Past Events
Browse our range of successful past educational events
Our past events were highly successful in providing women with education in a broad range of topics ranging from modern investment strategies, legal, psychological and financial relationship responsibilities, retirement paradigms, the psychology of money, behavioural finance, salary negotiation and many more.
TRANSITIONING THROUGH DIVORCE
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Divorce can be complex, challenging, and at times overwhelming. Join Tracy Theemes as she moderates this highly informative panel discussion of the emotional, legal, and financial aspects of divorce with family lawyer Geeta Gill and divorce coach and therapist Sandy Hawkins. They will draw upon their diverse backgrounds and expertise to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means to transition through divorce.
Geeta graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, and received her LL.B. from the University of British Columbia in 2003. She was called to the Bar in the Province of British Columbia in September 2004.
Geeta practiced in the areas of Civil Litigation and Family Law until the fall of 2008, at which time she began practicing exclusively in the area of family law and has done so ever since. Geeta joined Connect Family Law in October 2020. She is accredited by the Law Society of BC to act as a Parenting Coordinator, Family Law Arbitrator and Family Law Mediator.
Sandy is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. She co-founded Concordia Counselling Services in 2008 with her partner, Lindsey Jespersen. Her practice is dedicated to working with adult individuals, couples, adolescents and families with an additional focus on separation and divorce. Sandy has additional training in Family Systems, Narrative Therapy and Gottman Couples Therapy, which allows her to address her clients’ concerns both quickly and completely. She has also completed advanced training in Collaborative Divorce and mediation. Sandy has been involved with Collaborative Divorce Vancouver since 2010 in several capacities as a member, Board Member for 6 years, and Co-Chair of the Board from 2016-18. In her work with Collaborative Divorce, she is both a Divorce Coach and Child/Youth Specialist. In her separation/divorce work, she is part of a team that includes lawyers and financial specialists who create and draft parenting plans for separation agreements. In addition to her education and experience in private practice, she has also worked in clinical settings with Family Services of Greater Vancouver and Pacific Coast Family Institute.
Tracy is a leading authority on the issues facing women in our economic world. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master of Arts in Psychology and experienced firsthand how poverty created long term disadvantage while working with women and families in some of Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Tracy started her financial career as a financial consultant with Smith Barney, a US brokerage firm, and later worked with RBC Dominion Securities in Canada. In 2009, she co-founded Sophia Financial Group a full-service advisory firm focused on providing a socially conscious, financial planning and investment management firm on Vancouver’s west side.
AN EVENING OF PEACE
Thursday, November 2, 2023 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
The days are shorter. The rain beats harder. It is often difficult to keep the light shining within us. During this quiet, reflective evening, we will practice guided mindfulness exercises and short periods of silence and stillness. In an atmosphere designed to slow down our frenzied activity and settle our nervous systems we give our body and mind an opportunity to reset in a healthy, harmonious way. These practices of self-soothing will help us establish a connection to the peace that is always within and their resilience to withstand challenges.
Rachel Lewis began practicing insight meditation in 2003, while completing her physics PhD at Yale. Since 2011, she has taught dharma and meditation classes and retreats in British Columbia and beyond. She completed the IMS/IRC 4-year teacher training in 2021, and is a guiding teacher of the British Columbia Insight Meditation Society. Her dharma teaching interests include the power of music, humour, and creativity to increase our capacity for learning, as well as the way that practice supports and is supported by social justice work.
ESTATE PLANNING ESSENTIALS
Tuesday, October 24, 2023 – 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Transferring wealth is a complex affair. With new estate laws and ever-increasing complications in family dynamics, the issue of how, when and to whom to transfer wealth can be challenging. There are many land mines – and opportunities that need to be understood. The days of just writing up a letter of your last wishes with a signature from a neighbour are over. To protect yourself, your family, your assets, and leave a tax-efficient legacy you will need to prepare carefully. Patricia Chartrand has guided hundreds of families through the murky and often troubled waters of organizing their estates. Now is the time to figure this out.
Patricia Chartrand is a Senior Trust Advisor working out of the Vancouver corporate office and servicing Advisors and their clients as well as our Correspondent Services clients in Vancouver and throughout the B.C. mainland.
Prior to joining Raymond James Trust (Canada), Patricia was a Trust and Estate Consultant for 10 years with CIBC Trust, building client relationships, assessing clients’ needs, and identifying and providing appropriate trust services to assist with the effective execution of trust services roles.
Among her prior work experience during her 22 years at the bank, she was a Sales Solution Lead and provided bilingual client service. She has extensive experience dealing directly with clients and various stakeholders as well as giving presentations.
She earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Prince Edward Island, and completed the IFC through CSI. She is fluent in English and French.
https://www.raymondjames.ca/bennest/your-team/our-partners?sc_lang=en
EMPOWERED INVESTING 2023
Saturday, October 14, 2023 – 9:30am – 12:30pm
It has been years since we have taught this comprehensive workshop on investment management and financial planning fundamentals. Being grounded in terminology, aligning individual objectives to strategy, and seeing the context in which investment occurs is essential to an empowered economic life.
In this workshop you will learn:
- To make well-informed, confident investment decisions
- The relationship between asset allocation and investment returns
- How to balance risk and volatility with financial security
Tracy is a leading authority on the issues facing women in our economic world. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Master of Arts in Psychology and experienced firsthand how poverty created long term disadvantage while working with women and families in some of Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Tracy started her financial career as a financial consultant with Smith Barney, a US brokerage firm, and later worked with RBC Dominion Securities in Canada. In 2009, she co-founded Sophia Financial Group a full-service advisory firm focused on providing a socially conscious, financial planning and investment management firm on Vancouver’s west side.
NEW – Paradigms of Retirement (Part 2)
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Join Financial Advisors and Co-Founders of Sophia Financial Group and Sophia Wealth Academy, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra, for part 2 of their noon hour retirement workshop series. Tracy and Kamal will address the modern paradigms around retirement as well as practical strategies to plan for and manage this important stage of our financial life.
Join Kamal and Tracy as they discuss:
- The four new phases of retirement and their financial impact
- The economic implications of a longer life expectancy
- Modern income planning strategies
- How to balance risk with financial security
via Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
NEW – New Paradigms of Retirement (Part 1)
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Join Financial Advisors and Co-Founders of Sophia Financial Group and Sophia Wealth Academy, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra, for part 1 of their new 2-part noon hour retirement workshop series. Tracy and Kamal will address the modern paradigms around retirement as well as practical strategies to plan for and manage this important stage of our financial life.
Join Kamal and Tracy as they discuss:
- The four new phases of retirement and their financial impact
- The economic implications of a longer life expectancy
- Modern income planning strategies
- How to balance risk with financial security
via Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
Open Q&A With Kamal and Tracy
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Week 6 (final session)
- Still unsure of how this all relates to you or have questions that are keeping you up at night? Here is your opportunity to ask those questions around what remains unclear and be part of a dialogue that will inspire, inform and guide you forward.
Where: Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
Moving Forward, Moving Through
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Week 5
- The adage “the only way out, is through” has never been truer.
- Identify best practices for you to stay on track and adapt to turbulence.
- Learn the skills you need to be financially resilient.
Where: Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
What’s Your Number?
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Week 4
- Discuss the role of numbers in your overall financial strategy—what is relevant and what is not.
- What is enough and how do you define it?
- Define a path forward that allows you to adapt to change and still stay the course.
Where: Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
Find Your Financial Balance
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 – 12pm – 1pm
Week 3
- Observe your typical patterns and learn how to distinguish the helpful from the hindering
- Find the correct role of “future” versus “present”
- Create your own money credo
Where: Zoom
As trusted financial advisors for over 20 years, Tracy Theemes and Kamal Basra are long-time champions of financial literacy and equality in Canada. Co-founders of Sophia Financial Group, Raymond James Ltd, they provide investment advisory services to high net worth clients, devote a day each week to pro bono clients, and are the founders of the Sophia Wealth Academy financial education platform.
