Speakers / Topics: Leadership
We believe the aim of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Our experts point individuals and organizations in the right direction to guide others to achieve personal and professional goals.
Erica Dhawan
Leading Expert on Digital Teamwork, Collaboration & Innovation | Bestselling Author
Erica Dhawan says we all have the power to drive innovation, but first we need to get past the roadblocks we create for ourselves: endless meetings, cross-team dysfunction, resource-wasting duplication, and a lack of real, meaningful inclusion. Drawing on her ...
Hamza Khan
Multi-Award Winning Marketer & Entrepreneur | Empowerment Expert
Hamza Khan is a multi-award-winning marketer, bestselling author, and global keynote speaker whose TEDx talk “Stop Managing, Start Leading” has been viewed over a million times. He shares actionable insights on resilience, productivity, and leaders...
Riaz Meghji
Human Connection Expert | Author of Every Conversation Counts
Riaz Meghji is a human connection keynote speaker and author of the book Every Conversation Counts: The 5 Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships. He is also an accomplished broadcaster with 17 years of television experience, intervie...
Jennifer Moss
Workplace Expert | Author of Unlocking Happiness at Work
Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist, author and international public speaker specializing in happiness and wellness at work. Her book, Unlocking Happiness at Work, received the distinguished UK Business Book of the Year Award. Moss works with a wide r...
Ben Nemtin
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author | Cofounder of The Buried Life Movement
As the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and star of MTV’s high rated The Buried Life, Ben Nemtin uses keynote presentations to help empower and motivate groups to make a difference and live courageously. Nemt...
Lekan Olawoye
Founder and CEO, Black Professionals in Tech Network
A passionate advocate for organizational change and lasting progress, Lekan Olawoye is a leader who is equally comfortable offering high-level business advice as he is passionately speaking about how to be an effective ally. His organization, the Black Profess...
Tina Varughese
Cross-Cultural Communication and Diversity Expert
An Indo-Canadian daughter of first generation East Indian parents, Varughese says her cultural background allows her to find “the best of both worlds” and shed light, knowledge, and, most importantly, universal humour into the changing workplace. H...
Jack Armstrong
Award Winning Broadcaster | Toronto Raptors Game Analyst | TSN’s Basketball Insider
Best known as the colourful and entertaining voice of the 2019 NBA Championship winning team, the Toronto Raptors, Jack Armstrong has spent more than two decades covering basketball for TSN and NBA TV. Prior to this, he spent a decade as the head basketball co...
Eric Termuende
Future of Work and Leadership Expert
A globally recognized thought leader, bestselling author, and speaker, Eric Termuende brings a fresh perspective to workplace culture and the future of work. His actionable and entertaining keynotes combine research, storytelling, and case studies to help lead...
Ambassador Bruce Heyman
Former US Ambassador to Canada | Author, The Art of Diplomacy
Bruce Heyman served as the US Ambassador to Canada under President Barack Obama from 2014 until 2017. His leadership emphasized the importance of the Canada-US relationship and pushed for more collaboration and cross-border investments. Today, he continues to ...
Jennifer Barroll
Corporate Leadership and Communications Consultant
Jennifer Barroll is a passionate communicator. With a background as an actor, media personality, and stand-up comedian, Barroll uses her quick wit and energetic personality to deliver practical leadership training and communication tools. Having worked with so...
Drew Dudley
Internationally Acclaimed Leadership Speaker | Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
Called one of the most inspirational TED speakers in the world, Drew Dudley is on a mission to help people discover the leader within. With more than five million views, his TED talk “Everyday Leadership (The Lollipop Moment)” redefined leadership ...
Brian Burke
NHL Leader | Community Activist | Philanthropist
Hockey legend Brian Burke is a dynamic figure in both the worlds of business and sport. He is the president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and formerly held leadership positions in the organizations of the Calgary Flames, the Toronto Maple L...
Shane Feldman
Connection | Community | Leadership
In this digital age of distraction and disconnection, many companies are finding it increasingly challenging to engage and retain both top-tier talent and customers. This is where Shane Feldman thrives. Recognized by The White House, The Prime Minister of Cana...
Anthony McLean
Leadership | Mental Health | Inclusivity
With a background in theatre, Anthony McLean delivers lively presentations on mental health, diversity, and inclusion. He has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks across Canada, the US, and Australia, and, as a respected voice in his field, appeared on CBC Ne...
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Leadership & Diversity Expert | Social Advocate
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is an engineer, author, broadcaster, and award-winning social advocate. Her powerful TED talk, “What does my headscarf mean to you” has more than 1.8 million views, and she has become an internationally renowned speaker on the topics o...
Scott Burrows
Expert on Vision, Mindset, and Pure Grit
Scott Burrows has lived the hero’s journey. Growing up as an all-star athlete, Burrows played college football at FSU and was a top-ranked kickboxing champion whose last fight was broadcast by ESPN. During the height of his athletic career though, Burrows su...
Dr. Hadiya Roderique
Diversity and Inclusion Advocate | Journalist | Lawyer
As a young, black woman working as a lawyer on Bay Street, Dr. Hadiya Roderique delivered a wake-up call to corporate Canada in the form of her Globe and Mail feature essay, “Black on Bay Street.” Shared more than 13,000 times on Facebook, with the acc...
Lane Merrifield
“Dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den | Tech Entrepreneur
The newest “dragon” to join CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Lane Merrifield is one of Canada’s leading tech entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Club Penguin, the largest children’s online social network. At age 28, he sold it to Disney for $350 millio...
Mandy Gilbert
Entrepreneur, CEO & Innovator
Having successfully built two international businesses from the ground up, Mandy Gilbert has been recognized as a United Nations Global Accelerator and ranked as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs on Canadian Business‘ Profit 500 list and Cha...
Gregor Jeffrey
Communication Thought Leader
So many of us struggle with communication in our work or in our personal lives. Gregor Jeffrey’s own challenges with communication led him to a remarkable discovery — that the key to connecting with others and achieving influence can be found in scienc...
Jacqueline Carter
Leadership & Mindfulness Expert
The world is facing a global leadership crisis. 77% of leaders think they do a good job of engaging their people, yet 88% of employees say their leaders don’t engage enough, and 65% of employees would forgo a pay raise to see their leaders fired. Leaders...
Jamie Mason Cohen
Leadership & Performance Expert
Referred to by some as the “personality x-ray machine”, Jamie Mason Cohen is a certified grapho-therapist and leadership strategist whose TEDx talk on how to spot a leader through their handwriting has been viewed more than two million times. His unique an...
Johnny Cupcakes
CEO, Johnny Cupcakes | Award Winning Entrepreneur & Brand Hysteria Expert
If you dream of inspiring cult-like brand loyalty—the kind that involves mile-long queues and even permanent tattoos— then Johnny “Cupcakes” Earle is for you. The founder of the world-renowned tee-shirt brand Johnny Cupcakes, Johnny’s kno...
Sarah McVanel
Recognition Expert
Sarah McVanel is passionate about guiding people to discover their own greatness, and recognize the greatness in others. In her curated, customized talks, she offers the evidence that backs up how recognizing greatness is a fundamental key to improving morale,...
Dr. Lisa Bélanger
Behavioural Change Expert | Researcher
An organization’s greatest asset is its people. Award-winning CEO Dr. Lisa Bélanger shows leaders and teams how insights from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science can be applied in the workplace to optimize performance, productivity, and innova...
Allison Massari
Inspirational TED Speaker | Burn Survivor | Visual Artist
Hailed by audiences worldwide as “life-changing”, “riveting”, “extraordinary”, “bold”, and “deeply moving”, Allison Massari’s message of courage, kindness, and resilience resonates with participants long after an event has finished. Liste...
Choir! Choir! Choir!
International Singing Phenomenon
Choir! Choir! Choir! has sung with Tegan and Sara at the Junos, performed at a David Bowie tribute in New York, and have even taken to the Radio City Music Hall stage with Debbie Harry and The Flaming Lips. A collective led by creative directors Nobu Adilman ...
Martin Luther King III
Global Human Rights Activist
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change. Motivating audiences with his message of hope and responsibility for ...
Mel Robbins
Expert on Defeating Doubt | Award-Winning CNN Commentator | Bestselling Author
In her globally acclaimed TEDx talk, Mel Robbins wowed the world with the science-backed secret to change: The 5 Second Rule. More than 17 million views later, the 5 Second Rule has become a bestselling book and a life-changing movement that challenges thinkin...
Michael Burns
President and CEO, Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation | Former CEO, Invictus Games
Under Michael Burns’ leadership, the Toronto Invictus Games were completely sold out, and viewed by more than 40 million people around the world. But, more than anything, the Games continued to enhance the global understanding of the ongoing challenges veter...
Neen James
Sales, Leadership, and Productivity Expert
Today’s leaders and team members live, work, and breathe in a whirlwind 24/7 cycle of commitments, distractions, data, and deadlines, causing them to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and out of control. Productivity, sales, and leadership expert Neen James’ hig...
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 spent fiv...
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 politics....
Kaihan Krippendorff
Strategy and Innovation Expert
Kaihan Krippendorff is one of the most in-demand business speakers in the world. A bestselling author, internationally recognized thought-leader, and a sought-after strategic advisor, Kaihan is known for his ability to turn difficult concepts into easy-to-und...
Tim Arnold
Leadership Development and Teambuilding Expert
Leaders and teams are often in a tug-of-war, facing competing demands such as planning vs. action, structure vs. flexibility, change vs. stability, and work vs. home. In order to thrive, they must tackle these tensions head on. Tim Arnold provides his audience...
Jill Heinerth
Explorer-in-Residence, The Royal Canadian Geographical Society
More people have walked on the moon than have visited many of the places that Jill Heinerth has seen on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves, to searching for never-before-seen ecosystems inside giant Antarctic icebergs, ...
Stacey Hanke
Communication Expert
Today’s fast-paced business environment requires leaders who can create impact and influence others with sound communication practices. Stacey Hanke has trained over 15,000 executives to influence, persuade, sell, or simply effectively communicate face-to-fa...
Rick Hansen
Man In Motion | Champion for Accessibility and Inclusion
Rick Hansen, C.C., O.B.C., is a Canadian icon who has dedicated his life to awakening the world to the potential of people with disabilities. He is best known as the “Man In Motion” for undertaking an epic 26-month, 40,000 km journey around the world in hi...
Liane Davey
Expert on Building Effective Teams, Improving Communication, and Increasing Leadership Effectiveness
Known as the “teamwork doctor,” Liane Davey knows how to create high performing teams. Having worked with organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, from across the globe helping teams from the frontlines to the boardroom, she has developed a unique p...
Michele Romanow
"Dragon", CBC's Dragons’ Den | Co-Founder and President, Clearbanc
Tech titan Michele Romanow is a serial entrepreneur who started six companies before her 35th birthday. A “Dragon” on CBC’s hit show Dragons’ Den, Romanow is the Co-founder and President of Clearbanc. Clearbanc has invested more than $1B into 3...
Nicole Stott
Astronaut | Aquanaut | Artist
Nicole Stott has explored from the heights of outer space to the depths of our oceans. She has dedicated her life to sharing her spaceflight experience and the beauty of Earth with others. She believes that sharing the orbital and inner space perspectives has...
Molly Fletcher
CEO | Business Author | Former Sports Agent
Molly Fletcher is a trailblazer in every sense of the word — a rare talent of business wisdom, relationship brilliance, and unwavering optimism. As the former president of client representation for sports and entertainment agency CSE, she was hailed as the &...
Bill Walton
Basketball Legend | Broadcaster | Humanitarian
Bill Walton has a passion—for his work, for family and friends, for music, for life, and for greatness! Bill brings his out-sized passion to the stage and inspires audiences with tales from an improbable life in sport and beyond. He speaks about the secrets ...
Michael Hyatt
Leadership | Change and Innovation Visionary
In our rapidly shifting business landscape, Michael Hyatt wants to inspire people to face change head-on, and give them the tools and insight needed to succeed. A self-made millionaire who built two highly successful tech firms, he ranks as one of Canada’s t...
Neil Pasricha
Happiness Expert | Bestselling Author of The Book of Awesome
A Harvard MBA, New York Times bestselling author, award-winning blogger, and one of the most popular TED speakers in the world, Neil Pasricha is “a pied piper of happiness” who dazzles audiences with ideas that skyrocket happiness into the stratosphere. ...
Joseph Michelli
Customer Experience Expert | Bestselling Author
Joseph Michelli helps organizations catapult to pre-eminence by creating engaged employees and exemplary customer service experiences. Boasting globally celebrated clients like Starbucks, Zappos, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Michelli is a renowned organ...
Sébastien Sasseville
Athlete | Change Management and Leadership Expert | Author
Sébastien Sasseville empowers leaders to lead with purpose and inspires organizations to embrace change. An endurance athlete, his extraordinary accomplishments — which include summiting Mount Everest, completing the mythical Sahara race, and running across...
Orlando Bowen
Game Changer and Motivational Speaker
When it comes to building teams, creating momentum, and employing winning strategies, Orlando Bowen is the real deal. A former professional football player and now high-performance coach, for the past fifteen years Bowen has used storytelling, fitness activiti...
Ryan Estis
Business Performance Expert
Ryan Estis has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. As the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising agency NAS, he brings a fresh perspective to business events. Known for his innovative...