Mission Critical Live: Allana Harkin on Comedy, Canada, and Change

Bay Street Bull staff 8 March, 2023

Kicking off International Women’s Day celebrations, we gathered an intimate group of Toronto’s business and cultural leaders for another edition of Mission Critical Live: The Bold Conversations. Presented by Veuve Clicquot, Editor-in-Chief and podcast host Lance Chung was joined by actor, director, producer, and comedian, Allana Harkin, to talk about her career trajectory, winning an Emmy (for her work on the Full Frontal with Samantha Bee), and how comedy can be a powerful tool for progress.

The event was hosted at Kasa Moto, located in Toronto’s posh Yorkville neighbourhood, where guests were greeted with a welcome glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne and a selection of hors d’oeuvres. Mission Critical’s monthly live events are in partnership with Veuve Clicquot’s Bold program, an award ceremony and community of innovative, trailblazing, and bold women entrepreneurs.

Harkin was the perfect guest for the evening’s theme of empowerment and bold ambition. As an Emmy award-winning talent, the Canadian comedian spoke about her experience working in a male-dominated landscape, advocating for her ideas, building other women up, and her attitude towards pursuing opportunities (“Just press send!”)

Throughout the evening, Chung and Harkin spoke to an audience of entrepreneurs, tech founders, and cultural leaders who attended the event interested in learning more about Harkin’s journey and connecting with other similar-minded individuals. Before and after the 40-minute conversation, attendees were encouraged to mingle and network with each other while nominations for this year’s Bold Woman Award circulated the room. Check out images from the evening below.

Are you a woman entrepreneur? Make sure to apply for Veuve Clicquot’s 2023 Bold Woman Award here and stay tuned for the full audio episode on the Mission Critical podcast (coming soon).

Photos: Nick Lee/@BestofToronto