National Post - Financial Post Magazine
RBC Future Launch Future Leaders
Recognizes five exceptional young women, between 15 and 29 years old, who are transforming their communities through innovation, collaboration and courage
BIO: Habon Ali is a Somali-canadian completing her MSC in Global Health at Mcmaster University. As an alumna of the Prime Ministers Youth Council, Habon has advised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government. She helped create Canada's first National Youth Policy and Canada's Service Corps. She is passionate about removing systemic barriers for youth, especially from marginalized communities, assisting MARS Discovery District, Opportunity for All Youth and Grand Challenges Canada
MOST IMPORTANT CAREER LESSON: The people you meet are invaluable. They inspire you, challenge you, and support you. Never do anything alone and uplift those around you when you get a chance. Change is collective.
MY RAW COURAGE: I AM the future. Youth are pushing the envelope of what is possible and we aren't settling for the world we've inherited!
ON WHAT MAKES A LEADER: Compassion makes a leader.
BIO: Community leader, advocate, TEDX speaker, Hebah Hussaina is passionate about supporting youth STEAM education. A resident of Surrey, B.C., Hebah has led initiatives to encourage youth participation in STEAM activities through partnerships with Science World, Surrey Memorial Hospital, the City of Surrey, and the University of British Columbia. Hebah is a strong believer in investing in the future generation, and advocates for equal opportunities for youth to pursue STEAM careers.
ON WHAT POWERFUL MEANS: Being ‘powerful' means to recognize the privilege that you hold. Actively working and listening to create safe, inclusive spaces for community building in positions of power is integral.
POWER SONG: “Girl on Fire”, Alicia Keys.
BIO: Alishba Imran is a developer working at the intersection of AI, rehabilitation tech, humanoids and medical devices to create smarter machines. She's developed a generative neural network and 3D printed prosthetic material that reduced patient costs from $10,000 to $700, led neuro-symbolic AI research for Sophia the Robot at Hanson Robotics, and helped build a portable, low-cost, soft robotic glove with Q-learning using the SRT by the Harvard Biodesign lab.
MOST IMPORTANT CAREER LESSON: The importance of maximizing serendipity and creating novel situations for yourself to learn new things and meet new people.
MY RAW COURAGE: I AM passionate!
ON WHAT POWERFUL MEANS: A powerful person is someone able to have agency over their life and create circumstances where they have control over the narrative and life that they want to live.
BIO: Recognizing the ecological crisis as the greatest threat to health of the 21st century, Dr. Claudel Pétrindesrosiers is completing her medical training with a master in environment. A great communicator, she’s frequently featured on several media, and more regurlarly, on Noovo Info’s Le Fil. She sits on the board of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and chairs its Québec’s chapter.
MY RAW COURAGE: I AM bold - because I’m willing to go the extra mile to make sure that human health is protected in the face of ecological disruption; I saw there was not only a gap, but a very important need and I decided to answer “present”.
POWER SONG: “My Heart Will Go On”, Céline Dion.
BIO: Bhanvi‘s interests are rooted in the intersections of behaviour, psychology, artificial intelligence and public health. She was born in India and raised in Calgary, where she developed her passion for gender-equality rights, women’s education and health. In 2020, she founded an organization premised on giving an artistic platform to youth from marginalized communities, and more recently, distributing feminine hygiene products in the community.
ON MOTIVATION: The people around me, as well as the happiness that comes along with helping others, keeps me inspired and motivated each day.
MY RAW COURAGE: I AM Bhanvi because being myself means to be authentic, strong, brave, confident, intelligent, resilient and beautiful in my own unique way, regardless of all my imperfections.
ON WHAT MAKES A LEADER: A leader is able to inspire themselves and others around them and is not ashamed to flaunt their imperfections.