Everything you need to know about the World Wide Network Of Women

The World Wide Network Of Women (WOW) is honoured to announce and welcome you to our third anniversary of the WOW Dinner. This inspirational event is being held at the Instituto Superior Tecnico, Alameda da Universidade Lisboa on November 3, 2019.

This year is particularly special as our dinner will help launch the 2019 Web Summit Conference, which will also be held in Lisbon, Portugal this November.  Join us for an evening of moving inspirational anecdotes and diverse cultural delicacies as we continue to fight for diversity and the empowerment of women in technology. Every year we gather with both men and women in related industries to collaborate and strengthen our relationships with key partnerships and notable individuals. We are grateful to have some of these influential industry leaders present here today.

This incredible endeavour would not have been possible without the altruistic and generosity of our esteemed founder , Isabel Van Kolk who is in attendance today.  Our beginnings are humble and we started as a result of a Facebook group on a spontaneous idea. Daria Vodopianova, two time TEDX keynote speaker and author, sent out an invitation for coffee and of course Isabel Van Kolk was the first to respond.

Typical Isabel, she went even further and initiated what is now the WOW Dinner after only two minutes, and not even realizing that there were 6000 women already in that group. The post from Isabel had thousands of impressions and over 500 reactions. Isabel was initially concerned at the overwhelming response but was soon working with other women and men she had never met – with trust as the key and only ingredient.

The first edition sold out in 2 Months without serious funding.

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Three years later and several editions around the globe we have the pleasure of introducing the Canadian ambassador and proud nova-scotian native ELIZABETH RICE MADAN (BCOMM, Honours), Queen's University; MPA,Queen's University) who joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1992. She is currently the Ambassador Of Canada to the Portuguese Republic. At the Headquarters, she has served as the director of the Mission Support Division (2016 -2018), responsible for public diplomacy and planning, and Southeast Asia and Oceania Relations Division ( 2010 to 2012).

She also served as deputy director of South Asia Relations Division, Korea and Oceania Trade Division and two Trade Team Canada task forces. Ms. Rice Madan has held numerous other positions in the areas of international business development, trade policy, investment promotion and corporate policies and planning.

FATIMA  ZAIDI has had over eight years of experience in Business Development, Sales, and strategy. Her expertise in sales effectiveness, and partnerships led her to the role as VP of Business Development for 88 Creative, a Canadian based creative communications agency. Prior to 88 Creative she was Head of Business Development at Rent frock Repeat and was responsible for the overall management of all strategic business development, marketing, and customer relationship activities nationwide. She also took ownership of the management of the sales and corporate strategy functions. Fatima is a fashion commentator for Global News and was named one of marketing magazines top 30 under 30 marketers and brand developers for 2016.

We are looking forward to a great evening and  thankful to our sponsors and their generosity for providing support for  this great cause and for allowing us again this year to make a lasting, permanent difference in the lives of so many women and men, LGTBQ all sectors not only the tech sector.

The Future

We are keen to expand said Isabel to other parts of the world. As I am from South America and  friend whom designed the logo is orginally from Brazil. We are currently looking at South America. I believe  in Colombia and South America have a lot of potential. I would love to organize a dinner in my birth Country as there are women in tech everywhere. Like to built bridges between Countries and people. 

After reading a great article where Johanna Harker Garcia was mentioned we she reached out. Sometimes we miss even the small steps of development that could lead to beautiful things and lets mentions those steps also so they could lead to bigger steps. So was there this year the serie at Netflix in South America about two friends who liked eachother. For South America the directors took a risks but, people adopted because it was so well put together. I celebrate the two actrices whom in a “Amar a Muerte’ who played amazing roles as the serie is very succesful. 

Diversity is so importanted and we looking forward to continue as there so much to do.