There are still many barriers holding young women back from career opportunities in skilled trades, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), emergency response, entrepreneurship, and advancing women in society.
This gap in industry is depriving Canadian businesses of the innovation that diversity brings.
This is why we exist.
Build a Dream is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives to ensure equitable opportunities for EVERYONE to succeed.In short, we believe in the power of diversity and the edge of advancement it provides.
Since its inception in 2014 in Windsor, Ontario, Build a Dream has delivered programs to inspire young women; providing confidence, filling workforce skill gaps, and offering a new perspective for workforce problem-solving.
We collaborate with speakers, community leaders, and businesses to inspire female students, women and under-represented communities through virtual conferences, career discovery expos, workshops, and hands-on learning programs.
We connect industry directly to students, facilitating awareness and career exploration. By doing so, we help businesses attract, recruit and fill their talent pipeline, while also supporting them to advance their internal talent moving forward. Additionally, we focus our passion and expertise on providing resources, workshops and best practices to engage businesses, driving diversity and inclusion initiatives across all industries.
We are all in… to explore innovative paths in creating synergy and a winning workforce!
Working collaboratively, we can continue to close the workforce gender gap, and lead diversity and inclusion initiatives across Canada.
ALL IN.WE WIN.
MEET THE TEAM
NOUR HACHEM FAWAZ
President and Founder
Nour draws on 10 years of experience as a workforce advisor, mentor, and influencer to inspire youth to make informed career choices that challenge the status quo. Her outreach and advocacy has resulted in numerous awards including the University of Windsor’s Alumni Association “Odyssey Award”, the Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor (WEST) “Innovation Award”, and the Leadership Windsor Essex “Alumni Award of Distinction”.
Amanda has over a decade of experience working in corporate and professional services industries, as well as social-enterprise and non-profit sectors. Amanda’s work-life philosophy is built on the cornerstones of female empowerment, grit and seeking meaning in everything she does. This has propelled her work with the Build a Dream team, as her latest effort to help fuel a new generation of young women who are redefining the meaning of work on their own terms.
Amanda holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminology from the University of Ottawa and lives in Ancaster with her husband and son.
Amanda is a feminist writer and scholar. Devoted to service; she is passionate about building and fostering community. Her motto is to “be more than a statistic” and with that in mind she is dedicated to amplifying the voices of other marginalized people and being a reliable support system.
Clarine is an enthusiastic academic who has over 2 years of experience in contributing to community enhancement as well as experience working professionally in a variety of sectors spanning from oil & gas to retail management. She is an advocate for ensuring the next generation challenges societal norms and is devoted to giving back to the community in any way possible. Clarine holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business and works towards being able to make a positive impact in all that she does.
Build a Dream President & Founder, Nour Hachem-Fawaz, has worked on projects around the globe, connecting youth to new opportunities. Participants in these programs often go on to continue the programs or work on initiatives where their impact also creates positive change. Build a Dream has sparked a positive feedback loop – one with the capacity to forever change the perceptions of women and youth in society.
