International Women's Day - March 8, 2021

Omolade Williams

A woman entrepreneur and women in STEM

On Day 3 of #InternationalWomensDay – feature Omolade Williams!

Omolade's entrepreneurial journey and dedication to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:

As a British Born African, I migrated to Canada from the United Kingdom under the Ontario PNP Skilled Workers program. I was educated in the UK at a Master’s level with other professional certifications; predominantly in Information Systems and Business.

Unfortunately, after landing in Windsor I was unsuccessful in gaining employment in my profession. I since retrained as a skill trades Millwright to earn above the minimum wage. My previous work experiences span charitable organizations, government, local councils, businesses, and corporations; mostly in the UK.

As a black female immigrant to Canada, the challenges to finding professional employment are magnified, particularly with the question often put by employers, “Do you have Canadian experience/qualifications?”.

I was blessed to have been born, bred, educated, and 'lived' my education and opportunities in the UK. My son, and others with whom I’ve crossed paths, may not have been as fortunate as me prior to arriving in Canada, hence the birth of my initiative: Beneficent Learning Access (BLAccess).

BLAccess aims to bridge the gap between employers and professional immigrant employees through education focused on culture, diversity, and inclusion. Challenges exist for both employers and employees to understand each other.

I am inspired by current challenges endured by the underrepresented, marginalized immigrants and black professionals; as a consequence, relish nothing more than seeing potential where others do not and bringing it to life.

I’m taking a very active role in promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Technology; and generally workplace inclusivity. In addition, I’m one of WEtech Alliance’s business advisors; I sit on Windsor Hackforge and The Windsor Women Working With Immigrant Women (W5) Board of Directors; I am also a startup member for a couple of local organizations. Finally, I am the Chapter Lead for the Canadian Learning Codes for Girls and Mentor for Black Boys Code, Windsor Chapter.