The spotlight was on Peterborough’s women in business as the first-ever Luminary Awards celebrated nominees and winners for their leadership, innovation, and impact.
The Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce honoured five local women Thursday afternoon at the inaugural Luminary Awards for Women in Business, celebrating leadership, innovation and perseverance across a range of industries.
The awards were handed out before a sold-out crowd of more than 200 people at Trent University, recognizing women in five categories: Trailblazer–Entrepreneur, Barrier Buster–Employee, One to Watch–Employee, Emerging Entrepreneur, and Legacy.
The Chamber of Commerce regularly honours business leaders from diverse backgrounds, but Committee Chair Susan Dunkley says the Luminary Awards were created to specifically recognize the achievements of women in Peterborough’s business community.
Dunkley says the Luminary Awards aim to highlight the often-overlooked impact of women in business, noting that women have historically faced more barriers to entering many of the roles being recognized.
More than 50 nominations were submitted for the inaugural ceremony.
Dunkley says the business community jumped on the opportunity to nominate and support their business’ nominees.
The 2025 Luminary Award recipients are:
Trailblazer – Entrepreneur: Sheena Howard, Acceptance Nurse Psychotherapy & BizNurse Savy
Barrier Buster – Employee: Jenisha Sanjit Arora, Fleming College & Fleming Student Administrative Council
One to Watch – Employee: Rachel Stark, Municipality of Trent Lakes
Emerging Entrepreneur: Tiffany Arcari, The Tiffany Show
Legacy: Jeannine Taylor, Kawartha Now
Dunkley says the Chamber hopes the event will become a new annual tradition to continue celebrating the leadership and resilience of women in business throughout Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
(Written by: Noah Lorusso)
