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City of Toronto announces the inaugural cohort for Women4ClimateTO Mentorship Programme
News Release by The City of Toronto
The City of Toronto has selected 12 mentees to participate in the first cohort of the Women4Climate Toronto (W4CTO) Mentorship Programme. The program,
created in partnership with C40 Cities, will contribute to the development of the next generation of female climate leaders in Toronto.W4CTO combines
mentoring, training and networking opportunities with the goal of empowering mentees to bring their climate-related project, ideas, or business start-up to
life. The program will run until April 2021, with assistance from the City’s local sponsors: presenting partner RBC, and supporting partners EY, EllisDon,
Toronto Life, and Flare Magazine.The mentees were selected through a competitive three-step jury selection process, with jurors from the City and the
private, research and not-for-profit sectors. The mentees’ projects support the goals of City’s TransformTO climate action strategy and other key strategies
including; the Resilience Strategy, Long-Term Waste Management Strategy, and Ravine Strategy.The Women4Climate Toronto mentees and projects are:
- Anelia Victor: ANEW – Textile Waste Reduction Sculpture
- Ann Chen: Fill Up! – Unpackaged Personal Care Products to Universities
- Anum Khan: Hydro Intelligence
- Corals Zheng: Shift from Turf Grass to Native Plants – Guideline Development
- Erika Reyes-Bolanos: Inwit App – Identifying Waste-free Restaurants and Facilitating Container Borrowing
- Hillary Scanlon: Sustainability Through an Inclusive Lens: The Wastefinder App
- Jane Ji: League for a Green Future – Educational Game Development
- Jessica Hui: Westra Project – Revitalizing Unused Park Space into Dry Stormwater Ponds
- Kristine Lorzano: The Zero Waste Refillable Market on Wheels
- Marie Sophie Angoh: Improving Waste Diversion Rates at Toronto’s Events
- Melanie Williams: Youth Climate Action and Leadership Incubator
- Rachel Wang: The Bike Brigade – Volunteer Bike Deliveries for Community Organization
Each mentee will be paired with a local mentor in a related field to support the end-to-end development of the mentee’s climate project. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the program will begin virtually and progress to in-person activities when permitted.Following the program, the City and its partners will
host a pitch competition to further assist one climate project in contributing to a healthier, more sustainable and resilient Toronto. The winner will receive
additional support to advance her project, along with a $20,000 cash prize for professional and idea development.Toronto is one of three Canadian cities, and
17 cities globally, participating in C40 Cities’ Women4Climate
Opens in new window mentorship programme, which aims to support 500 women across the globe to accelerate their climate projects.More information
about the W4CTO program is available at toronto.ca/livegreen.
Quotes:“I want to congratulate all of the women who have stepped forward to develop their ideas and projects to address the climate crisis as part of our
Climate4Women programme. A special thanks to the mentors who I know will bring much skill and experience to the process and for taking time to help build
this program and provide opportunities to eager, and motivated mentees. By supporting emerging climate leaders, we can work towards tangible solutions
and ensure that Toronto is at the forefront of the fight against climate change.”– Toronto Mayor John Tory“I am excited to welcome the 12 mentees to
Toronto’s inaugural Women4Climate programme. This programme is an investment in ideas, people and a more sustainable future. The commitment of
these exceptional women shows us that Toronto’s future climate change work is in good hands. We also welcome and thank the strong female mentors
whose success paved the way for future generations.”– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) and the Mayor’s Environment and Resilience
Champion“I am pleased with the City’s Inaugural Women4ClimateTO mentees and mentors and I am optimistic about the impact these future leaders will
have locally and globally. While we received many wonderful ideas from excellent candidates, the applications and projects of these 12 women stood out. I
am confident that these women have the potential to make an impactful contribution to the City of Toronto’s ongoing commitment to fight climate change
and address resiliency.”– Heather Taylor, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, City of TorontoToronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity
and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in
North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international
rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website
or follow us on Twitter
or Facebook
.Media Relations
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