Dayna Lapkovsky | Credit: Ella Photography
Dayna Lapkovksy, BA 02, credits her appreciation of human connection for much of her personal and professional growth. From her time as a student in the Department of Journalism on Concordia’s tight-knit Loyola Campus to founding frank, an online community that empowers women leaders, cultivating strong relationships has been her key to success.
“It’s about finding your people — the ones who echo your values and help bring out the best in you,” Lapkovsky says. These are the tenets that drove her to found frank, a unique peer mentorship program and company designed to empower women leaders.
A dynamic path
It was a professional relationship that led Lapkovsky to apply to Concordia in the first place: She was working in retail when a coworker, who had just completed a term of the Journalism program, encouraged her to apply. That person, Christina Antoniou, BA 02, now sits on Lapkovsky’s personal advisory board at frank.
Lapkovsky’s time at Concordia was not limited to journalism; she also delved into sociology and marketing courses, which she credits for broadening her perspective and enhancing her skills in effective communication and understanding audiences.
After graduating, Lapkovsky transitioned to a communications role, where she honed her skills in copywriting and developing branded marketing campaigns. She spent a decade working in-house before taking the leap into entrepreneurship, co-founding Suite 203 Communications. Initially focused on tactical marketing and communications, the business evolved into a consultancy.
When her business partner returned to the corporate world, Lapkovsky continued Suite 203 Communications on her own, a pivotal moment that made her reflect on her needs as a businesswoman and a mother of three.
She sought networking and leadership groups but found them either too restrictive or overly simplistic in their encouragement.
"I needed to figure out how to push myself further," she says.
Lapkovsky’s women’s leadership company, frank, offers a unique coaching format, in which groups of senior-level professionals and entrepreneurs are guided in peer mentorship by a professional coach. | Credit: Photobug