This Black History Month, bring trailblazing voices to your stage: leaders who have broken barriers in boardrooms, healthcare, concert halls, government, and more.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of our most requested speakers in February. Their keynote presentations offer powerful perspectives on transformative leadership, allyship, culture building, resilience, 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.
Trailblazing Leaders
From the newsroom to Parliament, from the red carpet to the C-suite, these trailblazers forged their own paths and share the lessons that shaped them into the leaders they are today.
Mark Williams
The Symphony of Leadership: Orchestrating Outstanding Performances and Team Harmony
Mark Williams made history as the first Black CEO of a major North American orchestra. Under his leadership, the Toronto Symphony has set records for single-ticket sales and attendance, and reached its strongest-ever financial position.
As a keynote speaker, he draws parallels between orchestral and business leadership, sharing lessons on building trust, leading diverse teams, and cultivating resilient, high-performance cultures.
The Honourable Marci Ien
Listen, Learn, Act: How Empathetic Leadership Drives Impact
The Honourable Marci Ien has spent her career breaking barriers. After an award-winning run in broadcast journalism, she entered politics and became Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, helping secure historic federal funding to fight discrimination across Canada.
Her keynote shares how empathetic leadership builds trust, unites diverse stakeholders, and turns listening into action that drives lasting change.
Cameron Bailey
Creating an Urban Cultural Hub
As the CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the world’s largest public film festival and one of Canada’s premier cultural brands, Cameron Bailey has helped it grow in size and significance every year.
Bailey reveals how great leaders build momentum from the inside out, starting with their own teams, then their community, and finally the world.
Leadership and Culture Building
Culture is a leader’s most powerful tool. These speakers share how to lead with authenticity, champion inclusion, and harness storytelling to foster high-performing teams that drive results.
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa
Authentic Leadership: The Key to Success in the Future of Work
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a medical trailblazer who has driven transformation within Canada’s healthcare system and beyond. Drawing on her journey, she reveals what it takes to lead change and become a leader people actually want to follow.
She leaves audiences with a prescription for authentic leadership that engages today’s workforce and builds inclusive cultures.
Dr. Ivan Joseph
Fueling Success Through Inclusivity and Diversity
A culture of inclusivity is a culture of high performance. Born in Guyana, Dr. Ivan Joseph knows what it’s like to look different and sound different, to be a Black student on a white campus, to be a leader from an under-represented group.
In this perspective-shifting talk, Ivan draws from his own remarkable story for navigating the nuances of inclusion in the workplace and fostering cross-cultural communication.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
The Power of Storytelling
The stories we tell ourselves shape our world, and the possibilities we see within it. A Sudanese-born writer, broadcaster, and social advocate, Yassmin Abdel-Magied has published award-winning books and written for the screen and stage.
She shows leaders how to use storytelling to navigate transformational change, reframe challenges and inspire their teams, and build stronger, more collaborative cultures.
Champions and Changemakers
Powerful stories move people. Through journeys of triumph, survival, and legacy, these speakers inspire audiences to face challenges head-on, find strength in difference, and help build a more equitable world.
Andre De Grasse
Ignite: Unlock the Hidden Potential Within
With seven Olympic medals, Andre De Grasse is the most decorated male Olympian in Canadian history. He draws from his improbable Olympic journey to share inspirational stories and lessons about the determination, resilience, and perseverance it takes to become the best.
Audiences will learn how to unlock their own hidden potential and stare down life’s challenges whether at work, at home, or in pursuit of their dreams.
Michel Chikwanine
You Belong in the Story: Identity, Resilience, and Self-Leadership
Abducted at age five and forced to become a child soldier, Michel Chikwanine has overcome unimaginable adversity to become a global voice for peace, education, and ethical leadership.
In this deeply personal, uplifting keynote, he shows audiences how to reclaim their identity, find strength in difference, and become the authors of their own stories through change.
Martin Luther King III
Continuing the Legacy: Civil Rights in the 21st Century
As the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III has devoted his life to promoting human rights and eradicating racism, violence, and poverty.
In this powerful keynote, Martin reflects on his father’s legacy, the civil rights work still left to be done, and the steps needed to make equality for all not just a dream, but a reality.
Well-Being and Resilience
Healthy minds and bodies power healthy organizations. Through expert insight and powerful personal stories, these speakers help audiences manage pressure, prioritize their health, and build resilience to keep moving forward.
Jhanelle Peters
Balancing Performance and Well-Being
Striving for success shouldn’t come at the cost of your mental health. A Registered Psychotherapist and former mental health clinician for the Toronto Raptors, Jhanelle Peters has spoken widely on Black wellness and breaking mental health stigma.
She shows high achievers how to set realistic goals, manage stress, and spot early signs of burnout, while helping leaders build healthier, more supportive workplaces.
Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Prevention Over Prescription
As an ICU doctor, Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng has a simple mission: help you avoid ever needing him. The Department Head of Critical Care at The Ottawa Hospital and a leading advocate for health equity, he has seen firsthand how many life-threatening cases could have been prevented.
Drawing on his book Prevention Over Prescription, he breaks down the pillars of lasting health and shares practical tools that help audiences shift from reactive care to proactive wellness.
Orlando Bowen
Resilience
A former CFL linebacker turned high-performance coach, Orlando Bowen has taught resilience, leadership, and teamwork to more than 300,000 people.
His message is rooted in personal experience. After surviving a brutal assault by two plainclothes police officers and being fully exonerated, he chose forgiveness and committed his life to helping others thrive. He shows audiences how to channel life’s unexpected challenges into fuel for new beginnings.
Education and Belonging
From the classroom to the boardroom, these speakers bring Black history to life, helping audiences confront bias, affirm identities, and create spaces where everyone belongs.
Ask us how these presentations can be tailored for students, educators, or corporate audiences.
Anthony McLean
Black History: Then and Now
Racism isn’t just history; it’s happening now. Drawing on his father’s experience in the 1950s and his own as the only Black student in his school, Anthony McLean shows how far we’ve come and why the work still matters.
With humour, heart, and practical strategies, he challenges audiences to move from “non-racist” to “anti-racist,” recognize microaggressions, and build environments where everyone truly belongs.
Tyrone Edwards
What I Wish My Teachers Had Known
From grade one to graduation, Tyrone Edwards takes audiences through the education system as he experienced it as a young Black boy.
Sharing stories of support and discrimination, discovery and prejudice, he gives educators deeper insight into the students they teach. With vulnerability, kindness, and humour, he shows how to affirm identities, build meaningful relationships, and foster belonging in the classroom.
Dwayne Matthews
Unlocking Stranded Brilliance and the Future of Education in an AI-Enabled World
History shows that when education reaches more people, brilliance once left stranded can transform the world.
Future strategist Dwayne Matthews explores how AI and exponential technologies can open those doors even wider, giving educators and leaders practical steps to harness AI so every student has the chance to reach their full potential.
Whether you’re planning a company-wide celebration, a leadership session, or a school assembly, we’ll help you find a speaker who fits. Contact our team to explore more options and bring your Black History Month event to life.
