Speakers / Topics: Global Issues
War. Climate Change. Foreign Policy. These are just some of the issues facing our global community every day. Our speakers hail from the tops of their fields in business, politics, journalism and more – and all help to make sense of what’s moving the world forward, and what’s holding it back.
Dan Gardner
Risk Management & Forecasting | Award-winning Journalist | Bestselling Author
Can we improve our ability to forecast the future and manage risks to do better in business and life? Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Dan Gardner tackles these questions and more in his eye-opening and mind-expanding talks. Based on h...
Tanya Talaga
Award-winning Journalist | Author of Seven Fallen Feathers
An award-winning journalist and author, and the First Ojibway woman to deliver the CBC Massey Lectures, Tanya Talaga is an acclaimed storyteller. Her book Seven Fallen Feathers, a national bestseller that introduced us to seven Indigenous high school...
Martin Luther King III
Civil Rights Activist & Global Humanitarian
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III has seized the torch lit by his parents by continuing their quest for equality and justice for all. Motivating audiences with his message of ...
Jennifer Keesmaat
Former Chief Planner, City of Toronto | Renowned Urbanist
Jennifer Keesmaat is passionate about creating places where people flourish. Named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Maclean’s, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life, and one of the top Women of Influence in Canada, she...
The Hon. Rona Ambrose
Former Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons
The Honourable Rona Ambrose is a dynamic national leader, a champion for the rights of women and girls, the former Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons, and the former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Rona knows...
Peter Zeihan
Geopolitical Strategist
Geopolitical Strategist Peter Zeihan is a global energy, demographic and security expert. His worldview marries the realities of geography and populations to provide a deep understanding of how global politics impacts markets and economic trends, to...
Amanda Lindhout
New York Times Bestselling Author | Expert on Resilience, Survival, and Optimal Mindset
In 2008, Amanda Lindhout travelled to Somalia — a country often called “the most dangerous place on earth”. Abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road, Amanda was held hostage for 460 days, and survived on her strategy, fortitude, and...
Scott Harrison
Founder and CEO of charity: water | World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
Scott Harrison has helped to bring clean drinking water to over 6.3 million people worldwide. The founder and CEO of charity: water, one of the most well-known philanthropic organisations in the world, shares how his approach to running a non-profit ...
Bob Woodward
Legendary Two-Time Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist | Author | Associate Editor, The Washington Post
Former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wished he’d recruited Bob Woodward into the CIA. A journalistic icon who gained international attention when he and Carl Bernstein broke the deeply disturbing news of the Watergate scandal, ...
The Hon. John Baird
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird demonstrated his leadership on the world stage by championing freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Holding the position in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2011 to 2015, Mr...
