International Women’s Day 2026

Allison founded One SEED in 2008 to pursue her passion for evocative and sustainable residential design. Her aesthetic is informed by the rugged outdoors of the West Coast, the straight lines and big skies of the prairies where she grew up, as well as international travels. As a local leader in residential sustainability and Passive House, Allison believes in being an “open source”, and has shared lessons learned at various speaking engagements and conferences. She loves to geek out on technical envelope details and is involved with several local groups pushing municipalities and the local construction industry to support sustainability and low-embodied carbon construction.

Irene is an Associate Architect and Certified Passive House Designer at Kearns Mancini Architects. She is an astute project manager and an expert on high-performance building design and systems. She is the in-house leader on Sustainability and Passive House design and works hand-in-hand with clients and consultants to explore, review and determine the best value for money to achieve the project’s sustainable goals. Irene is also an educator and an advocate for high-performance design and often provides public seminars and presentations at the Passive House Canada Conference. In 2017, Irene joined KMAI, focusing on high efficiency architecture and Passive House systems. She is an active member of the Passive House community. Irene views Passive House as the initial step towards sustainable design and net zero energy buildings. She works on complex projects as the sustainable design lead and conducts PHPP modelling and LCA assessments.

Elisabeth is the Principal and Founder of Carbon Wise, a group of energy and carbon advisors providing integrated operational and embodied carbon services. Carbon Wise aims to bridge the gap between the realities of on-the-ground construction and the decisive actions required to meet climate targets. Elisabeth has established herself as a leader in the field, with a strong commitment to knowledge sharing by publishing case studies to advance research on high-performance buildings and actively contributing to policy development. Elisabeth is also a regular speaker at industry conferences, including the Passive House Canada Conference, where she shares practical insights on low-carbon and high-performance construction.

Mahnaz Nikbakht is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the building materials industry. With a strong background in areas such as concrete, geosynthetics, drainage, waterproofing, and insulation materials, Mahnaz possesses a wide scope of expertise. She has participated in significant standardization committees such as CEN, ISO, and ASTM, further enhancing her knowledge and influence in the industry. Currently serving as the chair of the Quebec Passive House association (Bâtiment Passif Québec), Mahnaz is deeply passionate about sharing knowledge and promoting energy efficiency, particularly in Passive House methodologies. At ROCKWOOL, Mahnaz serves as the Architectural Specifications Manager for Ottawa, Québec, and Atlantic Canada. Her multilingual abilities in English, French, and German make her an asset in the industry to effectively connect with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Sarah specializes in Project Management and stakeholder relationships, and has worked in various industries before joining YWCA Hamilton. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Earth Sciences, a master degree in Environmental Sciences and a master degree in Geophysics. Sarah is a science enthusiast and is always on the lookout for prospective opportunities. She became interested in Passive House Building with the Putman Family YWCA construction project and since then has obtained Passive House training. As the Director of Capital Projects, Sarah supports new capital acquisitions, development planning, and major repair & renewal with the purpose of expanding YWCA’s affordable housing portfolio and decreasing the impact on the environment through engaging in environmentally sustainable planning. Sarah is currently Vice-Chair of the Passive House Canada Board.