About us

Finding comfort in discomfort

Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable has been the key tenet of my ongoing journey in life. It instils a culture of growth by provoking challenging thoughts about the status quo, attaching comfort to the word change enabling one to indulge in innovation.

The Inception of Widerlens

​I was born in East Africa and come from an extended Khoja Indian family. My upbringing was influenced by faith and values. Before my first birthday, we moved as refugees to Pakistan where I witnessed the Indo-Pakistan War.  I could hear the bomb-blasts and crackling of fires on my street.  It was at age 13 when we moved to London, UK, when I first experienced the pain of racisms and other forms of discrimination.  

By the time I was 20 years old I was married and had given birth to my first-born – a beautiful baby girl.  It was then that I experienced true and irrevocable heartache as I gave her up to be adopted by my sister-in-law.  She had yearned for a child for so many years.  However, soon after the adoption she was miraculously blessed with another daughter and she raised the two together.  I had underestimated the power of a mother's love and the intensity of emotions that follow separation from your newborn and how it reshapes you as a person. 

This was no accident as my life’s journey compelled me to tackle my innermost fears and shame, and has made me the person I am today. It was through becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable that I was able to grow.

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A Poetic Breakthrough

​My Poetry - Through the language of Urdu I developed a love of poetry which I write in Urdu and translate into English. 

My career in Information Technology started as a Computer Technologist, fixing computers and then I progressed to Leadership roles in a male-dominated Industry that consists of only 5% women.  In my first leadership role, I failed miserably and through coaching and learning, I developed new lenses that helped me to learn and lead authentically.

Power of Women

As an Executive Officer of a faith-based organization of 10,000 members I held a position at the table of leadership. This organization was composed of only 1% women within a leadership role.  In 2017, I resigned as my values could not be reconciled with that of the organization.  Values of respecting diversity and inclusiveness is part of WiderLens key driving force. 

I have spent most of my adult life living in Canada where I raised my three sons. Living within a multicultural world, my perspectives and understandings are continually challenged and broadened. Faith, values and internal beliefs collided many times before I was able to find my way to live a courageously authentic life. I am a continual work in progress in living an authentic life and I am grateful for having a supportive family around me, as I learned hard lessons and developed different perspectives and growth through widening my Lens. 

Am I enlightened, am I right, am I wrong? As beautifully put by Rumi’s eloquence: “There is a field beyond all notions of right and wrong, meet me there."

This was the birth of WiderLens.  Join me on this journey.

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Wanna transform your life?

Our learners' verbatim

"Siddika’s ability to lean into discomfort to find comfort is infectious and you may find yourself in the same conundrum in her session"​
anonymous
/ Lawyer
“Structured delivery, and well-delivered through the use of informative and helpful break-out rooms. The facilitators demonstrated effective product knowledge and were very attentive to all attendee inputs and enquiries. Interaction was made creative and engaging, diminishing any prospects of monotony.”
anonymous
/Manager, Civil Service
"Her facilitation style is known to be extremely interactive, fun and practical with thoughtful reflection and critical observations."
anonymous
/Organizational Development Lead

The guys behind the curtains

Whose Inspirations You Love

Siddika Jessa

CEO of WiderLens
As the CEO of WiderLens, I design and deliver bespoke workshops across North America for clients from a wide range of sectors, including voluntary, legal, retail and corporate. The bespoke development programs are designed to propel individuals towards positive and authentic Action. Certified in Emotional Intelligence competencies, facilitating/training as well as self-development tools, and mental health first aid. I use this knowledge to incorporate into my programs. Through these programs I am continually learning from others.

Khalil Jessa

Facilitator
I am practicing lawyer in British Columbia, Canada. Prior to law I founded a small start up in the tech industry and prior to that I worked in politics as a legislative assistant. Gaining a deep understanding of emotional intelligence has been an immeasurable contribution towards my ability to better understand myself and the people around me. It has significantly deepened my relationships with others and also impacted my career. More than anything it has given me the ability to appreciate and accept everyone, including myself, for exactly who they are. It has made me more compassionate and that is why I am so eager to pass this understanding to others.

Sajedah Mohamedali

Facilitator
As a child I was accustomed to the principles of development and growth and I apply this in both my personal and professional decisions. Utilising this and applying emotional intelligence enables me to understand others more effectively, removing the barriers that create negative outcomes, such as judgement and irrational reactions. This is instrumental in utilising and appreciating the diversity of each person, and empowers others to unlock and mobilise their potential. “Business is ultimately about people and we can't be effective in business without having some insight into people” ― Abhishek Ratna.