Built Not Given - International Women's Day 2026

March 6, 2026 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM (PST)

Description

This International Women’s Day, we invite you to gather for an inspiring afternoon celebrating local women who have built meaningful careers through courage, commitment, and community connection.

Built Not Given: How Women Create Success and Build a Career is a storytelling-driven event that highlights real career journeys, not linear paths or polished highlight reels, but authentic stories of growth, learning, mentorship, and impact. Through shared experiences, this event showcases the many ways women build careers in business, leadership, and service, while opening the door for others including students and emerging professionals, to imagine what’s possible.

This is a celebration of grassroots success, local leadership, and the belief that careers are created over time, one decision and one moment at a time.

 We’re grateful to Baker Newby for sponsoring this special event!

Meet Our Speakers: 

Heidi Epp
Co-Owner, Refinery House

Heidi Epp is a purpose-driven entrepreneur, consultant, and problem solver with a passion for building strong teams and values-led businesses. As the co-owner of Refinery House, a certified B Corp, Heidi brings clarity to complex challenges by creating systems that support people, purpose, and sustainable growth.

Known for her collaborative leadership style and big-picture thinking, Heidi works closely with organizations to cast vision, inspire teams, and turn ideas into action. In addition to her business work, she serves on several boards and actively volunteers with organizations across Chilliwack, contributing her time and expertise to strengthen the community.

A committed community advocate, Heidi is driven by a vision of an equitable and inclusive future. Through entrepreneurship, leadership, and service, she continues to create impact both within workplaces and beyond them.

Kelly Trenouth
Founder, Fluxx Cyclehouse

A proud Chilliwack local, Kelly Trenouth’s career journey reflects courage, creativity, and community connection. After stepping away from a career in the legal field to raise her young family, Kelly followed her passion for fitness and movement. What began as instructing group fitness classes grew into Fluxx CycleHouse, a thriving local studio built with a mission to make movement welcoming and accessible to everyone.

Now in its second year, Fluxx has become a cornerstone of Chilliwack’s fitness community, earning recognition as Favourite Health and Fitness Club in the 2025 Chilliwack A-List by The Progress. Beyond her business, Kelly supports women entrepreneurs by co-facilitating a WeBC entrepreneurship program, helping others bring their ideas to life.

Brooke Janzen
Chief Administrative Officer, Valley Waste and Recycling

Brook Janzen brings a people-first leadership approach shaped by a 15-year career in education, including seven years as a school administrator. Her work focused on fostering connection, building inclusive cultures, and empowering teams to succeed, principles she now brings into the corporate sector.

As Chief Administrative Officer at Valley Waste and Recycling, Brook leads with integrity, transparency, and collaboration. Her journey reflects the power of transferable

skills and the opportunity to merge purpose-driven leadership with strategic business operations to create strong, values-aligned workplaces.

Jody Bomhof
Founder, Resolve Solutions and Mediation

Jody Bomhof is a seasoned HR professional, consultant, and conflict navigator with a deep commitment to people-centred workplaces. As the founder of Resolve Solutions & Mediation Inc., Jody supports organizations in navigating complex human resource challenges with clarity, care, and intention. She believes wholeheartedly that employees are an organization’s greatest asset and that strong workplace culture is built through trust, communication, and thoughtful leadership.

With over a decade of experience across sectors including finance, wholesale, not-for-profit, and academia, Jody brings both strategic insight and practical expertise. Her work is grounded in curiosity and collaboration, partnering closely with purpose-driven organizations that value their people and the communities they serve.

This event is partly funded by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy - In partnership with WeBC

Time

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Networking & Lunch Guests will enjoy lunch and informal networking, creating space to connect, share stories, and build relationships across industries and career stages.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Featured Storytelling Presentations four local women in business will each share a concise, visually guided storytelling presentation, highlighting their career journey, defining moments, meaningful wins, mentorship, and the impact of their work.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Moderated Panel & Audience Conversation A moderated discussion with the speakers will explore shared themes, lessons learned, and reflections on building a career. The session will conclude with audience questions and dialogue.