Meet Anahita Thukral | Founder, DiWo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anahita Thukral and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anahita, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Where to start? Well, let’s talk about my personal experience. It took me just over 6 months to get my first job in Canada. After applying to hundreds of jobs, networking, connecting with employers all one on one, I got my first job in Canada through University’s career network where my husband was doing his MBA. The entire experience was disheartening! The fact that I had an opportunity to speak to career network where I was not even a student turned out to be the only way to get in-front of employers. That experience, amongst many other seeing around me in these last few years, DiWo is born to offer a structured, nurturing environment for diverse workforce. We offer programs that include, connecting with industry experts, meaningful mentorship, 1:1 interview preparation, resume development amongst other services. Our focus is to provides a context in which diverse workforce could develop and obtain the soft-skills. Ultimately, we need broad structural changes in how diverse workforce can contribute towards Canadian economic development.

I truly believe that the modern workforce thrives when the ideas and opinions are as diverse as the people behind them. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Having lived in four different countries, I experienced firsthand the systemic and structural barriers faced by women of color. These experiences led me to create Hear Her Stories, a platform that amplifies women’s voices and celebrates their achievements as a way to support and inspire the next generation of diverse women.

This media platform showcases stories of diverse, “everyday” women to show the incredible journeys and accomplishments from women that are often not represented in the mainstream media. This unique community believes in the power of stories and is actively working to decrease barriers for women globally. Hear Her Stories sheds light on trailblazing women that are too often overlooked.

Through Hear Her Stories, I realized that these barriers have translated to tangible experiences in the workforce not only for women, but people of color, resulting in underrepresentation and inequality of outcomes. To help bridge gaps, DiWo (stands for Diverse Workforce) was launched with the goal of providing equal access and opportunities to all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take my friend to one of my favorite spots in Ontario, which is a beautiful historic village on Lake Huron called Bayfield. Just 45 minutes from London, Bayfield is what cottage dreams are made of. It is a perfect getaway from busy Toronto to a quiet beach, quaint restaurants, and boutique shops!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to recognize and give a huge shoutout to all those who leave their comfort zone and move to another country, wishing for a better life!

The world is too big to stay in one place and life is too short to do just one thing. –Anonymous

Website: hirediwo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hirediwo/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hirediwo/