2025 SBW Women in Business Luncheon

Description

 From Local Strength to Global Impact

📅Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | 🕐 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | 📍 Bonnetts Energy Centre | $85

Join us for our 2025 Chamber SBW Women in Business Luncheon in The Bowes at Bonnetts Energy Centre

Celebrate leadership and achievement at the Women in Business Luncheon. This year’s keynote features Claire Hafner — oil and gas executive, boxer, and opera singer — who will share her experience as a woman leading in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Wendy Bosch-Thomas, CEO of the Chamber, will serve as MC, with introduction of keynote speaker from Mayor Jackie Clayton.

Gain inspiration from bold voices, enjoy meaningful conversation, and take part in this signature Small Business Week tradition.

Guest Speaker: Claire Hafner

Claire Hafner’s journey spans stages, boardrooms, and boxing rings. Born and raised on a dairy farm in small-town America, she earned two master’s degrees in music from Concordia and the University of Ottawa, performed opera across North America and Europe, and even founded her own music studio and opera company. She’s a proud graduate of an all-women’s college, where she learned early that women who lead together change everything. 

After years of building a life in music and performance, including directing the first Canadian production of a landmark Black American opera, she stepped into an entirely different arena—boxing—where she rose to become the #1-ranked professional fighter in the world. Before this feat, she won an amateur world title and took silver at the Canadian nationals. Most recently, after five years of training and waiting, she won a hard-earned fight with the first KO of her career. 

Claire has also built a business, founded a nonprofit to support women in sport, and put herself through paralegal school during the pandemic, passing the bar exam during the chaos of covid. She most recently lead strategic outreach for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, representing Canada’s energy industry across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

Claire is currently Director, Public Affairs for the Alzheimer Society Federation of Canada.

Thank you to our 2025 Chamber Small Business Week Title Sponsor

Thank you to our 2025 Women in Business Lunch Sponsors