Our mission is to elevate, educate and empower women to collectively move the dial.

Our Purpose

Incorporated in 2018, WORTH Association is proud to be the only society in British Columbia dedicated to advancing women in the recreation, tourism, and hospitality industries. Our mission is to educate, elevate and empower women to collectively move the dial. Our vision is to develop a community of confident, connected women who accelerate their leadership ambitions in the face of adversity. We can form the future of our industry together.

Here at WORTH, we challenge The Gender Pay Gap, Discrimination, Work/Life Balance Challenges, Lack of Advancement Opportunities, Retention Challenges, Sexual Harassment, and The COVID-19 Shecession. These topics only scratch the surface in examining the complex landscape for women in recreation, tourism, and hospitality.

Our Commitment

At WORTH Association we drive positive change by advocating equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. We recognize the unique challenges faced by self-identifying women and individuals across the gender spectrum and are acutely aware of how intersectionality compounds systemic barriers. Our commitment to promoting more equitable industries revolves around nurturing a strong community of belonging.

Moreover, we understand that the Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality sector is inextricable from the history of colonization. We acknowledge that our industries often disrupt the enduring connections Indigenous peoples have with their ancestral territories. In response, we are wholly committed to advancing reconciliation by fostering meaningful and respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples, organizations, and communities.

What We Do

We provide complimentary or minimally priced, networking and educational events, skills training, mentorship programs, and leadership resources to keep women focused on their career ambitions. Above all, we foster a sense of community that many are searching for.

We attract a range of members; from students new to the industry to women working in senior management roles. While we use the term ‘women’ in our name, we represent all individuals who identify as female and encourage men to join in our efforts. We welcome trans, cis, genderqueer, and non-binary people in our community. We also welcome men who support our mission to educate, elevate, empower, and advocate for equity.

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Our Executive Team

Meet Joanna Jagger she/her

President & Founder

Joanna Jagger is passionate about educating future leaders and moving the dial for gender equity. She is the President and founder of WORTH Association, where she advocates to ensure a more equal future for women in industry leadership. Joanna is an instructor and researcher in the School of Tourism Management at Capilano University. She has held leadership roles in sales, catering and human resources at top hospitality brands including Marriott, Shangri-La, Sequoia Company of Restaurants and Joe Fortes Seafood and Chophouse. A Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), she provides HR solutions through her consulting practice, Adanac HR Services. Joanna has a Provincial Instructor’s Diploma from VCC and a Masters in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

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Meet Tash McLeod she/her

Operations Manager

Tash McLeod is a dedicated advocate for cultivating safe, inclusive, and equitable workplaces. With experience in management, operations, and programming across the non-profit and hospitality sectors, Tash brings a multifaceted and nuanced perspective to her role as Operations Manager. A veteran of the restaurant industry, she has worked alongside Vancouver's premier talent at Hawksworth, The Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Ancora, Vij’s, and Fable, showcasing a career marked by dedication to service excellence and empathetic leadership. Tash holds a BA in Gender Studies from the University of Lethbridge. With a strong academic background in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she leverages this expertise and her lived experience to further WORTH's efforts in building a community of belonging.

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Danya Wheeler she/her

Communications and Community Manager

Danya is passionate about social justice and community building. With a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, she has experience in community management, partnership building, and marketing. Her journey, from international development to tourism, has been driven by a commitment to elevate underrepresented voices and foster meaningful change. Now, at WORTH Association, she’s excited to champion equity, diversity, and inclusion, and is eager to contribute to the mission of educating, elevating, and empowering women in the industry.

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Meet Shobna Kannusamy she/her

Executive Director of Education

Shobna Kannusamy is the Founder and Principal Coach at Soirette Connections and the host of the Colour Me Brave Podcast. With a dynamic career spanning 25 years, Shobna’s journey led her from engineering to hospitality, opening her own bakery in downtown Vancouver, which she successfully ran for 10 years. She gained national recognition for her innovation and became a judge on Food Network’s Wall of Bakers. As a Certified Leadership and Organizational Coach, she is dedicated to guiding her clients in discovering authentic leadership rooted in their values, strengths, and purpose. Shobna leverages her creative, analytical, and entrepreneurial expertise with a vision-focused mindset and agility in navigating change to empower her clients, enabling them to unlock their leadership potential and thrive in their community. She currently serves clients and their teams across the globe.

As a multi-immigrant, she has the privilege of viewing the world through various lenses of culture and dynamics which informs her work as a coach, and as a mother. She finds immense fulfillment in executing her business through her purpose, working with entrepreneurs in their Leadership Development.

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Our Board of Directors