OUR STORY
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Toronto connects and supports women engineers and engineering graduates in Toronto, Canada, enabling them to rise together as a community. We encourage meaningful and engaging conversations through a series of meet-ups, speaker series and workshops.
Globally, The Society of Women Engineers has given women engineers a unique place and voice within the engineering industry for more than six decades. In January 2017, SWE Toronto became an official international affiliate. SWE Toronto envisions a world where women engineers and engineering graduates are successful and thriving by getting the support they need to become leaders in solving tough problems for our world.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to contribute to the continual professional growth of women in engineering by:
- Connecting women in engineering across various stages of their careers
- Building a community of engineers, professionals, and industry partners that support the success of women in engineering
- Supporting the retention of women in engineering through outreach, events, and personal development
To read more on how our governance accomplishes our mission, please find our bylaws here.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Applied science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto. Currently, she works as an environmental consultant, specializing in air quality and decarbonization. Elizabeth is very passionate about empowering women in engineering and STEM fields and fostering inclusive environments for women in these spaces. Through her work with SWE Toronto over the past 4 years, she has worked to help women in these fields feel supported and strengthened through the SWE community. She looks forward to continuing this work as president for the upcoming year and is excited to see what SWE Toronto accomplishes in 2024-2025 year and beyond.
ELIZABETH MAGGS
PRESIDENT
Yoland is an associate engineer with experience in electrical design for transportation and roadways, and traffic management strategy for major roads and highways. She is passionate about enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in the transportation sector, and improving the health and safety of individuals on a broad scale. Yoland has been part of SWE since September 2022, where she joined as a Programs volunteer. The following year she became the Director of Programs, where she took lead in planning a range of in person and online events. As VP, Yoland wants to continue bringing women in engineering together to create a strong and supportive community.
YOLAND EL-HAJJ
VICE PRESIDENT
Janelle is a Project Manager with a control system engineering background. She has worked in airport automation and automotive manufacturing. In her role she combines her interests in problem solving and connecting people.
She is passionate about women succeeding in engineering, science and leadership roles, which motivates her to try and reshape the field through work with a variety of age groups. As a student, she never felt there was a space for her within engineering, driving her to try and show that the title of engineer can be held by a variety of people. She volunteers as a mentor for university students at multiple institutions in Canada and works with the Microsoft TEALs program, operating as a teaching assistant in local high school computer science classrooms. Through her work with SWE she aims to support women in her field and help them to feel successful in their careers.
JANELLE SOMERVILLE
PAST-PRESIDENT
Kate Wymbs graduated from MIT with Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Theater Arts. She has 10 years of international process engineering experience at both engineering firms and start-ups. She is currently working at a sustainable lithium mining startup. With 4 years of remote working experience in Toronto and as a new mom, she values the importance of building and nurturing a personal and professional network. Kate enjoys bringing members together and exploring relevant topics such as sustainability-focused careers in engineering, PEO CDP (Continue Professional Development), and getting started as an independent contractor, among others.
KATHERINE ANN WYMBS
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Tasneem is a researcher in UX and computer vision. She completed her Master’s at York University and her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at the University of Kentucky. She was involved in the University of Kentucky’s SWE chapter and served as the Co-conference Chair for one year. Prior to starting graduate studies, she interned at the Stop TB Partnership in Geneva, Switzerland and worked on projects exploring global healthcare technology. SWE Toronto is a growing network of women in STEM, and Tasneem would like to contribute to its growth by connecting engineering professionals, students and others looking to step into the field of engineering. She has been volunteering with SWE Toronto since 2020, first as Website Director (2020-22) and then as Finance Officer (2022-24), and is a SWE Global Ambassador. In the upcoming year she hopes to be more involved in organizing events for the SWE TO community.
TASNEEM NAHEYAN
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Sanuja Ratnarajah is an impact and innovation focused Software Developer/Solutions Consultant currently working in the tech consulting space. She discovered her love for tech during her mathematics and business undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo which she completed in the summer of 2022. Her interest in growing and learning alongside like-minded women is what led her to SWE Toronto’s initiative. She is excited about the opportunity to work with the team as the Membership Committee Director for the 2024-25 year!
SANUJA RATNARAJAH
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Alex is an entrepreneur and loves to keep busy working closely with her network in the tech space. As a Mechatronic Systems Engineering Graduate, she utilizes multiple platforms to engage her passions of Travel, Sport, Technology and Engineering. These industries connect her to new opportunities and promote innovation and international collaboration. Within the Engineering community, it is important to stay connected and grow your network as well as take advantage of opportunities.
As a SWE Toronto volunteer on the Communications Team, Alex has successfully led marketing campaigns to engage the Engineering Community on top of recurring events and long-term initiatives. She is an advocate for her community and plans on working closely with the volunteers to engage with women in the STEM field and create a fun environment to connect, grow and support each other. As a Communications and Marketing Director, Alex led the graphics and communications while integrating new processes to streamline SWE Toronto. This ongoing integration promotes opportunity for SWE to evolve with the technologies and analytics available. She continues to lead and support new ideas for program initiatives.
ALEX MATYAS
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Coming from a background as a design engineer, I possess a natural inclination for innovative solutions. Currently, I work as a Sales Marketing Admin for Teck Resources Company. Over the past two years, I’ve been an active member of the social media team for the Society of Women Engineers in Toronto, contributing to our society’s mission. Recommended by our current director, I’m excited to leverage my skills to promote diversity and inclusivity in engineering while effectively communicating our society’s message to a broader audience.
NILOUFAR ATAPOUR
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
My name is Shirley and I am currently an environmental engineering consultant. I think that I would be a good fit for the role of Administrative Officer because I am meticulously organized. I am currently the mentorship program coordinator for SWE Toronto.
SHIRLEY LAM
ADMIN OFFICER
Linda is a dedicated and driven Petroleum Engineering EIT currently employed by a prominent natural gas distribution company in Ontario. She is the Program Lead of the Integrity Planning Team, while also developing integrity plans for the team’s assets throughout Ontario. With a keen focus on delivering natural gas safely to customers, Linda approaches her work with passion and unwavering diligence.
Linda actively engages in initiatives aimed at supporting and empowering women in engineering and STEM fields. She currently holds the esteemed position of Chair of the Events Committee within her company’s Leadership Development Network (LDN) Employee Resource Group. In this role, she actively contributes to the planning and execution of various events aimed at fostering leadership skills and professional growth among employees. Linda is also a valuable volunteer at the Project Management Community of Practice (PMCoP) Employee Resource Group where she takes charge of organizing events that aim to develop and support project management skills among employees.
Linda’s commitment to empowering women extends beyond her workplace. She served as one of the Programs Directors for SWE Toronto for the 2023-2024 term, where she successfully implemented a diverse range of engaging events and impactful programs to support and empower women within the SWE Toronto community. She is now running for the Financial Officer role, where she believes that strong financial management and strategic allocation of resources are essential to enhancing the impact and reach of SWE’s programs and initiatives. With her extensive experience in project management and leadership, along with her meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills, Linda is well-equipped to oversee the financial operations of SWE Toronto, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and sustainability.
LINDA KURUVILA
FINANCIAL OFFICER
Mikaela is a Structural Designer for Arup Canada in Toronto. She studied Civil Engineering from Toronto Metropolitan University (formally Ryerson University) and worked with the university as a Research Assistant under respected members of the Civil Engineering department on advanced structural design projects. Mikaela used the connections she made through SWE to help her transition into her career.
Mikaela is aware of the turbulent transition into the field as a woman, from her previous employment as the first and only female employee, and the importance of a community to ensure success in the workplace as she found in Arup and SWE. Aiding women in transitioning from university to the workplace and working towards PEO’s task force of 30 by 30 is Mikaela’s priority as University Outreach Director. As an immigrant, a mother, and a minority Mikaela understands how anxious and stressful it is to be a woman in engineering, balancing home life and searching for work after graduating while ensuring the final year is a success.
As University Outreach Director, Mikaela connects and supports women engineers and graduates to help them succeed. She understands that it is essential to proof herself to her peers since women are constantly underrepresented and underappreciated in engineering. Mikaela’s goal is to share her experience as a new graduate and help women make meaningful connections between students and engineers to utilize as they move forward into meaningful careers.
MIKAELA COELLO MENA
UNIVERSITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR
Mimi has 10+ years of experience as a B2B marketing strategist in the AEC Industry. Throughout her experience she has worked with various stakeholders including Engineering firms, Architecture/Design firms, suppliers, associations, sponsors/partners, and media publications/outlets. This gives her a deep understanding of how to communicate with each group and what they would consider valuable in a partnership.
She is results-driven, hyper-organized, and always seeking new and tangible ideas to achieve the best outcomes. What truly sets her apart is her genuine love for bringing people together and supporting those around her. She believes that collaboration is the key to success in today’s interconnected world.
As a Director, Mimi plans to leverage her existing networks and relations to build a strong and vibrant community to grow with SWE Toronto. She believes that we have a huge opportunity to work together with other organizations, community groups, businesses, and media to create mutually beneficial partnerships.
In addition, she is passionate about empowering young SWE volunteers and members and believes that everyone has unique strengths and contributions to offer. She will ensure that they feel valued and part of the collective effort by creating an inclusive and supportive environment.
Together, let’s build a community that thrives on collaboration, and drive SWE Toronto to new heights and create a lasting impact.
MIMI SHAO
INDUSTRY OUTREACH DIRECTOR
My name is Lauren Boers, and I am an Honours Graduate from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto with specializations in energy and manufacturing and a minor in Business. In addition to my strong academic excellence, I have been both a Provincial and Varsity athlete providing a background of discipline, leadership, and goal-oriented achievement.
In addition to various other internship opportunities, I have 2 years’ of work experience at Hatch including 16 months as an intern on the Jansen Potash Project where I had the opportunity to travel and work on site in Saskatchewan for 5 months and the past 6 months as an EIT on the Freeport MMR Project being built in Indonesia.
As I continue to evaluate my experience, strengths, and interests as a young professional, I am interested in giving back to the younger generation of women engineers and joining a community of similar minded individuals. I believe my experiences academically and various other engagements, as well as my strengths in client engagement, diverse problem solving, and strong leadership will enable me to align well within this role on the board for SWE.
LAUREN BOERS
INDUSTRY OUTREACH DIRECTOR
