News
Open Door Group CEO Alona Puehse Honored at 2025 Women of the Year Awards
June 27, 2025
Spotlights
We are thrilled to announce that our CEO, Alona Puehse, has been recognized as a winner in the Diversity and Inclusion Champion category at the prestigious 2025 Women of the Year Awards.
This incredible honor, presented by BCBusiness, celebrates Alona's unwavering dedication and profound impact on fostering accessible, diverse, and inclusive workplaces across Canada.
Alona joined Open Door Group in 2009, driven by her belief in the transformative power of meaningful work. Her vision of helping people overcome barriers to employment and find meaningful work has guided Open Door Group’s growth into one of the largest nonprofit employment service providers in the province. Under her leadership as CEO since 2022, Open Door Group has empowered thousands of individuals to achieve sustainable employment, with over 1,100 people finding jobs in the fiscal year 2023-2024 alone. Beyond employment services, we annually support approximately 8,000 clients with vital educational, mental health, wellness, and community connection programs, with 77 percent representing equity-deserving groups.
In the original article by BCBusiness writer Sandrine Jacquot, Alona is described as a leader who embraces change and risk not for disruption’s sake, but to create meaningful outcomes. As Alona herself states in the feature, "Being a disruptor means not being afraid to take risks. It means standing in front and going first—especially when it’s uncomfortable." This philosophy underscores her commitment to removing systemic barriers and creating a more equitable and inclusive society. Her commitment extends internally, as Open Door Group champions Accessibility, Diversity, Inclusion, and equity within our own operations, notably through initiatives like the Pledge to Measure national initiative (PledgetoMeasure.org)
We extend our sincere thanks to BCBusiness and the 2025 Women of the Year Awards team for recognizing diverse women leaders across sectors. We’re incredibly proud to see Alona’s work—and the mission of Open Door Group—honored alongside so many inspiring changemakers.
This award is a testament to Alona's visionary leadership and her tireless efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive society. We are immensely proud to have her lead Open Door Group as we continue our mission of empowering individuals and transforming communities.
Read the full article by Sandrine Jacquot on the BCBusiness website: 2025 Women of the Year Awards: Alona Puehse
This incredible honor, presented by BCBusiness, celebrates Alona's unwavering dedication and profound impact on fostering accessible, diverse, and inclusive workplaces across Canada.
Alona joined Open Door Group in 2009, driven by her belief in the transformative power of meaningful work. Her vision of helping people overcome barriers to employment and find meaningful work has guided Open Door Group’s growth into one of the largest nonprofit employment service providers in the province. Under her leadership as CEO since 2022, Open Door Group has empowered thousands of individuals to achieve sustainable employment, with over 1,100 people finding jobs in the fiscal year 2023-2024 alone. Beyond employment services, we annually support approximately 8,000 clients with vital educational, mental health, wellness, and community connection programs, with 77 percent representing equity-deserving groups.
In the original article by BCBusiness writer Sandrine Jacquot, Alona is described as a leader who embraces change and risk not for disruption’s sake, but to create meaningful outcomes. As Alona herself states in the feature, "Being a disruptor means not being afraid to take risks. It means standing in front and going first—especially when it’s uncomfortable." This philosophy underscores her commitment to removing systemic barriers and creating a more equitable and inclusive society. Her commitment extends internally, as Open Door Group champions Accessibility, Diversity, Inclusion, and equity within our own operations, notably through initiatives like the Pledge to Measure national initiative (PledgetoMeasure.org)
We extend our sincere thanks to BCBusiness and the 2025 Women of the Year Awards team for recognizing diverse women leaders across sectors. We’re incredibly proud to see Alona’s work—and the mission of Open Door Group—honored alongside so many inspiring changemakers.
This award is a testament to Alona's visionary leadership and her tireless efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive society. We are immensely proud to have her lead Open Door Group as we continue our mission of empowering individuals and transforming communities.
Read the full article by Sandrine Jacquot on the BCBusiness website: 2025 Women of the Year Awards: Alona Puehse
