I attended Monday Girl’s Annual Toronto Summit on Saturday, and I’m still filled with the energy and inspiration from that day, giving me daily motivation. Monday Girl is a networking platform that supports women in building their careers and businesses across North America. As a membership-based community, it feels private and comfortable, making it easy to dialogue with other ambitious women. Through curated events, workshops, and networking sessions, Monday Girl creates a more intentional and supportive space.
This Toronto summit was the biggest Monday Girl event since they launched in 2017. This year, over 800 women gathered, highlighting how impactful and fast-growing the platform has become. The day was packed with inspiring guest speakers, entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders sharing their insights. And it also offered a variety of interactive experiences, including networking sessions, a hosted lunch with roundtable discussions, and brand booths where attendees could explore products, make purchases, and receive samples. Attendees also received gift bags filled with products from well-known brands.
As someone just starting my career as a designer, I find it challenging to know where and how to build connections. Traditional networking often feels formal and intimidating, but Monday Girl feels different. As a women-focused, membership-based community, people are more open, genuine, inviting, and it was easy to connect with others. I met women from many different backgrounds, with a broad range of skills and expertise. The event was set up to facilitate discussion. There was a light breakfast and interactive booths, so I naturally started conversations while walking around and participating.
One of the most valuable elements of the summit was the roundtable sessions during lunch. Women with similar career paths sat together, making it easy to share experiences and learn from each other. As someone at the beginning of my career, I gained valuable insights and inspiration from these roundtables. A standout moment for me was meeting a creative director who told me that, no matter where I work, I should always strive to go one step further in what I do. If I think ahead and go beyond what is expected, it will leave a strong impression. It was simple advice that had a big impact on me.
As a designer, I believe understanding people and learning from different experiences is a key source of inspiration. Also, creativity doesn’t happen alone; good design comes from collaboration and different perspectives. The Monday Girl Summit provided this in abundance.
There were also three inspiring guest speaker sessions. What stood out to me was that many of the speakers shared a common theme of resilience. I was inspired by how they were not afraid of change and turned challenges into opportunities.
Overall, this experience gave me powerful insights, meaningful connections, and a surge of motivation. I left feeling more confident in my path, with a clearer sense of how I want to grow as a designer.
I will definitely attend the Monday Girl Summit again. I recommend this event to anyone who is beginning, growing, or diversifying their career. It is a truly valuable experience.
