iWIST announces 2025 women in STEM scholarship winners

Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

By the way, if you're not already subscribed, you can fix that here.

Island Women in Science and Technology (iWIST), in partnership with Redbrick and Shift, has announced the 2025 recipients of its annual scholarships recognizing women excelling in science, technology, engineering, and math. This year’s honourees are Sydney Goodwin, MSc candidate in Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Victoria; Elizabeth Reid, PhD candidate in Computer Science; and Shukooh Goodarzi, MEng graduate in Civil Engineering (Industrial Ecology).

Goodwin is researching novel immunotherapies for solid tumours while mentoring younger students and plans to apply to medical school. Reid, named the Shift Woman of Innovation, is developing virtual reality applications to foster social connections and combat online toxicity, building on her interdisciplinary background in computer science, math, and music. Goodarzi, recognized as the Redbrick Woman of Impact, has applied her engineering expertise to a City of Victoria sustainability project while advocating for diversity in STEM.

Redbrick and Shift have committed three years of funding to the program, which provides financial support and highlights the resilience of women in male-dominated fields. “When women pursue their passion for tech, our industry thrives,” said Christine Tatham, Chief People Officer at Redbrick. iWIST says the initiative not only assists individual scholars but also strengthens leadership, allyship, and inclusion across the local STEM community.

SPONSORED BY REED POPE

Reed Pope Business Lawyers help founders launch their start-ups confidently by offering fixed‑fee packages covering matters such as entity formation and structuring, key foundational documents, and legal support on early-stage financing rounds. This transparent pricing gives founders peace of mind to focus on building their product, recruiting talent, and gaining market traction.

🌞 Here comes the sun: Victoria-based Solaires shipped its first commercial order of high-efficiency perovskite solar modules from its new mass manufacturing facility, marking a major step from R&D to large-scale production.

🏆 We are the champions: Greater Victoria’s South Island Prosperity Partnership won Gold and Bronze awards from the International Economic Development Council for its Victoria Rising business attraction platform and its collaborative leadership in driving regional economic growth.

💸 Bridge over troubled water: North Cowichan and Sayward received over $5.25 million from the federal government for wastewater and stormwater upgrades, adding clarifiers, biofilters, and sustainable systems to improve water quality and climate resilience.

SPONSORED BY REED POPE

Legal expertise for Victoria’s next unicorns. Reed Pope’s Brandon Deans on startup share structures, common legal mistakes — and why early advice can save founders big. Read the full article here.

Find your next career:

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

August 28 | VIATEC AI Meetup: Technology Track

Are you curious about how AI can transform your business and career? Join the VIATEC AI Meetup, where local thought leaders and innovators come together to explore the cutting edge of artificial intelligence and its practical applications.

September 9 | GoGeomatics September "Back to School" Meetup

This is the place to network and talk all things Surveying, GIS, geomatics and geography. This event will take place at the Swan's pub. Come by and ask the hostess for the GoGeomatics reservation (or Juan). Come alone or with a friend. These events are free to attend.

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.