Speakers / Topics: Motivation | Inspiration
Do you or your staff need someone to encourage you to work better and achieve your goals? Our motivation and inspiration speakers share their experiences overcoming some of life’s most difficult obstacles, and how you can, too.
Jennifer Ménard-Shand
Indigenous-French-Canadian Entrepreneur
As an Indigenous French-Canadian entrepreneur, Jennifer Ménard-Shand always dreamed of leading a purpose-driven organization. Today, she lives that dream as the founder and CEO of Staff Shop, an award-winning, certified-diverse staffing and recruitment firm. ...
Wes Hall
"Dragon", CBC's Dragons’ Den | Entrepreneur | Philanthropist
The newest “Dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Wes Hall is one of the most influential businesspeople in Canada. As the founder of Kingsdale Advisors and BlackNorth Initiative, Hall has orchestrated multi-billion-dollar deals for CanadaR...
Cassandra Worthy
Founder and CEO, Change Enthusiasm Global
With contagious energy, Cassandra Worthy is a disruptive thought leader on change who helps companies build organizational resilience and adaptability. Too often change adoption is disrupted from the emotional landscape in which it occurs — this is where Wor...
Jamie Clarke
Extreme Adventurer | Entrepreneur | Performance Coach
Business is an adventure, and mountain-climber Jamie Clarke shows audiences how to strategize and succeed in their ventures. An acclaimed adventurer and entrepreneur, Clarke draws parallels between the dynamic environments found in business and nature to share...
Quinn
Olympic Champion | Transgender Trailblazer and Advocate
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Quinn made headlines as not only the first openly transgender athlete to compete, but also the first to win an Olympic medal of any kind when the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team won their historic gold medal. As a keynot...
Tessa Virtue
Canadian Figure Skating Icon
The winner of three Olympic gold medals — five medals in total — Tessa Virtue is one of the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history. She, with her partner Scott Moir, has skated into the hearts of people around the world after becoming the younges...
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa
Physician | Changemaker | Transformative Leadership | Advocate for Diversity and Inclusion
One of Time magazine’s “2021 Next Generational Leaders”, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a medical trailblazer spearheading change in healthcare and beyond. She is an accomplished physician, spoken word poet, and advocate for racialized and marginalized popula...
Silken Laumann
Olympic Hero | Mental Health & Child Advocate
A world champion single sculls rower and a four-time Olympic medallist, Silken Laumann knows what it takes to be the best in the world. She also knows what it means to overcome adversity. While at the peak of her game, a boat crashed into her leg, almost endin...
Kendal Netmaker
Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Author, and Indigenous Speaker
An award-winning entrepreneur and author, Kendal Netmaker is a master storyteller who uses his natural gift to help people shift their mindset and find the success they seek. He speaks professionally to thousands of people worldwide on resilience, leadership, ...
Andre De Grasse
Olympic Champion Sprinter | Six-Time Olympic Medalist
Andre De Grasse made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics when he became the first Canadian to win Olympic medals in all three sprint events in a single Games, claiming the silver behind Usain Bolt in the 200m and bronze in both the 100m and 4x100m events. At the ...
Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal
Nike's Former Leadership Development and Talent Strategy Head | Resilience Expert
Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal is a leading global authority on resilience, well-being, and mental health. Previously the head of executive leadership development and talent strategy at Nike, she is now the founder and chief resilience officer of the Resilience Lead...
Mario Rigby
Eco-Explorer
Mario Rigby has always been driven to push the limits. Exploring his entrepreneurial and athletic ambitions since a young age, eventually he was drawn to a grander challenge that led him to pursue an adventure that would allow him to better connect with the wo...
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour
America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot | Author | Business Consultant
Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour is a gutsy trailblazer, whose resume is an impressive collection of firsts—including being the first Black woman combat pilot in the US Armed Forces. Prior to that she worked as a police officer, served two tours of duty ...
Robyn Benincasa
World Champion Adventure Racer | Bestselling Author
When the challenges are steep, and the competition fierce, Robyn Benincasa provides individuals and organizations the tools they need to inspire themselves and one another to their greatest heights and to cross their most challenging finish lines. As a two-tim...
Michael Landsberg
Mental Health Speaker | Founder of #SickNotWeak
Former Off the Record host Michael Landsberg is a charismatic icon of the Canadian sports community. He’s also one of the country’s most vocal mental health advocates, the founder of the #SickNotWeak non-profit organization, and is dedicated to era...
Hamza Khan
Future of Work Expert | Author of Leadership, Reinvented
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 Five Habits of Human Connection That Build Extraordinary Relationships. He is also an accomplished broadcaster with 17 years of television experience, inter...
Ben Nemtin
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author | Co-Founder 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...
Seth Godin
Author, Entrepreneur and Most of All, A Teacher
Seth Godin is an internationally recognized speaker, popular blogger, and global thought leader in innovative business ideas and marketing strategy. Named one of the Top 21 Speakers For the 21st Century by Successful Meetings magazine, Godin draws on his bests...
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...
Chris Bashinelli
National Geographic Explorer | Executive Producer and Host, Bridge the Gap
After a 10-year acting career that included an appearance on HBO’s The Sopranos, Chris Bashinelli decided to follow his real passion and use media to build bridges between cultures. He now travels the world as the host of National Geographic’s Bridge the G...
Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.)
First Woman Thunderbird Pilot | Combat Veteran | White House Fellow and Advisor
Colonel Nicole Malachowski defies stereotypes. The first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds, a combat veteran, and a White House Fellow, her distinguished 21-year Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams. But the dream came to a quick end when a devastating t...
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, she uses her quick wit and energetic personality to deliver practical leadership training and communication tools. Having worked with some o...
Kellylee Evans
Juno Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter | Motivational Speaker
Internationally acclaimed Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Kellylee Evans has been making waves around the world with her energy-charged performances. She shares her inspirational journey of recovery and showcases the importance of self-care and finding yo...
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 redefine leadership. With more than five million views, his TED talk “Everyday Leadership (The Lollipop Moment)” proved that leadership is not a characteristic o...
Serena Ryder
Juno Award-Winning Musician | Mental Health Advocate
A vocal powerhouse, Serena Ryder is a platinum-selling artist whose raw and earnest songwriting and beautifully electric live performances have made her a favourite amongst fans, peers, and critics alike. She has received numerous accolades, including the pres...
Chris Koch
Renowned Motivational Speaker
Chris Koch doesn’t let limitations or obstacles stand in his way. Despite being born without arms and legs, Koch grew up like any other small-town kid — playing road hockey, causing mischief at school, and helping out on his family farm. Neither he or his ...
Robin Esrock
Renowned Travel Writer and TV Host
Robin Esrock’s success as a global adventurer, travel writer, bestselling author, and international TV personality is no accident — although it did start with one. After a bike accident left him with a modest insurance settlement, Esrock quit his job to se...
Shane Feldman
Connection | Community | Leadership
Shane Feldman believes community is the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. Recognized by The White House, The Prime Minister of Canada, and The United Nations for his achievements in community leadership, he helps leading brands optimi...
Anthony McLean
Mental Health | Inclusivity | Education
With a background in theatre, Anthony McLean delivers lively presentations on mental health, diversity and inclusion, and education. He has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks across the world, rocking the stage at conferences, colleges, and corporate events...
Samra Zafar
Human Rights Activist | Social Entrepreneur | Bestselling Author
After escaping a decade of abuse living as a child bride in Canada, Samra Zafar has became a beacon of hope for many people facing exclusion, abuse, and gender-based violence. Now an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and social entrepren...
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Leadership and 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 2.5 million views and was selected as one of TED’s top 10 ideas. An internationally ren...
Vinh Giang
Entrepreneur | Master Communicator | Magician
For more than 15 years, Vinh Giang has dedicated himself to mastering the art of performance-enhanced communication, helping thousands of professionals worldwide do the same through the power of magic. In his inspiring talks, Giang seamlessly integrates storyt...
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...
Bobby Jones
Marketing for Social Change
Bobby Jones is one of the most influential voices in the worldwide movement of conscious capitalism. As the founding partner of the purpose consultancy, Conspiracy of Love, Jones seeks to connect and serve a global community of purpose-driven organizations and...
Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe
Expert on Resiliency and Workplace Wellness
Described as one of the most sought-after, engaging, thought-provoking, and truly transformative international speakers and scholars in her field, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is a multi-award-winning psychology and education instructor who specializes in resilienc...
Alex Hutchinson
Human Performance Expert | Award-Winning Journalist | Bestselling Author
Many believe our limits are defined by physical traits, but Alex Hutchinson knows that limits only exist in our minds. An award-winning science journalist, Alex draws on his experiences as an elite long-distance runner for Canada’s national team and as a sci...
Swish Goswami
CEO, Surf | Startup Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Swish Goswami has built a multi-hyphenate career at just the age of 24. He is the CEO of Surf, a social intelligence platform that helps brands of all sizes make smarter marketing decisions. His company, which acquired SocialRank in late 2019, works with clien...
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...
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir
The Most Decorated Figure Skaters in Olympic History
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir not only danced their way to two gold medals at the 2018 Winter Games in PeongChang, South Korea—they danced their way into the hearts of people around the world. The most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, the pair are ...
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
International Recognition, Culture, and Retention expert
Sarah McVanel is passionate about guiding people to discover their own greatness and recognize the greatness in others. Her curated, customized talks explore why recognizing greatness is a fundamental key to improving morale, increasing top talent retention, a...
Joey Coleman
Customer Experience Expert
When organizations like Whirlpool, NASA, Volkswagen Australia, the World Bank, and Zappos need to boost their customers’ experience, they call on Joey Coleman for assistance. For nearly twenty years, Coleman has helped organizations retain their best cus...
Jade Simmons
Transformative Leadership Expert | Motivational Pianist
Jade Simmons is a creator of transformational experiences designed to activate audiences into becoming the biggest, boldest version of themselves possible. The world-class concert artist has been called a “musical force of nature” with an “un...
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 parents’ legacy of non-violent 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...
Phil M Jones
Globally Recognized Sales Expert | Bestselling Author
Phil M Jones has made it his life’s work to demystify the sales process, reframe what it means to “sell”, and help sales teams learn new skills that inspire confidence, overcome fears, and instantaneously impact their results. His contagious personality ...
Peter Katz
JUNO-Nominated Musician and Storyteller
Peter Katz is a Juno Award and Canadian Screen Award-nominated singer-songwriter who has spent the past 15 years touring internationally. He has been described by many of his fans and clients as “a thunderbolt for the soul”. A gifted storyteller, Katz ...