Join us for Panel and Networking with women leaders!
Fennella Bruce | Founder, FKB Media Solutions | 100ABCWomen – Toronto Communicator of the Year 2023
A veteran television producer and writer, Fennella Bruce is now at the helm of FKB Media Solutions and FKB Media Productions Inc – a media consulting business and a media production house. Having worked in the field of journalism for over 20 years, Fennella has produced both of Canada’s national morning shows – Your Morning and Canada AM. She has been the senior writer or producer at numerous major market television stations including CTV News Channel, CTV National, CP24, CityTv, Toronto 1 and BET. For six years, Fennella taught Media Literacy Theory at Centennial College and has also served on journalism boards and on many critique juries, including the Canadian Screen Awards, The New York Festivals International TV Broadcasting Awards and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the Juno Awards. She has her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and her Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson University. Fennella volunteers her time and expertise with Dr. Roz’s Healing Place – a centre that aids women and children escaping from violent situations – where she served as Vice-President of the Board of Directors and was a Board member for four years. She is currently the Vice-President of the Foundation Board of Women in Film and Television.
Fennella was named the 2023 IABC/Toronto Communicator of the Year, 2022 Businesswoman of the Year by the Women Empowerment Awards and is one of 2020’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.
Melanie Ratnam | President, Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST) | Founder Indaggo | Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada – Women in STEM for WHM 2023
Dr. Ratnam has strong roots in Scarborough, where she was raised, lives, and works. She is a UTSC PhD graduate in neurobiology, where her research focused on how resident immune cells of the brain, microglia regulate inflammation after cerebral ischemia.
Dr. Ratnam is currently the President of the UTSC Alumni Association, where she dedicates her time to supporting activities that nurture the alumni community and deepen their connections with their alma mater. In 2022, she was recognized for her volunteer services to the University with an Arbor Award, the highest honour granted by U of T to individuals for exceptional and sustained volunteering.
Her advocacy work spans across Canada both nationally, through SCWIST, and locally, through UTSC and Toronto schools. She has mentored over 1000 elementary, high school, and university students and empowers them to tackle our time’s most pressing challenges through innovation in science and technology.
In October 2023, Woman and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada recognized Dr. Ratnam for Women’s History Month.