Vancouver Women in Male-Dominated Industries

Thu, Nov 27 · 5:30 PM PST

Online Networking Without The Cringe - WIMDI In-Person Event

Spare, 601 W Hastings St Suite 300, Vancouver, BC, CA

# About this event

In 2025, The WIMDI Speaker Series is inviting engaging speakers each month to give interactive talks on topics that help women kill it at work.
Missed a WIMDI webinar live? Subscribe and catch-up at WIMDIs YouTube Channel

Welcome to Talk 10 of 10 - Online Networking Without The Cringe

Online networking can feel like a weird mix of small talk and stage fright — except it’s all happening in your inbox. You’re supposed to be friendly but professional, confident but not salesy, authentic but not too personal. You overthink your opening line, rewrite it five times, then wonder if your little “hope you’re well!” message sounds too desperate. By the time you hit send, your message feels less like a connection and more like a cry into the void.

No wonder so many of us avoid it — or feel gross doing it. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

This talk will focus on how to simplify online networking. We’ll cover:

• Delivering authenticity and value to reduce the “cringe” feeling
• Avoiding pitfalls that make online networking feel transactional or uncomfortable
• Processes and examples you can use in online networking scenarios
• Building and maintaining long-term relationships that feel human and genuine

The goal of this talk is to help you feel more comfortable, assertive and at ease when starting conversations with strangers in professional online spaces.

# Our Speaker

Paige Strand

With over a decade of corporate experience, Paige founded Strand + Strategy Communications to positively impact her community and local economy. Her ability to navigate multiple industries offers a unique perspective on strategies, problem-solving and business transformation. She has served diverse sectors such as financial services, healthcare, technology, publishing, automotive, hotels, food and beverage, entertainment and life sciences. Her background in change management also makes her a sought-after partner for storytelling through major changes, including mergers and acquisitions, digital transformation and people-centric initiatives.

She was listed on the Women We Admire's '2023 Top 50 Leaders in Vancouver' list andThe Peak’s ‘Emerging Leaders of 2022’ list, as well as several podcasts and conference talks.

# Event Timeline

5:30 pm – Networking & Icebreakers
The event starts with mingling, socializing, and small-group networking.

6:00 pm – Talk Begins
The talk starts! Get out your notepad and prepare to soak up some knowledge.

7:00 pm – Q&A
Ask any burning questions you have for our speaker!

7:30 pm – The End of the Night!
We’ll exchange cards, phone numbers, facepages, myfriend accounts, tweetster, instapics, snaptexts, tictaks, or whatever it is that the kids are using these days to stay in touch – and then head home!

# Location

Where The Event Is
We're meeting on a rooftop event space in Downtown Vancouver at the corner of Hastings & Seymour (601 W Hasting St).

See A Virtual Preview of The Event Space:
We've got a virtual preview video of our event location, so you can see exactly what to expect in terms of how to enter the event location, accessibility of pathways, and accessible washrooms locations.

# Sponsor

Thank you to Spare, a wonderful local tech company, for hosting us in their office space!

# Attendance Notes

1) Gender:
This event is open to individuals of any gender identity.

2) Children:
WIMDI events are for parents too! We know childcare can occasionally be a challenge, but we don't think that should stop you from connecting and learning with us. WIMDI doesn't offer childcare at our events, but we'd love you to bring your little one along with some quiet activities to occupy them. Suitable for ages 0+

# Video & Photography

1) Video:
This event is being recorded for release on the WIMDI YouTube channel. By attending you consent to the terms laid out at wimdi.com/video-release/. If you are uncomfortable being recorded, please approach one of our volunteers to arrange an accommodation. For additional info, see wimdi.com/video-policy/.

2) Photography:
WIMDI will not be taking any photos at this event. Individual participants may take photos during the event, but only if they have explicit verbal consent of everyone in the photo frame.

# Event Space Info

1) Parking:
The closest public parking is two blocks away, between Waterfront Station and Steamworks (501-599 West Cordova St Parking).

2) Transit:
The nearest mass transit hub is two blocks away at Waterfront Station with access to the Canada Line, Expo Line, SeaBus & West Coast Express. Additional info about planning your trip via transit can be found in the Translink Trip Planner.

3) Venue & Entrance Accessibility:
The event space is accessible for folks who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
The accessible entrance to the building is located on Hastings Street. It is locked during the time of the event, so you will need to flag down a WIMDI volunteer who can let you in to the accessible entrance. To flag down a volunteer, go to the main building entrance (a revolving door) just around the corner on Seymour. Wave at the volunteer in the lobby through the glass to get them to let you into the accessible entrance.
Once inside the building, you will need to take two elevators to get to the event space. The volunteer in the lobby will buzz you up to the 25th floor. From there, turn left and a Volunteer will buzz you up into the second elevator which will take you up the final two floors to the rooftop event space.
We have done our best to set up the chairs to make navigable corridors in the whole event space, but the spacing is a bit tight. If you are having trouble navigating the room, please find a volunteer and we can help direct you to the best seats.
Check out our event walkthrough video for a visual preview of how to get into the building and the event space.

4) Washroom Accessibility:
There is a single-room accessible washroom within the event space. It is equipped with a button-activated door and grab bars. To see a preview of the washroom, check out our event walkthrough video.

5) Gender-Neutral Washrooms:
This venue's washroom is available to all genders. It is a single room with a locking door, toilet, sink, mirror and garbage disposal area. This venue's washroom does not make menstrual products/period supplies available.

6) Changing Tables:
Unfortunately, the washroom located within the event space does not have a changing table.

7) Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding & Pumping:
Unfortunately, this venue does not have a private place for feeding or pumping. There is also only a single one-room washroom, so using the washroom for private feeding would prevent other attendees from using the washroom.
If you are comfortable feeding or pumping around others, you are welcome to feed or pump in the main event area with the other attendees. We ask that you do your best to keep noises from your child or pump to a reasonable minimum during the presentation so they don't interfere with others' hearing the speaker.
We encourage you to feed or pump with or without a cover, whatever works best for you. Please note that we are filming this event but our volunteers are happy to help you find a comfortable spot out of our cameras' view.

8) Covid & Other Health Precautions:
This in-person event is being held indoors. There is an outdoor patio space attached to the event space that may be used for the networking portion of the event, if the weather permits.
Most WIMDI attendees do not wear masks. However, if you want or need to wear a mask to make attending this event safe(r) for you, please do! If you'd like a mask buddy, WIMDI’s founder Holly is committed to wearing a mask with any WIMDI member who wants to so you have an automatic friend and ally (although she will take it off when she is speaking "on stage" so everyone can hear her clearly).

9) Calm/Sensory-Friendly Space:
WIMDIs events are large and well-attended, and as a result they can sometimes feel crowded or noisy for some folks. Unfortunately, this venue does not have a specific area for folks who need a sensory break or low-stim environment.
Please feel free to adjust your participation to help the event work for you. For example, you might consider watching the event online, or attending only the presentation portion of the evening and skipping the networking before and after the event.

# Code of Conduct & Community Norms

1) Code of Conduct:
By attending this event, you agree to adhere to WIMDI's code of conduct, which you can find at wimdi.com/code-of-conduct-and-policy.

2) No Selling, Pitching, or Finding Your Next Client:
Our events are different than most traditional events. They're not focused on entrepreneurs, and aren't a place to pitch your business or service. Our first priority is making sure our community gets to connect with each other and it's no fun when everyone is trying to meet their next client.

3) Stims, Fidgets & Self-Regulation:
We encourage you to use any silent, low-key fidgets or stims that will help you feel comfortable, concentrate or self-regulate.

4) Dress Code
Our goal is to have you feel comfortable and not stress too much about your clothing. Show up wearing whatever is comfortable, as long as:

• Your NSFW parts are covered!.
• You will not soil the furniture or floors in the event space (eg: work coveralls covered in coal dust, muddy work boots, etc)
• Nothing about your outfit will impede others' enjoyment of the event (eg: a giant hat that blocks the view of the presentation, excessive perfume, etc)

Most folks come to the event straight from work, so many WIMDIs are dressed in suits or business-casual wear. We also have many attendees dressed in casual clothing or athleisure. In terms of shoes, people usually wear dressy flats, high-heels, sneakers, or sandals.

5) Punctuality
At WIMDI, we have a no-judgement policy around punctuality. Folks sometimes need to show up late or leave early for all kinds of valid reasons. Please attend our events in whatever timeframe your work, life, parenting, mental health, or ADHD schedules require.

6) Donations to The PAFNW (Pacific Association of First Nations Women)
As part of this event we have the option of donation to the Pacific Association of First Nations Women for their scholarship fund for Indigenous women and girls. This is a concrete way - beyond land acknowledgement - to redistribute some of our collective financial privilege to support Indigenous women.

Thu, Dec 4 · 12:00 PM PST

•

Online

Women in Male-Dominated Industries Café Lunch - Virtual Edition!

Online

***** SIGN UP ON TICKET TAILOR TO GET LOGIN DETAILS: https://wimdi.com/cafe-lunch-virtual-event?utm-source=Referral&utm_medium=Meetup&utm_campaign=CafeVirtual&utm_content=251204*****

Join us for our fun mid-day meal in a virtual setting. Join us for a lunch break of networking, chit-chat, and strategy sharing between women in male-dominated industries.

Here's the plan:

1. Make yourself lunch.
2. Meet online via our group zoom call.
3. Meet some cool women and chat about our work lives.
4. Exchange cards, phone numbers, facepages, myfriend accounts, tweetster, instapics, snaptexts, or whatever it is that the kids are using these days to stay in touch.
5. Stay in touch! Or....failing that, we'll do it all again in four weeks, so don't worry, we've got your back.

Hope to see you there!

Holly Burton
WIMDI Founder & CEO + Leadership Coach for Women in Male-Dominated Industries
e: hello@wimdi.com
w: wimdi.com
p: she/her

How Online Events Work:

• This event is live only and will not be recorded.
• We'll email you the login info for the Zoom meeting 5 minutes before the start of the event.
• Can't find your login details? Check your spam for mail from WIMDI and/or Ticket Tailor. If you still can't find the info, email hello@wimdi.com and we'll get you all sorted out.

Attendance Notes:

1. Gender:
   All WIMDI Café Lunches are restricted to those who do not currently identify as cisgender men. These events have limited attendance and often involve personal discussion, debate, and advice specific to dynamics underrepresented minorities in these industries experience. We are happy for cisgender men to learn and participate in WIMDI conversation at most of our other events, but we reserve the Café Lunches as a space for women* to connect with each other freely and openly.
2. Code of Conduct:
   By attending this event, you agree to adhere to WIMDI's code of conduct, which you can find at wimdi.com/code-of-conduct-and-policy.
3. Privacy and Photography:
   Online WIMDI events use Zoom, and as such we cannot guarantee that no photos or screenshots will be taken of you during the event. We love it when our members connect at our events using both video and audio, but we understand if our members prefer to participate with their video turned off to preserve (more of) their privacy.

*WIMDI uses an inclusive definition of women that means "people who are in a gender minority in their field". This includes trans individuals, genderqueer, agender, intersex, two spirit, and non-binary folks. If you are not sure if you are included, please err on the side of attending our events! Feel free to reach out to the Organizer, Holly Burton, with any questions and for an automatic welcoming face and first-friend at any WIMDI event.