and a passionate philanthropic leader who supports housing projects, women’s education and health-care facilities. She’s been recognized for her philanthropy with an invitation to ONE’s Global Leadership Circle, founded by Bono, and with a Top 50 Power Award from BC Business. Cindy co-founded Beedie Rocks, a music festival that has raised more than $2 million for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and close to $1 million for YWCA Metro Vancouver. She is the naming donor for YWCA Cindy Beedie Place, providing 56 safe, affordable homes for low-income single mothers and their children. Additionally, she’s chaired projects and raised considerable funds for the VPD Foundation and Powell Place, Vancouver’s first women-only shelter on the downtown eastside.
Connecting the Community
Ramandeep Randhawa
Community Branch Manager, Khalsa Credit Union
Ramandeep is the Community Branch Manager for Khalsa Credit Union. A champion for workplace equity, she introduced mentorship programs and flexible work arrangements to improve retention of women staff. She’s also organized annual food drives for the past five years, with 1,531 pounds of food donated to Khalsa Aid and to the Surrey Food Bank. In 2023, Ramandeep started the Adopt-A-Street monthly cleanup program with the City of Surrey, which has seen 65 bags of garbage collected. She also volunteers at local schools, teaching financial literacy to students. In 2024, she was recognized by Drishti Magazine as one of 15 Women of Influence Breaking Barriers. Ramandeep has also received numerous internal awards from Khalsa Credit Union, including top loan growth and top member survey results.
Education, Training & Development
Kim van der Woerd
Founder and Lead for Strategy and Relations at Reciprocal Consulting Inc.
Kim is the Founder and Lead for Strategy and Relations at Reciprocal Consulting Inc., which aims to contribute to the ongoing well-being, self-determination and Nation-building of Indigenous communities. She is a leader in educating others on how to enact reconciliation through evaluation. Through her efforts, more than 1,200 researchers, evaluators, funders and professionals have been trained in understanding the ongoing impacts of colonization. She’s been a key leader in advancing reconciliation within the Canadian Evaluation Society and pivotal in advancing Indigenous evaluation and research at SFU, leading to structural change at the university. Kim has received the BC Community Achievement Award and the Canadian Evaluation Society Award for Contributions to Evaluation in Canada. In 2023, Kim was recognized as a Fellow of the Canadian Evaluation Society.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Aisha Yang
Co-Founder and Director, Herbaland Naturals Inc.
Aisha is the Co-Founder and Director of Herbaland Naturals Inc., a plant-based nutritional gummies manufacturer. Under her leadership, Herbaland made significant innovations in the nutraceutical market, meeting a need for vegan-friendly supplements. Aisha led the introduction of 100% compostable packaging and helped Herbaland grow from a local company to an international brand exporting to 45 countries. She also led Herbaland to be the first B Corp certified gummy manufacturer in the world. Along with supporting local charities like Richmond Cares Richmond Gives and Mamas for Mamas, Aisha mentors women entrepreneurs. She also fosters an inclusive and multicultural workplace. In 2023 she was awarded Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award and the RBC Women of Influence Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Environmental Sustainability
Sonia Strobel
CEO and Co-Founder, Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery
Sonia is CEO and Co-Founder of Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery, a certified B Corporation which connects fishing families to seafood-loving home cooks. The company, which was founded in 2008, supports 40 independent small-scale fishers and feeds more than 7,800 member families across five provinces. Sonia built trust with BC fishers by visiting their communities and paying fair wages. She’s recognized by parliamentarians as a leading expert in community-based fisheries and is often asked to speak in the House of Commons. In 2015, Sonia was awarded the Coralus Radical Generosity Award and, in 2019, she received the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs’ Pitch for the Purse. She was a finalist in the BC Food and Beverage Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2023.
Health & Wellness
Dr. Jana-Lea Davidson
Chief Medical Officer, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Jana-Lea is the inaugural Chief Medical Officer for BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. She led the hospitals’ response during the COVID-19 pandemic and led work to unite strategic goals across the organizations. Jana-Lea’s contributions have transformed child and youth mental health care in BC, having co-founded the National Institute of Families for Child and Youth Mental Health and now serving as Founding Board Director. The institute encourages collaboration between caregivers and professionals and jurisdictions worldwide have emulated its model. Jana-Lea championed the creation of the Institute of Global Health at Children’s and Women’s Health Centre, the first of its kind in North America. She was also appointed Division Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC.
Non-Profit
Bridgitte Anderson
President and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Bridgitte is the first woman President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and creator of one of the inaugural Equity and Diversity Councils in the Canadian Chamber network. She also serves as chair of the Canadian Global Cities Council, which is a voice for Canada’s major economic centres in public policy advocacy. Under Bridgitte’s leadership, the GVBOT adopted a Commitment to Reconciliation and the Community Spotlight Series to support Vancouver-based non-profits. She was the Chair of Women’s Leadership Council for GVBOT and moderated an event with Michelle Obama. She’s been a part of numerous local boards, including Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Dress for Success and Invest Vancouver. In 2024, she received a King Charles III Coronation Medal and Vancouver Power 50 Recognition.
Reconciliation in Action
Annita McPhee
Principal and Owner, Annita McPhee Strategies
Annita is Principal and Owner of Annita McPhee Strategies and an Indigenous Facilitator from the Tahltan/Tlingit Nations. After launching in 2015, Annita McPhee Strategies quickly became a leading conference provider and community facilitator for First Nations, Indigenous women, industry and government bodies. Through her tireless advocacy, Annita is recognized as being instrumental in saving Tahltan Territory’s Sacred Headwaters, leading to an agreement with the provincial government to stop coal exploration work in an area that’s of profound cultural, spiritual and ecological significance to the Nation. She is also the Founder of Protect Our Indigenous Sisters, which addresses violence, abuse and intergenerational trauma while raising awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. In 2024, Annita received the Indigenous Leadership Award from Ecotrust Foundation.
Research, the Sciences & Technology
Dr. Cheryl Ho
Medical Oncologist at BC Cancer and Clinical Associate Professor at UBC
Cheryl, a Medical Oncologist at BC Cancer and the Director of the Medical Oncology Fellowship Program and Clinical Associate Professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, has dedicated her academic career to researching advancements in cancer treatments. Cheryl partnered with Johns Hopkins University as the Canadian Chair co-leading a clinical trial that studied the use of “liquid biopsies” as early markers of lung cancer response to immuno-chemotherapy. She also co-created Precision Oncology Evidence Development in Cancer Treatment, an $8-million project with Roche that was instrumental in broadening access to molecular testing and targeted cancer therapies in BC to generate evidence for sustainable health care. She is regularly invited to speak nationally and internationally, and she’s published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals.
Young Woman of Distinction
Vedanshi Vala
Co-Founder and Executive Director, BOLT Safety Society
Vedanshi is Co-Founder and Executive Director of BOLT Safety Society, a youth-led team addressing sexual violence, domestic abuse and harassment through its digital platform, safe networks and workshops. She drove the creation of BOLT’s digital platform, offering survivor-centric resources. Under Vedanshi’s leadership, BOLT’s Safe Hubs network has grown to 48 locations across 16 Canadian cities. The digital map shows places of sanctuary for anyone feeling unsafe and has been accessed more than 6,600 times. Vedanshi was the youngest and only Indian person to win a 2022 L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth Award. She was also recognized as a BC Business Woman of the Year, a Surrey Board of Trade Top 25 Under 25 and one of four national Heroes on the Frontlines of the Pandemic.
Outstanding Workplace
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is an arm’s-length federal agency responsible for the shared stewardship of land and water that make up Canada’s largest port. Last year, the organization introduced the Strengths Deployment Inventory, investing in professional development and well-being. The port authority is committed to neuro inclusivity in the workplace, including through its sensory space called “The Den.” Nearly half of the organization’s leadership roles are filled by women, which is higher than the industry’s norms of 38-40%. The port authority’s maternity leave top up is offered for up to 50 weeks and flexible work options are available to accommodate families and those with elder care responsibilities. Since 2021, the organization has been recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers by Canada’s Top 100 Employers.
The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards honour individuals and organizations whose outstanding activities and achievements contribute to the wellbeing and future of our community. This signature fundraising event is about bringing our diverse community together to empower one another.
This year's event was a resounding success in raising funds for the YWCA's Housing Action Fund to accelerate the development of new affordable housing for women and their children.
Award recipients were formally announced at the Women of Distinction Awards Gala at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver on April 28, 2025. Nominations for next year open on July 1st, 2025.
The 2025 Awards are presented by Scotiabank. Our sponsors this year are Scotiabank, BC Housing, BCAA, Beedie, Chard, Clio, iA Financial Group, MDA Space, SAP Labs Canada, Seaspan, Teck Resources Limited., Dentons Canada, Say Love Projects, Nature’s Path, Imagine That Events, Global TV/Corus Entertainment, Miss 604.
