It feels like we were just wishing you a Happy New Year, but here we are nearing the second quarter of the year already! Since you loved our first quarter planning guide so much, we put together another one that explores key themes coming up in April, May, and June.
Happy planning friends and contact us when planning your next event to find the right speaker for your audience.
April: Invest in Our Planet on Earth Day
As the climate crisis continues to dominate the headlines, we’ve seen an uptick in requests for experts who can speak on sustainability, climate action, ESGs, energy issues, etc.
While it’s a popular topic throughout the year, it’s especially timely in April — home to Earth Day, the world’s largest civic observance and environmental movement. Below are two of our most requested speakers within this topic. Meet more experts in our full April Planning Guide.
Catherine McKenna
Former Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
Specializing in ESGs, the Honourable Catherine McKenna has worked with both the public and private sector to scale practical climate and nature-based solutions. She shows audiences how, as individuals, businesses, and communities, we can work together to reach net-zero and ensure a sustainable planet for future generations.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee | Environmental, Cultural, and Human Rights Advocate
Bestselling author of The Right to Be Cold, Sheila Watt-Cloutier highlights the realities her people, the Inuit, face in a melting Arctic to show how today’s most urgent issues — the environment, the economy, global health, and sustainability — are interconnected and, with a focus on solutions, what that means for the future of our planet.
May: Mental Health Week
After almost three years of pandemic life, we’ve seen a rise in requests for speakers with lived mental health experience who can provide both inspirational and practical keynotes, as well as speakers who specialize in loneliness, burnout, and wellness in the workplace.
With CMHA Mental Health Week taking place the first week of May, meet three speakers we’re recommending to clients, and see more mental health and wellness experts in our May Planning Guide.
Dr. Susan Biali Haas
Expert in Burnout Prevention, Stress Management, and Resilience
Dr. Susan Biali Haas is uniquely equipped to help audiences fortify their minds and bodies. Formally clinically depressed and burned out, this award-winning medical doctor shows audiences how to recognize, prevent, and recover from burnout. She shares simple self-care strategies and mind-body tools, while exploring the foundation of a resilient life.
Anthony McLean
Mental Health | Inclusivity | Education
In his highly engaging and energetic keynotes, Anthony McLean shows audiences how to regain their enthusiasm, recapture joy, and get the pep back in their step both at home and work. He illustrates the difference between everyday ups and downs and mental illness, while sharing healthy coping skills to better handle stress and build a daily mental health routine.
Riaz Meghji
Human Connection Expert | Bestselling Author
Long before the era of “quiet quitting”, loneliness was a social pandemic in our society. Today, in the age of polarization and disconnection, Riaz Meghji shows audiences how to build and maintain meaningful relationships in our hybrid reality — from facilitating authentic conversations to building inclusive cultures and leading with assertive empathy.
June: Celebrating Pride and Indigenous History
June is both Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month, home to National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.
From active allyship to effective DEI strategies and true reconciliation, meet some of our most requested speakers in the month of June. See a more comprehensive list in our full June Planning Guide — also an excellent resource ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.
Celebrating Pride
Michael Bach
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Thought Leader | Bestselling Author
Founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and Pride at Work Canada, Michael Bach details the exact cost of not building inclusive spaces — from decreased engagement and high turnover to decreased innovation compounded over time. While detailing the business case for inclusivity, he also shows leaders how to foster a safe space and be an active ally to their diverse teams.
Quinn
Olympic Champion | Transgender Trailblazer and Advocate
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Quinn made history as the first transgender athlete to not only compete but make it to the podium after the Canadian women’s national soccer team’s historic gold-medal win. In an intimate presentation, Quinn shares their personal journey to finding their authentic self and showcases the power of allyship in helping the LGBTQ2+ community succeed.
Honouring National Indigenous History Month
The Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould
Former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould empowers audiences to become agents of change. The bestselling author of True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change, she draws on her unique perspective as both a community and political leader to show audiences how they can help move reconciliation forward and build an equitable future for all.
Kendal Netmaker
Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Author, and Indigenous Speaker
As the fastest growing population in Canada, the future of work will be influenced by more Indigenous people entering the workforce. Kendal Netmaker brings audiences into Indigenous Peoples’ worldview and shows how it can complement your organization. He outlines common challenges Indigenous people face and how leaders can successfully engage and retain Indigenous team members.
Contact us to learn more about our leading speakers and what they can bring to your next event.
