Jason James

Guest Speaker

20+ veteran within Senior Management within the Financial and public sector

Cybersecurity architect and certified ethical hacker

DJ and father 

Brenton Alleyne

Guest Speaker

• Founder & Entrepreneur- Alleynes Men’s Grooming Company.

• Through his career, he has built two businesses and sold one. His current business has expanded to 2 locations.

• Trinidadian descent, husband, and father of two girls.

Andrew Ogilvie

Guest Speaker

• U of T Graduate in Sociology/Political Science

• 16+ veteran of the civil service, focused on policy development through research, engaging with stakeholders from all sectors, and designing programs that meet the needs of the community.

Joella Connaught

Guest Speaker

• Graduate of Ryerson University's Social Work Program (B.S.W.)

• 18+ years in social work, 12 of those years in the Developmental Disabilities Service Sector

• Active board member and council member at school and daycare establishments 

Benjamin DeGraff

Guest Speaker

• A Successful Event Professional within 300+ successful events ranging from weddings, corporate leadership series, fundraisers and community events through his DJ business.

• Aspiring DJ, husband, father, sports fanatic and creator of a music and leadership programs and music initiatives

Casey Palmer

Guest Speaker

• Husband. Father. Storyteller.

• 12+ veteran of the civil service

• Casey is a Canadian Dad from Toronto, Ontario who shares his fatherhood journey at Casey Palmer.

Sylvia Dixon

Guest Speaker

• Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts - majored in Linguistics.

• A Financial Consultant and a Marketing Director with Trinity Financial Solutions & Associates - based out of Cambridge, ON; which is one of the 270+ offices on the World Financial Group Canada Inc. platform.

• Passion focused through financial literacy and advising

• Actively teaching/ and educating through local and regional workshops on a regular basis across Ontario; 

Stefan Cvijetan

Guest Speaker

• Stefan has a Bachelors of Health Sciences with focuses in Kinesthetics and Health Policy from York University.  

• Experience focused in consulting over various health topics including nutrition, strength training & rehabilitation.

Lauren Beckford

Guest Speaker

• 17 year Educator with Peel District School Board

• Devoted Christian and public speaker 
   

Olivia DeGraaf

Guest Speaker

• Public School Teacher within the York Region District School Board

• 20 years passionate about empowering the youth and focusing on our underserved students.

Marlene Spence

Guest Speaker

• 21+ years of experience supporting children and their families who have experienced challenges related to autism, ADHD, anxiety, developmental delay, and other behavioural challenges.

• Child Behaviour Specialist, Parent Coach

• Founder of Cornerstone Family Services and the Creator of Reward’um™, the first re-stickable routine chart for families featured on CTV, CHCH and Cityline.

• 15 years assisting school-based teams with strategic program development and planning to develop safe and nurturing classrooms.

Duane Hall

Guest Speaker

• A Musician and Actor for over 20 years.

• Educator with Peel District School Board
   

Miranda Mckie

Guest Speaker

•  Manager in Data Architecture and Engineering and leads the People Analytics function for Accenture Applied Intelligence Canada.

• Leads the GTA Women’s ERG and is a Board Member on the Toronto Board of Trade’s Young People’s Committee.

• Prior to Accenture, Miranda co-founded and was the
  President of a non-profit, Young Women in Business (YWiB) Toronto, which focuses on providing women with a strong and sustainable network of support to enable their professional development..

Lola Adeyemi

Guest Speaker

• Lola Adeyemi is Founder of 'It's Souper', an Afro-fusion soup line launched in November 2018. 

• It’s Souper is the first African & Black Owned Soup line in Canada

• Nominated for 'Best New Product of the Year' in 2019 by the Retail Council of Canada only months after hitting the stores. Her Chicken Peanut Soup recipe was in the Final 3, recognized by industry experts and leaders.

Simply Leah

Guest Speaker

• Event Host, Club MC

• Radio Personality working with Toronto's BEST urban music Vibe 105.5 FM 

• A writer and media blogger 

Stephanie Dixon

Guest Speaker

• Holistic Nutritionist, and Educator

• Focused on helping people to be empowered around their overall health and well-being through group workshops and one on one coaching.

• Extensive experience from a holistic perspective: creating life plans that fulfill on wellness goals around healthy eating, stress and pain management, emotional and mental health wellness, and the connection between health and financial balance.

• Focused support within the health of families, and more specifically children, women, and those with chronic pain conditions.