Committees & Boards
Message from our president
The Women's Business Network of Ottawa (WBN) is where women come together to empower each other’s growth and success. For over 40 years, the WBN has been a dynamic community of business owners, professionals, and corporate employees committed to building meaningful connections, sharing knowledge, and celebrating accomplishments.
We are proud to support the success of women in the Ottawa area through initiatives like the Businesswoman of the Year Awards, our Scholarship Fund, mentorship programs, and engaging networking events. These initiatives provide opportunities to learn, grow, and build lasting relationships.
At the WBN, we believe that when women support each other, incredible things happen. We are dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where every woman’s voice is valued, and her success is celebrated.
Contact us to learn more about what we do and how you can be part of this vibrant community.
Board of Directors
KAREN WILSON
President
Karen Wilson is the marketing and business strategist behind KCW Consulting. Accidental marketers (aka, business owners) invest in Karen’s services to clarify what they want to do and build a personalized plan to make it happen. Instead of checking off boxes on one-size-fits-all lists that don’t work for them, Karen empowers her clients to share their brilliance in the right places and spaces to reach their ideal clients.
For small businesses and not-for-profits that need support with marketing and communications, Karen is the partner who meets them where they are and provides guidance, insights, and recommendations that move them toward achieving their goals without overwhelming already limited resources.
As a WBN member (since 2012), past president of the WBN (2015-2018), and past BYA Gala Chair (2023), Karen is passionate about the support the network gives to its members. She’s honoured to have the opportunity to serve as President once again and be a part of elevating women and their impact in the Ottawa business community.
KIERSTEN GREEN
VP OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
PERPETUA MULIKITA
VP of Operations
Perpetua Mulikita is a financial services professional who has built and led financial inclusion initiatives across insurance and women's banking, with several years spent developing programs to expand women's access to finance, business tools, and financial knowledge. Perpetua holds a master’s degree in development finance and a BA in Economics. She is a published researcher and is currently pursuing an MBA at Carleton University's Sprott School of Business.
As an active community volunteer, Perpetua has contributed to initiatives supporting young entrepreneurs, families, and local communities. As Vice-President Operations, she is committed to strengthening the ecosystem and collaboration that enable the WBN to serve its members effectively, while supporting coordination across the Board and helping turn the organization's priorities into action.
PRAGYA DUBEY
Chair of Mentorship
Pragya collaborates with clients to create objective based solutions framework. As Vice President of Global Services at Agility PR Solutions, she leads the customer success teams for Enterprise, SaaS and the Media Insights team delivering custom media analytics solutions.
Pragya has over 20 years of experience in managing clients ranging from Fortune 500 to small to medium enterprises as well as Government and Non-Profit organizations. She has helped design innovative programs that deliver clear ROI and correlation to success metrics for clients. Her industry experience spans across Public Relations, Media Measurement, Social Media analytics and Customer Success.
Pragya holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Mumbai. She has also taught in the Public Relations program at Algonquin College, Ottawa. She is a regular speaker on the topic of Media Measurement, Communications and has conducted webinars with Agility, PRSA, Crisis Ready Institute and other such industry forums.
LYNDA Carter
Chair of BYA Nominations
Lynda is a member of MNP’s Assurance and Accounting team in Ottawa and a member of the firm’s regional Professional Services team. Lynda is a solution maker helping owner-managed enterprises, private companies, and entrepreneurial groups achieve success.
Lynda is a clear communicator who delivers personalized, tailored solutions, including assurance, review, and compilation engagement financial statements, internal process improvements, personal and corporate tax compliance and advisory, and cloud-based bookkeeping, including ease, MNP’s remote accounting service.
Prior to joining MNP, Lynda was a partner and senior manager at a Big Four firm for more than a decade.
Lynda earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) in accounting in 2000. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2000.
Lynda is a past president of the Women’s Business Network of Ottawa and was a Top 40 Under 40 recipient in 2013.
KAYLA SEIPP
Treasurer
Kayla Seipp, CPA, CA is a Partner with MNP and provides assurance and advisory services to clients. Kayla leads the not-for-profit audit group in the MNP Ottawa office and Eastern Ontario Region. She manages, coordinates and is a key facilitator providing internal learning development courses on various assurance and financial reporting topics for MNP personnel. Kayla also facilitates external courses to non-profit targeted audiences regarding financial reporting management and responsibilities.
Kayla has worked closely with her clients to deliver strong assurance solutions that help them meet their regulatory, governance and compliance requirements. Specializing in audit services for not-for-profit organizations, Kayla has assisted a wide range of healthcare, educational, social services and other not-for-profit and charitable organizations, as well as Indigenous organizations and other private companies, by delivering relevant, reliable and independently reviewed financial information to help them make strategic decisions about the future. Kayla is currently a Board Member of the Bridgepoint Center for Eating Disorders, and an Audit & Finance Committee Member of the Ottawa Community Foundation.
Kayla obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree with great distinction from the University of Saskatchewan in 2009 and her CA designation in 2011. She has more than 13 years of experience in public practice and is a member of CPA Saskatchewan and CPA Ontario.
Loreto Cheyne
Chair of Marketing
Trained as a graphic designer, Loreto has twenty years of experience in the industry. Her goal is to create a professional brand image so business owners can attract their ideal clients. Her focus has been on creating a consistent visual brand that presents her clients as the experts that they are.
Her area of expertise is in the area of print technology, especially in designing oversize graphics. However, she is also well-versed in social marketing and creating digital products.
Her recent project is taking her in a slightly different direction. Since 2023 she has been designing a greeting card line that is sold online. She has taken her experience in print production and customer service to create a line of sassy, fun greeting cards. The aim of these cards is to help busy female business owners stay in touch with colleagues, friends and family.
A long time member of WBN Loreto was chair of the Marketing Committee in its previous incarnation. She has served under that committee, as well as the Membership Committee. Even further back, Loreto was part of the team of volunteers that brought social media to the network.
WBN Leadership
DINA BEAUDOIN
Chair of Membership
For many years, Dina supported and appreciated the profound impact of the WBN, from the outside looking in. This was through attending charitable events, participating in community initiatives, and listening to the outstanding stories of WBN founding members. Add to that being a firsthand witness to the rise and evolution of her own mother’s journey as a woman business owner and active contributor within the network, it was only a matter of time before Dina decided to “come on home” to the WBN.
Now as a proud member and self-proclaimed “lifer”, Dina recognizes the powerful ripple effect throughout the NCR because of the collaboration, contribution, and actions that occur amongst members within the WBN. The dedication, relationships, and volunteer efforts can be a force unlike any other. It is both a privilege and a great responsibility to follow in the footsteps of long-time members and the legacy of what this network represents. Dina believes deeply in recognizing how we can honour our history and carry the torch forward.
Professionally, Dina is dedicated to military service and family business. Celebrating 28 years in business, the Beaudoin family supports thousands of consumers with household and health-related grocery services, providing convenient online shopping and home delivery. Dina’s approach is to be REAL and imperfect, as life is all about learning, teaching, and growing together. As a servant leader in her professional and personal life, Dina’s beliefs are to show up with enthusiasm, hard work, vision, compassion, and openness.
JENNIFER REYNOLDS
Chair of BYA Gala
Jennifer Reynolds is a lawyer and an Accredited Family Mediator (AccFM) with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). She is also a trained collaborative family law professional.
In her practice, she focuses on out of court solutions, including mediation and collaborative law. She guides her clients through the separation process with kindness, compassion and knowledge. Clients who wish to keep their separation out of court benefit from her broad experience in both litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
Having worked as a family lawyer for more than a decade, Jennifer recognizes the unique challenges and complex nature of separation and divorce. She knows that the law is only one aspect of a separation and works with her network of referral partners to ensure each client’s unique needs are met.
Are you a future member of the WBN Board of Directors?
OUR COMMITTEES
By getting involved in a committee, you will have a pedigreed introduction to many members of Ottawa’s business community, but best of all, you will have fun collaborating with a group of positive, successful businesswomen. Contact the chairs of any of the following committees to join.
BYA Gala Committee
OVERVIEW
The BYA Committee, working with a professional Event Planner, is responsible for the Businesswoman of the Year Awards Gala — the WBN’s premiere event.
BYA Nominations Committee
OVERVIEW
The Nominating Committee helps increase the profile of WBN members through recognition of their achievements.
Marketing Committee
OVERVIEW
The Marketing Committee supports the promotion, visibility, and growth of WBN through collaborative marketing and communications initiatives. The committee helps share WBN programs, events, opportunities, and member stories with the broader community.
MENTORSHIP COMMITTEE
OVERVIEW
The Mentorship Committee leads the WBN’s mentorship program for emerging and mid-level entrepreneurs/corporate professionals who are seeking skills, development and personal/professional growth.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
OVERVIEW
The Membership Committee helps recruit prospective members, welcomes new members, and inspires current members to reach out to their communities.
EVENTS COMMITTEE
OVERVIEW
The Events Committee helps plan and deliver the WBN’s monthly events.