Celebrating Extraordinary Women: Cathy Simpson named as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women by WXN

TechImpact CEO, Cathy Simpson is being recognized as one of the 2023 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners by the Women’s Executive Network in the Canada’s Most Powerful CEOs category. 

WXN (Women’s Executive Network) and its partners proudly announce the 2023 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners, recognizing 103 women across Canada who make a transformational difference in their fields and actively shape a more inclusive future, especially in underrepresented areas.  

“My career has been dedicated to propelling Atlantic Canada’s tech sector forward, promoting women and diversity in STEM, and building an innovation ecosystem that drives businesses onto a global stage.  It’s been a privilege to do this work with so many incredible visionaries and I am grateful for this award recognition of WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women,” said Cathy Simpson, CEO of TechImpact, and Board Chair of New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.  

The 2023 winners will be celebrated in person at the 21st annual Top 100 Awards Gala, hosted at the Fairmont Royal York Toronto on November 30. 

 “It takes a powerful woman to lead like a legend in her field, organization or community, and it takes a powerful woman to empower those around her to do the same,” said Sherri Stevens, Owner and CEO of WXN. “This year’s winners embody that power, giving us hope when we need it most, setting new bars and changing the status quo. They are legends celebrated not just for the things they do, but also how they touch the lives of others.”  

The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with the winners selected by WXN's Diversity Council of Canada. The awards are presented to remarkable women in 12 categories:  

• Canadian Tire Community Impact  

• Canada’s Most Powerful CEOs, presented by Postmedia  

• C-Suite Executives  

• Amex Emerging Leaders  

• Compass Rose Entrepreneurs  

• Executive Leaders  

• RBC Future Launch Future Leaders  

• Professionals  

• BMO STEM  

• CPKC Skilled Trades  

• Women of Courage, presented by Richardson Wealth  

• WXN Hall of Fame  

That legacy includes iconic Top 100 winners such as The Honourable Rona Ambrose, former leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons; Dr. Makaziwe Mandela, global activist, head of the House of Mandela and the daughter of Nelson Mandela; The Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first African-Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons; Melissa Grelo, co-host of CTV’s The Social; Michele Romanow, tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist; and Susan Aglukark, award-winning musician.  

For a full list of winners, please visit https://wxnetwork.com/page/2023Top100AwardWinners.

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About WXN  

WXN (Women’s Executive Network), a member-based organization, is North America’s #1 and only organization that meaningfully propels and celebrates the advancement of professional women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs for members and partners. WXN operates in Canada and the U.S. For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with Sherri Stevens, please contact: Garry Atkinson, Research & Analytics Manager gatkinson@wxnetwork.com. 

For TechImpact media enquiries: 

Alex Weaver Crawford (she/her)   
Communications Manager, TechImpact  
alex.weavercrawford@techimpact.it   

Two Innovators – One Vision: Introducing the 2023 InnovateNB Hall of Fame Inductees

In recognition of their exceptional unwavering commitment to innovation over their illustrious 30+-year careers, we are thrilled to announce Roxanne Fairweather and Dave Grebenc as this year's inductees into the InnovateNB Hall of Fame presented by Mariner.

Roxanne and Dave epitomize the spirit of collaboration, approaching their endeavors with an incredible sense of urgency, unafraid to challenge the conventional, and determined to leave the world a better place.  Their unique recipe for success lies in their capacity to mobilize and ignite inspiration in others to affect change. 

Individually, Roxanne and Dave boast an impressive list of accomplishments.  Together, as co-owners and co-CEOs of Innovatia, a global knowledge management company providing software and services to Fortune 100 and 500 companies, they are a powerhouse. In 2009, they took the helm of Innovatia, and under their visionary leadership, the company grew by an astounding 350% making it the largest locally owned tech company.  Headquartered in Saint John, with offices in Calgary, Alberta, and Bangalore, India, Innovatia now employs over 350 people. Roxanne and Dave have been strategic with their selection of partners over the years which has led to the successful sale of certain business assets and the growth of others, further solidifying their legacy.

Both Roxanne and Dave possess a profound desire to generously impart their wealth of experience, knowledge, and expertise.  Dave has taken pride in developing and deploying innovative products within Atlantic Canada that benefit local businesses and stimulate economic development across the region. His strategic partnerships with fellow information technology influencers have played a pivotal role in nurturing a supportive environment for the growth of startups and established information, communication, and technology (ICT) companies in New Brunswick and the broader Atlantic Canadian Region. Dave is passionate about practical innovation and has been dedicated to crafting cutting-edge products and solutions such as ProcedureFlow, a software originally incubated within Innovatia, that is now a thriving standalone entity.  Dave's innovation-driven leadership extends to key roles including a seat on the Premier Advisory Council on Technology, co-founding and serving as the past chair of Propel, co-chairing the UNB Computer Science Advisory Committee, and as a long-standing board member of TechImpact.

Roxanne's career demonstrates a sustained dedication to advancing economic prosperity and quality of life for all New Brunswickers. Her fearless leadership has left a lasting impact on numerous New Brunswick institutions as she has played pivotal roles during key moments of strategic shifts. Roxanne has been a key contributor and leader in the community including past chair of the UNB Board of Governors, inaugural chair of Facilicorp, inaugural chair of Opportunities New Brunswick, director of Brunswick Pipeline, and past director of LearnSphere Canada.  Roxanne is committed to promoting and championing other female leaders.  She is one of the founding members of the Women for 50%, a group of New Brunswick female leaders whose goal is gender parity and equality in the New Brunswick legislature. Roxanne was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada and has been recognized as one of Atlantic Canada’s 25 most powerful women by Atlantic Business magazine.

Roxanne and Dave's focus and passion also extend to driving social innovation. Roxanne has immersed herself in pioneering approaches aimed at improving literacy rates and alleviating generational poverty through her involvement with Elementary Literacy Friends, Achieve Literacy Greater Saint John, and her role as a founding member of the Saint John Business Anti-Poverty Initiative (BCAPI). As a practical innovator, Dave is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance access to vital mental health services and resources.

Roxanne and Dave selflessly dedicate countless hours to volunteer work and have received significant honors and recognition for their contributions as both business leaders and volunteers. They embody the spirit of innovation through their remarkable achievements, standing out as true trailblazers. Together, they exemplify the power of collaboration and innovation-driven leadership in shaping a brighter future. We invite you to join us at the InnovateNB Awards in Fredericton on October 12th, as we celebrate Roxanne and Dave's induction into the InnovateNB Hall of Fame. Visit our ticket page for more information.