Empowerment Day to feature olympic champion Sage Watson

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Commentator/Courier

Every other year, Women in Business Medicine Hat offers a chance to connect with other entrepreneurs across southern Alberta, and this year’s event features something of a local legend.

“Women in Business is just about bringing women together, whether you’re a business owner, whether you work, we just provide networking opportunities,” said Cori Stodolka, Media Relations. The non-profit society hosts three to four events a year, with Empowerment Day being done every other year due to the size of the event.

“It sort of started off as a gals retreat, like 10 years ago, and has morphed into Empowerment Day. And it’s a day for women to come and sort of be replenished, is sort of our desire. So it includes like a buffet supper, we have a keynote coming in,” said Stodolka.

This year’s keynote is none other than two-times Olympic athlete and renowned speaker, Sage Watson. Women in Business tries to find Albertan speakers for each event, said Stodolka, and with Watson being from Medicine Hat, herself, they were ecstatic to be able to host her for the event.

Luckily, as the November 24 date falls on American Thanksgiving, Watson was returning for the holidays, making it relatively easy to secure her interest for speaking on Empowerment Day.

“She’s so connected to the community, and we just find that people who are more connected to the community are more likely to come out and support. She was one of the names just because obviously this is where she was born and raised. And so that’s why we reached out to her and she was excited to join,” said Stodolka.

The event will take place on Friday, November 24, at the Wyndham

Garden Medicine Hat Conference Center, which is a new location for Women in Business, but they’re excited to provide an inspirational program, networking opportunities, and a buffet dinner to attendees from Medicine Hat and the rural surrounding area, which Stodolka notes a great deal of their members hail from.

“We want sort of the whole demographic, because I think it’s really important to learn from everyone,” said Stodolka, encouraging both rural and urban people, new business owners or employees, and those who have been in their industry for years alike to all come out.

Tickets are still available, and on sale via EventBrite, though Stodolka does warn that they are getting close to the wire, and encourages people to move sooner rather than later.

“It’s a really packed four hours of just pouring energy back into the women who come because we know how much women put into their communities and into their businesses every day,” said Stodolka.