Join us live to celebrate and empower women rocking midlife with confidence and new beginnings!

Thrive: Redefining Midlife for Women

THRIVE 2026: Redefining Midlife for Women
Date: May 9, 2026, 8:30–4:40
Location: Buffalo Crossing, FortWhyte Alive

Tickets

Thrive is a one-day women’s health conference designed to inform, empower, and connect women navigating midlife and beyond.

Hosted by The Menopause Practice, Thrive brings together leading experts across health, wellness, and longevity to deliver practical, evidence-based education on the topics that matter most in perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. This is a science-backed, no-nonsense event focused on helping women feel stronger, healthier, and more confident in this stage of life.

Thrive is a space for connection. Attendees will have opportunities to engage with like-minded women, explore complimentary exhibitor tables featuring female-owned businesses, and take home actionable tools they can apply immediately to their own health.

This event includes a full day of programming and lunch. Attendees will also have the option to purchase a VIP evening ticket, which includes exclusive access to the launch of The Menopause Practice’s new magazine, Pause!.

If you are ready to move beyond outdated narratives around midlife and take an informed, empowered approach to your health, Thrive is for you.

Conference Agenda

9:00 AMRegistration
9:30 AMWelcome and opening remarksMelina Elliott
9:40 AMTipping the Scales: Weight Management and MenopauseAnnabelle Reimer, NP
10:10 AMBone Up: Measuring Bone Density, Muscle Mass, and Fat DistributionErica Henderson
10:40 AMGut Feeling: Estrogen and Your Gut Biome Dr. Suzanne Danner, ND
11:10 AMBreak
11:30 AMAlcohol in Perimenopause: Is it serving me?Carolyn Nykiforuk, MSW
12:00 PMAt the Heart of It: Cardiovascular Health and the Menopause TransitionJill Lebtag, NP
12:30 PMLunch
1:30 PMYa Gotta LaughMeghan Howell, NP
1:45 PMPillars of Your Health: Thriving in MidlifeSupriya Nishtala, NP
2:00 PMMacros, Micros, and Everything in Between: Navigating Nutrition in MidlifeAngela Martens, RD
2:30 PMSleep in Perimenopause: Where Have You Gone?Carolyn Nykiforuk, MSW
3:00 PMBreak
3:30 PMHealthy WealthRica Guenther
4:00 PMBurning the Candle: Rethinking Resilience in Real LifeJaime Mann
4:30 PMClosing remarksMelina Elliott
5:00 PMPAUSE Magazine Launch

Marketplace

From 9:00–5:00, visit vendors in our Women’s Marketplace for displays, merchandise, and deals from local women-owned businesses.

Presenters

Annabelle Reimer

Dr. Suzanne Danner, ND

Dr. Suzanne Danner is a licensed naturopathic doctor with over 27 years of experience in practice. She is the co-founder of the Centre for Natural Medicine, Inc., Winnipeg’s first naturopathic health and wellness centre, established in 1998. With years of clinical experience, she has helped countless women improve their hormonal health and support them naturally through the hormonal transitions that occur over a lifetime. Suzanne Danner, ND, is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, Human Ecology, Foods and Nutrition. She also completed training in integrative psychiatry (IPI fellowship) in 2023.

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Gut Feeling: Estrogen and Your Gut Biome

In perimenopause, hormones can fluctuate wildly, and your gut can either buffer that chaos or amplify it. What many women don’t realize is that the gut and hormone systems are deeply interconnected through what is known as the gut–hormonal axis. The gut microbiome is emerging as a key player in women’s health and could influence everything from the menstrual cycle to fertility, pregnancy, and menopause.

Dr. Danner explores how the gut microbiome influences estrogen metabolism, inflammation, cortisol regulation and blood sugar balance during perimenopause. Learn how symptoms like bloating, belly weight gain, mood swings and fatigue can be linked to both gut and hormonal changes. Practical ways to help modulate the “estrobolome” (gut microbes that metabolize estrogen) and regulate the gut-brain axis will be discussed. 

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the concept of the gut-hormonal axis and how the gut microbiome influences hormone balance during menopause.
  2. Understand how changes in estrogen, cortisol and insulin can impact common perimenopausal symptoms.
  3. Learn how diet, lifestyle and microbial-target interventions such as probiotics and prebiotics can help support gut health and hormone resilience. Attendees will leave with clear guidance on nutrition, fibre and protein intake.
Annabelle Reimer

Rica Guenther

Rica Guenther is a Senior Wealth Advisor and Insurance Advisor at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, where she helps clients navigate the complexity of wealth management by creating personalized investment portfolios as unique as they are. With a specialized focus in transition planning, Rica guides individuals and families through life’s pivotal moments—retirement, business exits, loss, divorce, generational wealth transfers, and any major lifestyle shifts.

Deeply committed to empowering women, she works extensively with women in midlife who are seeking simplicity, peace of mind, and a strategic plan that aligns their resources with the life they want to create. Rica is known for her grounded guidance and holistic approach, combining all aspects of financial wellness. She believes wealth is more than numbers—it’s a tool to live the life you want.

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Healthy Wealth
Rica is passionate about helping women build and protect wealth in a way that reflects their values and long-term vision. She will discuss wealth clarity for women in mid- and later-life by highlighting why this conversation matters, the current landscape for women, and what women should expect from their wealth advisor. She will then cover the five core pillars of healthy wealth management.
Erica Henderson

Erica Henderson

Erica is the co-founder of The Menopause Practice and Body Measure, where she helps women truly understand what’s happening inside their bodies during perimenopause and menopause.
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Bone Up: Measuring Bone Density, Muscle Mass, and Fat Distribution
Her talk at Thrive will focus on how hormonal changes affect bone density, muscle mass, and fat distribution—and why tools like the DEXA scan are critical for early detection and prevention. Expect practical, empowering insights every woman should know.

Meghan Howell

Meghan is a nurse practitioner at The Menopause Practice. Mom of three very small children—like diapers and formula young. Still bracing for the impact of being hit, face first, by the freight train that is teenaged daughters. Pray for her. She is so hopeful and full of life.
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Ya Gotta Laugh
The only way to get through this is with a sense of humour! Meghan is new to the comedy scene but has been terrorizing her family and colleagues with sarcastic anecdotes for years.

Jill Lebtag, RN, NP, MSCP

Jill completed her Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2010 and graduated with her Master of Nursing in 2014. She has a unique blend of career experience, including emergency medicine and aesthetics. She has a passion for teaching others: she has guest lectured for the University of Manitoba Nurse Practitioner program and has served as preceptor for many NP students. Jill resonates with the biopsychosocial model of health and believes in a multidisciplinary and multi-modality approach to optimal wellness. She strives to provide a safe and empathetic practice environment where women can feel empowered and motivated to live life to their fullest.
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At the Heart of It: Cardiovascular Health and the Menopause Transition
This lecture will discuss the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and physiologic changes seen during the menopause transition. It will cover a review of current pharmacological and lifestyle recommendations to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and focus on dispelling common cardiac myths and misinformation in menopause.

Jaime Mann

Jaime Mann is a leadership strategist and speaker dedicated to helping individuals lead themselves more effectively so they can better navigate pressure, change, and complexity in today’s world of work. She holds multiple certifications in coaching and positive psychology and is currently completing her Master’s in the Psychology of Leadership at Penn State University.

With more than 15 years of experience in leadership, human resources, and psychology, Jaime brings a grounded, research-informed approach to resilience, communication, and self-leadership. Her work explores how our thoughts, patterns, and internal narratives shape how we show up—especially in challenging moments.

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Burning the Candle: Rethinking Resilience in Real Life
Life doesn’t always fall apart in dramatic ways. Sometimes it’s the slow build of pressure, expectations, and constant change that leaves us feeling disconnected from ourselves. In this session, Jaime Mann explores a new way of understanding resilience—one that moves beyond “pushing through” and instead focuses on flexibility, self-awareness, and growth. Grounded in research and brought to life through real-world examples, this session examines how our thoughts, personal narratives, and boundaries shape our ability to navigate challenges.

Participants will gain insight into how resilience can be strengthened through intentional shifts in mindset and behavior, and walk away with practical tools to help them feel more steady, capable, and connected—even when life feels uncertain.

Angela Martens

Angela has been practicing as a Registered Dietitian for the past 30 years in various clinical settings. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Physical Education, followed by a Bachelor of Human Ecology, before completing her dietetic internship at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. Throughout her extensive career, Angela has seen the science of nutrition evolve, which drives her to continually integrate new evidence into her practice. She is passionate about empowering her clients to optimize their nutritional health while helping them gain a basic understanding of what their body is actually doing with the food they eat.
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Macros, Micros, and Everything in Between: Nutrition in Midlife
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Carolyn Nykiforuk

Carolyn Nykiforuk, is a Master’s-prepared Registered Social Worker with nearly 30 years of experience supporting individuals through life’s most challenging transitions. With a strong background in both health and social services, she brings a compassionate, client-centred approach to counselling. Carolyn has extensive experience working with anxiety, depression, women’s health, advanced illness, caregiver burnout, grief, and sleep concerns. She has a particular interest in helping women explore their relationship with alcohol in a safe, non-judgmental space.
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Sleep in Perimenopause: Where have you gone?
Research on the importance of sleep and long-term health is growing. And yet, sleep disturbance in perimenopause remains an undertreated and cared for aspect of women’s transition to menopause. Perimenopausal changes impact both quality and duration of sleep for many women and over time, compromising both daytime functioning and quality of life. Participants will have an opportunity to learn key strategies to maximize sleep during perimenopause and beyond.

This presentation explores the current understanding of sleep challenges during perimenopause, including the impact of vasomotor symptoms (such as night sweats and hot flashes), mood changes, and alterations in circadian rhythms. It also considers the influence of lifestyle factors, comorbid conditions, and potential therapeutic approaches that go beyond sleep medication.

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Alcohol in Perimenopause: Is it serving me?
Perimenopause represents a critical transitional phase in women’s lives, marked by hormonal fluctuations and increased vulnerability to physical and mental health challenges. Even moderate alcohol consumption may worsen menopausal symptoms and long-term health risks.
Alcohol marketing to women has increased sharply in recent years, while screening for alcohol use patterns in perimenopause and menopause remains low.

This presentation will explore alcohol use patterns in Canadian women and examine the impact of alcohol on perimenopausal symptoms and women’s health. Drawing on the recommendations from the 2023 Canada’s Guidance of Alcohol and Health, this presentation will offer participants the opportunity to consider their own relationship to alcohol and a safe space to assess whether they are ready for change.

Supriya Nishtala

Supriya completed her nursing degree in 2011 and spent years caring for patients in emergency and cardiac care, where she developed a deep appreciation for the complexity of the human body and the importance of addressing health concerns at their root. Supriya is passionate about functional and integrative medicine. She combines evidence-based treatments with a focus on lifestyle, nutrition, and prevention.
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Pillars of Your Health: Thriving in Midlife
Supriya will speak on optimal health that is not isolated to one diagnosis, specialty, or body part, but is the result of consistent, intentional actions across multiple areas of life. This presentation reframes health as the daily behaviours that collectively determine how we feel, function, and age. Attendees will learn how to assess where they are currently, identify one high-impact area to begin with, and implement small, sustainable habit changes.
Annabelle Reimer

Annabelle Reimer, NP

Annabelle, RN (NP) graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1994 and completed her Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner (NP) in 2010. Annabelle continued to pursue additional education and advanced training in comprehensive hormone evaluations, hormone replacement therapy/menopause hormone therapy, weight management and obesity programs, aesthetics (including medical grade skin care, neuromodulators, counseling and functional medicine. She has followed her passion and, in February 2022, received her certification in Advanced Hormone Therapy (ABHRT) with Worldlink Medical. In October 2024, she became the first nurse practitioner in Manitoba to obtain her certification with The Menopause Society.

Annabelle partners with women to improve their symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances, suboptimal thyroid, weight conditions, autoimmune, and chronic conditions, and skin concerns. Her goal is to empower women to thrive and live their best lives as they enter perimenopause and menopause.

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Tipping the Scales: Weight Management and Menopause
TBA

PAUSE Magazine Launch

After the conference, stick around for the launch of PAUSE Magazine: Winnipeg’s newest women’s magazine!

PAUSE magazine is produced in partnership with The Menopause Practice. PAUSE magazine will gather Winnipeg’s menopause experts to create a community of learning, curiosity, and knowledge. Our diverse voices will include experts on hormone therapy, nutrition, sexuality, fitness, bone health, and mental health, as well as voices from you, our community. 

Want more information about distribution and advertising? Visit us online or email Lisa Muirhead, Publisher, at lisa@poisepublications.com