Shiza Hirani, an award-winning youth advocate, Founder of Youth MentorNet Café, and a current Business student at the University of Regina’s Hill School of Business, took the spotlight at this year’s DisruptHR YQR event held on August 14, 2025. This event was attended by over 100 Human Resource (HR) Leaders and Business Executives from across Canada and beyond. In her talk, “Empowering the Next Generation: Where Art Meets Science in Inclusion Education,” Shiza presented a bold vision for how arts and science can intersect to transform learning, leadership and the modern workplace.
DisruptHR is a global community and information exchange focused on energizing, informing, and empowering people in the HR field and beyond, through fast-paced, thought-provoking events. This year, DisruptHR YQR, hosted by CPHR Saskatchewan, made a significant return to Regina for the first time in over a decade. Featuring a signature fast-paced format with 20 slides automatically advancing every 15 seconds, DisruptHR challenges speakers to convey complex concepts with clarity and impact, delivering messages that inspire meaningful change.
Shiza’s talk filled the evening with an energy that was both inspiring and electrifying. Speaking directly to HR leaders and business executives, Shiza underscored that the future of work will be defined by how courageously we choose to disrupt the status quo and how intentionally we empower the next generation.
At the heart of her talk was a call to action. Shiza emphasized that equity, innovation, and inclusion cannot remain abstract concepts-they must be embedded into everyday systems to ensure youth not only survive academically both thrive personally and professionally. Her message resonated with the audience, challenging HR and business leaders to reflect on how their own organizations cultivate opportunities for the next generation. Shiza Hirani’s insights are deeply connected to her work as the Founder of Youth MentorNet Café, a nonprofit Shiza leads that merges arts and sciences to create accessible avenues for youth success. Through this platform, Shiza has helped thousands of students’ secure scholarships, post-secondary admissions, internships, extracurricular opportunities, and financial literacy skills. Her mentorship resources, combining creativity with evidence-driven strategies have already reached over 10,000 youths globally across 15+ countries, equipping marginalized and underrepresented students to navigate the complexities of post-secondary education and career opportunities with confidence.
As an active Global Youth Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4–Quality Education, Shiza extends her vision beyond Canada, advocating for equitable education on the world stage. By bridging gaps in access and opportunity, her work demonstrates how inclusion can be translated into tangible impact for communities that are too often left behind. Her message at DisruptHR YQR reminded leaders that building inclusive workplaces begins with investing in youth, fostering safe spaces, and creating systems that allow every learner to unlock their full potential.
Shiza’s contributions and leadership have been recognized with over 25 prestigious accolades, including the RCE Saskatchewan Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award, presented to her by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (Canada). She has also been honored with the RBC Future Launch Award, Women Student Leaders in Business Administration Award, SaskEnergy Award, SaskTel Award, Ted Rogers Scholar Award, the Hill Business Students’ Society & Faculty of Business Administration Award, and the Jax Mac Foundation’s Award. Each recognition underscores her growing influence as a rising leader dedicated to building inclusive systems that leave no youth behind.
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