Victoria Forum 2024
PROGRAM
AUGUST 25 (SONGHEES WELLNESS CENTRE)
2:00 p.m.
Buses depart from Parkside Hotel & Inn at Laurel Point
3:30 p.m.
Welcomes
This opening session will set the stage for the 2024 Forum, considering how to build trust for a shared future. It will put the three major themes of the Forum (Peace and Democracy; Equity and Social Justice; the Regenerative Economy) into the broader context and highlight their inter-connectedness.
Featuring:
5:30
Reception
7:15 p.m.
Buses return to hotels
AUGUST 26 (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA)
7:30 a.m.
Buses depart from Parkside Hotel & Inn at Laurel Point
8:00 a.m.
Light breakfast
8:30 a.m.
Welcome to the day
Stephen Huddart — Director of Regenerative Economy, Victoria Forum
8:45 a.m.
Announcement: Winners of international student competition
9:00 a.m.
Plenary: Declining Trust in Institutions
Institutions in many democracies have experienced a profound decline in trust due to corruption, ineffective governance, and divisive politics. This session will discuss the apparent erosion of trust in institutions, affecting political leaders, governments, judiciaries and the media. It will examine the extent to which these trends are evident in Canada and will explore the roots and consequences of these developments.
Featuring:
9:45 a.m.
Break
10:15 a.m.
Plenary: Bringing the Economy We Need to Life: a Roadmap for Transformative Leadership
In a call to action addressed to all sectors of society, Dr. Victoria Hurth, Distinguished Fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, will present a practical vision and action framework for transforming the world’s economy – from one generating catastrophic outcomes on multiple fronts to a regenerative one, designed, structured and governed to achieve human flourishing within ecological limits.
Featuring:
11:45 a.m.
Lunch
1:15 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 1
Youth Leaders Speaking on Trust
Building trust at a societal level involves working across and within different generations. This session will provide a youth perspective on what is required.
Featuring:
Donneton Brown — Operation Black Vote Canada
Rowan Gentleman-Sylvester — Executive Director, CityHive Vancouver
Sage Lacerte — Co-founder of the Moose Hide Campaign
Divya Sharma — President University of Manitoba Students Union
Moderator:
Sen. Marilou McPhedran
Building Trust at the Local Level – Mayors Panel
Municipalities are generally closer to the people they serve than other levels of government. In addition to matters such as residential zoning, public transportation and policing, they play a role in fostering civic imagination, building social solidarity and encouraging civic engagement. This conversation among three mayors will explore how trust enables collaboration on local priorities and the larger challenges facing society.
Featuring:
Mayor Mayor Marianne Alto — Victoria
Mayor Rebecca Alty — Yellowknife
Mayor Charlie Clark — Saskatoon
Moderator:
Andrew Petter, CM, OBC, KC — President Emeritus, Simon Fraser University
Building a Reconciliation Economy
Is economic reconciliation solely about the equitable sharing of assets and revenues, and ensuring that Indigenous people have a seat at the table when it comes to economic decision making? Or do Indigenous perspectives imply deeper changes to the economic structures that we all live within? In this session, leaders in economic reconciliation will delve into these questions as they apply to today’s shifting economic conditions.
Featuring:
Mark Brajer — CEO, Tsartlip Group of Companies
Jeff Cyr — Managing Director, Raven Indigenous Outcomes Funds
Leslie Varley — CEO, BCAAFC
Dana Tizya-Tramm — former chief, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
Moderator:
Christina Clarke — Executive Director, Indigenous Prosperity Centre
Building Trust, Healing Communities: an interactive discussion on strengthening trust for transformational change and a shared future of better health.
The issue of mistrust in health professionals, institutions, and health care systems has profound implications for individual well-being, population health, and health outcomes. This panel delves into the need to build trust for better health and health care, and to drive transformational change to our health care systems.
Featuring:
Dr. Joss Reimer — President, Canadian Medical Association
Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass — President, Black Physicians of Canada
Dr. Nel Wieman — Chief Medical Officer, BC First Nations Health Authority
Moderator:
Sen. Senator Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler — Senator for Manitoba
Systems Innovation Finance
Instead of isolated interventions that make modest changes to existing structures, the emerging field of systems innovation finance is focused on structuring investments to effect broad systems transformation. This panel includes people working on Canada’s new Social Finance Fund; a suite of funds for the UN Development Program; and a global learning and practice network to advance the field of systems innovation finance.
Featuring:
Alicia Dubois — Chief Investment Officer, Boann Social Impact
Raj Kalia — Co-lead, Dark Matter Labs Capital, UK
Steve Waddell — Financial Ecosystems for Systems Transformation
Kirsten Wright — Managing Director of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation
Moderator:
Ilse Treurnicht — Twin River Capital
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:45 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 2
In From the Margins: Economic Policies that Build Trust and Inclusion
A growing number of Canadians struggle to keep food on plates and roofs over their heads and those of their families; and, all levels of government face the challenges of meeting these fundamental needs. The focus of this session be on how to build and achieve change in economic and related policies in order to facilitate trust in government, with a particular focus on the central role that support and inclusion of marginalized people can play in promoting these goals.
Featuring:
Mayor Mayor Marianne Alto — Victoria, BC
Sean Casey — MP
Lori Idlout — MP
Dr. Jiaying Zhao — Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
Moderator:
Sen. Senator Kim Pate
Living in Indigenous Sovereignty
Why Indigenous sovereignty? How has Canadian sovereignty come to be assumed? How do we build trust and work toward a better shared future between non-Indigenous peoples and Indigenous peoples and lands? This panel takes up these questions and features co-authors of the book Living in Indigenous Sovereignty and co-filmmakers of the Stories of Decolonization film project.
Featuring:
Dr. Liz Carlson-Manathara — Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Laurentian University
Dawnis Kennedy — Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice Department , University of Winnipeg
Moderator:
Ry Moran — Associate University Librarian – Reconciliation, University of Victoria
Growing the Purpose Economy
Citizens are calling on all sectors of the economy to contribute to the long-term well-being of people and planet, giving rise to the purpose in business movement. A social purpose business is one that defines it reason for being to solve the problems of people and planet profitably, and not profit from causing harm. A Purpose Economy is an economy powered by the pursuit of long-term well-being for all in which business and regulatory and financial systems foster an equitable, flourishing, resilient future.
Featuring:
Dr. Victoria Hurth — Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership
Mike Rowlands — Cdn. Purpose Economy Project
Jill Schnarr — Chief Social Innovation and Communications Officer, TELUS
Maureen Young — VP, Social Purpose, Coast Capital Savings
Moderator:
Sen. Julie Miville-Dechene
The role of impact investors in shaping public policy
Investing for impact often has implications for public policy. Considered alongside legislative changes whereby charities may freely engage in non-partisan policy advocacy, how should charities, philanthropic foundations and their allies exercise these newly-acquired rights and capacities in ways that contribute to the public good, building trust and civic engagement while avoiding allegations of undemocratic practices?
Featuring:
Sarah Kim — Vancouver Foundation, senior manager advocacy and engagement
Matthew Mendelsohn — CEO, Social Capital Partners; former Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, Privy Council Office
Allan Northcott — President, Max Bell Foundation
Moderator:
Richard Muller — Senior Advisor and Peer Leader, Impact United
Building Trust: Rethinking Management Education
As we rethink the role of business in society it is necessary to ensure that leaders have both the skillset and the mindset to think and operate differently. This session considers how management education can and should change to address the big challenges facing the world.
Featuring:
Dean Wanda Costen — Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Dean Sanjay Sharma — Grossman School of Business, University of Vermont
Dr. Rebecca Taylor — Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASEAN) and CEO (Malaysia), University of Southampton
Moderator:
Dr. Maury Peiperl — George Mason University
4:00 p.m.
Break
4:15 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 1
SME Ownership Transition
A generational scale transition in SME ownership over the coming decade offers pathways to greater equity, sustainability and resilience in Canada’s economy. New instruments including the Social Finance Fund; the Employee Ownership Trust regulation and values-based search funds are contributing new dynamism – including investment – in cooperatives, social enterprises and community-owned businesses.
Featuring:
Cordell Jacks — CEO, Regenerative Capital Group
Kristi Fairholm Mader — Managing Director, Thrive Impact Fund / Director, Innovation and Initiatives, Scale Collaborative
Tiara Letourneau — CEO, Rewrite Capital Advisors
Moderator:
Sen. Tony Loffreda
Indigenous Women Economic Innovators
For many communities “Building Trust for a Shared Future” is predicated on economic opportunities and wellbeing. In these times, Indigenous women leaders who are economic innovators with strong community values are creating pathways to resilience and progress in our shared future.
Featuring:
Kim C. Baird — First Nation Chief and current Kwantlen Polytechnic University Chancellor, BC
Teara Fraser — Founder and CEO, Iskwew Air
Diane Redsky — CEO, Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, MB
Moderator:
Sen. Marilou McPhedran
Trust in Post Secondary Institutions – University Presidents Panel
The panel of university presidents will discuss how universities build and maintain trust with a diverse set of stakeholders, particularly in these turbulent times.
Featuring:
Dr. Patrick Deane — President, Queen’s University
Dr. Kevin Hall — President, University of Victoria
Dr. Joy Johnson — Simon Fraser University
Moderator:
Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell — Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Innovative Financing Mechanisms for Accelerating Decarbonization
This ACET-PICS roundtable delves into the diverse opportunities for financial innovation across the capital spectrum—from public and private funding of large-scale decarbonization projects at municipal or national levels, to angel investing that fuels early-stage cleantech innovations. Our expert speakers will also discuss how evolving regulatory frameworks can further enable and accelerate decarbonization efforts at all scales. Whether you’re an investor, policymaker, or entrepreneur, this discussion will provide valuable insights into the financial mechanisms at the forefront of the energy transition challenge to support decarbonization efforts, and how they can be scaled effectively, integrating public policy and private capital for a sustainable and resilient future.
Featuring:
Graham Day — Managing Partner, Spring Impact Capital
Sen. Senator Rosa Galvez
Raj Kalia — Dark Matter Labs
Dr. Thomas Marois — McMaster University, author, Public Banks: Decarbonization, Definancialization, Democratization
Building Trust through Global Connections: Students, Migrants & Expatriates
Building trust with others who see the world differently often requires a broader cross-cultural mindset. This session explores how individuals who come from or have spent time in different countries can contribute to such understanding.
Featuring:
Dr. Daniel Bernhard — CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Sharmarke Dubow — Senior Technical Advisor, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Somalia
Dr. Stacey Fitzsimmons — Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria
Jason McBride — Head, Pearson College
Moderator:
Sen. Yuen Pau Woo
5:45 p.m.
Buses depart
6:30 p.m.
Reception (at Royal BC Museum)
8:15 p.m.
Welcome to the Museum
Tracey Drake — CEO, RBCM
8:30 p.m.
Plenary: Building Trust for a Shared Future – a conversation
Three thinker/author/practice innovators discuss approaches to the overarching challenge of our time – building the trust and social solidarity necessary to navigate this period of precarity toward the promise of a better future.
Featuring:
Dr. Vanessa Andreotti — Faculty of Education, University of Victoria
Dr. Emily Huddart — University of British Columbia
Adam Kahane — Reos Partners
Moderator:
Dr. Natalie Slawinski — Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria
9:30 p.m.
Close
AUGUST 27 (UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA)
7:30 a.m.
Buses depart from Parkside Hotel & Inn at Laurel Point
8:00 a.m.
Light breakfast
8:45 a.m.
Plenary: Innovative Finance for Regenerative Reconstruction after Conflict
In a three-city link up between government and civil society leaders in Kyiv, London and Victoria, speakers will present and discuss the development of a social bond instrument to finance reconstruction of communities destroyed by war. The model has potential applicability to Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere.
Featuring:
Kyiv: Michael Cholod — The Peace Coalition
Kyiv: Yuliia Darnytska — Chernihiv Municipal Councillor
Kyiv: Oleksandra Matviichuk — The Center for Civil Liberties, 2022 Nobel Laureate
London: Peter Nicholas — Social Finance UK
Washington: David Scheffer — former United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
Victoria: Louise Savell — Social Finance International
Victoria: Hon. Lloyd Axworthy — World Refugee and Migration Council
Victoria: Sen. Ratna Omidvar
Moderator:
MP Ryan Turnbull — Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister
10:15 a.m.
Break
10:45 a.m.
Plenary: A conversation between Rt. Hon. Joe Clark & Hon. Lloyd Axworthy
This plenary session involves an open and free-ranging discussion on the state of the world between two of Canada’s most respected states people.
Featuring:
Hon. Lloyd Axworthy — World Refugee and Migration Council
Rt. Hon. Joe Clark — Former Prime Minister
Moderator:
Sen. Senator Lucie Moncion
11:45 a.m.
Lunch
1:15 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 4
Countering Polarization: Identifying key factors to building greater cohesion amongst Canadians
Multiple factors, such as the growth of social media, foreign influencers magnifying disinformation, rising populism, partisan leaders and power struggles amongst political elites, can all undermine social openness and common grounds. It is well documented that polarization shatters informal but crucial norms of tolerance and moderation. There are too many important societal goals that we need to collectively make sense of which are not discussed widely enough, and the growth of misinformation only serves to widen the gaps and sow societal confusion and mistrust.
Featuring:
Anjali Appadurai — Director, Climate Emergency Unit
Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon — Executive Director, Cascade Institute
Shauna Sylvester — Founder and Lead Convenor, Urban Climate Leadership
Moderator:
Sen. Senator Andrew Cardozo
Planetary Health and a Well-being Society
With the World Health Organization having declared climate change to be the single greatest threat to human health in this century, this session will focus on policy innovation at the nexus of population health and the environment, with a call for the creation of a pan-Canadian network of Centres for Planetary Health.
Featuring:
Dr. Trevor Hancock — Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria
Dr. Courtney Howard — Emergency physician and Vice-Chair, Global Climate and Health Alliance
Dr. Paul Kershaw — Professor, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia
Dr. Shannon Waters — Medical Health Officer for the Cowichan Valley Region
Moderator:
Dr. Peter Singer — Former Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization
Innovation in Philanthropy
This session will explore ways that philanthropy is evolving to meet deepening community needs, including whole portfolio activation – combining granting, investing and convening to generate greater impact; trust-based philanthropy, which empowers grantees and communities to make their own funding decisions; as well as direct capital transfers to previously underfunded groups like Indigenous and Black communities.
Featuring:
Andrew Chunilall — CEO, Community Foundations of Canada
Arti Freeman — CEO, Definity Insurance Foundation
Dara Parker — Vancouver Foundation
Graham Singh — CEO, Relèven
Moderator:
Jim Hayhurst — Private Family Office
Building the Future: Implementing the lək̓ʷəŋən Commonwealth Sport Declaration on Reconciliation and Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
This roundtable will focus on promoting the declaration, establishing implementation monitoring systems, and exploring creative financing mechanisms to support Indigenous athletes and sports worldwide. Inspired by Cathy Freeman’s iconic 1994 Commonwealth Games victory, the lək̓ʷəŋən Declaration was finalized during the Victoria Forum 2022, and approved by acclamation by The Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Singapore, in November 2023. During the 11th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting held in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games, Commonwealth Sports Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the Declaration, pledging to establish transparent governance frameworks with zero tolerance for corruption and discrimination. This dedication to accountability and inclusivity is essential in strengthening efforts to respect and promote Indigenous rights in sports.
Featuring:
Claire Carver-Dias — President, Commonwealth Sport Canada
Carson Ebanks — National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (online)
David Grevemberg — Commonwealth Games Federation (online)
Ava Hill — Co-Chair, Commonwealth Sport Indigenous Declaration Working Group; former chief, Six Nations of the Grand River
Dr. Chief Wilton Littlechild — Former Chief, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations
Tewanee Joseph — CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation (online)
Keith Joseph — Independent Sports Professional (online)
Brian McPherson — CEO, Commonwealth Sport Canada (online)
Chief Lara Mussel — SKWAH First Nation (online)
Chief Kevin Sandy — Six Nations of the Grand River (online)
Community Engagement in Systems Transformation
When we consider what’s catalyzed social movements, the perspectives, work, and experiences of those most impacted emerge consistently as key drivers. Whether we are looking to transform housing, food, energy, education, or other systems, authentic, sustainable, creative engagement of lived experience experts has never been more critical. Through stories and practical tools, practitioners and lived experience speakers will consider: ow to embed community engagement in all phases of policy and systems change, in ways that accelerate and sustain that change.
Featuring:
Marcie DeWitt — Coordinator, Alberni Clayoquot Health Network
Anur Mehdic — Social Planner, City of New Westminister
Danya Pastuszek — Co-CEO, Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement
Margaret Wanyoike — Poverty Reduction and Development Association (PRDA)
Moderator:
Njoki Mbũrũ — Manager, Communities Building Belonging, Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement
Accelerating Regional Decarbonization
While the national decarbonization discussion takes a universal, one size fits all approach, Canada’s economy is often regional in nature. In this session, co-hosted with ACET and PICS, speakers from provincial and national initiatives will discuss this dynamic as it applies to BC’s economy today, and the province’s prospects in a net zero world.
Featuring:
George P.R. Benson — Senior Manager, Zero Emissions Innovation Centre
Dr. Curran Crawford — Executive Director, Accelerating Community Energy Transformation (ACET), University of Victoria
Dan Wicklum — CEO, The Transition Accelerator
Mark Zacharias — Clean Energy Canada
Moderator:
Stephanie Cairns — Director of Strategic Policy, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions
2:30 p.m.
Break
2:45 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 5
Adapting Canadian Health Strategies to Enhance health outcomes in Afro descent communities
This session will set the stage for the development of a National Black Health Strategy. It will consider a path forward towards health of Black people based on the collection, storage, dissemination and use disaggregated data.
View Session Slides – Black Opportunity Fund
View Session Slides – Black Peoples’ Health in Canada
Featuring:
Dr. Isaac Odame — Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Dr. Ato Sekyi Otu — Black Opportunity Fund Board Director and Co-Chair of the BOF Health Task Force
Dr. Bukola Salami — Canada Research Chair in Black and Racialized People’s Health, University of Calgary
Moderator:
Sen. Marie-Françoise Mégie
Cross sector collaboration as key to societal transition
Today’s socioeconomic challenges are so numerous, so complex in nature, and so massive in scale that no one sector can possibly solve them on its own. This session will look at how governments, businesses, and civil society organizations are collaborating to address challenges like poverty reduction, climate change and citizen engagement in cities and regions across Canada.
Featuring:
Dallas Gislason — interim CEO, South Island Prosperity Partnership
Danya Pastuszek — Tamarack Institute
Leslie Woo — CEO, CivicAction Toronto
Moderator:
Sen. Ratna Omidvar
Advancing Social Change Through Outcomes Finance
Since they were introduced in 2010 in the UK, social impact bonds (SIBs) have evolved to address early critiques, and are being used around the world to test new approaches to social challenges. In Canada, Raven Indigenous Impact Foundation is using Community-Driven Outcomes Contracts (C-DOCs) to finance early intervention and prevention programs in communities with high incidence of Type 2 diabetes, and to transition remote communities from dependence on diesel generators to passive geothermal energy systems installed by Indigenous-owned companies. Building on the success of an Indigenous doula initiative, the Manitoba government’s Social Innovation Office has developed a portfolio of SIBs. This session, co-hosted with ACET, will explore the potential for such instruments to be taken up more broadly by communities, foundations, social agencies and impact investors.
Featuring:
Jeff Cyr — Managing Director, Raven Indigenous Outcomes Funds
Janis Adrienne Dubno — Managing Director, Sorenson Impact Centre
Teresa Dukes — Executive Director of the Social Innovation Office, Manitoba
Moderator:
Louise Savell — Director, Social Finance UK
Enabling the Energy Transition – Utility Perspectives
As sales of electric vehicles and heat pumps soar, businesses adopt net-zero climate targets, and governments become more serious about reducing GHGs, Canada’s utilities find themselves at the front line of the energy transition. Canada’s utilities are increasingly facing questions on how they are planning to decarbonize to meet climate targets while simultaneously providing the energy to meet future load growth in an environment of increasing severe climate-related weather events. This session will focus on how utilities intend to meet near- and mid-term demands for affordable, reliable, clean energy in a changing climate and an economy pivoting towards a net-zero future.
Featuring:
Monika Freyman — Vice President, Sustainable Investing, Addenda Capital
Jason Wolfe — Director of Energy Solutions, FortisBC
Colleen Giroux-Schmidt — VP Corporate Relations and Environment, Innergex
Dan Wicklum — CEO, Transition Accelerator
Moderator:
Mark Zacharias — Clean Energy Canada
Pioneering new large-scale democratic processes to solve key challenges
Whether due to the distortions introduced by social media, the erosion of public trust in government, or public preference for demagogues, democracy is under siege. This session, led by a BC organization that has won numerous awards for its work, will introduce new methods for public consultation and participatory decision making that generate public trust and solidarity around the search for solutions to societal challenges.
Featuring:
Gordie Hogg — Former MP and MLA
Robin Prest — Program Director at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
John Richardson — Ethelo Decisions
Becky Sasakamoose-Kuffner — Cultural Diversity & Race Relations Consultant at City of Saskatoon
Moderator:
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith — MP
Could the Global Tide be Turning in Favour of Democracy?
Despite recent democratic gains, some say it is far too early to declare the global retreat of democracy as being over. Instead, they argue that surmounting the deep roots of democracy’s global woes will require a sustained effort to prove that democracy can and will deliver. And democracy has undoubtedly been in retreat for over a decade now, typified most recently with a renewed invasion of a democratic European country by an authoritarian regime in 2022. At a global level there has also been an erosion of trust in international institutions and their capacity to address issues of international concern. This session will discuss the state of democracy and the rules-based order, along with the trends that are increasingly becoming evident.
Featuring:
Dr. Chris Kilford — Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy / President CIC Victoria
Marc Lortie — former Ambassador to France, Spain and Chile / CIC Victoria
Dr. David M. Malone — former UN Under-Secretary-General, Rector of the United Nations University Tokyo / CIC Victoria
Dr. Reeta Tremblay — former Provost, University of Victoria, / CIC Victoria
Moderator:
Dr. Francesca Guetchev — Analyst Multi Operational Security Agency Intelligence Company (MOSAIC) / CIC Victoria
4:00 p.m.
Break
1:15 p.m.
Parallel Sessions – Block 6
Fostering a Nation to Nation Dialogue – the Haida Gwaii Agreement
In April 2024, the Province of British Columbia and the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) signed the “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement. This landmark agreement officially recognizes the Haida Nation’s Aboriginal title over Haida Gwaii, marking a historic first in Canada. This recognition means that ownership and jurisdiction of the land shift from the Crown to the Haida Nation under Crown law. This session will discuss the development and implications of the agreement.
Featuring:
Gaagwiis Jason Alsop — President, Council of the Haida Nation
Murray Rankin — Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, British Columbia
Moderator:
Miles Richardson — Executive Director, NCIED, University of Victoria
Combatting Disinformation and Discord
In a world that sees legacy media in freefall and social media spreading manipulated messages, how can people know what’s “true” and how do we combat the misinformation and the weaponized disinformation flooding our feeds?
Featuring:
Dr. Mike Ananny — University of Southern California
Emma Gilchrist — Editor-in-Chief, The Narwhal
Dr. Jaigris Hodson — Royal Roads University
Moderator:
Sen. Paula Simons
Blue Economy
According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.” This session will explore the opportunities and challenges inherent in such activity.
Featuring:
Jason Goldsworthy — Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST)
Todd Khozein — CEO, Second Muse
Kate Moran — Ocean Networks Canada
Moderator:
Dr. Andrew Weaver — Professor, University of Victoria
Policy Innovation and Transformative Investment in Non-market Housing
Since the 1990’s, when the federal government ceased investing in social housing, this sector has dwindled to just 3.5% of Canada’s housing stock, half the OECD average. In this session, experts from across Canada will discuss ways to reverse this decline.
Featuring:
Gregor Craigie — Author, Our Crumbling Foundation: Solutions to Canada’s Housing Crisis
Kizito Bijyinama Musabimana — founder & Executive Director at the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre (RCHC)
Teresa Dukes — Executive Director, Social Innovation Office, Manitoba
Lisa Helps — Executive Lead for BC Builds’ Project Origination and Process Innovation Initiative
Moderator:
Andrea Nemtin — Social Innovation Canada
AI in Peer Networks: Supercharging Communities of Practice
In this hands-on session, two experts in AI for good will demonstrate how artificial intelligence can be applied to research and development, team learning and solutions-finding among geographically distributed and diverse groups.
Featuring:
Blaine Cook — Founding Lead Engineer at Twitter, Creator of OAuth, CoDeveloper of the EarthNet platform
Vivian Forssman — ResilienceByDesign Lab, Royal Roads University
Rik Logtenberg — Founder of Climate Caucus, Chair of Community Energy Association, CoDeveloper of the EarthNet platform
Moderator:
Suzanne C. de Janasz — George Mason University
Case Studies of Accelerating Decarbonization
Managing all emissions, including Scope 3 ones —indirect emissions from a company’s value chain — has become both a regulatory and strategic imperative. Two case studies will be discussed in this session. One explores transportation decarbonization options within the mining industry in British Columbia using a Life-Cycle-Assessment and Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis. The second introduces the Supplier Prioritization Mapping Framework (SPMF).
Featuring:
MBA Cohort, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria:
Jacob Adams
Taylor Entz
Jessica Garcia
Remington Schaab
Ian Schoeddert
Bianca da Silva
Moderator:
Bruce Williams — CEO Victoria Chamber
6:00 p.m.
Closing comments and reception
Dr. Adel Guitouni — Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria
7:15 p.m.
Buses depart for hotels
