For Sarah Hashem, helping people move forward begins with recognising their potential and creating the conditions for that potential to grow. Visibility, confidence and support are central to that approach.
For more than 20 years, Sarah has built programmes, partnerships and platforms that help young entrepreneurs, creators and emerging leaders turn potential into progress. Her career spans business, nonprofits and education, with a consistent focus on helping people and organisations recognise what is possible and take steps towards it.
As CEO of Women in Communications and Technology (WCT), she leads work focused on closing the gender leadership gap in technology. Her experience brings together an entrepreneurial mindset, a belief in collective action and a commitment to expanding access to opportunity.
A Career Built Around Creating Opportunity
Before her leadership role at WCT, Hashem led strategic initiatives at Music Canada, championing the value of music and the creators behind it.
Supporting creators and advancing women’s leadership share an important connection: both involve helping people communicate their contributions and gain recognition for their work. Talent needs opportunities to develop, relationships that support growth and platforms through which others can understand its value.
Across her career, Hashem has worked to build those connections. Her approach centres on helping people mobilise their spheres of influence and work together to create meaningful change.
Her biography also highlights a belief that lasting impact grows through small, consistent shifts. That perspective makes progress something people can participate in daily, through the decisions they make, the relationships they build and the opportunities they extend to others.
Supporting Women at Different Career Stages
WCT’s work provides context for Sarah’s leadership. The organisation supports women in digitally driven workplaces through professional development, mentorship and networking, with offerings tailored to different stages of a career.
Its approach recognises that an emerging professional, a frontline manager and a senior executive face different challenges. Each may need a different combination of skills, guidance and peer support to move forward. WCT also works with employers to support women’s advancement and strengthen leadership pipelines.
For women navigating career growth, this combination matters. Learning a skill is valuable; having a community in which to practise it, discuss challenges and consider the next step can make that learning more useful.
Opening Doors for Emerging Leaders
WCT’s Opening Doors programme supports early-career women as they prepare to move from individual contributor roles towards leadership.
The programme combines expert-led sessions, practical resources and a digital community. Its learning goals include developing self-awareness, clarifying values, strengthening emotional intelligence and building confidence, personal brands and visibility.
Participants also connect through WCT’s Inner Circles, which provide space for candid discussion and learning with peers. The structure brings professional development and relationship building together, giving participants opportunities to reflect on how the lessons apply to their own workplaces.
For Women of Rubies, the connection between personal branding and career development is especially relevant. Understanding your value and being able to communicate it can help you approach conversations about responsibility, progression and opportunity with greater intention.
Helping Managers Become Change Agents
For women already managing people, WCT offers Change Agent, a career accelerator programme for frontline people managers.
The programme focuses on leadership skills including conflict management, feedback, presentation, negotiation and change management. It also addresses authentic presence, self-advocacy and building supportive professional relationships.
Through its sessions and peer connections, Change Agent gives participants opportunities to examine how they lead and how they can support others while pursuing their own career goals.
These areas connect leadership with everyday practice. How a manager handles a difficult conversation, presents an idea or responds to feedback can shape both their own credibility and the experience of the people around them.
Strengthening Senior Leadership and Sponsorship
WCT’s Pinnacle Project serves women at director and vice-president levels. It brings participants together in a cohort setting for learning, problem-solving, discussion and peer coaching.
Its focus includes executive presence, interpersonal skills and supporting systemic change within organisations. It also encourages participants to sponsor and support aspiring women leaders.
WCT’s Protégé Project adds another dimension through sponsorship. The programme combines allyship training for men with support for sponsorship relationships that help women advance towards executive roles. Participating organisations receive training, resources and a framework for connecting sponsors and protégés.
Together, these programmes illustrate how women’s advancement involves both individual development and action from people who can influence access to opportunities.
Sarah Hashem Joins Media Visibility Bootcamp 6.0
Women of Rubies is delighted to welcome Sarah Hashem as a keynote speaker on Day 1 of the Media Visibility Bootcamp 6.0, taking place virtually on October 17–18, 2026.
Her experience in building partnerships, championing creators and advancing women’s leadership brings a valuable perspective to this year’s event. Her commitment to helping people turn potential into progress also connects with the purpose of the bootcamp: helping women communicate their value and approach visibility with intention.
At Women of Rubies, we believe that women’s work deserves to be seen, understood and connected with opportunity. Creating space for learning and meaningful relationships is part of making that happen.
Whether you are growing a business, developing your professional voice or preparing for your next leadership opportunity, the bootcamp offers a space to learn from experienced speakers and consider practical steps towards greater visibility.
Reserve your spot at Media Visibility Bootcamp 6.0.
To explore WCT’s professional development programmes, visit Women in Communications and Technology.
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