Woman of Impact Award
Recognizing Calgary’s Outstanding Women in Philanthropy
and Community Leadership
Nominations are now open
The Woman of Impact Award recognizes women who make Calgary and area better through their volunteer work, leadership and generosity, whether behind the scenes or in the spotlight.
The award is part of United Way of Calgary and Area’s commitment to building a community where everyone can thrive, and it celebrates women whose leadership strengthens the causes we work on every day.
Nominate a woman whose impact deserves to be recognized, or apply yourself if you see yourself in this award.
Recognizing bold,
everyday leadership
Leadership doesn’t always come with a title. It’s often a woman raising her hand when no one else will.
This award celebrates women who act, who see a need, gather others and give what they can to move Calgary forward. It elevates the visibility of women whose everyday actions spark extraordinary change.
7,000+
people supported by Ruth’s House Society since 2022
Dee Adekugbe, our 2026 Woman of Impact, founded Ruth’s House Society, a Calgary-based, culturally grounded organization working to prevent domestic violence through emergency shelter, crisis counselling, mediation and life skills programming. With support connected through United Way’s Community Impact Fund, she went on to launch Mandela House, the first domestic violence program in Alberta built specifically to support men.
Who can be nominated
Celebrating impact at every level, from grassroots to city-wide change.
- Self-identify as a woman
- Exceptional commitment to philanthropy and community service
- Reside in Calgary and surrounding area or have a direct impact on its communities
- Can be an individual or part of a collective/women-led organization
- Sustained, meaningful philanthropic impact over 3+ years
- Her work advances one or more of United Way of Calgary and Area's areas of focus: Socioeconomic Well-being, Mental Health, Healthy Relationships and Social Inclusion.
- Be a role model for others in the local community
- Go beyond the scope of professional duties
What we look for
Our evaluation criteria focus on meaningful impact and leadership excellence.
Leadership in Philanthropy
Initiating, organizing or leading projects with measurable community impact
Impact and Outcomes
Demonstrated, lasting improvements to quality of life for vulnerable populations
Commitment to Collaboration
Actively fosters partnerships that amplify collective impact
Advocacy and Awareness
Raises awareness, mobilizes others and advocates for systemic change
Meet the adjudication panel
Respected community leaders with extensive experience in philanthropic work and community development will review nominations with the highest standards of excellence.
Our Esteemed Panel:
Dee Adekugbe
Founder and Executive Director, Ruth’s House Society
Dee Adekugbe is a nonprofit executive, community leader, and social impact strategist with more than 20 years of leadership experience and a strong track record in organizational development, strategic partnerships, fundraising, program innovation, and community impact. As Founder and Executive Director of Ruth’s House Society, Dee has led the growth of an organization addressing homelessness, family violence, housing instability, and community well-being across Alberta. She brings proven experience working with government, corporate, philanthropic, faith-based, and community partners to develop sustainable solutions and mobilize resources for underserved populations.
Dee is known for building strong teams, developing strategic partnerships, and turning vision into practical programs and measurable outcomes. Her leadership has helped expand services for women, families, youth, and men through housing, counselling, crisis intervention, mentorship, and community-based initiatives. A recipient of the 2025 United Way Woman of Impact Award and the 2025 King Charles III Coronation Medal as well as numerous other awards, Dee combines strategic leadership with a strong commitment to social impact, organizational sustainability, and community transformation.
Linda Olsen
Award‑winning journalist Linda Olsen is a born‑and‑raised Calgarian who spent 36 years as a news anchor and reporter, sharing the stories that shaped the local community. She hosted the long‑running Woman of Vision series and has been a dedicated emcee and advocate for Calgary’s charitable community.
She has also volunteered in board‑advisory roles with Parks Foundation Calgary and St Mary’s University, and served as an honorary board member with Believe in the Gold, a local children’s cancer charity.
She now hosts and produces a radio and podcast program, The Spotlight Hour with Linda Olsen, continuing her commitment to elevating Calgary’s voices.
Sloan Pipella-Clark
Sloan Pipella-Clark has dedicated more than 35 years to mental health care as a registered nurse, with a career focused on supporting individuals, families and communities through complex mental health challenges. After earning her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Calgary, Sloan began her career working with adolescents and families in crisis through Alberta Health Services. She later moved to Toronto and worked at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, on the Eating Disorder and Family Crisis unit, and with the Victorian Order of Nurses on the community mental health team. For the past two decades, she has worked with The Calgary Eating Disorder Program, where she continues to support individuals navigating mental health challenges and working toward recovery.
A lifelong advocate for community service and philanthropy, Sloan has devoted significant time to causes spanning mental health, education, the arts and community fundraising. Alongside her husband, Alec, she raised two children and became deeply involved in their school communities, serving as President of the Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS) Parents’ Board, co-chairing numerous fundraising galas and contributing to a range of educational initiatives. She went on to serve six years as a Governor of STS and currently serves on both the STS Foundation Board and Alumni Board.
Sloan’s commitment to strengthening her community extends beyond her professional work and has been recognized through several honours. In 2025, Sloan and Alec were jointly presented with the United Way’s Francis Lefaivre Award for their longstanding commitment to volunteerism and community leadership. In 2019, Sloan received the STS Alumni Award of Distinction in recognition of her contributions to the school community. Through her career, volunteer leadership and philanthropy, Sloan has built a lasting legacy of service rooted in compassion, collaboration and a commitment to supporting others.
Cassia Prentice
Manager, Government Relations & Community Engagement, Pembina Pipeline Corporation
Cassia Prentice is a Calgary-based community leader, lawyer, and corporate affairs professional with more than a decade of experience advancing public policy, stakeholder engagement, and community impact initiatives.
As Manager, Government Relations & Community Engagement at Pembina Pipeline Corporation, she oversees community investment initiatives aligned with corporate and community priorities, including initiatives focused that create inclusive opportunities for everyone to succeed.
Cassia is passionate about community building and has contributed her time to numerous nonprofit organizations. Cassia is currently honoured to serve on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors for the Alberta Motor Association.
Cassia is grateful for the opportunity to serve as an adjudicator for the United Way of Calgary and Area’s Woman of Impact Award.
Karen Ramchuk
President and CEO, Women In Need Society of Calgary (WINS)
Karen Ramchuk is the President and CEO of the Women In Need Society of Calgary (WINS), a charity dedicated to empowering women and families facing poverty. Under her leadership, WINS has become a model of social enterprise, generating 75% of its revenue through successful business initiatives that fund critical community programs.
Karen is an advocate for gender equality, female empowerment, and inclusive leadership. She has been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal and has represented Canada at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Additionally, Karen serves on the Trico Foundation Board and is an advisor to the Chiu School of Business at Bow Valley College.
Her team, over 70% of whom are women or individuals identifying as female, work tirelessly to help others transition from surviving to thriving, creating lasting positive change in the Calgary community and beyond.
Christine Randall
Director of Communications, Suncor
Christine Randall is Director of Communications at Suncor, where she leads strategic communications initiatives in support of one of Canada’s largest integrated energy companies. Based in Calgary, she oversees corporate reputation, executive communications, employee engagement and stakeholder communications, helping connect business strategy to compelling storytelling.
Christine brings more than 18 years of communications experience in the Canadian energy sector. Before joining Suncor, she held a series of progressively senior communications and community investment roles at Imperial, where she oversaw communications, sponsorships and community investment. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for developing communications strategies that advance business objectives while creating positive community impact.
Jennifer Wyness
Councillor, The City of Calgary
Jennifer Wyness is a Calgary City Councillor representing Ward 2, re-elected in October 2025 for a second term. She brings more than 25 years of frontline public-service experience to civic leadership, from managing public recreation facilities to leading public relations and mediation work with corporations, non-profits, and government partners. Her educational formation spans kinesiology, public relations, and emergency medical response.
Her career has focused on advocacy and community impact: supporting people living with chronic pain, contributing to public-health policy, and advancing mediation and conflict-management initiatives through charitable work.
She chairs Calgary’s Audit Committee and serves as a Calgary Police Commissioner, while sitting on the Infrastructure and Planning Committee, Executive Committee, and Council Services Committee, with past roles including Alberta Municipalities, Community Development, Community Safety Investments, Emergency Management, and the City Manager Performance Evaluation Working Group.
Jennifer brings experience in advocacy, strategic governance, and understanding the needs of Calgary’s communities as an adjudicator for the 2026 Woman of Impact Award and is proud to help honour the philanthropy and leadership of Calgary’s outstanding women.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Have more questions about the Woman of Impact Award? We’ve put together answers to the most common questions—covering eligibility, nomination tips, timelines and more.
The Woman of Impact Award program was unveiled on April 9, 2025, at the United She Can: Rising Voices, Building Hope event, and the first award was presented at the 2nd Annual United She Can event in Spring 2026.
Women United is a growing movement of more than 70,000 women worldwide dedicated to creating equal opportunity for all, learn more about how you can get involved and be part of the impact here.