Lisa Taylor, our Challenge Factory founder and president, is being honoured today as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women in the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) Top 100 Awards.
Challenge Factory is a research agency and consultancy that helps purpose-driven organizations and communities shape the Future of Work. Our impact ignites transformative, measurable change for people and workplaces.
This year’s WXN Top 100 Awards theme recognizes women who have made an impact in their companies and communities through the way they live their truth.
This resonates with Lisa, who founded our company 10 years ago.
“From the beginning,” she explains, “we focused on topics and truths that weren’t on people’s radar yet. Back then, no one was interested in stories showcasing older workers and the impact that demographic change was already having on the workforce. Today, it’s a popular headline. Likewise, the career development supports needed by people navigating the world of work don’t get the attention they should in Canada, even as hybrid work, quiet quitting, and leadership are hot hashtags.”
WXN describes award winners as women who say to the world, loudly and unapologetically, “This is me.”
Lisa reacts to this statement with a broader outlook. “I think it’s more than ‘this is me’. It’s also ‘this is important’. It’s ‘these hidden, unpopular truths are significant and urgent’. Unapologetically, I’ve led Challenge Factory—as a company and a team—to focus on meaningful, measurable business that acts as a force of good in the world.”
As part of this focus, our company has just announced we are now a B Corporation, an internationally recognized certification for measuring social and environmental impact.
Lisa has gained an international reputation as a forward-thinker, speaking at global conferences from Norway to Singapore, including keynotes at the largest career conferences in Canada and the USA. She is also the co-author of The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work, and the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) welcomed her as an Associate Fellow in 2022. She is the only Fellow focused on work, employment, and lifelong community engagement.
“This year’s winners truly inspire us in the way they lead from a place of truth. They make Canada a better place by unabashedly following their passions and purposes without apologies, excuses, or hesitation,” said Sherri Stevens, Owner and CEO of WXN. “Their bravery, grit, focus, and strength shine not only in their own accomplishments, but also in the way they show future generations what’s possible.”
Lisa adds, “Every day in our research, education, and consulting on the Future of Work, we ask ‘What’s possible’? At Challenge Factory, it’s not only me who leads with trust and courage, grit and passion. It’s our whole team. That kind of energy is rare, and it infuses our people, projects, and partners with both hope and action.”
To explore our work and why our impact is being honoured, get access to our free resources here. To hear from Lisa about this award, watch the short video below.