Melanie Sodka wins Community Impact Award at annual Women in Niagara Business Awards
A faculty member from the University of Niagara Falls Canada’s Master of Management program has been recognized in the community for her leadership in creating the Good Grief Gala, an initiative that has already expanded access to mental health support for women navigating loss.
Professor Melanie Sodka received the Community Impact Award through the Women in Business Awards (WIBA), hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. The annual event recognizes the leadership and success of women in Niagara’s business community. More than 550 people were in attendance for November’s ceremony at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls.
The nomination itself came as a surprise to Sodka. One of her team members quietly put her name forward, having worked alongside her for two years on the gala. After learning she had been nominated, Sodka completed the application package, sharing the outcomes and impact the initiative has had on the community.
“It was a great chance to reflect on everything we’ve accomplished so far,” she said.
That impact is significant. In just two years, the Good Grief Gala has helped raise funds to support therapy access through Shift Collab, one of Canada’s largest virtual mental health providers. The inaugural year alone provided therapy for about 10 women who otherwise would not have been able to access it.
The gala also contributed to local grief support initiatives, including $2,000 to Darte Wellness Centre to support families navigating the loss of a child. To date, the event has generated more than $13,000 in support for mental health services.
The gala grew from Sodka’s own experience with unprocessed grief. The loss of her grandmother during the pandemic reopened longstanding grief from the loss of her brother in childhood. She sought support through virtual therapy and, over two years, gained the tools to navigate loss in a healthier way.
“It wasn’t about fixing grief; it was about learning to walk with it,” she said. “When I finally felt relief and gratitude, I woke up one night and thought: ‘How can I help other people feel this way?’”
That moment sparked the idea for the Good Grief Gala. Within days of sharing the concept with her friends and extended circle, people began stepping forward to offer their help, contacts, and sponsorship.
“People immediately understood what we were trying to do,” she said. “Grief touches every person, yet it’s still something we rarely talk about openly.”
The gala has since become a community-wide effort, fuelled by volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who see its value. Some sponsors now reach out proactively to secure their involvement for each year.
“I’m just full of gratitude,” Sodka said. “It’s become a shared commitment to making mental health support more accessible.”
Receiving the WIBA award was an unexpected by meaningful acknowledgement. Nominated alongside two other accomplished community members, Sodka said simply being recognized among women doing remarkable work was a privilege.
“When they called my name, my heart nearly burst,” she said. “It was further validation that this work matters and that our community needs it.”
Photo credit: Giant Shoe Creative Agency
The Good Grief Gala also informs her teaching. As a professor of entrepreneurship and organizational leadership, she uses the initiative as a case study in her Master of Management classes at UNF to demonstrate social entrepreneurship in action.
“I want students to see that business and community impact are deeply connected,” she said. “When you have a cause you’re passionate about, you can build something meaningful around it. Community, purpose, and humanity are at the core of good leadership.
Sodka noted that university leadership has been supportive, including personal encouragement from both David Gray, President and Vice-Chancellor, and Sathy Srithar, Associate Dean of the Master of Management program. She hopes to explore future collaborations that could extend the gala’s impact.
For now, she continues to grow the initiative, starting with considering ways to expand access for men, who she says also urgently need grief support spaces.
“Our vision is to keep building community around something that affects every one of us,” she said. “If we can help people feel less alone in their grief, that’s the real reward.”
