This February, create an event that sparks real conversation and inspires lasting change. Every year, organizations across Canada host events in celebration of Black History Month. The right speaker can make your event both meaningful and memorable.
Meet some of our most requested speakers for Black History Month below. Their keynote presentations offer powerful perspectives on transformational leadership, allyship, building inclusive workplaces, and more, combining personal experience with professional expertise to not only educate but inspire.
Contact us to learn more and to book your February event today.
Leaders and Trailblazers
From medicine to politics to the arts, these leaders have redefined what’s possible. They share how they’ve transformed institutions, championed equity, and inspired others by embracing authenticity and stepping boldly into uncharted territory.
The Honourable Marci Ien
Taking the Leap: A Guide to Embracing the Unexpected
The Honourable Marci Ien shares her extraordinary journey from journalism to reluctant political candidate to groundbreaking leader, proving that the most impactful paths are often the ones we never planned.
Through candid reflections on becoming Canada’s 100th female MP and representing the nation on the global stage, Marci reveals how embracing discomfort becomes the catalyst for extraordinary growth, helping audiences learn how to recognize their unique voice and find strength in vulnerability.
Mark Williams
The Symphony of Leadership: Orchestrating Outstanding Performances and Team Harmony
The Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), Mark Williams is one of the few Black executives leading a major orchestra, and brings a personal commitment to equity, inclusion, and access in everything he does.
The TSO is one of Canada’s largest performing arts institutions — a complex, high-performing organization where collaboration, adaptability, and purpose are essential to success. Mark shares insights on leading diverse teams and cultivating high-performance cultures.
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa
Authentic Leadership: The Key to Success in the Future of Work
An accomplished Physician, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa was the only Black student in her cohort and the first Black woman named sole valedictorian at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. She has since become an advocate for improving Black health and confronting institutional discrimination.
Drawing from her memoir Unlike the Rest, Chika shares what it takes to lead change within entrenched institution, providing a prescription for leadership grounded in authenticity and vulnerability that builds truly inclusive, adaptable environments.
Leadership and Culture Building
Strong leadership builds cultures where everyone can thrive. These speakers share how to champion equity, dismantle barriers, and create organizations that honour diverse voices while driving excellence and lasting transformation.
Masai Ujiri
Building Championship Cultures
As President of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri built a championship organization from the ground up, making history as the only team outside the US to capture an NBA title. Beyond the court, his Giants of Africa Foundation has opened pathways for talented African players to reach basketball’s elite levels.
Known for taking bold risks, Masai has a proven ability to build strong, sustainable business cultures. He shares the leadership philosophy that drives his success — building winning cultures, elevating talent, championing equity and inclusion, and developing the next generation of transformative leaders.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Leadership Through Change
Sudanese-born writer, broadcaster, and award-winning advocate Yassmin Abdel-Magied is an internationally renowned speaker on bias and transformative leadership. Her TED talk, “What Does My Headscarf Mean to You” has more than 3 million views and was selected as one of TED’s top 10 ideas.
Drawing on over a decade of governance and leadership experience across sectors, Yassmin equips audiences with the tools of transformative leadership, exploring the common mistakes leaders can make while distilling lessons learned on how to be a just and empowering leader for the 21st century.
Dr. Ivan Joseph
Fueling Success Through Inclusivity and Diversity
Born in Guyana, Dr. Ivan Joseph knows what it means to look and sound different, to be a Black leader in predominantly white organizations. He’s experienced the challenges of navigating workplace cultures that weren’t built with him in mind.
Drawing from his experience overcoming barriers and leading transformational change, Ivan shares proven strategies to build inclusive cultures that drive high performance. Audiences will gain practical tools to navigate tough decisions, foster authentic cross-cultural communication, and dismantle the barriers holding talented people back.
Creating Equitable Workplaces
True equity requires action, not just good intentions. Learn concrete tools to identify unconscious bias, advance underrepresented talent, and transform organizational policies into practices that create genuinely fair and inclusive environments for all employees.
Tracy Moore
Fireside Chat: Building Inclusive Workplaces
The former host of Cityline, Tracy Moore is a powerful voice for equity and inclusion in media and beyond. In 2023, she received the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television Changemaker Award for her work calling out systemic racism and promoting values of equity and inclusion.
As co-host of Citytv’s award-winning special Ending Racism: What Will it Take?, Tracy brings vital insight into navigating race-based workplace challenges and building truly diverse, inclusive organizations. She is also an experienced and engaging host, who brings warmth and insight to difficult conversations.
Wes Hall
The Corporate World Reimagined
Wes Hall’s climb to the top is an inspirational one — from growing up in rural Jamaica to founding one of the most successful corporate advisory firms in North America. Yet, as he climbed the corporate ladder, he noticed that fewer and fewer people looked like him at the top.
Today, Wes is a judge on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and founder of the BlackNorth Initiative. In this presentation, he not only shares his personal story, but reveals concrete steps leaders can take to dismantle anti-Black systemic barriers, advance POC in the workplace, and foster equitable workplaces.
Maydianne Andrade
Unconscious Bias and Challenges to Fair Assessment
Assessment shapes every career — from hiring to promotion to compensation. Yet systematic biases in workplace policies often yield unfair outcomes for racialized persons.
Professor Maydianne Andrade delivers an eye-opening exploration of how even well-intentioned individuals harbour biases that impede fair recognition of achievement. Using an inclusive, positive approach, she outlines the costs of bias and provides concrete steps leaders can take to create genuinely fair, equitable workplace cultures.
Allyship and Action
Allyship moves beyond awareness to action. Explore the historical context of racial equity, understand the lived experiences of the Black community, and gain practical strategies to create meaningful change in your organization and beyond.
Anthony McLean
Black History: Then and Now
Racism isn’t just history — it’s happening now. Anthony McLean shares personal stories spanning from his father’s experiences in the 1950s to his own journey as the only Black student in his school, illustrating how far we’ve come and why our continued commitment matters.
Through humour, heart, and practical strategies, Anthony delivers an empowering call to action, challenging audiences to move from “non-racist” to “anti-racist” and create workplaces where everyone truly belongs through empathy, allyship, and psychological safety.
Tyrone Edwards
My Trauma is Not a Trend: A Call for Meaningful Change
In this deeply moving keynote, Etalk’s Tyrone Edwards delivers a powerful call to move beyond awareness toward meaningful action that dismantles bias and inequality across race, gender, and income.
Tyrone will share his personal experiences with discrimination and prejudice, revealing how he once moderated and adjusted his behaviour to survive and fit in. Through sharing his story, he inspires audiences to take responsibility for the spaces they occupy and engage with discomfort to create a truly diverse society where everyone can thrive.
Lekan Olawoye
Eradicate Bias Through Sourcing the Right People for the Right Jobs
Lekan Olawoye explores the critical intersection of technology, diversity, and systemic bias. He challenges audiences to confront how systemic barriers, not lack of talent, keep Black professionals out of tech and dismantles common myths about diversity in STEM, revealing why the real issue is access, not ability.
Lekan delivers actionable strategies to build diverse teams, create inclusive networks, and leverage technology as a force for equity, helping leaders eradicate bias and unlock untapped talent.
Inspirational Stories of Change
Personal journeys illuminate universal truths. These powerful stories of overcoming barriers, finding voice and belonging, and transforming adversity into purpose inspire audiences to embrace their authenticity and become catalysts for positive change.
Karina LeBlanc
Race, Diversity, and Inclusion
Karina LeBlanc‘s father told her early on: “You are a Black woman, that can either be two strikes against you or for you.”
Born to Jamaican and Dominican parents, Karina immigrated to Canada as a shy eight-year-old who felt she had no value. Through her journey to Olympic medalist, 18-year international soccer career, UNICEF ambassador, and sports executive, she found her voice. With authenticity and heart, Karina explores race, diversity, and inclusion through powerful lived experience.
Martin Luther King III
You Are Part of the Dream
Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parents’ legacy of non-violent social change and strong leadership. With decades of activism promoting peace internationally, leading demonstrations against injustice, and pushing for effective legislation, King has met deeply entrenched issues with innovative strategies and inspiring action.
King shares powerful lessons from driving institutional, political, and social movements, inspiring audiences to become forces for positive change and make a lasting difference.
Risha Grant
Radical Acceptance: Be Better Than Your BS
Risha Grant reveals how our BiaSphere — our belief systems and BS — stops us from embracing all of humanity, including ourselves. Through honest stories from her life as a bisexual Black woman, former Division One athlete, and entrepreneur, Risha shows how authenticity creates deeper connections and cultures of true belonging.
With mental health and psychological safety critical workplace priorities, she provides practical tools to transform diversity into your superpower and become better leaders, employees, and people.
Book Your Black History Month Speaker Today
From impactful keynotes to ongoing conversations about equity and inclusion, our speakers bring the expertise and authenticity your organization is looking for. Contact us to learn more.
