Project Leader
Wen
Founder
TalentedWomen.com
As the giant Canadian Icebreaker Louis S. St-Laurent was busy mooring at the Expo site in Lisbon, Portugal in 1998, where it would serve as the centrepiece of the Canadian Pavilion, Wendy Kohler Boothman was busy troubleshooting in four languages. At the request of the prime minister's export mission, Wendy was contacting her international network of business and social contacts to make sure they came aboard. They did: and the event was a huge success. But, troubleshooting for the prime minister and moving in these circles didn't always come easily for this former ballet dancer turned entrepreneurial business woman.
On her return to Canada after Expo., and spurred on by her insatiable enthusiasm for people, Wendy conceived and launched a free, online business advice and support service and called it TalentedWomen.com. It's mandate: to give working women around the globe access to mentors, to each other, and to online services that will help them evolve with confidence.
A native of South Africa, Wendy was born into a "man's world," one where women were not expected to step forward with visionary ideas. At 12 the family upped and moved to Portugal: another "man's world" in those days, and was promptly accepted into the Royal Ballet School in England. Six years later Wendy founded the first model agency in Lisbon, where aside from training the first Portuguese woman to become a finalist in the Miss Europe competition, she devoted most of her time to teaching women how to make the most of themselves with courage and confidence.
After the Portuguese revolution in 1974, at the age of 25, Wendy made her way to London with her children. Two years later they arrived in Canada and started a new life.
Over the years her community involvement has included participation on a multitude of non-profit boards advocating a number of disciplines including performing and visual arts, social services, economic development, environmental issues and post-secondary education, and an 8 year term as governor of a Canadian University.
Today, the subject of many articles and profiles, the aptly named "benevolent tornado" juggles her world travels and public appearances with a country lifestyle on a farm east of Toronto, Canada. A happily married mother of five and grandmother of three, her Midas touch has rubbed off on individuals and organisations too many to number and resulted in a commendation by the Senate of Canada for “setting high standards in all her endeavours, having deserved the reputation for following through and achieving whatever she undertakes.”
Despite the public attention Wendy remains
engagingly approachable: a silent advocate of the ever-evolving and enigmatic
power of people, especially women.
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