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...

The road to real leadership is rarely a straight one. Among Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, few have faced more obstacles than Zahra Al-Harazi. With a no-holds-barred attitude, Al-Harazi helps people and organizations realize their potential for succ...

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 ...

If diversity is our strength, inclusion is our superpower. Michael Bach is nationally and international recognized as a thought leader and subject matter expert in the fields of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. As the founder of the Canadian Ce...

The multi-talented Andrea Bain is an author, podcaster and on-air personality. A veteran TV host and broadcast news reporter, she is also the author of the book, Single Girl Problems, and host of her own radio show/podcast of the same name. Known as an insight...

Chief Perry Bellegarde has dedicated his life to championing the rights and well-being of First Nations. For 35 years, he has held various First Nations leadership roles, including two terms served as the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN). ...

Ritu Bhasin, LL.B., MBA, is an internationally recognized expert in leadership, workplace culture, inclusion, and belonging. As the CEO of bhasin consulting inc. (bsi), a preeminent leadership and inclusion consulting firm, she has worked with hundreds of reno...

On a mission to bridge the gap between young entrepreneurs and the digital future, Sinead Bovell strives to create conversations that will lead towards a progressive, informed, and thriving new era. She is a futurist and the founder of WAYE, an organization th...

A star athlete, Scott Burrows played college football at Florida State University and was a top-ranked kickboxing champion whose last fight was broadcast by ESPN. At the height of his athletic career, Burrows life changed dramatically — a horrific car crash ...

With his extensive pop culture knowledge and an innate ability to ease his guests into intimate and candid conversation, Tyrone Edwards brings his expertise to Canada’s most-watched entertainment program as the anchor of Etalk. A versatile presenter and ...

The newest “Dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Wes Hall is one of the most influential businesspeople in Canada. The Globe and Mail has called him one of the nation’s “most influential powerbrokers,” Canadian Business magazine named him one of the �...

The co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement in Canada and Black Lives Matter – Toronto, Sandy Hudson is an activist, public intellectual, and an award-winning writer. She has a unique ability to distill complex ideas into manageable concepts and a tale...

Dr. Ivan Joseph inspires people and teams to achieve more than they dreamed. An award-winning coach, educator, and leader, Joseph has spent his career leading cultural transformation, helping people believe in themselves, and creating cohesive teams. He speaks...

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...

Building three businesses from the ground up has given Marc Lafleur a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in today’s competitive business landscape. As the co-founder and CEO of truLOCAL, he’s built it into a team of 60+ people, expanded across ...

With a prestigious career that spanned almost 18 years at the international level, Karina LeBlanc is one of the longest serving soccer players for Canada. She participated in five FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games, bringing home a bronze medal at the 2016 ...

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...

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...

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. ...

Currently the President and Vice Chancellor of a large, multi-disciplinary post-secondary institution renowned globally for an ethos of trailblazing, Dr. Janet Morrison is an educator, thought leader, and change agent. She draws on her 35 years of experience l...

During his 11-year tenure as mayor, Naheed Nenshi led Calgary through one of its most prosperous and tumultuous decades. Alongside unprecedented investment in quality of life, Calgary also saw four states of emergency called that included a devastating flood a...

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, ...

Lekan Olawoye is the founder and CEO of Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) — the largest Black tech and business community in North America — and is a passionate advocate for organizational change and lasting progress. He was named one of Canada’...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Tanya Talaga is an award-winning Anishinaabe journalist and author. An acclaimed storyteller, she is the author of the national bestselling book, Seven Fallen Feathers, which introduced us to seven Indigenous high school students who mysteriously died in Thund...

As president and vice-chairman of the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri has led the team through its most successful period in franchise history, including an NBA Championship. In June 2019, the Raptors won their first NBA title with a six-game victory over Golden ...

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...

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, PC, OBC, KC, was raised to be a leader. The daughter of a hereditary chief and Indigenous leader, she always knew that she would seek leadership roles and responsibilities. As a lawyer, an advocate, and a leader among Canad...

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...

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 internationally renowned speaker, bestselling author, and educa...