2026 Leadership Forum: Room to Grow
About this Event
Some doors open because of talent and hard work. Others open because someone made room.
Fora's 2026 Leadership Forum is a full-day experience for the people navigating what's next and those with the power to shape it. We're living through layoffs, economic uncertainty, and a political landscape that is actively reshaping who has access to opportunity and who gets left behind. Now more than ever, the skills you build, the relationships you cultivate, and the doors you choose to open for others matter.
On October 20th in Toronto, 200 participants will come together for honest conversation, experiential learning, and connections that promote growth. Participants will engage in panel discussions grounded in Fora's own research, attend workshops on negotiation, AI literacy, and strategic networking, and have the opportunity to be speed-mentored. This event is for young women and gender-marginalized leaders, alongside managers, executives, mentors, board members, and community leaders who have the ability to influence who gets hired, sponsored, nominated, and invited into the room.
So whether you're mapping your next move, learning to advocate for yourself, stepping into your influence, or figuring out how to open more doors for others, Room to Grow is what you need.
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity still isn't. This event is here to change that.
The Agenda:
- 8:30 am: Doors open. Registration & Bagel Bonding Bar
- 9:15 am: Room to Grow Kickoff
- 9:45 am –12:00 pm: Panels, workshops & speed mentorship
- 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch, networking & professional headshots
- 1:30 pm – 4:15 pm: Panel, workshops & Forum Recharge
- 4:15 pm – 5:00 pm: Making Room to Grow: Reflections, Commitments & Closing Remarks
- 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Pizza & Possibilities
What will I get out of the event?
- A stronger sense of your leadership identity, and the clarity to move forward with it
- Deeper professional connections across nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors
- Practical tools for creating and accessing opportunity, for yourself and for others
- Concrete next steps grounded in your own goals, captured in the guided "Room to Grow" workbook you'll fill in throughout the day
For more details, please visit our website.
Agenda
🕑: 08:30 AM - 09:15 AM
Registration & Bagel Bonding Bar Grab
Info: Folks will be invited to register, meet attendees, and get excited for a day of leadership development.
🕑: 09:15 AM - 09:45 AM
Room to Grow Kickoff
Info: An opening ceremony to set the tone for the day, featuring a land acknowledgement, remarks from Fora's CEO Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, and lightning storytelling from special guests.
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Panel Discussion A: Creating Opportunity in a Changing World
Info: Creating Opportunity in a Changing World:
Leaders from across sectors share honest career reflections. From pivots and rejections to the moments when someone opened a door (and when they had to build one themselves). A conversation about personal agency and collective responsibility in navigating opportunity today.
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Workshops & Speed Mentoring
Info: Choice between participating in our Speed Mentorship Session, or joining one of two interactive workshops: 1) "The Skills That Don't Expire," and 2) "Closing the AI Gap: Using AI with Confidence, Purpose & Ethics." A note on our Speed Mentorship session: We invite experienced leaders to sign up to volunteer as a mentor when you register. limited spots available. Mentees will be accepted on a first come basis on the day of the event.
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch & Networking
Info: Because some of the best opportunities begin conversations over a meal. Plus, you can stop by our Professional Headshot & LinkedIn Tune-Up Booth between 12:15–1:00 PM.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 01:30 PM
Transition Break & Spark Talk
Info: A short keynote spark talk to re-energize the room before the afternoon programming.
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Panel Discussion B: The Power of Opportunity
Info: Grounded in insights from Fora's research report, Ready, Willing and Rejected, this panel explores how sponsorship shapes career growth, board appointments, and access to opportunity. Panellists share personal experiences of being sponsored, sponsoring others, and what collective responsibility looks like when leaders actively open doors for others.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 02:45 PM
The Forum Recharge
Info: A mid-afternoon energizer to reset, reconnect, and get ready for the afternoon workshops.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Workshops
Info: Choice between three interactive workshops: Workshop C, "Building Your Network," Workshop D "Know Your Worth: Negotiation, Opportunity & Career Advocacy," or Workshop E "Opening Doors: Creating Opportunity Through Leadership"
🕑: 04:15 PM - 04:50 PM
Making Room to Grow: Reflections, Commitments & What's Next
Info: A guided closing session where participants reflect on the day's learning, write letters to their future selves, and leave with a clear commitment to creating more room for themselves and others.
🕑: 04:50 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Remarks
Info: A few words from Fora's CEO, Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, to close the day and welcome folks to the reception.
🕑: 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM
Pizza & Possibilities
Info: Some of the best conversations happen after the panels end and the pressure's off. Join us for an informal close to the day, where you can stay, eat, and keep the conversation going!
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 11.98 to CAD 38.61
