Michael Bach

Strength in Numbers: How to be an Active Ally

Michael Bach is a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). He draws from his bestselling book Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide to LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work to provide an engaging and informative look at allyship, and what it means to be an active ally.

Michael illustrates how everyone plays a role in creating inclusive spaces for LGBTQ2+ people and leaves audiences with a clear understanding on the difference between being an armchair ally and an active ally and the pitfalls to avoid on your journey.

Quinn

Championing Inclusion

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Quinn became the first transgender athlete to not only compete but earn a gold medal after a historic win for the Canadian women’s national soccer team.

In this intimate keynote, Quinn explores their soccer career as a transgender athlete, from their little league days to playing as a midfielder in the National Women’s Soccer League to earning Gold in Tokyo. They also explore their personal journey to finding their authentic self, and the power of allyship and inclusive spaces in helping members of the LGBTQ2+ community achieve success.

Shane Feldman

Future-Proof Passport: Driving Connection and Collaboration in This New World

Shane Feldman shows audiences how to cultivate community-centred workplaces that enable people to perform at their highest levels.

At the centre of connection and community is authenticity. As a member of the LGBTQ2+ community, Shane understands firsthand the importance of building inclusive spaces. He shares his personal story along with research into community leadership and human behaviour to decode how to empower human connection and future-proof any organization.

Sabrina Jalees

Embracing Diversity

It was in embracing her own diversity that comedian and host of CTV’s Farming for Love Sabrina Jalees discovered her passion and carved out acareer in comedy at the age of 16. In this insightful and hilarious talk, Sabrina discusses her experience growing up 1/2 Pakistani, 1/2 Swiss, touching on issues that range from post-911 Islamophobia to Ke$ha, from homophobia to the Kardashians.

With the funniest parts of her act being tied to things that once made her uncomfortable, Sabrina shares one of the most important lessons she’s learned — in owning and embracing your individuality, you unlock the transformation from “embarrassed” to “empowered”.

Spencer West

Diversability: Leveraging Disabled and LGBTQ2+ Talent

A visionary and activist, Spencer West’s life has been marked by both obstacles and triumph. After losing both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five and coming out as gay at the age of 21, he entered a world that might have easily defeated him. Instead, he tackled challenge after challenge, learning to navigate in a world set against the queer community and those with disabilities.

From climbing the workforce ladder to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, West shares his insights on how bringing in talent with disabilities and the queer community can have a positive impact on your employees and clients.

Holly Ransom

Feet to the Fire: Getting DEI Right

Getting DEI right requires asking and answering the right questions. Psychological safety underpins inclusion, innovation, and problem solving. Yet homogenized and hierarchical workplace cultures continue. Holly Ransom has been working in gender equality and LGBTQ2+ inclusion collectively for over a decade, from microfinance projects in Kenya to systemic change within Fortune 100 companies.

Discover the leaders’ toolkit of DEI actions we all need to embed in our systems, structures, and mindsets, in order to benefit from diverse perspectives in our world.