University of Western Ontario (Honours Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, Richard Ivey School of Business) Osgood Hall Law School (Bachelor of Laws)
Occupation
Chief Executive Officer
Employer(s)
The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), Ontario
Board member of
Toronto Global, Toronto Sickkids' hospital Capital Campaign Cabinet, Lazaridis Institute Advisory Board
Jodi Kovitz (born in 1978) is a Canadian lawyer and nonprofit executive.[1] She is the founder and CEO of #MoveTheDial,[2] an organization to advance the participation and leadership of women in tech.[3][4]
Background
Kovitz was born in Calgary, Alberta, the daughter of lawyer Jeff Kovitz and Karen Katchen.[5] She has five siblings. Her father was a lawyer and is currently a businessman; her mother is a psychologist and executive coach.
In 1997 she enrolled at the University of Western Ontario at the Ivey Business School. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in Honours Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts. While at Western, she founded HandHeld Cards, a small business venture. She also created the CT Investment Challenge, an student focused, internet based game to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada;[6] Kovitz studied international finance, at Commerciale L. Bocconi, Milan in Italy from January to June 2000.
After graduating from business school, Kovitz worked at Workbrain as a marketing specialist from 2000 through 2001.[7] In 2002 she joined Scotiabank, working in leadership resource management.
Kovitz was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006 and was an associate in the family law department of Torkin Manes from 2006 until 2011. In 2011 she joined Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, directing client and business development, and leading growth initiatives.[8] She continued in this role for five years;[9] in 2014 she also volunteered as political advisor to lawyer Ari Goldkind during his campaign for mayor of Toronto.[10]
In 2016 Kovitz became the chief executive officer of AceTech Ontario, a peer to peer community of technology executives.[11] This organization was later renamed PeerScale. That year she joined John Tory's trade delegation to Israel.[12]
In 2017 Kovitz, with five others, organized the first Elevate Toronto event, a three-day festival which promoted Canadian innovation.[13][14] That year she founded #movethedial, a global social enterprise with a mission to advance the participation of women in tech. In her role as CEO,[11] Kovitz participated in the writing of "Where's the Dial Now?", a study examining the current state of women in the tech and innovation community in Canada, a collaboration between #movethedial, PwC Canada and MARS.[15]
After organizing local talks in its first year, in 2018 #movethedial held a full-day conference in Toronto, with about 1,000 attendees, presenting workshops and speakers from the tech community;[16] a second conference in 2019 drew about 3,000 attendees.[17] Arising from the restrictions relating to the pandemic, Kovitz discontinued #movethedial.
In 2018 Kovitz spoke at the Jewish Ethics Defined (JEDx) conference in Toronto.[18] That year she helped organize the successful campaign for the re-election of John Tory, Mayor of Toronto.
In 2023 Kovitz was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of The Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) of Ontario. [19][20]
Kovitz also sits the advisory boards of the Whitecap Venture Capital Fund Advisory Board,[21] Maple, Protexxa,[22] and Toronto Global.[2]
Kovitz hosted the podcast series "Joyful Sundays".[23]
Community
Kovitz is part of the Sickkids' Hospital Capital Campaign Cabinet[24] which raises money for pediatric health in Ontario; as part of that initiative she is co-chair of the #tech4SickKids fundraising committee.
Kovitz has joined the Education and Human Resources Committee of the Board of Directors Sunnybrook Hospital as a community member.
Awards and recognition
Kovitz was recognized as one of Canada's 25 Women of Influence in 2018[3] Her name appeared on the list of WXN's Canada 100 most powerful women in 2017 and again in 2019.[25] Kovitz was named the International Association of Business Communicators/Toronto, Communicator of the Year for 2020.[26]
Kovitz received an honorary degree (LLD) from the University of Calgary on June 1 2023.[27]
