Colleen has built a track record as an executive leader for global American, and Canadian financial services institutions for over 20 years.

She has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to leading impacted enterprise results, strategic planning, and operational excellence. She leads high-performing executives, teams, while coaching and mentoring a pipeline of future executives.

As a sought-after keynote speaker, she has delivered powerful and personal insights at prestigious universities, corporations and community events.

Her accomplishments have been recognized with her 2023 Harry Jerome Award, and CILAR 2022 Aspiring Innovator of the Year Award. Her dedication to development is evidenced by her roles with The Firehood, Black Professionals in Tech Network, and Women in Technology.

Nadim is the Executive Vice President, Head of People and Culture at GreenShield. With over 20 years of experience in human resources across both the private and public sectors, Nadim has a proven track record of designing and implementing people strategies that drive organizational transformation and performance.  

He is known for aligning and advancing human resources priorities and functions in the context of changing market realities, and creating synergies with both leadership and operations to achieve strategic transformation.

As the Executive Vice President, Head of People and Culture, Nadim is focused on advancing GreenShield’s People & Culture function to foster a high-impact and highly engaged workforce where Purpose meets Passion and Performance.

Nadim holds a Masters in Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto and is designated as a Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) and Certified Compensation Professional.

Dr. Wendy is a professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Founder and Academic Director of the Diversity Institute, and Academic Research Director of the Future Skills Centre. Formerly the Vice President of Research and Innovation.

Wendy has written more than 200 papers on technology, innovation and management. She co-authored the bestseller “Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Java to Jurassic Park” and is a leader in disruptive technologies and innovation. Launched in 1999, the Diversity Institute now has 80 full time research staff, 10 hubs across the country, and 300 partners, undertaking research and evidence based programs to advance growth, sustainability, innovation and inclusion.

As the Academic Research Director for the Future Skill Centre, Wendy has helped design, implement and evaluate FSC programs as well as specific projects focused on advancing digital skills, and AI adoption, training platform for small and medium enterprises, nonprofits and municipalities, and capacity building and leadership development projects.

Current projects are focused on the impact of demographic shifts, trade disruption and the impact of technology particularly AI and their implications for the workforce and skills development. She has received many academic, industry and community awards for her work and was named one of the “100 alumni who shaped the century” by the University of Toronto. She holds an MA, MBA (Toronto), a PhD in Information Systems (Schulich, York) and two honorary doctorates (Concordia, Laval).

Lon is a human-centred leader, strategist, author, and coach. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, meaning, and impact, helping people and organizations become more human in how they lead, decide, and connect.

Lon has led social enterprises, faith communities, and technology startups, and spent a decade working internationally with some of the world’s most vulnerable communities through a humanitarian agency. Across these contexts, his work has consistently focused on dignity, agency, and systems that serve people rather than the other way around.

He has led a national youth movement, launched multiple campaigns, and developed innovative programs and products grounded in human-centred design. Lon has also coached and facilitated global leaders through the altMBA, supporting courageous thinking, clarity, and strategic decision-making in complex environments.

As Partner and Lead Consultant at Chisel Consulting, Lon works with nonprofit leaders and organizations to elevate their impact in ways that are sustainable, values-aligned, and deeply human.

Lon holds a Bachelor of Engineering, a Master of Divinity focused on spirituality and leadership, and is a certified coach. He is a lifelong practitioner of mindfulness, nonviolent communication, culture-building, and thoughtful ruckus-making.

Federica is the founder of The Resilience Equation and a strategic resilience expert. She helps leaders and organisations build macro resilience by strengthening the systems and leadership practices that shape execution, decision-making, and culture, so performance holds up and improves under pressure. At individual and team level, she strengthens micro resilience, the capabilities that shape how people function under pressure: clear thinking, emotional regulation, sustainable energy, and self-motivation.

Federica has over 20 years of experience in organisational performance, leadership development, culture, and change management. She held senior roles at Mars, Diageo, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, and has consulted with corporations including LEGO, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive. Her approach combines behavioural science, strategic insight, and human centred design, with a strong focus on practical application.

Yvonne is a Change Management Strategist, Advisor, and Change Leadership Advocate, with over 20 years of experience helping executives, professionals, and organizations to navigate through change in today’s fast-paced and disruptive environment. She is the founder of The Change Leadership, a series of events and community focused on preparing professionals and organization to respond better and faster to change in their industry.

She is passionate about helping professional and organizations lead and respond to change better & faster. She has worked with organizations such as RBC, TD, Deloitte, Loblaws, and JP Morgan Chase to lead and manage their Strategic, Technology and Change Initiatives.

She holds a BSc honours in Business Information Technology from London Guildhall University, an MBA from Warwick Business School, and a Change Leadership Certificate from Cornell University. She works closely with professionals to help them more effectively lead and manage change in their organizations, to become sought after change leaders in their organizations and industry. She is a published author and change catalyst.

Alex is the founder of Experience Innovation Inc., where he builds permanent operational excellence and change capability inside convention centres, entertainment venues, integrated resorts and hospitality organizations so they own the change long after the engagement ends.

Alex began his career serving others as a firefighter and paramedic, later transitioning to flight paramedicine. That journey gave him a simple operating philosophy: stay calm under pressure, communicate clearly and effectively, lead by example, put people first, and build systems that work when it matters most.

His approach blends Lean operations, Hoshin Kanri strategic planning, the neuroscience of change, and a human-centred application of AI to create improvement systems that outlast any single initiative. He is currently embedded at the Calgary Stampede, helping to evolve the 114-year legacy of Western Hospitality and providing the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

Alex holds an MBA from the University of Illinois and AI/ML credentials from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute.

Dr. Jill Birch is one of the world’s leading experts on relational leadership. She specializes in helping leaders avoid missteps and overcome blind spots by leading with empathy, inspiring with compassion and transforming through connection. Her work is best done when organizations need to drastically change the way they empower, engage and inspire others to gain competitive advantage. A former CEO and member of several C-Suites, Jill is more than just a leadership consultant: she has real-life experience in leading through both opportunity and crisis.

Jill is the Founder and CEO of BirchGrove Inc, a leading leadership and strategy development organization for leaders who seek to fuse their hard-earned experience with relational skills to unlock performance that drives results. She began her career in marketing, where she launched educational brands across North America. It was there she gained first-hand practical experience in developing a unique approach to leadership while managing competitive intelligence, business development and strategic planning for four national trade associations.

Today, Jill is a reputed public speaker and facilitates leadership, strategy and innovation workshops around the world. She is also a faculty member with the Schulich School of Business, where she teaches advanced leadership programs and Trent University where she teaches strategy development in the School of Graduate Studies.

Jill holds a Ph.D. from Griffith University in Australia where she researched relational leadership and an M.A. from OISE/UT where she researched how CEOs learn to lead and how they learn to learn. Jill’s new book, “The Compassion Advantage: 7 Practices to Lead Stronger, More Successful Teams” was published in 2024. She is also a Certified Association Executive.

Matt is a change leader with over 20 years’ experience delivering complex organisational change across large-scale transformation programs globally. Through his work across infrastructure, resources, energy, and property sectors, he identified a critical gap in how change is managed, with traditional approaches struggling to scale in environments of constant transformation.

Matt is the Founder of Matae, an AI-native change management platform designed to help organisations embed change as business-as-usual. Matae enables PMOs, change leaders, and executives to visualise change impact, manage change load, and proactively address delivery risk to support sustained outcomes.

Jahanzaib is the Co-founder and CEO of Knockri, an AI-powered platform transforming hiring and promotions by reducing bias and improving efficiency. Inspired by his own experience with discrimination in the hiring process due to his ethnic name, Jahanzaib founded Knockri to build a fairer future. He has since raised several million dollars from leading investors to scale the impact.

Today, Knockri is trusted by leading organizations like IBM, the Toronto Stock Exchange, Hydro One, and the Government of Canada to reduce screening time by up to 90%, minimize bias, increase objectivity, and significantly enhance the candidate experience.

Jahanzaib is also a global thought leader on AI and equal opportunity, regularly sharing his expertise on these topics. He has served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Equality and Inclusion and was nominated as a NexGen CEO by the Business Council of Canada, where he holds a seat among Fortune 500 CEOs.

He was named Innovator of the Year by Ascend and recognized by HRD Magazine as one of the most promising young HR professionals. Additionally, he was named among 22 of Canada’s Rising Stars in HRD Magazine and received the Exceptional Leadership Award from the AUSCAN Forum. Jahanzaib’s mission is to drive equitable, AI-powered innovation that builds a better, more inclusive workforce.

Chad is the founder of The Breathe Equation and trains individuals and teams to unlock micro resilience activations, the moment-to-moment shifts in mental and physical state that bring the nervous system back into balance. His work focuses on equipping people with practical, body-based tools they can use to reset, refocus, and regain control. Chad works with leaders, founders, and professionals to strengthen their inner capacity for clarity, calm, and resilience in demanding environments.

With over 20 years of experience in high-performance, high-pressure settings, Chad began his career on Wall Street and rose to a senior executive role in a large hedge fund before dedicating his focus to human performance and resilience. Today, as a certified breathwork trainer and performance coach, he blends neuroscience, breathwork, and mindfulness into experiences that create measurable and lasting results.

Mick is the Head of Growth at ChangePlan, an innovative platform that helps enterprise organisations plan, manage, and report on change initiatives with speed and simplicity.

With extensive experience supporting organisations in Finance, Manufacturing, Utilities, and Government, Mick has guided teams through diverse transformation challenges, from technology adoption and cultural change to business operations and API integration. His strategic approach empowers teams to navigate complex change with confidence, delivering sustainable growth and tangible outcomes.

Previously, Mick was a Co-Founder of EmergiSim, a Virtual Reality Training Platform designed to replicate high-threat and mass-casualty events that was utilised by Ambulance and Paramedic services as well as Military Special Operations Teams. Mick’s skills include sales, GTM strategy, digital transformation, and growth. He is passionate about helping organisations overcome complexity and unlock opportunities through innovative change management practices.

Esther is an experienced, award winning Technology and Change Management leader with a passion for enabling organizational transformation and culture. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in orchestrating strategic shifts within the dynamic landscape of an organization. Her expertise lies at the intersection of business strategy, people dynamics, and operational excellence. This includes bringing organizations across a journey of change and leading cross functional teams through complex transformational programs while fostering engagement to drive desired outcomes.

In her current role, Esther has charted a course for Change Management supported by a diverse team and a multi-year vision that seeks to address the foundational elements needed to drive engagement, align stakeholders at all levels, build a culture of people centricity and create empowered ecosystems.

Esther’s broad range of capabilities is fueled by her relentless pursuit of knowledge and her commitment to adaptability and growth. Her outstanding contributions to the field were recently recognized when she received the 2024 Change Leader Award in the Change Innovator category.

She is also passionate about community service and devotes her time to enabling youths in her community with the tools and information needed to develop critical soft skills like communicating with impact, building influence, critical thinking and harnessing creativity.

Silvia Fraser is an award-winning public sector leader with over two decades of experience driving transformation across municipal and provincial government. Currently serving as the Director of Workplace Strategy & Transformation at Metrolinx, Silvia leads enterprise-wide modernization efforts that align people, place, and purpose and enhance organizational performance.

Silvia’s unique journey began in front-line municipal security and evolved through key leadership roles in social development, corporate real estate management, and strategic transformation. She is widely recognized for her ability to lead complex, people-centered change while championing equity, diversity, and inclusion.

A passionate advocate for women in leadership, Silvia co-led the Toronto Public Service Women’s Network and served on its Advisory Board. She also hosts the Leadership Trademarked podcast, amplifying voices that inspire positive change across sectors.

Silvia’s leadership is defined by her resilience, authenticity, and unshakable belief in the power of purpose-driven work.