Welcome to Unleash Forward!
Who are we?
Unleash Forward Inc. is a purpose driven leadership accelerator focused on transform emerging and seasoned executives into confident, high-impact leaders. We are a female-founded and a tech-enabled startup.
Our team is led by Salima Valji—an award-winning speaker, certified executive coach, and former marketing executive with firsthand experience in high-pressure, fast-growth environments like Microsoft and Deloitte. She’s coached 400+ leaders, reached 20,000 globally, and earned industry honors from Women in Tech and The International Alliance for Women.
The Unleash Forward team is a team of certified executive coaches with proven success in helping executives at global Fortune 500 companies and startups to lead, grow, and manage change.
Why Unleash Forward?
In a world of continuous organizational change shaped by AI, globalization, economic uncertainty, and relentless competition, leaders are expected to do more with less while navigating increasingly complex decisions.
Get top talent VP ready
Unlock performance
Empower leaders to rise and lift up others
Global perspective
Increase your organization’s impact
Build confident leaders that challenge the status quo
I started my career ambitious and eager to prove myself. I spent 20 years climbing the ladder in fast-paced technology and professional services organizations such as Deloitte, Microsoft and Edelman, eventually joining the executive ranks. On paper, I had made it. Behind the scenes, I was exhausted — doing extra work no one saw, managing relentless pressure, and still feeling invisible.
One of my most defining moments came when I was fired from an executive role. Not for performance — I was excelling — but because I hadn’t built internal allies. When the one leader who had been advocating for me ran out of social capital, I was left without a seat at the table. That experience taught me a hard truth: results aren’t enough. Your brand, your visibility, and your relationships matter just as much.
That insight became the foundation for the work I do today: coaching and speaking to help leaders build presence, influence, and impact. I’ve been where they are. And I’m here to help them go further, faster, and without burning out.
Today, through Unleash Forward, I build confident executives who lead with clarity, agility, and innovation — so they drive stronger teams, make bold decisions, and create lasting business impact.
Salima Valji, Founder and CEO of Unleash Forward
Salima’s personal story
Unleash Forward is a proud recipient of the AMEX Blueprint: Backing BIPOC Businesses™
Backing BIPOC Businesses™ program. This program is a mentorship and grant program designed to support the advancement of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) business owners across Canada.
At Unleash Forward, we aim to have an impact on our community both locally and globally. We offer 3 scholarships per year for women of color, and these are chosen on a case-by-case basis. As we continue to grow, we will be able to give more to those who need and deserve it.
