Honouring Excellence: Celebrating Our YWCA Women of Distinction Nominees
This year, Jill Labas, Beth Wanner, and Shiza Hirani are among the distinguished nominees, each recognized for their exceptional contributions to business, education, and the community.
Jill Labas (BAdmin ’01) Enriching Education Nominee
This award honours women who inspire a passion for learning and development, making a sustained impact in education, training, or mentorship.
With more than 18 years of experience in education, Jill Labas is a passionate advocate for inclusive and transformative learning. She has dedicated her career to fostering personal and professional growth in her students, ensuring that education is a tool for empowerment and success.
Jill is known for integrating Indigenous ways of learning into her teaching, offering students a broader perspective on leadership and entrepreneurship. She has also led financial literacy workshops tailored for educators, Métis women, and students, reinforcing the importance of financial empowerment. Her mentorship, commitment to student success, and ability to create welcoming learning environments have made her a respected leader in education.
Beth Wanner (BBA' 09, MBA'13) Corporate Innovation Nominee
This award honours women whose achievements in the corporate sector or as business owners demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership. These individuals create opportunities, embrace new ideas, and drive change in business.
A three-time marketing executive and entrepreneur, Beth Wanner is redefining corporate leadership by prioritizing inclusivity, innovation, and sustainability. As the CEO and founder of Mother Cover, she has built an agency that helps working mothers and parents maintain leadership roles by providing fractional employees to cover parental leaves.
Her journey to founding Mother Cover was deeply personal. After experiencing pregnancy discrimination in the workplace, Beth took action—turning adversity into a business solution that champions women in leadership. Mother Cover gives individuals the ability to comfortably pause work when they need to, while providing companies with experienced support until their team member returns.
In addition to her role at Mother Cover, Beth also serves as a fractional CMO, leveraging her experience across demand gen, product marketing, and brand strategy to help companies achieve their growth targets while coaching the next generation of leaders to hit their goals without burning themselves out or compromising their values.
Shiza Hirani – Young Women of Distinction Nominee
This award recognizes young women (ages 14-25) who have made a significant impact through leadership, advocacy, or community engagement. These individuals demonstrate maturity, compassion, and a deep commitment to change.
A current Hill School of Business student, Shiza Hirani is a rising leader in youth advocacy, mentorship, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). She has been instrumental in creating mentorship programs that support high school students—particularly racialized youths—transitioning to post-secondary education. As the Founder of Youth MentorNet Café, Shiza is equipping youths with mentorship, financial literacy, and critical soft skills, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in an evolving world. Her youth mentorship endeavors are inspiring motivation, confidence, and resilience among youths which is driving a meaningful change in the community.
Shiza’s approach blends arts and science to make knowledge accessible to young people, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can navigate their educational journeys with confidence. Her dedication has earned her multiple accolades, including the Jax Mac Foundation Award, the Ted Rogers Scholarship Award, Women Student Leaders in Business Administration Award, Hill Business Student Society and Faculty of Business Administration Award, and the University of Regina’s Entrance Scholarship. Shiza is also serving on youth advisory councils at the national and international level where she champions youth-led solutions to public health challenges like mental health, climate change, and gender equity in education. Through her leadership and mentorship, she continues to inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers.