What You Missed in Canada from the World's Most Powerful Women.

September 29, 2019

If you couldn't touch down in Toronto for Fortune's Most Powerful Women International Summit, we've got you covered. For those of you who were able to make it, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. But if you weren't there, we rounded up just a sample of what you missed.

▪ TAPPING INTO THE GLOBAL POWER OF WOMEN

Late last month, we brought together on stage extraordinary women who are leading the way in their organizations outside the U.S. They're making waves at the top of large corporations including Estée Lauder and P&G and at the helm of nonprofits and startups that are driving innovation around the world. Conversations ranged from the challenge of building a career as a woman and being transgender in professional hockey to global expansion plans and artificial intelligence.

▪ 10 INSIGHTS

1. The Hong Kong protests have hit the skin economy. Estée Lauder's sales in Hong Kong are down "quite a bit" due to the protests and blocked access to stores. "It has a big impact," said the company's chief financial officer Tracey T. Travis. China makes up $2.5 billion in sales for the company and has been its fastest growing market.

2. Artificial intelligence really could feed the world. Gro Intelligence founder Sara Menker says predictive data drawn from a wide variety of sources, including weather stations, government agencies and trade organizations, could help forecast or predict trends for the food industry—benefitting everyone from seed sellers to consumer packaged goods companies.

3. The XPRIZE is a pretty good innovation model. XPRIZE CEO Anousheh Ansari says competitions like the XPRIZE work to “de-risk” and “crowdsource” innovation. “We believe that if you incentivize people and give them a target to hit, you have no idea what kind of innovations are going to come from here."

4. P&G stood by its Gillette ad for good reason. A top P&G exec explained the response to backlash over a Gillette ad that exposed "toxic masculinity." P&G's North America Group President Carolyn Tastad said social messages like that must go beyond a single ad. "It has to be fully integrated and baked into the business model."

5. Gender parity needs metrics—and promotions. Declaring gender and diversity goals is important, but a panel of top female leaders said companies must ensure women actually get promoted and must track diversity programs. "Tracking it, stretch targets, and managing it like you'd manage your [profit and loss]. I can't say it any more simply than that," said Dame Vivian Hunt, managing partner of McKinsey and Company U.K. and Ireland.

6. Digital banking startups may shake up the world's banks. Cristina Junqueira, co-founder of Brazilian digital banking startup Nubank, told the audience that banking is ready for global disruption. "Consumers are ready for digital alternatives, to do everything from their mobile phones and not have to go to a branch in their lives."

7. A.I. could finally kill gender bias in VC funding. Nearly 98% of VC dollars go to companies backed by men. Michele Romanow, founder of Clearbanc, wants to level the playing field by determining worthy investments through A.I. and automation.

8. Gusto 54 Restaurants will get into pot. Canadian restauranteur Janet Zuccarini will add five new restaurants to her empire and is dabbling in cannabis-infused food in Toronto—and, soon, in the U.S.

9. Canada's future depends on walking the line. That's the opinion of Monique Leroux, chairwoman of Investissement Québec and vice chairman of Fiera Holdings, who is rumored to be running for political office. She told the audience that while trade wars and geopolitical tensions are big issues for Canada, political populism keeps her up at night. Staying in the middle of the road, she said, will be vital to the country’s future.

10. Women leaders need a sisterhood. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi told the audience that “unconscious bias can only be addressed if the sisterhood calls it out.”

Special thanks to our partners Accenture, Herman Miller, and RBC.