Organizations in motion.
You may be growing faster than your culture can keep up with.
You may be navigating change that has created ambiguity at every level. You may be carrying the accumulated cost of people problems that have been managed rather than solved.
You are also, almost universally, leading a workforce that the old operating system was not built to serve. Four generations with different expectations. AI shifting roles faster than you can respond. Leaders who were promoted for what they knew and are now being asked to navigate what nobody could have predicted.
Teams that have scaled beyond the culture and structure that built them. Adding people without adding the framework for how to operate together at the new size.
Restructuring, consolidation, new leadership, new direction. The plan exists. The human layer has not caught up. The friction is real and compounding.
Executives and senior leaders navigating complexity without a clear map. Managing the team’s uncertainty while managing their own. Carrying more than they are showing.
Built from a lunch. Grown from a gap.
The Origin
Melissa and Jennifer sit down for what they expect to be a catch-up conversation. What they discover is that they have been solving the same problem from opposite ends. They saw a need for women to learn Emotional Intelligence and lean into the leadership skills that were started to be sought at work.
The first program launches- All Women L.E.A.D. a community for women and allies ready to lead with intention. What begins as an idea quickly grows into something neither expected. The first session hosted 40 women and the 2026 session brought together nearly 700 women and allies.
Jen and Melissa merge their individual consultancies and All Women L.E.A.D. into one company- AWL Partners. Same mission, united vision to change what workplaces look like. Always people first!
The methodology has deepened, the programs have expanded, and the work has evolved into a full-service human performance consultancy operating across Canada and beyond.
To help people and teams grow smarter with their emotions - so they can work better, lead boldly, and build more inclusive workplaces.
We believe that emotional intelligence is the foundation of meaningful leadership and organizational change. That’s why our work integrates coaching, counselling, DEI
strategy, and experiential training to support both personal growth and collective transformation.
Two Perspectives. One Methodology.
Most workplace effectiveness organizations come from one direction. They are built by practitioners who understand people, or by executives who understand organisations. Very rarely both.
AWL Partners is built from both directions simultaneously. One founder spent her career driving results inside organizations. The other spent hers understanding how people actually change. The methodology that results from that combination is something neither could have built alone.
Emotional intelligence is not separate from how leaders think. It is the system that determines whether they can think clearly when it counts.
Executive function- the brain’s capacity for sound decision-making, impulse regulation, planning under uncertainty, and cognitive flexibility, does not operate in isolation from emotional state. When a leader is under pressure, navigating conflict, or carrying the ambiguity that comes with growth and change, their emotional regulation is not a soft consideration alongside their thinking. It is the neurological precondition for thinking well at all.
A leader with high cognitive ability and low emotional intelligence will find their executive function compromised at exactly the moments that require it most. The decision made in frustration. The conversation that escalates because something was not regulated before it was spoken. The strategic clarity that disappears under the weight of unmanaged anxiety. The team that reads the leader’s emotional state and responds to it rather than to the work.
Co-Founder – The Business Brain Behind AWL Partners
Melissa Maloney is a visionary leader with over 25 years of executive leadership in sales and operations. She is dedicated to fostering positive change through empowerment, inclusivity, and engagement. With a profound commitment to leadership, she is the co-founder of AWL Partners where she passionately supports developing emotionally intelligent workplaces that drive results!
In her role as the co-founder of All Women L.E.A.D.®, Melissa champions the cause of empowering women across various sectors. Through this initiative, she strives to break barriers, promote diversity, and create a supportive network that propels women to leadership roles. Her passion for gender equality and inclusive leadership has made All Women L.E.A.D.® a powerful force in the journey towards a more equitable future.
Melissa is not only a leader in the professional realm but also a sought-after speaker, sharing her insights and experiences on leadership, gender equity, and productivity in the workplace. Her engaging and dynamic speaking style captivates audiences, leaving a lasting impact and inspiring individuals to become catalysts for positive change.
With a diverse background encompassing corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, sales, women's leadership advocacy, international development, and wellness, Melissa Maloney embodies the spirit of a modern leader who envisions a world where everyone can thrive. Her dedication to creating a more inclusive and innovative future makes her a beacon of inspiration for aspiring leaders and changemakers alike.
Co-Founder – The Human Brain Behind AWL Partners
Jennifer Matwawana is an internationally recognized educator, speaker, and facilitator whose dynamic delivery and deep expertise make her a sought-after trainer in areas including trauma-informed care, Emotional Intelligence, leadership development, and anti-racism education. With over two decades of experience as a Registered Social Worker and certified life coach, Jennifer blends evidence-based approaches with lived experience to empower individuals and transform organizations.
She has delivered training across Canada and the U.S.A, captivating audiences with her engaging, interactive, and often humorous approach to learning. Jennifer’s commitment to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and equity-centered education has positioned her as a trusted leader in both public and private sectors.
Jennifer is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her outstanding community service, and she was named one of Canada’s Women of Confidence by Chatelaine magazine. She is also the co-executive producer of the award-winning television series Melanated View and a featured TEDx speaker, known for inspiring audiences with powerful personal storytelling and actionable strategies.
A published author and accomplished musician, Jennifer is also the creator of transformational programs like Slay Your Inner Critic and Time to S.L.A.Y., which help individuals build confidence, resilience, and self-awareness. She holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Social Work, a Master’s degree in Social Work, and certifications in Extended DISC, CBT, Neurolinguistics, and EMDR. Jennifer’s belief that “to whom much is given, much is required” fuels her mission to help others live and lead with purpose. At AWL Partners, she brings her signature energy, authenticity, and strategic insight to every workshop, keynote, and coaching session.
Double Take with AWL
WHAT WE DO
Two programs. One Belief system. Built for organizations serious about the human layer of their business.
A transformational development experience built on the science of how humans perform- together, under pressure, in real conditions.
A space for female-identifying leaders at every level. For women, by design. Allies always welcome!
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