SPEAKERS 

Jeanette Ageson

Chair The Tyee, Publisher AND Press Forward Canada

Jeanette is the Publisher of The Tyee, an independent, non-profit, reader-supported journalism organization based in B.C. For over a decade Jeanette has worked on creating a sustainable business model for journalism, and has helped to grow The Tyee’s staff team, publishing output, and revenue streams.

As Chair of Press Forward Canada, Jeanette works with other independent publishers to have a voice in matters of public policy that affect the news industry.

Béatrice Alain

Executive Director Chantier de l’économie sociale

Béatrice Alain is the Executive Director of the Chantier de l’économie sociale, an organisation that brings together actors and partners in the field of social economy to promote and develop collective entrepreneurship.

Ms Alain has a background in economics and political science, and she is particularly interested in enabling collective action in order to accelerate the development of the social economy. From 2011 to 2020, Ms Alain held different functions in national and international organisations. At the Chantier since 2010, she was Director of Partnerships and Development from 2016 to 2018 before becoming Executive Director. During this time, she contributed to positioning the Chantier as a social economy development hub. Amongst other things, she took part in the organisation of the International Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy (2011) and directed the Global Social Economy Forum –GSEF2016, coorganised with the City of Montreal. In addition to her functions at the Chantier, she is also Copresident of the TIESS, an organisation for the liaison and transfer of innovations in social economy, President of the Fiducie du Chantier de l’économie sociale, a patient capital fund dedicated to collective enterprises, a member of the Conseil de l’innovation du Québec and she is involved in different international networks of exchange and promotion in the field of social and solidarity economy.

Bentley Allan

Transitions Pathway Principal Transition Accelerator

Mayor Marianne Alto

Mayor City of Victoria

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto is a facilitator by trade with university degrees in law and science. A businesswoman active in community causes for decades, Marianne was first elected to Victoria City Council in 2010, and elected as Mayor in 2022. Mayor Alto is the co-chair of the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus, and is a board member on the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board, BC Transit, the Victoria Reginal Transit Commission, the CRD, and many CRD committees. An advocate for equity, inclusion, and fairness, Mayor Alto’s work this term has centered around community safety and wellbeing, reconciliation, sustainable cities, housing, governance, and relationship building.

Kevin Anderson

Interim Associate Vice President of Administration and Finance Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University

Retired as Regional Director General of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for Newfoundland and Labrador, Kevin Anderson assumed the position as Head, School of Fisheries at the Fisheries and Marine Institute in May 2020. 

Mr. Anderson began his career as a high school teacher and principal in coastal Labrador before joining DFO as a fishery officer in 1991.

He held a variety of positions with the department, including negotiator for the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement signed in 2005; Director of Conservation and Protection; and Regional Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Management.

He also served as senior advisor on Indigenous relations for Fisheries & Oceans, Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard and served as Interlocutor for the transformation of the Fresh Water Fish Marketing Corporation.

Mr. Anderson taught graduate-level courses in fisheries policy resource management as a part-time instructor at the Marine Institute from 1999 to 2020. He also served as a member of the institute’s industry advisory committee.

He holds a B.Ed. and BA from Memorial University, along with an M.Sc. in marine policy from the London School of Economics.

Vanessa Andreotti

Faculty of Education, University of Victoria

Dr. Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti, Dean of the Faculty of Education. Dr. Andreotti is a former Canada Research Chair in Race, Inequalities and Global Change and a former David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education. Dr. Andreotti has held academic positions in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Aotearoa/New Zealand and Finland.

She has worked extensively across disciplines, sectors and communities problematizing and offering alternatives to common approaches to social change that reproduce simplistic solutions to complex problems, paternalistic relationships with historically and systemically marginalized communities and ethnocentric ideals of sustainability, equity and justice. She is one of the co-founders of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) Arts/Research Collective.

Dr. Andreotti is also a member of the College of New Scholars of the Royal Society of Canada. She joins the Faculty of Education at UVic with a mandate to advance decolonization, Indigenization, equity, justice and climate resilience efforts.

Jonathan Arnold

Director, Sustainable Finance Canadian Climate Institute

Jonathan is the director of sustainable finance at the Canadian Climate Institute. His research expertise cuts across a range of environmental and economic policy issues, including the global energy transition, sustainable taxonomies, corporate transition planning, and climate risk and finance. He holds a Master’s degree in public policy from Simon Fraser University and, prior to his work at the Institute, Jonathan held positions as a Senior Research Associate with Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission and Economist with Environment Canada.

Honourable Janet Austin

Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

The Honourable Janet Austin was sworn-in as the 30th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia on April 24, 2018. Prior to this appointment, she spent 15 years as Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Metro Vancouver, one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profits. There she oversaw operations delivering services to tens of thousands of people annually at more than 40 locations.

Raised in Alberta, Her Honour spent her early career in public sector roles in Calgary, working in regional planning and public consultation and communications for the provincial government. She eventually moved to British Columbia, where she began working with BC Housing and discovered her passion and aptitude for public office. Prior to joining the YWCA, Her Honour served as Executive Director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, and actively volunteered for many organizations in commitment to helping improve the lives of others, as well as serving on various boards ranging from Translink to the Women’s Health Research Institute.

Her Honour is Chancellor of the Order of British Columbia and was invested as a Member of the Order in 2016. As Lieutenant Governor, she has identified three key themes for her mandate: the promotion of diversity and inclusion, democracy and civic engagement, and Reconciliation.

Michelle Baldwin

Senior Associate Equity Cubed

Michelle Baldwin is focused on reimagining capital and technology for community-led futures. Currently, Michelle is collaborating with social impact projects including as a Senior Associate with Equity Cubed, where they provide fractional executive leadership to social innovators and early-stage startups, helping them maximize both social and financial returns.

Previously, Michelle served as Senior Advisor, Transformation at Community Foundations of Canada, where she worked at the intersection of capital, philanthropy, and systems change – unlocking potential for futures where everyone belongs. She is now deeply exploring how emerging technologies including AI, Web3, and blockchain—can redistribute power, reimagine philanthropy, and shift systems to center community agency.

Michelle is also on faculty at Huron University College in the Governance, Leadership, and Ethics program, where she brings a focus on tech, social impact and systems stewardship.

As former Executive Director of Pillar Nonprofit Network, Michelle led work to amplify the positive impact of individuals, organizations, and social enterprises. She was instrumental in co-founding Innovation Works, a collaborative space for social innovation, and VERGE Capital, a social finance platform serving Southwestern Ontario.

Michelle is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Wasan Network, and a recipient of the YMCA Women of Excellence Award in Business and the Professions.

You can often find Michelle outdoors collecting beach glass, hiking, biking, snowshoeing—or joyfully playing and being a big kid with her granddaughter.

Jayne Barlow

Director of Programs and Partnerships Global Centre for Pluralism

Jayne works with a committed and resourceful team to advance the Centre’s global programs. Prior to joining GCP, Jayne held several positions with the Aga Khan Development Network, including with the University of Central Asia and Aga Khan Foundation in Canada and East Africa. Jayne has managed a wide range of portfolios supporting the AKDN’s work in rural development, financial inclusion, and health and education systems strengthening in developing and conflict-affected countries in Africa and Asia.  Before joining AKDN in 2002, Jayne worked with non-profit organizations involved in education sector reform in the transitioning countries of the former-Soviet Union. Jayne has an MA in Soviet and East European Studies from Carleton University.

Marc-André Belisle

Executive Director, Founder and Consultant Synertium

Marc-André is the Executive Director, founder and consultant at Synertium, a Québec-based sustainability transformation consulting firm that helps organizations foster business models that create regenerative and redistributive impacts. He is a strong advocate for collaboration and co-creation in stewarding social innovations, serving as the Chairman of the newly founded Catalyst Now Quebec Chapter.

Synertium’s research, methodology, web tools, and consulting activities focus on encouraging the emergence and recognition of triple bottom line positivity impacts or organizations’ commercial activities by referring to circular economy strategies that act as pivots for a societal transformation movement toward more sustainable environmental, social, and economic territorial relationships.

With over 20 years of combined experience in business services, finance, project management, and coaching, Marc-André firmly believes that businesses have a unique opportunity and responsibility to be catalysts in leading the change in the relationship between abundance and growth mindsets.

Abram Benedict

Ontario Regional Chief Chiefs of Ontario

Keenly passionate about community welfare and with a strong track record of leadership and strategic thinking, I am an indigenous professional constantly seeking ways to make a meaningful impact. Throughout my career in community leadership, I have been a relentless advocate for sustainable development and equitable access to opportunities. My strengths lie in empowering others through innovative solutions, whether it’s in negotiating for sustainable funding models or spearheading initiatives that celebrate and preserve diverse cultures. I bring a unique perspective, rooted in a deep understanding of community needs, to every project – a perspective that has consistently proven to be a catalyst for positive change. Committed, resilient, and a lifelong learner, I am dedicated to contributing towards building a more inclusive and thriving world for all.Keenly passionate about community welfare and with a strong track record of leadership and strategic thinking, I am an indigenous professional constantly seeking ways to make a meaningful impact. Throughout my career in community leadership, I have been a relentless advocate for sustainable development and equitable access to opportunities. My strengths lie in empowering others through innovative solutions, whether it’s in negotiating for sustainable funding models or spearheading initiatives that celebrate and preserve diverse cultures. I bring a unique perspective, rooted in a deep understanding of community needs, to every project – a perspective that has consistently proven to be a catalyst for positive change. Committed, resilient, and a lifelong learner, I am dedicated to contributing towards building a more inclusive and thriving world for all.

George Benson

Senior Manager, Economic Development and Market Transformation Zero Emissions Innovation Centre

George P.R. Benson is a globally recognised leader on economic development, cities, and climate action. He has worked across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and currently leads the Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (ZEIC)’s economic development team. George’s team supports businesses, especially small ones, in finding profitable ways to join or expand the zero-carbon economy. Outside of ZEIC, George has previously been involved with the Canadian and American urban planning associations, work with the World Economic Forum, and as a ministerial advisor on BC’s Climate Solutions Council. 

Alain Blanchette

Directeur Distinction coopérative et mutualiste

Alain Blanchette dirige le programme Distinction – Coopérative et Mutualiste au sein du CQCM, où il coordonne une équipe engagée à promouvoir le rôle des coopératives et des mutuelles dans la construction de communautés plus inclusives, durables et résilientes. Son travail vise à faire reconnaître le modèle coopératif comme une réponse concrète aux grands enjeux sociaux et économiques actuels.

En collaboration étroite avec les milieux de la recherche, il explore de nouvelles approches et fait avancer la réflexion en matière d’entrepreneuriat coopératif. Son leadership met l’accent sur la compréhension des aspirations des générations émergentes et leur traduction en actions coopératives porteuses de sens.

Au CQCM, il pilote des initiatives majeures telles que la reprise collective d’entreprises, les modèles coopératifs en agriculture, les entreprises collectives numériques, les laboratoires d’innovation, ainsi que la modernisation de la législation coopérative du Québec. Sa contribution témoigne d’une profonde conviction quant au pouvoir transformateur des modèles économiques démocratiques et enracinés dans la communauté, des valeurs en parfaite résonance avec l’esprit du Victoria Forum.

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Alain Blanchette leads the Distinction – Cooperative and Mutualist program at the CQCM, where he coordinates a team committed to promoting the role of cooperatives and mutuals in building more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient communities. His work supports the recognition of the cooperative model as a powerful response to today’s social and economic challenges.

Through innovative approaches and close collaboration with research partners, Alain helps advance new thinking in collective entrepreneurship. His leadership is particularly focused on understanding the aspirations of emerging generations and translating those into meaningful cooperative action.

At CQCM, he oversees major initiatives such as business conversion, cooperative models in agriculture, digital collective enterprises, innovation labs, and the modernization of Quebec cooperative legislation. His contributions reflect a deep belief in the transformation power of democratic, community-rooted economic models—values strongly aligned with the spirit of the Victoria Forum.

Elizabeth Borycki

Professor of Health Information Science University of Victoria

Elizabeth Borycki is a Professor in the School of Health Information Science at the University of Victoria, Canada. She holds a Michael Smith Health Research BC Health Professional Investigator Award, and she directs the Global Lab for Digital Health Innovation. The focus of her research has been in human factors in the areas of safety, user interface design, implementation and artificial intelligence. Elizabeth has published over 300 articles, 50 book chapters, and 10 edited books.

Elizabeth has served as Academic Representative for Canada for Digital Health Canada [formerly Canada’s Health Informatics Association (2007-2013)], Vice President (North America) on the Board of Directors for the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) (2010-2013), and Vice President (Special Projects) (2016-2019). She has also served as the co-Director of Research for the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association. Elizabeth has held several academic leadership roles at the University of Victoria including the Director of the Social Dimensions of Health program (2016-2019), Director of the Health and Society program (2016-2019) and a member of the Board of Governors at the University of Victoria (2017-2020).

Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy Health Sciences Informatics, American Medical Informatics Association, and the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics of IMIA. She was voted one of the Top 10 Women in Digital Health by Digital Health Canada in 2017 and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Health Informatics Researchers by IMIA. She received the Faculty of Human and Social Development Award for Teaching Excellence and Educational Leadership, and co-led the development of the first Double Masters Degree program in Canada in Nursing and Health Informatics.

Senator Andrew Cardozo

Senator for Ontario

Senator Andrew Cardozo is a recognized expert on public policy, a columnist, and an artist. His policy areas of expertise span Canadian government and politics, broadcasting and cultural policy, skills development especially the future of work, multiculturalism and diversity.

He was appointed to the Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2022, before which he was the President and co-founder of the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy.  Over the past decade he worked to elevate open public policy dialogue by bringing together thought leaders from all political backgrounds, from business, labour, NGOs and the broader public to address the major challenges facing Canadian society.  Prior to that he has been Executive Director of the Alliance of Sector Councils working on skills development across some 30 economic sectors, and Executive Director of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, where he worked on policies and legislation in employment equity, immigration, multiculturalism and the Canadian constitution.

Senator Cardozo has been a columnist for the Toronto Star and Broadcast Dialogue, and since 2014, a regular contributor to the Hill Times.  He was also an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University.

He has served as a Commissioner of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) where he championed Canadian content, diversity in broadcasting, and played a key role in the licensing of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).  Since then, he has volunteered as an adjudicator for the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

Senator Cardozo was a stay-at-home dad when his children were young. An immigrant from South Asia, with origins in Goa, India and Karachi, Pakistan, he has worked on the successful integration of diversity issues in the mainstream of Canadian public policy.  He was a board member of the Catholic Centre for Immigrants (Ottawa), the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region, Media Awareness Network, the Institute of Media Arts, Policy and Civil Society (Vancouver) and has been active with Big Brothers Big Sisters (Ottawa).

He has been the recipient of several awards: the 2023 DreamKeepers Citation for Outstanding Leadership award commemorating the historic role of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal, the Reelworld Film Festival Guardian Angel Award (Toronto), le Prix annuel du Centre de recherche-action sur les relations sociales, CRARR (Montreal), and Big Brother of the Year (Ottawa).

Senator Cardozo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science from York University and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Carleton University.  He has also studied art at the Ottawa School of Art and is an accomplished artist, generally of abstract landscapes and has been featured in several art shows in the Ottawa area, while his art hangs in many countries. He has two adult children who live and work in Ottawa.

The Rt. Honourable Joe Clark

Former Prime Minister of Canada

Joe Clark (born June 5, 1939, High River, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian politician who served as prime minister of Canada from June 1979 to March 1980, the youngest person ever to win the post.

Clark obtained a B.A. in history (1960) and an M.A. in political science (1973) from the University of Alberta and taught political science there from 1965 to 1967. He had been active in politics since 1957 in support of the Progressive Conservative Party; from 1962 to 1965 he was national president of the Progressive Conservative Student Federation. In 1967 he directed the campaign organization that brought Peter Lougheed to power as premier of Alberta, and from 1967 to 1970 he served as executive assistant to Robert Stanfield, then the Conservative leader in the House of Commons. Clark himself was first elected to Parliament in 1972, and he was elected leader of his party in 1976.

In 1979 the Progressive Conservatives won a plurality of seats in Parliament, and Clark became head of a minority government. Only six months after he took office, however, his government fell on a budget question; in the subsequent general elections in February-March 1980, his party was defeated by the Liberals headed by Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Clark served as the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party until 1983. That year he held a formal leadership-selection meeting and was defeated by Brian Mulroney. Clark served in Mulroney’s government as secretary of state for external affairs (1984–91) and president of the Queen’s Privy Council (1991–93).

He also served briefly (1993) as United Nations special representative to Cyprus. In 1998 Clark was again elected leader of the Progressive Conservatives, and in 2000 he won a seat in the House of Commons. He stepped down as party leader in 2003, and the following year he resigned from the legislature. In 2006 Clark became a professor at the Centre for Developing-Area Studies at McGill University. He later wrote How We Lead: Canada in a Century of Change (2013).

Jory Cohen

Director of Finance and Impact Investment Inspirit Foundation

Jory Cohen is the Director of Finance and Impact Investment at Inspirit Foundation. Since graduating from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University as the Valedictorian of his class, Jory quickly garnered a reputation as a leader in the impact investing field.

Before joining Inspirit, Jory was the Managing Director of Youth Social Innovation Capital Fund, an impact investing fund supporting young entrepreneurs. He also co-founded a business in East Africa based on the fair-market-value sales of honey.

Most recently, Jory played an integral role in launching Inspirit’s 100% impact portfolio and continues to lead the rollout of that strategy while managing all aspects of the finance department. Jory is often called upon to share his expertise within the sector and academic institutions.

Eric Cornuel

President European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), Brussels

Prof. Eric Cornuel is the President of EFMD Global since 2000.

He holds a degree in Sciences Po from IEP Paris, an MBA from HEC Graduate School of Management in Paris, and a DEA in strategy and management from Paris Nanterre University, together with a Doctoral Certificate in Strategy from HEC Paris and a PhD in management, written on international network organisations, from Paris Dauphine University.

Prof. Cornuel started his career as an entrepreneur by setting up a hydroelectric power plant in France while he was still a student. He was also the Coordinator of the HEC Institute for Central and Eastern Europe. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Dean of KIMEP, at the time the leading business and economics school in Central Asia, where he was awarded an honorary professorship.

He has taught for over 20 years at various management schools in Europe and Asia, holding the positions of Affiliate Professor at HEC Paris and Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain.

Prof. Cornuel received several awards, including, in 2018, the Magnolia Award from the city of Shanghai and the French National Order of the “Légion d’honneur.” He also received awards from PRME and CEIBS, as well as the John Fernandes Prize for entrepreneurship in management education and the Koźmiński University personality of the year award.

In 2023, Prof. Cornuel was honoured with a Doctorate Honoris Causa from Koźmiński University, followed by another prestigious recognition from ESCP Business School in 2024.

His recent publications include Business School Leadership and Crisis Exit Planning, published by Cambridge University Press in 2022; Leading Business Schools, published by Routledge in 2023; and the forthcoming Management Education and the Rise of Uncertainty of Global Business, to be published by Oxford University Press in January 2026.

André Côté

Director, Policy and Research, and Head, Secure and Responsible Tech Policy program Toronto Metropolitan University

André has worked in a variety of roles at the intersection of policy, higher education and tech. As mission-driven consultant; as senior advisor to Ontario’s deputy premier and minister of advanced education, skills development, and digital services; as chief operating and strategy officer with NEXT Canada, a national non-profit startup incubator; and as ed tech innovator. And as a director on the Board of eCampus Ontario.

He’s published many papers, reports and articles at the Dais and in past roles, including at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; and with the Public Policy Forum.

André is a graduate of the Munk School’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and Queen’s University.

Michelle Cyca

Board Chair tâpwêwin Media

Michelle is the board chair of tâpwêwin media, a national Indigenous-led nonprofit and the publisher of IndigiNews. An award-winning, independent newsroom, IndigiNews is committed to serving Indigenous communities, decolonizing journalism and strengthening Indigenous media ecosystems. Michelle is also a senior editor with The Narwhal, where she leads coverage of Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, and an award-winning freelance journalist. She is a member of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, and lives in Vancouver with her family.

Patrick Deane

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Queen’s University

Patrick Deane became the 21st Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University on July 1, 2019.

Dr. Deane is the former President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University, a position he held for nine years. Prior to that he served as Vice-Principal (Academic) at Queen’s and also held a number of academic administrative appointments at Western University and the University of Winnipeg.

Dr. Deane is a Professor of English Literature, with his principal research focus being the relationship between cultural production and British politics in the first half of the Twentieth Century.

He read English and Law at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, before undertaking graduate studies and receiving both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Western University. He also taught at Western from 1988 to 2001 following some years on faculty at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Deane was the first recipient of the John Charles Polanyi Prize for Literature in 1988, and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He was made an Honorary Life Member of the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University in 2010.

He is President of the Governing Council of the Magna Charta Observatory (Bologna), Vice-President and Treasurer of the International Association of Universities (Paris), served as Chair of the Universities Canada Standing Committee on Research, 2019-2023, and a member of the Campaign Cabinet for the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.

 

Azul Carolina Duque

Consultant, Artist and Educator decolonialfutures.net

My work as an educator is strongly informed by my art-life practice as a composer, a death doula, a clown and a performace artist. My work centres around hospicing worlds that are dying within and around us with care and integrity, as well as with attention to the lessons these deaths offer.
I am a member of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) is an art/research collective that develops artistic, pedagogical, cartographic, and relational experiments that aim to identify and de-activate colonial habits of being.
We develop technologies of inquiry that support us holding more layers of complexity at the interphase of questions related to climate and biodiversity collapse, mental health crisis, racism and colonialism. (Decolonialfutures.net)

I have over 5 years of experience in postcolonial and decolonial education, pedagogy and facilitation. I have a master’s degree in Society, Culture and Politics in Education from the University of British Columbia, and as an undergrad I was awarded the “International Leader of Tomorrow” scholarship at UBC.

Amber Dyce

CEO Foundations for Social Change

An innovative, creative, driven and passionate Vancouver-based social purpose executive with over 18 years experience leading strategic growth and development in several of Canada’s profit and non-profit organizations. An expert in helping organizations build stakeholder-led strategies with positioned priorities to deliver results.

Martin Edlund

CEO Malaria No More

Martin Edlund is a founding member and Chief Executive Officer of Malaria No More, a globally recognized non-profit with the visionary mission to end humanity’s oldest, deadliest disease in our lifetimes. During his tenure, Martin has played a lead role in mobilizing global political will, government resources, and innovations to scale life-saving interventions for the global malaria campaign. Martin also serves as Executive Director of the Health Finance Coalition, which is raising substantial private capital to help achieve Africa’s public health goals through blended-finance structures that count leading global corporates, major Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and top foundations as investors. Martin lived and worked in West Africa as Malaria No More’s Director of New Programs, where he helped lead innovative net distribution, testing and education campaigns with Youssou N’Dour, government officials, and media partners in Senegal, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Chad. Prior to joining MNM, Martin was a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The New Republic, and a political consultant in Washington, D.C., specializing in online campaign strategies. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Kyle Empringham

Co-Executive Director The Starfish Canada

Kyle Empringham is a nonprofit management executive with over 15 years of experience in climate adaptation and mitigation, civic engagement, and youth empowerment. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of The Starfish Canada, a climate justice organization for you looking to develop skills and build their careers in climate action. Alongside his role at The Starfish Canada, Kyle serves as a Board Director for the McMaster Alumni Association and FED Urban Agriculture, and teaches at the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria. He holds a Masters in Resource Management and an MBA in Sustainable Innovation, bringing the worlds of business and sustainability to create impact for people and the planet.

Eli Enns

Co-Founder CEO and President IISAAK OLAM Foundation

Eli Enns is the great grandson of Na’waas’um (historian and public speaker for Wickanninish) from Tla-o-qui-aht on his father’s side. On his mother’s side, Eli is a 2nd generation immigrant from the Netherlands, grandson of Peter Enns (Dutch Mennonite). Eli is a happy father and a grateful grandfather. Eli is also an internationally recognized expert in bio-cultural heritage conservation and Indigenous economic development. He is a nation builder and Canadian political scientist focused in constitutional law, geopolitics and ecological governance. Co-founder of the Ha’uukmin Tribal Park in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve on Vancouver Island, Eli was Co-Chair for The Indigenous Circle of Experts for The Pathway to Canada Target 1 (Aichi Target 11). He is CEO and President of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and Founder of the Naa’Waya’Sum Gardens in Tofino, Clayoquot Sound.

Geoff Evamy Hill

Manager, Applied Research (Entertainment Arts) Bow Valley College

Geoff Evamy Hill is the Manager of Applied Research for Entertainment Arts at Bow Valley College in Calgary. He specializes in combining strategic foresight, serious game design, and political economy to tackle complex problems. Prior to joining Bow Valley College, Geoff worked in the energy transition, defence and security, and natural resources domains, respectively. He holds a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University, as well as a Bachelor of Knowledge Integration from the University of Waterloo.

Vivian Forssman

ResilienceByDesign Lab at Royal Roads University

Vivian Forssman’s senior-level operational and project management experience is currently focused on applying learning strategies, learning networks and practitioner communities to foster climate change capacity-building and workforce development.

Her professional background includes leading post-secondary teaching-and-learning centres, implementing digital learning and communications strategies, and collaborating on innovative models for learning accreditation.

She currently works with Dr. Robin Cox, Resilience by Design Lab at RRU. Recent efforts have been focused on program management of Adaptation Learning Network involving several BC universities; climate adaptation micro-credential strategies; and co-developing a climate adaptation competency framework to support skills development for individuals and organizations in a climate-changed reality.

Bianca Freedman

CEO Edelman Canada

Bianca Freedman is the Chief Executive Officer of Edelman Canada, where she leads strategic client relationships and drives key initiatives across five offices and 300 employees. Known for her inclusive leadership and relentless focus on the client experience, Bianca fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and transparency that continues to make an impact on the communications marketing landscape in Canada.

Since becoming CEO in late 2022, Bianca has led Edelman Canada through a period of strong growth, delivering double-digit, year-over-year business performance. Under her leadership and with an exceptional senior bench, the firm has earned recognition as one of the top agencies in Canada by PRovoke Media, was named one of North America’s top agencies by The Drum and Strategy magazine, IABC Large Agency of the Year in 2025, continues to be celebrated as a workplace of choice. Edelman Canada has been named a Best Place to Work for 14 consecutive years and was recognized in 2025 as a Best Workplace Managed by Women.

Edelman also ranked fourth in the country for Canadian Cannes Lions wins in 2024, which is unheard of for an agency known for PR (vs. advertising). The firm has also received multiple global creative accolades during her tenure.

Bianca is the youngest regional CEO in Edelman’s global network. She held previous roles at Edelman as Chief Operating Officer, Canada General Manager of Calgary, and Vice President of the Toronto Corporate Practice. Throughout her career, Bianca has partnered with leading brands to transform how they engage employees, customers, and stakeholders, consistently driving results.

Bianca serves on Humber College’s PR Advisory Board, The Globe and Mail Cannes Lions Advisory Board, and is a mentor for youth-focused organizations dedicated to eliminating barriers to employment and accelerating high-potential talent.

Before joining Edelman in 2013, Bianca held communications and marketing roles at Walmart in both Canada and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In her spare time, you can catch Bianca running, hiking or watching reality TV, in no particular order.

Arti Freeman

President and CEO Definity Insurance Foundation

Arti Freeman President and CEO of Definity Insurance Foundation, a national philanthropic organization that works with charitable partners across Canada to advance community led solutions that further climate, health, and socio-economic justice. Arti has over 20 years’ experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector. Her ability to lead and bring diverse players and sectors together to address systemic challenges speaks to her passion of driving positive social change. Her innovative approaches to high-impact philanthropy have been featured by The Philanthropist and the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Arti has lived and worked in several countries, including India, the Philippines, Belgium. South Africa, and ultimately made her home in Canada.

Senator Rosa Galvez

Senator for Québec

Rosa Galvez, originally from Peru, is one of Canada’s leading experts in pollution control and its effect on human health. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from McGill University and was a professor at Université Laval à Québec for over 25 years, heading the Civil and Water Engineering Department from 2010 to 2016. She specializes in water and soil decontamination, waste management and residues, sustainable development, environmental impact assessments, and climate risk to infrastructure.

Throughout her career, she has been requested by private, governmental and community organisations to offer expert advice. She has advised a number of international organisations including on Canada-US and Quebec-Vermont agreements regarding the protection of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. She also conducted an important study on the catastrophic oil spill at Lac-Mégantic.

Senator Galvez is a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec and the Pan American Union of Engineering Societies. She is also a Fellow of Engineers Canada, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Her research has led her around the world to countries such as France, Italy, Belgium, Japan and China.

Senator Galvez was appointed to the Senate on December 6, 2016, representing Québec (Bedford). She is currently a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources, and a member of the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance. Since her appointment, she has also served on the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications and the Special Committee on the Arctic.

She has published several policy papers including a discussion paper on Canada’s building codes and a white paper on a clean and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2022, she published a white paper on Aligning Canadian Finance with Climate Commitments, which led to the introduction of Bill S-243, the Climate-Aligned Finance Act, legislation to help guide Canada’s financial sector in its transition to a net-zero economy.

Her parliamentary work on climate and the environment has earned her several awards, including the Clean50 Award 2021, the 2022 Ecological Society of America Regional Policy Award, and the 2023 Top 25 Women of Influence Award.

She lives in Quebec with her husband, Luke, and has three children, Virginie, Lydia and Francisco.

Rowan Gentleman-Sylvester

Executive Director CityHive

Rowan is the Executive Director of CityHive, a Metro Vancouver-based non-profit on a mission to transform the way that young people are engaged in shaping their cities. She is an experienced convenor, educator, and engagement practitioner, and has a deep passion for democracy in action.

Since joining the CityHive team in early 2020, she has led countless programs and projects that bring together youth and decision makers on important urban issues – from climate change to public space to affordability and everything in between. She has worked with dozens of clients, including Translink, BC Hydro, the Province of British Columbia and the City of Vancouver to support them to do a better job of engaging youth in decision-making and planning processes. She is the former co-chair of IAP2 Canada’s Young Professionals’ Community of Practice and her deep expertise in youth and democratic engagement have led her to sit on a number of regional and national advisories – shaping the future of youth engagement in this country.

As a settler raised on Coast Salish territories, Rowan strives to bring a critical lens to the roles of power, privilege and place in shaping our communities. With a profound interest in experiential education, civic engagement, and place-based climate action, Rowan finds inspiration in witnessing the innovative ways young people contribute to their communities and tackle complex challenges head-on.

Senator Amina Gerba

Senator The Senate of Canada

The first Black person of African descent in Canada, the Honourable Amina Gerba was appointed Independent Senator for Quebec (Rigaud) in July 2021 by the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau.

The Honourable Amina Gerba holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the School of Management at the Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG-UQAM) and has distinguished herself as a successful entrepreneur for over 25 years, in the fields of corporate communications and international event organization, which have brought together thousands of economic decision-makers and investors interested in business partnerships in Africa.

As a pioneer in Quebec’s manufacturing industry, the Honourable Amina Gerba has contributed to the promotion of natural and certified organic raw materials from fair trade in Africa in Canada through her body and hair care brands KARIDERM and KARILISS.

Senator Amina Gerba sits on three (3) standing Senate committees: she is a member of the Steering Committee of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages, a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. She is also a member of the Canadian Parliamentary Black Caucus and the Senators for Climate Solutions Group.

Since February 25, 2022, the Honourable Amina Gerba has been co-chair of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association, which promotes exchanges between African and Canadian parliamentarians. She is also a member of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

Senator Gerba was named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec, the highest distinction awarded by the Government of Quebec, in 2014. She is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

David Gill

Manager of Public Sector Climate Leadership Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, BC Government

David lives on the land of Lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt (Xwsepsum). As the Manager for the Public Sector Climate Leadership team at BC’s Climate Action Secretariat (CAS), David leads a team of analysts who develop policies and programs to support cross-government climate commitments. His current focus areas include reducing emissions and increasing resilience in public sector buildings, leading the provincial government’s procurement of carbon offset units, and supporting fleet electrification. Prior to working on government climate policy, David managed sustainability-focused research collaborations at the University of British Columbia that used campus as a living lab.

Anne Gloger

Executive Director Catalysts' Circle

Anne Gloger is a Catalyst Now member who has spent her career delving deeply into the whys and hows of effective community development. Anne believes that only by embracing authentic investment in communities, relationships and equitable processes will we see the kinds of transformational change and movement on the SDGs that our world so desperately needs.  

As Executive Director of Catalysts’ Circle, Anne supports researchers, consultants, governments, organizations, and institutions in using a Connected Community Approach to advance whole-of-society, community-centred wellbeing, resilience, and equity strategies.  She does this by leveraging more than three decades working with and in communities, and especially from her role as founding Director of the  East Scarborough Storefront and Centre for Connected Communities.   Anne’s educational background includes Early Childhood Education (Centennial College), Social Development (University of Waterloo), and Business (Wilfrid Laurier University). Throughout her career, Anne has received numerous awards for her work, including the Jane Jacobs Prize, the Courage to Lead Award, the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations, and the Leading Women Building Communities award.  Anne lives with her partner in beautiful British Columbia. When she is not working, you will find her out on her bike, exploring the great outdoors, cooking, or curled up with a good book.

Adel Guitouni

Professor, Gustavson School of Business Director of Programs

Adel Guitouni is an award-winning associate professor of management sciences, operations research and decision support systems at the Gustavson School of Business. His PhD and master-level students benefit from his multi-disciplinary approach to teaching and professional activities, which includes his work with the Canadian government where he directed large scientific teams involved with major events and strategic initiatives such as the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and G8/G20 summits, and a variety of projects with the Canadian Forces.

Since 2011, Adel has actively engaged in several educational activities that support the democratic transition and socio-economic development in the MENA region (i.e., Tunisia and Libya) from providing coaching sessions to senior government officials to obtaining grant funding to develop the country’s leadership capacity. In 2014 in partnership with Tunisian higher education institutions, he established a not-for-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship development and innovation.

Adel has published numerous refereed papers and book chapters, and is the recipient of several multi-million dollar research grants. On the research side, he has made several contributions to multiple criteria decision aid (MCDA), supply chain management, information systems, resource management and cloud computing. His research interests include the automation of planning and scheduling, net-enabled dynamic resource management and supply chain management, classification and machine learning, multiple criteria decision analysis, multi-objective optimization, collaborative decision making and decision support systems.

Through his research Adel’s goal is to help improve the decision-making process at the individual and corporate level. Through his entrepreneurship and leadership project work, he hopes to empower youth and leaders by giving them the tools to change their world.

Budd Hall

Co-Chair, UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, Centre for Global Studies University of Victoria

Budd Hall has been working globally in the field of knowledge democracy, adult education and participatory research for 55 years. Currently the Co-Chair of the UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education based in the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria. He is an Officer in the Order of Canada. His most recent book written with Rajesh Tandon is Teaching Community-Based Research. He is a Father and a grandfather. He is also a poet.

Michael Hawes

CEO Fulbright Canada

Michael Hawes is a professor of political science, a tireless advocate for international education, and a proud alumnus of the Fulbright program. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States and Executive Director of Fulbright Canada.

Dr. Hawes joined the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University in 1985 and has since held numerous visiting academic appointments. He was the Fulbright Distinguished Professor of International and Area Studies at the University of California, Berkeley in 2000 and Visiting Research Chair and Professor at the Center for Public Diplomacy in the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California in 2010. He has also served as Visiting Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of British Columbia, Visiting Professor of International Political Economy at Tsukuba University in Japan, and Visiting Professor of International Political Economy at the International University of Japan.

Michael holds a Ph.D. in political science from York University, an M.A. in international affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and a B.A.H. in economics and history from the University of Toronto. He has published widely on foreign policy, political culture, international economic relations, and related subjects.

His most recent books include Canada’s Public Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021) with Nicholas Cull, 1968 in Canada: A Year and its Legacies (University of Ottawa Press, 2021) with Christopher Kirkey and Andrew Holman, and Canadian Foreign Policy in a Unipolar World (Oxford University Press, 2018) with Christopher Kirkey. In addition, he has served as guest editor for several refereed journals.

Professor Hawes has been awarded honorary doctorates from the State University of New York and Vancouver Island University. In July 2021, he was appointed Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto.

Brenda Herchmer

Founder & Principal Collaborator, Co-Chair Campus for Communities of the Future, Canada Chapter Catalyst Now

Brenda Herchmer is a community builder, educator, blogger, and social entrepreneur recognized for her extensive work in grassroots initiatives and community leadership across Canada. Known for her practical approach to building strong, resilient communities, she is the Founder and Principal Collaborator of the Campus for Communities of the Future, a social enterprise dedicated to strengthening community capacity for innovation and systems change.

Herchmer also serves as Co-Chair of the Canada Chapter of Catalyst Now, a global movement of social innovators transforming systems and driving sustainable change to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

She is a former professor and founder of the Niagara College Centre for Community Leadership, and has previously worked as the Director of ACE Communities (Active, Creative, and Engaged Communities) in Alberta, for the City of Niagara Falls, and for numerous social purpose organizations and corporations.

Brenda is the author of three books and has been honoured as a YWCA Woman of Distinction and a Brock University Distinguished Graduate. Ironically, having never been a member, she was also awarded a Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Award.

She and her family live in Welland, Ontario where they own a café and an online kite store. Driven by a desire to learn more about conveying complex information in an entertaining manner, she has also recently expanded her learning journey as a standup comic.

Chief Ava Hill

Former Chief Six Nations of the Grand River, Commonwealth Sport Federation

Ava Hill, whose traditional name is Iohahatie, was born on the Six Nations Reserve and is a Mohawk, Wolf Clan.  Ava was the Elected Chief of the 56th and 57th Six Nations Elected Council. Prior to holding the Office of the Elected Chief, Ava was a Councillor for District Two for three terms, a total of nine years.   After serving for fifteen years as a member of the Six Nations Elected Council, Ava did not seek re-election in 2019.

During her tenure as Chief, Ava represented the Chiefs in Ontario on the Ontario Provincial Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion up until June 2018.

In the 80s and 90s, Ava spent time working with the Chiefs in Ontario as the Executive Director of the Chiefs in Ontario Office and also at the Assembly of First Nations as the Executive Assistant to the National Chief.  Subsequent to her work at the AFN, Ava was the Executive Assistant to the Co-Chair of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

Ava is a former member of the Board of Governors at the University of Waterloo.  She is currently a member of the National Consortium for Indigenous Economic Development at the University of Victoria and a member of the Advisory Council for Victoria Forum 2020.  She is also the Co-Chair, along with the President of the International Commonwealth Games Federation, for a Working Group that is working on a Declaration on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples Through Sports.

Ava is a Board Director for Commonwealth Sport Canada.  As well, she is a member of the Canadian Advisory Board for Right to Play.

Ava is currently one of the Co-Chairs for the Capital Campaign Committee which is raising funds for a New Museum and Art Gallery at the Woodland Cultural Centre.

She is also a member of the Amethyst Selection Committee for the Ontario Public Service and was invited to be a Witness Ambassador for the Four Host First Nations/Canadian Olympic Committee Bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler.

She was awarded with the YMCA Peacemaker Medal for 2020, which was presented by the YMCA of Hamilton, Burlington and Brantford, and also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Brock University in October 2021.

Andrew Hoffman

Professor University of Michigan

Andrew (Andy) Hoffman is the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan; a position that holds joint appointments in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability. His 30 years of work examines how institutions and cultures change with a specific focus on sustainability, the natural environment, and climate change. He has published over one-hundred articles/book chapters and nineteen books, which have been translated into six languages. His most recent book – Business School and the Noble Purpose of the Market (Stanford, 2025) – calls for major reforms in business education to address the challenges of the 21st century world. His work has been covered in numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, Scientific American, Time, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, The Atlantic and National Public Radio.

Thomas Homer-Dixon

Executive Director Cascade Institute

Catherine A. Odora Hoppers

Professor and Canadian Research Chair Tier1 Pluralistic Societies: Transdisciplinarity, Cognitive Justice and Education. Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary

Professor Hoppers is a scholar and policy specialist on International Development, education, North-South questions, disarmament, peace, and human security. She is a UNESCO expert in basic education, lifelong learning, information systems and on Science and Society; an expert in disarmament at the UN Department of Disarmament Affairs; an expert to the World Economic Forum on benefit sharing and value addition protocols; and the World Intellectual Property Organisation on traditional knowledge and community intellectual property rights.
She held a South African Research Chair in Development Education at the University of South Africa (2008-2018) a National Chair set up by the Department of Science and Technology. Prior to that, she was a technical adviser on Indigenous Knowledge Systems to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (South Africa) and led the Task Team to draft the national policy on Indigenous Knowledge Systems. She was formerly a member of the International Faculty of the United Nations International Leadership Academy (Amman-Jordan); and more recently, Prof Hoppers was appointed to the Faculty in the Master of Arts in Indigenous Science and Peace program at the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and she is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. She has addressed the International Bar Association, the Swedish Research Council, and Academy of Science of South Africa, the British House of Lords (British Parliament), and the Royal Dutch Shell. She was the Goodwill Ambassador for Makerere University in Kampala Uganda; and Ambassador for Non-Violence at the Durban Universities’ International Centre for Non-Violence. In July 2015, she received the Nelson Mandela Distinguished Africanist Award from His Excellency Thabo Mbeki for her pursuit of the total liberation for the African continent through the promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems of Education.

Chris Horbachewski

Vice-President External Relations University of Victoria

Chris Horbachewski joined the University of Victoria as Vice-President External Relations on February 1, 2020.  The external relations portfolio includes alumni relations, fundraising, community and government relations, university communications and marketing, ceremonies and events, the Farquhar Auditorium and the Legacy Art Galleries.

Before joining UVic, Chris served as Vice-President, Advancement at the University of Lethbridge since August 2005. In that role, Chris provided leadership and direction to Alumni Relations, Development, Strategic Marketing and Communications, and Public Affairs and Government Relations.  He was also Chair of the Art Gallery Advisory Committee. Prior to that, he held a variety of fundraising and advancement leadership positions at the University of Manitoba between 1997 and 2005 including Campaign Director and Director of Advancement Services.

Chris has held a variety of professional and community engagement roles over the course of his career such as: Chair; and Treasurer, with the Council for Support and Advancement of Education (CASE), District VIII. He has also served as a member of the Board for the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation as well as the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce.

In 1996, Chris received a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Courtney Howard

Emergency physician and Vice-Chair Global Climate and Health Alliance

Dr Courtney Howard is an Emergency Physician in Yellowknives Dene Territory in Canada’s subarctic, a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, and a Community Research Fellow in Planetary Health at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

The Vice-Chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, Dr Howard has researched menstrual cups and wildfires, and led policy work and advocacy regarding social tipping points and the health sector, ecoanxiety, vaccine equity, active transport, plant-rich diets, fossil fuel divestment, carbon pricing, coal phase-out, hydraulic fracturing and with regards to Canada’s Oil Sands. She led the 2017-2019 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change Briefings for Canadian Policymakers and was the 2018 International Policy Director for the Lancet Countdown.

Dr Howard was the first woman president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and is the President-Elect of the Northwest Territories Medical Association. She recently completed a Master of Public Policy Degree at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University where she focused on using a planetary health lens to facilitate the transition to economies centered around wellbeing. She is part of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Lancet Planetary Health and the Journal of Climate Change and Health. She has two young daughters and loves to dance.

TEDX: Healthy Planet, Healthy People
Drcourtneyhoward.ca

Jessica Johnson

Senior Fellow McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy

Jessica Johnson is an award-winning Canadian journalist and a media scholar. From 2023 to 2025, she was a senior fellow at McGill University’s Centre for Media, Technology, and Democracy, where she led the national research project “What Should the CBC Be?”. From 2017 to 2023, she served as editor-in-chief of The Walrus, one of Canada’s few non-profit publications. Jessica teaches journalism and media studies as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto. Her essays, columns and reviews appear in the Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, the Guardian, and Maclean’s as well as in the forthcoming anthology “Elbows Up: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance” (McClelland & Stewart, October 2025.)

Richard Johnson

Director MASS LBP

Richard Johnson is a Director at MASS LBP, Canada’s leading hub for democratic innovation, where he designs and facilitates Citizens’ Assemblies and other forms of public consultation and engagement between citizens and government. Most recently, he helped lead the Victoria Saanich Citizens’ Assembly on Municipal Amalgamation, the OurCare BC Priorities Panel on Primary Care, and the National Assembly on Workplace Democracy. A former journalist, his writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Walrus, Reader’s Digest, This Magazine, The New Quarterly, and many others. He is the co-author, with Peter MacLeod, of Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public, due out this fall from University of Toronto’s Aevo Press.

John Kay

Chair of the Board Cooperatives and Mutuals Canada

John Kay is a seasoned leader in the cooperative sector with extensive experience in governance, strategy, and organizational development. Over the past two decades, he has held senior roles in cooperative enterprises across Canada, helping to build resilient, community-owned organizations that prioritize sustainability, equity, and democratic participation. John’s work spans sectors including finance, agriculture, housing, and renewable energy, where he has guided cooperatives through growth, restructuring, and impact-driven innovation. Known for his collaborative leadership style and deep commitment to cooperative principles, he continues to champion models of shared ownership and long-term community value.
With deep roots in the cooperative movement, John currently serves as Chair of Cooperatives and Mutuals Canada and sits on the board of The Co-operators, where he is also a member of the Audit Committee. He previously served on the boards of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative, the BC Co-operative Association, Fairtrade Canada, and Fairtrade International.
John is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University.

Chris R. Kilford

President Canadian International Council

Chris is a member of the national board of the Canadian International Council, the editor (articles) of CIC’s online foreign policy magazine Open Canada, president of the CIC Victoria branch and a sessional professor with the Canadian Forces College and the Royal Military College of Canada.  He also holds a PhD in history from Queen’s University with a focus on civil-military relations in the developing world. Chris also enjoyed a 36-year career in the Canadian Army. He is a graduate of Canada’s Advanced Military Studies Course and was granted an equivalency for the year-long National Security Program in 2009. He also commanded 4^th Air Defence Regiment, followed by various senior positions in the Department of National Defence including Director Future Security Analysis and Military Liaison Officer to the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence. From July 2009 until July 2010, Chris deployed to Canada’s Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan as the Deputy Military Attaché. On his return to Canada, he commenced Turkish language training after which he was sent to Canada’s Embassy in Ankara as the Canadian Defence Attaché with cross accreditation to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkmenistan from July 2011 until July 2014. Chris retired from the military in September 2014.

Senator Joanne Kingston

Senator The Senate of Canada

Joan Kingston is a registered nurse and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. She is currently a consultant with the University of New Brunswick’s (UNB) Faculty of Nursing, having recently retired from UNB after 10 years as nurse manager, co-manager of the Fredericton Downtown Community Health Centre, and a lecturer and clinical instructor.
Before her work with UNB, Ms. Kingston worked as a principal secretary for government affairs in the Office of the Premier of New Brunswick, and as a senior advisor to the Policy and Priorities Committee of the Cabinet of New Brunswick, from 2006 to 2010. She also served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Official Opposition from 2002 to 2006.
From 1995 to 1999, Ms. Kingston served as Member of the Legislative Assembly for New Maryland and, as a minister, she led various portfolios including Labour, Environment, and Human Rights. She also led the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Multiculturalism and chaired the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
Ms. Kingston is an active community member and health advocate. She is the Chairperson of the Community Action Group on Homelessness and has been a member of the Specific Patient Oriented Research Network in Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations, United Way Central New Brunswick, and the Fredericton Non-Profit Housing Corporation. She is a member of the Canadian Nurses Association, past president of the Nurses Association of New Brunswick, and was awarded a life membership in 2021. Ms. Kingston is a past co-chair of the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health Steering Committee, and a founding member of the predecessor to the Canadian Association of Perinatal and Women’s Health Nurses.
Ms. Kingston was inducted as Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick.

Tamara Krawchenko

Associate Professor University of Victoria

Dr. Tamara Krawchenko, Associate Professor at UVic’s School of Public Administration, is an expert in comparative public policy, regional development and sustainability transitions. Dr. Krawchenko’s scholarship is placed-based—focusing on understanding local and regional assets, challenges and opportunities—supporting diverse communities to meet their development goals. She is a Strategic Research Areas lead with UVic’s Accelerating Community Energy Transformation initiative.

Sara Krynitzki

Associate CEO Philanthropic Foundations Canada

Sara is Associate Chief Executive Officer at Philanthropic Foundations Canada – Canada’s national network for grantmaking foundations. She works closely with the President & CEO overseeing thought-leadership, organizational management, and operations, while guiding PFC’s public policy and advocacy agenda, research, and public relations activities to foster good public policies for the sector and to advance impactful, forward-thinking philanthropy.

Sara has spent almost 25 years leading non-profit and social impact initiatives across Canada. She began her career in fundraising, has worked on Parliament Hill, and for over eight years managed community initiatives and granting for one of Canada’s largest community foundations, allocating millions of dollars annually to tackle inequity in her city, and connecting philanthropy to the greatest needs.

Sara is passionate about advancing advocacy in Canada’s non-profit and charitable sector. She has a BA in Political Studies from Trent University and a Master’s in Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University. She sits on the board of directors of Sustainability Network, and in 2024 she was appointed to the CRA and Finance Canada’s Technical Issues Working Group, advising the Government of Canada on charity regulation.

Having lived across Canada and internationally, Sara is now based in Toronto with her husband and three children. The land that Sara and her family live, learn and work on has been home to many Indigenous communities throughout time, including the Wendat, Anishinaabe, Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Haudenosaunee. The area is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and it is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Hayley Lapalme

Executive Director Nourish Leadership

Hayley is a nationally recognized leader in systems transformation at the intersection of food, health equity, and climate. With over fifteen years of experience advising public institutions and senior executives across Canada, she brings a strategic and relational approach to complex change—grounded in systemic design, participatory governance, and a deep commitment to reconciling relationships with Indigenous peoples and the ecosystems that sustain us.
She is the co-founder of Nourish, a national charity working to harness the power of food in health care. Through leadership development, cross-sector convening, and policy co-design, Nourish brings together health leaders, clinicians, Indigenous knowledge keepers, farmers, chefs, and policymakers to reimagine hospital food systems as drivers of climate action, health equity, and reconciliation. The organization’s work has shaped national policy and provincial frameworks on low-carbon procurement, traditional food access, and sustainable menus in hospitals and long-term care.
Early in her career Hayley received the CBC’s Peter Gzowski Fellowship; she continues to enjoy writing, reading, and speaking on planetary health, cultural regeneration, and nature connection. She holds a B.A. from McGill University and an M.Ed. in Leadership, Adult Education, and Community Development from the University of Toronto. An eleventh-generation French Canadian settler, Hayley lives, works, and mothers on lək̓ʷəŋən territory.

Sandra Lapointe

Professor and Director of CCSIP McMaster University

Dr Sandra Lapointe is a Professor of Philosophy at McMaster University. She is a Commonwealth alumna, a Fellow of the Humboldt Foundation and an award winning scholar. She is a past President of the Canadian Philosophical Association and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Dr Lapointe’s current research agenda revolves around a series of action-driven projects in higher education policy, knowledge mobilisation and skills development for inclusive innovation and impact.

Dr Lapointe is the Founding Director of the Canadian Collaborative for Society, Innovation and Policy, a multi-institutional research and action network on Canada’s Social Innovation Strategy. Through The/La Collaborative she leads a series of talent and knowledge mobilization initiatives funded by SSHRC, Mitacs and the Future Skills Centre and dedicated to enhancing social sciences, humanities and arts’ contribution to innovation. Dr Lapointe is the convener of the annual Canadian Forum for Social Innovation.

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Wilton Littlechild

Former Chief Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations

Wilton Littlechild, Ph.D., is a Cree chief, residential school survivor, and lawyer who has worked both nationally and internationally including with the United Nations to advance Indigenous rights and Treaties. He has also – through leadership with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission – raised awareness of former Canadian policies that decimated the livelihood and culture of Indigenous Canadians.

Born in Alberta, Wilton Littlechild was raised largely at residential schools from 1951 to 1964, where he spent 14 years surviving through study and sport. After leaving residential school, he studied physical education at the University of Alberta and law at the University of New Mexico, where he continued his balance of academics and hockey.

Chief Littlechild was a member of the 1977 Indigenous delegation to the United Nations (UN), and worked on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He organized within the UN to increase Indigenous input in the economic and social issues the UN tackles. In the 1980s, he worked on the lawsuit to prevent patriation of the Canadian Constitution until the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights were protected and, in more recent years, has been a regional and International Chief on Treaties No. 6, 7, 8.

Chief Littlechild has been a member of parliament, Vice-President of the Indigenous Parliament of the Americas, North American representative to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and a chairperson for the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Commission on First Nations and Métis Peoples and Justice Reform.

In addition to his ongoing work with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he’s continued to run his own law firm in Erminiskin Reserve, Alberta, and maintains his commitment to sport. He has been inducted into seven Sports Halls of Fame.

He has been awarded the Order of Canada and in 1993, the Canadian government awarded Chief Littlechild the Canada 125 Medal. He is a 2015 Laureate of the Indspire Awards and was recently honoured with the Alberta Award of Excellence.

Rik Logtenberg

Co-Founder Earthnet, Climate Caucus

Rik Logtenberg is a software developer, City Councillor, and the founder of Climate Caucus, a national network of mayors and councillors focused on advancing low-carbon resilience across Canada. As the Director of CanAdapt, Rik leads a platform designed to empower professionals with the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to address climate change.

Kendra MacDonald

CEO Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

Kendra MacDonald is the CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, responsible for the accelerated development and commercialization of innovation that will solve some of the world’s biggest challenges in ocean. Kendra is leading the change in the culture of doing business in ocean from coast-to-coast-to-coast, increasing collaboration across ocean sectors and growing Canada’s ocean economy in a digital, sustainable, and inclusive way. In recognition of her leadership in building the Ocean Supercluster from the ground up, Kendra has named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine for the last five years and one of Canada’s Top Sustainability Leaders by Clean50 in 2022. Prior to leading Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Kendra was a Partner in Deloitte’s Risk Advisory practice and the Chief Audit Executive of Deloitte Global.

Basma Majerbi

Associate Professor Impact Investing Hub, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

Dr. Majerbi is an associate professor of finance at Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria. Her research interests include international finance, ESG and impact investing, and climate-related financial risks and opportunities. Her teaching integrates sustainable finance topics into core finance courses in various programs including the MBA in Sustainable Innovation. She is a recipient of multiple awards including Research Excellence, Best MBA Professor, Innovation Award, Service Excellence, IAB Community Engagement Award and the BC Cleantech Educator Award.

Basma is founder and director of the Impact Investing, a research and education center whose mission is to accelerate investments in climate solutions and help companies and investors align with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), through education and capacity building, collaborative research, and stakeholder engagement. She is co-founder and co-chair of the International Workshop on Financial System Architecture and Stability (IWFSAS), an annual conference focused on sustainable finance and climate-related finance research topics.

Basma is also a technical advisor with the International Monetary Fund’s Institute for Capacity Development where she contributes to training of government officials in developing countries on topics related to financial development, financial inclusion, and other financial sector issues. She is a member of the ESG Advisory Council to the BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation which leads the BC ESG Centre of Excellence, a founding member of the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN) and serves on its Steering Committee, and a member of the Research Advisory Council of the Institute for Sustainable Finance. Basma also serves on the boards of multiple organizations, including the board of directors of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, the Advisory Board of the Center for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), the Impact Investment Committee of the Victoria Foundation and the Research Advisory Group of New Power Labs.

Basma holds a PhD in Finance from McGill University and a MSc in International Finance from HEC Montreal.

Jonathan Manthorpe

Executive Member Canadian International Council

Jonathan Manthorpe has been a journalist and author for 60 year, mostly as a foreign correspondent in Europe, Africa and Asia, and as an international affairs columnist. Manthorpe worked for the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, and the Southam Group of Canadian metropolitan newspapers. Outside journalism, he was an advisor to Pierre Trudeau on patriation of the constitution, and was a member of the 2003-2006 Canada-Japan Forum, which reported to the prime ministers of the two countries on ways to boost bilateral relations. He has also done projects for the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asia Development Bank, and several NGOs. Manthorpe gave up column writing in 2018 and is now a full-time author. His books include “Power and the Tories: A History of the Conservative Party of Ontario,” “Forbidden Nation: A History of Taiwan,” “Claws of the Panda: Beijing’s Campaign of Influence and Intimidation in Canada,” Restoring Democracy in an Age of Populists and Pestilence,” and, most recently “On Canadian Democracy.”

Thomas Marois

Canada Research Chair in Public Banking McMaster University

Thomas Marois is a Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Political Science and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Public Banking at McMaster University, Canada and formerly a Reader in Development Studies, SOAS University of London. Thomas is a leading scholar of public banks worldwide, focusing on pro-public alternatives and collaborations for the financing of green and just transitions. He is author of the 2021 book Public Banks: Decarbonisation, Definancialisation, and Democratisation (Cambridge University Press), which was awarded the 2023 Joan Robinson Prize by the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy. Thomas is co-editor of the 2023 book Public Banks, Public Water Exploring the Links in Europe (Routledge) and he has written articles for such top-ranked journals as Water International, Review of Political Economy, The China Quarterly, The Journal of Peasant Studies, Environment and Planning, and Review of International Political Economy.

Thomas is Director of the Public Banking Project at McMaster University and an Associate Director with the Municipal Services Project, a global network of researchers investigating public alternatives at Queen’s University, Canada. He works closely with and advises the Public Banking Institute, the Public Bank New York and Public Bank San Francisco groups, and UNCTAD. Thomas sits on the Council of Europe Development Bank Award for Social Cohesion Jury and is a member of the Knowledge Advisory Committee for the Finance in Common Summit Secretariat.

Senator Marilou McPhedran

Senator for Manitoba

Born and raised in rural Manitoba, Canada, called to the Bar of Ontario (1978-2007), named a Member of the Order of Canada (1985) in recognition of her co-leadership in the successful campaign for stronger gender equality protections in the Canadian constitution and appointed to the Senate of Canada by Governor General David Johnston on the recommendation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, Marilou McPhedran is a legally trained advocate and educator who specialized in teaching and developing systemic and sustainable change mechanisms to promote equality and diversity, having co-founded several internationally recognized non-profit Canadian organizations, such as LEAF – the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, which has conducted constitutional equality test cases and interventions for 30-plus years, METRAC – the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children, and the Gerstein Crisis Centre for homeless discharged psychiatric patients.

She founded the International Women’s Rights Project in 1998 and the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College in 2009 – based on her intergenerational models “evidence-based advocacy” and “lived rights”. When Chief Executive Officer of a Federal Centre of Excellence based at York University, Canada, she directed staff and programs that included a cyber research network on women’s health and rights.

She has developed human rights courses online and in the classroom and has chaired three independent inquiries into the sexual abuse of patients (1991-2015), co-investigated and co-authored applied research, including: the first international study to assess impact of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women in ten countries (1998-2000); What about accountability to the patient? (2001), the National Study on Rural, Remote and Northern Women’s Health in Canada (2001-2003); the textbook, Preventing Sexual Abuse: a Legal Guide for Health Care Professionals (2004); a strategy paper for Canada’s ambassador to the UN, Engendering the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Doctrine (2005); Women’s Constitutional Activism in South Africa and Canada (2009 International Review of Constitutionalism); 28-Helluva Lot to Lose in 27 Days: The Ad Hoc Committee and Women’s Constitutional Activism in the Era of Patriation (2015).

Her authorship includes: the 2006 National Journal of Constitutional Law article, Impact of S.15 equality rights on Canadian society: beacon or laser?; the 2007 Supreme Court Law Review article A Truer Story: Constitutional Trialogue; and the 2014 Michigan State Law Review article, Complements of CEDAW – U.S. foreign policy coherence on women’s human rights and human security.

A pioneer in research and advocacy to promote human rights through systemic reform in law, medicine, education, governance, she chaired the 2006 international Forum on Women’s Activism in Constitutional Reform, held the Ariel F. Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission in 2007, and was Principal (Dean) of The University of Winnipeg Global College in Manitoba from June 2008 to July 2012, then served as the Human Rights Fellow in the UNFPA Geneva Liaison Office and taught as a Visiting Professor at the UN-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica in 2012-13.

From 2008 to 2019, she was a tenured full professor at the University of Winnipeg. She was the founding director of the Institute for International Women’s Rights at Global College from 2009 to 2016 and the creator / director of the annual ‘Human Rights UniverCity’ summer institute based at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights from 2011 to 2018.

Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie

Senator for Québec

Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie was appointed to the Senate on November 25, 2016, by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau. Senator Mégie represents the province of Québec and the Senatorial Division of Rougemont.

Senator Mégie’s professional career encompasses over 35 years as a family physician and nearly 30 years as a university professor. Born in Haiti, she arrived in Quebec in 1976, and rose through the ranks of the medical profession while also pursuing university teaching, becoming a clinical associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Montréal.

She helped establish the Maison de soins palliatifs de Laval in 2009, where she served as medical director until December 31, 2016.

Her medical practice focused on providing health care services for seniors, persons with severe disabilities and end-of-life patients.

Senator Mégie served as President of the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE) for five years, and chaired the organization Médecins francophones du Canada from 2014 to 2016.

She was also the editor-in-chief of the Médecins francophones du Canada’s newsletter.

Dr. Mégie has received numerous awards for her professional, volunteer and personal contributions.

Richard Muller

Board Chair, Senior Advisor Impact United Academy, SVX

Richard Muller is Board Chair of Impact United Academy (impactunited.ca), a newly-formed Canadian charity providing educational and knowledge-sharing opportunities for impact investors, asset owners and asset stewards. He is also Senior Advisor to SVX, an impact investing advisory working with high-net-worth individual investors, family offices and foundations across Canada. Prior to 2021, for five years Richard held various executive positions with Toniic, a global membership community comprised of active impact investors from more than 25 countries. Richard also operates a private equity and management consulting firm focused on mission-based organizations and social enterprises.

Senator Jim Munson

Former Canadian Senator

Former Senator Jim Munson is best known to Canadians as a trusted journalist and communications advisor. He reported on current affairs for more than thirty years, most notably as a bureau chief and foreign correspondent for CTV News. His reporting touched upon events around the globe – from Belfast to Beijing – including the First Gulf War, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the Tiananmen Square Massacre. At home, he covered the FLQ crisis in Quebec and later, in Ottawa, every Canadian government and federal election from 1974 onwards. Senator Munson was twice nominated for a Gemini Award in recognition of excellence in journalism.

In 2001, following his career as a reporter, Senator Munson joined the Prime Minister’s Office as a communications advisor and was made Director of Communications the following year. He was called to the Senate on December 10, 2003, to represent the province of Ontario and served as Whip of the Senate Liberal Caucus from 2008 to 2016.

Senator Munson is Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights and a vocal advocate for individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. His leadership in Parliament led to the adoption of An Act respecting World Autism Awareness Day and the landmark Senate report Pay Now or Pay Later: Autism Families in Crisis.

Andrea Nemtin

Chief Executive Officer Social Innovation Canada

Andrea Nemtin is Chief Executive Officer of Social Innovation Canada, to which she brings 25 years of experience leading organizations and initiatives focused on advancing social and environmental progress through strategic philanthropy, media and arts, social innovation and impact investing. That has included serving as Executive Director of Rally Assets and as CEO and founding president of Inspirit Foundation, where she led the foundation’s journey towards a 100% impact investing portfolio. Andrea was recognized in 2017 with a Governor General’s Meritorious Service Award for her contribution to inclusion in Canada and currently serves as a board member for the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, The Social Innovation Institute, Story Money Impact and Challenge for Change.

Senator Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler

Senator for Manitoba

Senator Kim Pate

Senator for Ontario

Kim Pate was appointed to the Senate of Canada on November 10, 2016. First and foremost, the mother of Michael and Madison, she is also a nationally renowned advocate who has spent the last 45+ years working in and around the legal and penal systems of Canada, with and on behalf of some of the most marginalized, victimized, criminalized and institutionalized — particularly imprisoned youth, men and women.

Senator Pate graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1984 with honours in the Clinical Law Programme and has completed post graduate work in the area of forensic mental health. She was the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) from January 1992 until her appointment to the Senate in November 2016. CAEFS is a federation of local societies who provide services and work in coalition with Aboriginal women, women with mental health issues and other disabling conditions, young women, visible minority and immigrant women, poor women and those isolated and otherwise deprived of potential sources of support. Prior to her work with CAEFS, she worked with youth and men in a number of capacities with the local John Howard Society in Calgary, as well as the national office. She has developed and taught Prison Law, Human Rights and Social Justice and Defending Battered Women on Trial courses at the Faculties of Law at the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University and the University of Saskatchewan. She also occupied the Sallows Chair in Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2014 and 2015.

Kim Pate is widely credited as the driving force behind the Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, headed by Justice Louise Arbour. During the Inquiry, she supported women as they aired their experiences and was a critical resource and witness in the Inquiry itself. She also persuaded the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to initiate the Self-Defence Review and appoint the Honourable Madam Justice Lynn Ratushny to review the convictions and sentences of women jailed for using lethal force to defend themselves and/or their children against abusive men. She then worked tirelessly in pursuit of the implementation of the many positive recommendations from both. Senator Pate has been instrumental in building coalitions across the country with other equality-seeking women’s, anti-racism, anti-poverty and human rights groups and organizations; and, in this capacity, has worked with feminist legal scholars, lawyers, other professionals and front-line advocates and activists — from Indigenous communities to transition house and rape crisis centre workers.

Kim Pate is a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, the Canadian Bar Association’s Bertha Wilson Touchstone Award, and six honourary doctorates (Law Society of Upper Canada, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, St. Thomas University, Nipissing University and Wilfrid Laurier University) and numerous other awards. Her extensive list of publications, national and international speaking engagements and her strategic intervention and advocacy for substantive equality testify to her commitment to broader social, economic and cultural change. She continues to make significant contributions to public education around the issues of women’s inequality and discriminatory treatment within social, economic and criminal justice spheres.

Senator Pate strongly believes that the contributions of women who have experienced marginalization, discrimination and oppression should be recognized and respected and she seeks to credit and empower women. She maintains contact with women in prison through her numerous visits to Canada’s federal prisons and strongly encourages other advocates, scholars, service providers, judges and parliamentarians to ground their efforts in a similar way.

Senator Pate lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Andrew Petter

President Emeritus Simon Fraser University

Andrew Petter is President Emeritus of Simon Fraser University and Professor Emeritus in its School of Public Policy. He was Board Chair of Innovate BC from 2021 to 2024 and currently practices law with Arvay Finlay LLP.

Prior to joining SFU, Andrew was a professor in the University of Victoria Faculty of Law where he served as dean from 2001 to 2008. From 1991 to 2001, he was an elected Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia and held numerous cabinet portfolios, including Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental Relations, Advanced Education and Attorney General.

As SFU President from 2010 to 2020, Andrew oversaw the development and implementation of a strategic vision that distinguished SFU as Canada’s “engaged university defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting edge research and far-reaching community engagement.” Under his leadership, SFU was named Canada’s top comprehensive university for nine of ten years in Maclean’s Rankings, and was rated first in the world for its impact on sustainable cities and communities in the 2020 Times Higher Education’s Impact Rankings.

Andrew was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2019 and Order of B.C. in 2021 in recognition of his contributions to public policy and his leadership in advancing university-community engagement and higher education in Canada. In 2018 he was named recipient of Public Policy Forum’s Peter Lougheed Award for leadership in public policy. 

He currently practices law as Counsel with Arvay Finlay LLP and serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Central Asia.

Andre Picard

Health columnist The Globe and Mail

André Picard is the health columnist at The Globe and Mail, where he has been a staff writer since 1987.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/andre-picard/
He is also the author of six books, including the current bestseller, Neglected No More: The Urgent Need To Improve The Lives of Canada’s Elders.
André is also an experienced public speaker on health issues, represented by the Talent Bureau. https://talentbureau.com/speaker/andre-picard/
He is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and has received honorary doctorates from seven universities, including the University of Toronto and UBC.

Kenneth Porter

Manager, Communities Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, BC Government

As the Manager for the Communities team at the Climate Action Secretariat (CAS), Ken leads efforts to enhance the contributions of local and regional governments to the Province’s climate action objectives. He works in collaboration with a wide network of partners to support the development and implementation of climate action strategies across British Columbia. Ken has a M.Sc. in Geography from the University of Western Ontario, where his research focused on the impacts of urban environments on atmospheric dynamics. Outside of work, Ken enjoys playing ice hockey and exploring the great outdoors of southern Vancouver Island.

Rochelle Prasad

Founder SPARK Foundation

Rochelle Prasad is a teacher, entrepreneur, and global education advocate who is redefining how we connect learning to real-world change.

With over 7 years of experience across classrooms, boardrooms, and international policy forums, Rochelle has built education programs that reach across borders — from local schools in Canada to global platforms like the United Nations and the World Bank.

She is the founder of SPARK Foundation, a youth-led organization that has empowered over half a million learners worldwide. Rochelle has taught in high school classrooms and at institutions like UC Berkeley and UCW, developing university-level courses that integrate equity, and global citizenship. Her work bridges education, innovation, and policy — with a clear focus on youth voice, systems change, and lasting impact.

Named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (RBC, 2025) and the UN Young Leader of the Year (2024), Rochelle is recognized globally as a force for education transformation.

Michael Prince

Professor of Social Policy University of Victoria

Michael J. Prince, CM, is a Canadian political scientist and Lansdowne Professor of Social Policy at the University of Victoria. A leading authority on social policy and disability issues, he has advised governments, led major research initiatives, and served in key roles including Chair of Community Living BC and Expert Monitor for the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Recognized nationally and internationally for his advocacy, Prince was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2024 for his significant contributions to disability rights and inclusion.

Maiwand Rahyab

Founder and CEO Resilient Societies

Maiwand Rahyab is the founder and CEO of Resilient Societies, an emerging Canada-
based global initiative dedicated to protecting civic space and empowering democracy

advocates and human rights defenders operating under authoritarian regimes or in exile.
Based in Ottawa, Resilient Societies advances inclusive platforms such as the Resilience
Network and the Global Civic Space Summit, working to restore voice, agency, and
relevance to civil society actors confronting repression and transnational threats.
Prior to relocating to Canada, Maiwand held senior leadership roles with the National
Democratic Institute, Counterpart International, and served as the inaugural Executive
Director of the Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society. He also served as a Commissioner
with Afghanistan’s Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission
and later led NDI’s democracy programs in Kyrgyzstan. His insights on civil society,
democratic resilience, and exile politics have been featured in the Ottawa Citizen, Montreal
Gazette, The Diplomat, and other leading publications.
A Fulbright Scholar and Chevening Fellow, Maiwand holds a Master of Public
Administration from Middlebury College and has conducted research on human rights
protections at the University of Birmingham. He is also an Asia Society Fellow, and has
spoken at high-level forums including the UN General Assembly, King’s College London,
the Wilson Center, and the U.S. Institute of Peace. Drawing from lived experience and
global expertise, he brings a compelling voice to urgent debates on civic space, democratic
backsliding, and the future of exile activism.

John Richardson

Founder and CEO Ethelo Desicions

John is a social entrepreneur, mathematician, lawyer, technologist and change agent.

John is dedicated to using digital technology to advance participatory democracy. He is the founder and CEO of Ethelo, which provides group decision technology to governments and organizations around the world. Ethelo is one of the world’s top digital democracy platforms, named “Best for the World” in governance by B-Corp. Ethelo is the technology being used for the new eDemocracy DAO, launched in the fall of 2022.

In 2021, John invented SeaBrick, a construction modality for carbon sequestration and marine infrastructure. Seabrick are floating, interlocking blocks made of compressed kelp fiber covered by an impermeable, bioplastic shell. The University of British Columbia and the Heiltsuk First Nation have partnered to develop and manufacture SeaBrick. SeaBrick will be used to build large offshore kelp farming operations – among many other things. SeaBrick is massively scalable and will open the deep ocean as humanity’s next frontier.

John was named an Ashoka Fellow for establishing Pivot Legal Society in 2001, one of Canada’s leading human rights organizations. Pivot does strategic litigation to advance the interests of marginalized persons on issues of police accountability, sex worker and drug user rights, homelessness, and mental health. While working at Pivot John led the establishment of Hope in Shadows, an annual photography contest and street calendar whose model has spread around the world.

Marie-Chantal Ross

Program Director Ocean Program National Research Council Canada

Marie-Chantal Ross is a national leader in ocean innovation and a passionate advocate for the Blue Economy. As the Director of Canada’s $74 million NRC Ocean Program, she has architected and led a portfolio of transformative research initiatives focused on coastal resilience, intelligent marine systems, pollution remediation, and the sustainable use of ocean bio-assets. Her work has directly influenced national ocean policy and investment strategies, including the Blue Economy Assessment Framework for Atlantic Canada, which has shaped the direction of this panel.

With over two decades of experience spanning both government and private sectors, Marie-Chantal is known for translating complex science into actionable policy, fostering cross-sectoral coalitions, and embedding Indigenous knowledge systems into marine innovation frameworks.  

She is currently focused on evaluating the Ocean Program’s impact and developing strategies to ensure NRC research continues to addresse global priorities and knowledge gaps in the Blue Economy. Her current research interest is to explore how the Bounded Global Economy model can be operationalized through the SDGs to measure the ‘blueness’ of companies and sectors.  Her desire is provide the framework for tools that can guide both investment decisions and policy development. A confident and engaging bilingual speaker (English/French), she brings systems thinking, scientific credibility, and policy fluency to public forums, with a track record of shaping national conversations on ocean sustainability.

Senator Paulette Senior

Senator The Senate of Canada

Senator Paulette Senior has dedicated her life’s work to breaking down systemic barriers and empowering women, girls, and gender diverse folks from diverse backgrounds. She has spent over three decades as a leader in the gender equality sector, including as President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and as CEO of YWCA Canada.

Senator Senior is a leader in a variety of areas affecting women, including advancing gender equity, eliminating gender-based violence, reducing poverty, especially for women and for women-led families, closing wage gaps, and promoting the empowerment of women, girls, and gender-diverse people across Canada. She has led, managed, and operated shelters, employment and housing programs in Toronto and has served on the boards of several equality-focused organizations. She is the Vice-Chair of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council for 2025 and previously served on the council for 2022 and 2024.

In recognition of her community service, Senator Senior has received several awards, including the African Canadian Achievement Award, the AfroGlobal Leadership Award, the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Trailblazer Award, the Top 25 Women of Influence Award and the Skills for Change Impact Changemaker Award.

Senator Senior holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Urban Studies from York University, an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge and qualified for the Institute of Corporate Directors’ ICD.D designation.

Liz Shorten

Chief Operating Officer Candian Media Producers Association

Liz Shorten has been working to build capacity in the film, television and digital media sectors for over 25 years. In her role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the CMPA, Liz leads staff and oversees organizational operations across the association’s offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, and works to implement the CMPA’s corporate strategic plan. Liz previously held senior positions at the Ontario Film Development Corporation (Ontario Creates), British Columbia Film (Creative BC) and CBC Television.

Active in many organizations, Liz is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of REEL CANADA and Secretary/Treasurer of the Pacific Screenwriting Program. She was a founding board member of the Crazy8s Film Society and co-founder of Women in View. She has been named one of BC’s top 500 business leaders by Business in Vancouver, Woman of the Year by Women in Film and Television Vancouver, recipient of the Founder’s Award at the Whistler Film Festival and a King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her leadership role in the film and television industry in BC and Canada.

Alan Siaroff

Director of Programs and Partnerships Global Centre for Pluralism

Jayne works with a committed and resourceful team to advance the Centre’s global programs. Prior to joining GCP, Jayne held several positions with the Aga Khan Development Network, including with the University of Central Asia and Aga Khan Foundation in Canada and East Africa. Jayne has managed a wide range of portfolios supporting the AKDN’s work in rural development, financial inclusion, and health and education systems strengthening in developing and conflict-affected countries in Africa and Asia.  Before joining AKDN in 2002, Jayne worked with non-profit organizations involved in education sector reform in the transitioning countries of the former-Soviet Union. Jayne has an MA in Soviet and East European Studies from Carleton University.

Karlee Silver

Chief Executive Officer Grand Challenges Canada

Karlee Silver is Chief Executive Officer for Grand Challenges Canada. She is a mission-driven leader committed to sparking real-world impact through innovation and partnerships.
Dr. Silver has been with Grand Challenges Canada since its launch and led the process of selecting the organization’s prioritized grand challenges. In various roles, she has set strategy for global health, development, and humanitarian innovation initiatives and enabled the GCC team to support innovators worldwide.
Dr. Silver is an active member of the Grand Challenge network and the International Development Innovation Alliance. She sits on the Boards of Canadian Network for Women’s and Children’s Health and Blueprint.
Dr. Silver received her doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she attended as a Rhodes Scholar and trained in genetics and immunology.

Peter Singer

Emeritus Professor University of Toronto

Dr Peter Singer is a leader in global health and innovation, with over 35 years of experience in building innovative institutions with high social impact. He is currently a board member of Grand Challenges and the Azrieli Foundation, and Professor Emeritus at University of Toronto.

He is co-founder of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics and Grand Challenges. From 2017 to 2023, he served as the Special Advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization.

Dr Singer is an Officer of the Order of Canada; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS); and was awarded the Michael Smith Prize as Canada’s Health Researcher of the Year.

He has published over 300 articles, received over $50 million in research grants, and mentored hundreds of students. He holds a MD from the University of Toronto, a MPH from Yale University, a Fellowship in Bioethics from the University of Chicago, and an AMP certificate from Harvard Business School.

Robin Speedie

Senior Consultant Fraser Health, Planetary Health

Robin’s background is in social innovation, quality improvement, and the intersections of health and climate change. She has spent the past fifteen years managing provincial, territorial, and national health programs in Canada and the UK, with previous roles at Health Quality BC, Nesta, and Nourish Leadership. Robin’s current work at Fraser Health is focused on increasing resilience and efficiency while reducing emissions and waste throughout all departments of the health authority. Robin holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice/Sociology from the University of the Fraser Valley.

Adam Spence

CEO SVX Colombia

Adam Spence is the CEO, Co-Founder and Director of Social Venture Connexion (SVX). Adam helped startup VERGE Capital, the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, B Lab Canada, the MaRS Catalyst Fund (now Amplify Capital), and the School for Social Entrepreneurs – Ontario. He was Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Food Banks (OAFB) and he led a number of higher education and training organizations. Adam has spoken to audiences across the country on issues related to education, poverty, and impact investing and he has been featured in numerous media outlets, including CNN, TVO, CTV, CBC Television and Radio, BNN, Forbes, GlobalTV, the Toronto Star, the Financial Post, and the Globe & Mail. In 2002, Adam was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Gold Medal, in 2012 Adam was named one of McMaster University’s 125 People of Impact, an honour given to McMaster staff and alumni who have made the greatest impact over the past 125 years, and in 2014 Adam was named one of Seven Canadians Thinking Big by the Toronto Star.

James Stauch

Complex Systems Strategist ATCO

James Stauch is a social innovation and systems change educator and consultant based in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada, he serves as Co-chair of the Banff Systems Summit and as Complex Systems Strategist with ATCO’s SpaceLab. James is a Visiting Fellow at the Skoll Centre at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and was the founding Executive Director of the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University, where he developed social innovation, leadership, and systems-focused learning programs for undergraduate students and the broader community. James has also been a foundation executive and philanthropy consultant, which included designing and managing Arctic and Northern programming with the Gordon Foundation. His most recent publication is The 55 Minutes: An Atlas to Navigate Problems, Reveal Systems, and Ask Beautiful Questions in a Radically Shifting World (2025).

Coro Strandberg

President Strandberg Consulting

President of Strandberg Consulting, Coro is an influential social purpose and sustainability / ESG strategist and thought leader.

Coro is a Canadian trailblazer and visionary in marketplace innovation to advance social, environmental, and financial progress, and has contributed to the evolving field of social purpose and sustainability for more than 35 years. She works with boards, businesses, governments, and industry associations to create strategies and pursue business models to solve society’s problems and address social and environmental risks and opportunities that propel society towards a sustainable future.

She is a Cofounder and current Chair of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, and a Cofounder of the United Way BC Social Purpose Institute.

Coro has a tri-sector background in business, government, and non-profit leadership, working in social, environmental, and financial roles. She has 25 years of experience as a Corporate Director and six years of industry association experience.

Coro was a director of Vancity Credit Union — three years as Board Chair — where during the 1990s she helped position the credit union as an international leader in sustainable banking. She is a Director of BC Lottery Corporation, a provincial crown corporation that has a social purpose as the reason it exists.

She is a faculty member for Governance Professionals of Canada and Director’s College, training governance professionals and directors on purpose and sustainability governance oversight respectively. She is also a member of the Canadian Standards Association’s sustainability advisory committee and a member of the Canadian Office of the Auditor General’s Commissioner of Environment and Sustainability’s advisory committee.

Coro specializes in helping organizations become leaders in transformational sustainability. This includes advising on social purpose, sustainability and ESG leadership and innovation strategies, social purpose business models, and social purpose and sustainability governance, management, implementation, and integration.

She works with industry associations to help their members and sector become purpose-driven and sustainable. Coro supports governments to harness the power of business to advance sustainability solutions. She is an expert in integrating social purpose and sustainability in finance, human resources, risk management, and procurement.

She publishes her thought leadership at www.corostrandberg.com. Coro was named the top sustainability consultant by the 2015 Clean50 for her leadership and impact in sustainability consulting in Canada.

Coro works with organizations that aspire to accelerate, lead, and transform to a sustainable world.

Amb. Audrey Tang

Cyber Ambassador Taiwan

A globally recognised civic-tech leader and the world’s first openly non-binary cabinet minister, Ambassador Audrey Tang has been instrumental in positioning Taiwan at the forefront of internet freedom and civic participation. TIME named Tang to its inaugural “100 Most Influential People in AI” list in 2023 for her profound impact on leveraging technology for public good.

Tang was a key contributor to the g0v.tw civic tech community, an initiative that promotes transparency by “forking” government websites into open-source versions preferred by citizens. During the 2014 Sunflower Movement, Tang played a critical role in livestreaming protests against a controversial trade pact, transforming deliberation into a public act of courage, cementing Taiwan’s reputation as Asia’s beacon of freedom

She was instrumental in developing participation platforms like vTaiwan.tw and Join.gov.tw, which directly led to practical policy improvements, including crafting rideshare legislation, streamlining tax filing, and overcoming deepfake ads online.

Her innovative approaches were further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, where her team rapidly developed tools like real-time mask availability maps and privacy-preserving contact tracing, contributing to Taiwan’s acclaimed response that avoided lockdowns while maintaining economic growth. More recently, Tang was key in safeguarding Taiwan’s 2024 presidential and legislative elections from foreign cyber interference.

Her vision is captured in her poetic job description:

When we see “internet of things,”
let’s make it an INTERNET OF BEINGS.

When we see “virtual reality,”
let’s make it a SHARED REALITY.

When we see “machine learning,”
let’s make it COLLABORATIVE LEARNING.

When we see “user experience,”
let’s make it ABOUT HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

When we hear “the singularity is near” —
let us remember: The PLURALITY is here.

Peter Taylor

Director Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

Professor Peter Taylor is Director of the Institute of Development Studies, UK where he was also Director of the UK’s FCDO-funded Covid Collective. He has PhD and MSc degrees in agricultural education, a BSc in animal sciences, and nearly 40 years’ experience in international development. He was previously Director, Strategic Development at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, also leading IDRC’s Inclusive Economies Program Area, and the Think Tank Initiative.

He has worked at IDS as Research Fellow, Head of Graduate Studies, and Leader of the Participation, Power and Social Change Team; as Education Technical Advisor with the Swiss NGO Helvetas in Vietnam; as Lecturer in Agricultural Education at the Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Department at the University of Reading, UK; and as a teacher in a rural school in Botswana. He has research, teaching, advisory and writing interests in strengthening equity in research systems; democratization of science, technology and innovation in agrifood systems; theory and practice of organizational development and capacity strengthening; evaluation and learning; and facilitation of participatory and social change processes in a diverse range of international contexts. He is member of Council for the UK’s Development Studies Association, a member of the International Advisory Council for the South Africa T20, and leads a European Association for Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI) Task Group on Decolonizing Knowledge for Development.

Rebecca Taylor

Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASEAN) and CEO (Malaysia) University of Southampton

 

Professor Rebecca Taylor is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASEAN) and CEO (Malaysia) at the University of Southampton. Her research interests lie in the field of International Economics and Developments in Economics Education. 

She has designed and directed a number of Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded projects focussed on innovative approaches to the teaching and learning of mathematics and statistics in Economics. She has also worked with the Economic and Social Research Council and the Higher Education Academy on addressing the identified skills deficit in quantitative methods across the social sciences. 

Rebecca is the Vice President of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and the Chair of the LUISS Business School International Advisory Board. She also chairs the European Online Course Certification Board and regularly contributes to conferences and workshops related to developments and innovation in higher education.

Reeta Tremblay

Professor Emerita Political Science, University of Victoria

Reeta Chowdhari Tremblay is Professor Emerita of comparative politics in the department of Political Science at the University of Victoria.

Her major areas of research are secessionist movements (Kashmir) in South Asia, the politics of subaltern resistance and accommodation in post-colonial societies, democracy and governance and comparative federalism.

During her career, she has held several administrative positions including Vice President Academic and Provost at the University of Victoria; Vice President (Academic) and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Pro Tem) at Memorial University in Newfoundland; dean of the Faculty of Arts at Memorial; and chair, Department of Political Science at Concordia University, Montreal.

Reeta Tremblay is past president of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA), Canadian Asian Studies (CASA), and the Canadian Council of Area Studies of Learned Societies (including Canadian Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, African Studies and the Middle Eastern Studies). She has also served or is serving on editorial boards of several disciplinary journals including PS Political Science (APSA), Pacific Affairs, Canadian Journal of Law and Society, Politics and Governance.

Reeta Tremblay holds an MA and PhD in political science from the University of Chicago. She also has an MPhil degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, India and an MA and BA from the University of Kashmir.

She has authored or co-authored several books, articles, and reviews. Her work is widely reviewed and cited—in particular, her writings on Kashmir and India-Pakistan relations, a subject on which she is widely considered the leading North American expert. She has been recognized for her exceptional teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and has received the Concordia University Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2002.

Reeta Tremblay’s selected recent publications include: “The Political Economy of Natural Resource Funds” (2021 with Eyene Okpanachi); “Religion and Politics in Jammu and Kashmir” (2020) “India: Federalism, Nationalism, and the Marginalized – Covid India” (2020); Kashmir Elections: A Precursor to ‘No More Two Flags, Two Constitutions” (2019); “Modi’s Foreign Policy” (2017 with Ashok Kapur); “Contested Governance, Competing Nationalisms, and Disenchanted Publics: Kashmir beyond Intractability?” (2017) “Kashmir’s Contentious Politics: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same” (2015); “Beyond Parochialism and Domestic Preoccupation: The Current State of Comparative Politics in Canada” (2013) and “Labor Migration, Citizenship, and Social Welfare in China and India” (2013 with Josephine Smart).

She also contributes commentaries on South Asia, in particular on Kashmir and on South Asian regional politics to South Asia Monitor (projects of the New Delhi-based think tank, Society for Policy Studies) and to KashmirConnected. In 2015, she was recognized as one of the top 40 prominent Indo-Canadians and was profiled in The Indian Diaspora’ A-List.

Ryan Turnbull

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister

Ryan Turnbull was elected as the Member of Parliament for Whitby in 2019, and re-elected in 2021. He has been a member of various parliamentary committees, groups, and associations, including the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Passionate about serving others, Mr. Turnbull is committed to making a difference for people in his community and all Canadians. He entered politics to support the development of innovative policies and solutions to address today’s toughest challenges and improve people’s lives. Since then, he has been a strong voice for building a sustainable economy and supporting resilient communities. He has strongly advocated for increased food security, better public transit and infrastructure, climate action, and improved access to affordable housing, among other issues.

Previously, Mr. Turnbull taught, developed curriculum, and oversaw research at a number of post-secondary institutions, including Carleton University, St. George’s University of London (United Kingdom), Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and Durham College. He also taught corporate social responsibility at the Ted Rogers School of Management for several years.

In 2008, Mr. Turnbull founded a management consulting company, where he has worked with non-profits, charities, and entrepreneurs that advanced a social or environmental cause. He is recognized as a leader in social innovation, sustainable finance, systems change, and collective impact, all of which are new approaches to address complex issues ranging from poverty to homelessness, racism to gender equality, and food security to climate change.

Mr. Turnbull holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Carleton University.

Dr. Shannon Waters

Medical Health Officer for the Cowichan Valley Region Vancouver Island Health Authority

Dr. Shannon Waters is Coast Salish and a member of Stz’uminus First Nation on Vancouver Island. She completed the First Nations Family Practice program at the University of British Columbia and worked as a family doctor in Duncan, BC.

While honored to work close to home, Shannon became frustrated with seeing people when they were unwell, and wanted to focus on maintaining health and well-being. She returned to school and completed her specialty training in Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

Shannon worked as the Director of Health Surveillance at First Nations and Inuit Health Branch and, at First Nations Health Authority as the Acting Senior Medical Officer for Vancouver Island Region. She has worked with Vancouver Island Health Authority as a Medical Director and with the Ministry of Health as the Aboriginal Physician Advisor.

She is currently honored to have come full circle and to be working in her home territory as the local Medical Health Officer with Island Health.

Chesha Wettasinha

Prolinnova

Chesha Wettasinha is a tropical agroecologist with extensive experience in rural/agricultural development in Asia and Africa for nearly four decades. She has worked in a variety of settings and functions, combining social and technical skills related to smallholder rural (agricultural) development, natural resources management and community empowerment through self-help groups. Her work has focused on promoting local/farmer-led and gender-responsive innovation development as a means of combining local and scientific knowledge for more relevant and beneficial development outcomes that contribute to more resilient communities. She is a co-founder of Prolinnova (www.prolinnova.net), a global community of practice with its vision for a world wherein women and men farmers play decisive roles in agriculture and natural resource management innovation processes for sustainable livelihoods. Chesha has worked in inter-disciplinary teams with multiple development stakeholders using participatory and inclusive approaches for co-creation of knowledge in small-scale agricultural development. Raised among small-scale farming communities and having collaborated closely with many rural communities and development organisations in Asia and Africa, Chesha has an intimate understanding of their needs, aspirations and challenges. She couples this with her professional expertise, passion and steadfast personal commitment to meaningful development interventions that would contribute to a more sustainable, collaborative, just and fair world.

Senator Yuen Pau Woo

Senator for British Columbia

Appointed to the Senate of Canada in November 2016, the Honourable Yuen Pau Woo sits as an independent representing British Columbia. He served as Facilitator of the Independent Senators Group from 2017 to 2021.

Senator Woo has worked on public policy issues related to Canada’s relations with Asian countries for more than 30 years. From 2005-2014, he was President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, during which he also served on the Standing Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) and as Chair of PECC’s State of the Region Report. He is a Senior Fellow at Simon Fraser University’s Graduate School of Business, and a member of the Trilateral Commission. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the Mosaic Institute and the Canadian Ditchley Foundation.

Senator Woo is a joint chair of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations and a member of the following Senate Standing Committees: Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Banking, Trade and Commerce; and Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament.

Michael Youash

Senior Manager Centre for Global Pluralism

As Senior Manager of Global Analysis at the Global Centre for Pluralism, Michael focuses on implementation of the Global Pluralism Monitor. Monitor reports evaluate the state of pluralism in a country to inform positive social transformation initiatives. Monitor-based projects have been undertaken in Colombia, Ghana, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Projects in other countries are under consideration. Michael’s background in constitutional design in divided societies includes work ranging from legislature strengthening, public participation in policy processes, and budgetary oversight. His work strives to connect communities, civil society, elected representatives, and government officials to define practical solutions for pressing problems.

Sadia Zaman

CEO Inspirit Foundation

Sadia Zaman brings a wealth of media, arts, not-for-profit, and leadership experience to her role as CEO, Inspirit Foundation, a national public foundation. She has held senior leadership roles at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and Women in Film and Television-Toronto. Sadia began her career as a journalist, creating hundreds of hours of original, critically acclaimed content for Vision TV, CBC and TVO. She has won dozens of awards for her journalism and has been honoured for her leadership. She is often asked to speak on a range of media, leadership, philanthropy, and equity issues nationally and internationally.