Inspirer les futures femmes en science

School Groups: Teachers may make group bookings for up to 8 students by contacting [email protected].

Individuals: Individual registrants should complete a registration form and return to [email protected]

Register Now:

Individual and Group Registrations will be accepted in the order they are received until the event is full. Your registration status will be confirmed within 48 hours of submission. Once registration is full a waiting list will be created.

The event will also be webcast live at 9:00am ET on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026    Location: Perimeter Institute 

Aggie Branczyk, Physicist and Founder of Quantum Salon

Dr. Aggie Branczyk is a physicist and entrepreneur with a PhD from the University of Queensland. She spent over a decade in quantum research and technology, holding academic roles at the Perimeter Institute and industry positions at IBM Quantum. Now, as the founder of Quantum Salon, she develops communication strategies for deep-tech teams, especially those in quantum computing. Aggie is active on LinkedIn sharing insights about her journey and ongoing discoveries. She also writes on Substack, both about her entrepreneurship journey and the quantum tech ecosystem. She is based in Waterloo, Canada.

Emily Agard, Immunologist and Director of SciXchange

Emily Agard earned a B.Sc. (honours) in Life Sciences from Queen's University and a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Toronto.  She taught biology at York University and the University of Toronto at Scarborough before joining Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), where she was an assistant professor.  Currently, as director of SciXchange at TMU, she is passionate about making science accessible, engaging and inclusive of all groups and people of all ages.  For over a decade, she has worked with youth from various socioeconomic backgrounds, focusing on youth from vulnerable communities.  She embraces opportunities to speak about learning and applying science in everyday life and various career paths. She recently became the chapter ambassador for Technovation Girls Toronto.

In her spare time, Dr. Agard enjoys music, travel, sports, especially opportunities to combine these interests. She plays steelpan and dumbek and loves dancing in various fusion styles.  She has travelled to countries in 6 continents and loves immersing herself in different cultures.  An avid sports fan, she has been a Raptor season seat holder ever since her grad school days, follows the Jays and Leafs, and has attended a few Seahawks games in Seattle. She enjoys portrait photography after completing a Certificate in Photography Studies through the Chang School at Ryerson/TMU. She is a dog mom to 2 sweet bernedoodles, Riley and Lucy who both enjoy doing agility work with her at All About Dogs. Riley is the chief morale officer on the SciXchange team.

Vanessa Vakharia, Founder and Director, The Math Guru

Known as the Lady Gaga of math education, Vanessa is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto that's changing stereotypes about what math education looks like. She is also the host of the Math Therapy podcast, author of the NEW bestselling book Math Therapy, and lead singer/keytarist for rock band Goodnight Sunrise. She has her Bachelor of Commerce, Teaching Degree, and Masters of Math Education. Her goal is to totally change math culture so that math is finally as cool as every single Taylor Swift song ever written. She failed Grade 11 math twice, which was the best thing that ever happened to her. 

Paula Mackie, Science Development Manager, Toronto Zoo

You don’t need to work in the field to have an impact on conservation. Paula Mackie is the Science Development Manager at the Toronto Zoo and works with a team of lab professionals that explore the application of assisted reproductive technologies for endangered species. Shortly after completing an MSc in Zoology at the University of Guelph, Paula started her career as a research assistant in the Reproductive Science labs at the Toronto Zoo and became enthralled with the field of comparative animal physiology. She went on to work at the San Diego Zoo and even spent a few years working in a human IVF clinic before returning to the zoo. From learning to understand hormone patterns to creating embryos in the lab and cryogenically freezing living reproductive cells, Paula has built a career that combines her childhood dream of helping animals with a love of science.  

Angela Tollis, Quality Engineer, Kepler Communications

Angela Tollis is a Quality Engineer at Kepler Communications and a McMaster Mechanical Engineering & Society graduate. During her undergraduate degree, she launched two CubeSat missions with the Canadian Space Agency and founded CAN-RGX team to conduct lunar microgravity research with SEDS Canada, the NRC, and the CSA. A FIRST robotics alum since 2019 and volunteer since 2015, Angela mentors two FIRST robotics teams while also volunteering as a FIRST robotics judge, referee, and event coordinator. Passionate about space, sustainability, and STEM education, Angela hopes to inspire and mentor future STEM leaders.

Sonhita Chakraborty, Scientific Editor and Science Illustrator, Life Science Editors

Sonhita brings more than a decade of interdisciplinary experience across evolutionary ecology, sustainable agriculture, and molecular and cell biology. After earning a Ph.D. in plant cell biology, she transitioned into scientific editing, serving a range of journals and eventually joining Elsevie. There, she discovered a passion for visual storytelling, merging scientific knowledge with artistic skill.

Today, Sonhita uses her editorial acumen and illustration talent to help researchers craft compelling narratives. As a Scientific Editor and Illustrator for Life Science Editors, she refines manuscripts, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and impact. Through her independent studio, “Art by Sonhita,” she produces high‑quality journal covers, graphical abstracts, detailed figures, and animations that translate complex ideas into accessible visual formats. Her work sits at the intersection of scientific publishing and visual communication, empowering scientists to showcase their discoveries with precision and creativity.

Students will have to opportunity for small group discussions with a number of speed mentors from a variety of STEM fields, including: physics, software engineering, medicine, health & safety, climate change, environmental engineering, computer science, chemistry, ecology, and more.