Damineh Akhavan

Damineh Akhavan is a Professional Engineer with over 19 years of technical experience in the aerospace industry. She is the Founder and CEO of Global Women in STEM promoting human rights for women and equity-deserving groups and challenging the status quo in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through education, innovation, advocacy, and action. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, and an MBA in International Business from the University of Victoria.

Damineh has been an active board director, committee member, contributor, and collaborator with many diverse organizations serving local, provincial, national, global, and academic communities in advocacy, youth outreach, mentorship, governance, justice, and human rights initiatives for over two decades. She champions women in leadership roles, equal and diverse representation on boards, and gender pay equity, and fights for ending gender-based violence through community building, storytelling, and sharing her lived experiences of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

It is through her professional achievements, community leadership, and volunteer work that Damineh has been the recipient of numerous awards and honours including the University of Victoria Distinguished Alumni President’s Award, University of Victoria Spirit of Ali Award, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award in Science and Technology, Engineers Canada Meritorious Service Award for Professional Service, Engineers and Geoscientists BC McLachlan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering, The Northern Lights Aero Foundation Elsie MacGill Award in Engineering, Capilano University Alumni Excellence Award, and Fellowship of Engineers Canada.