Canada Speakers 2017

Cassondra Todd is connected to MUSIC, CREATIVITY and SELF-EXPRESSION. As an honor student who begins her university studies in the area of Business Administration with a major in Communications in the fall of 2017, she is an engaged millennial who is passionate about learning. Cassondra has been inspired to create and compose original tunes by way of the piano since the age of 10 years old and continues to do so on a daily basis. Interestingly, Cassondra does not read music, however; she is competent and capable of composing and playing original pieces that flow through her. Cassondra’s musical ability is not the only option for her creative outlet, as she is an avid cook and enjoys creating new and unusual recipes in the kitchen with a variety of foods. Cassondra is dedicated and committed to becoming the best version of herself and finds joy and fulfillment in surrounding herself with like-minded individuals. Her journey to India is an opportunity that she is intrigued and anxious to experience.

Anu Vittal is the CEO of AVC Inc and believes in empowering people to create, connect and celebrate. With over 23 years of corporate experience in the fields of marketing & supply chain she brings expertise in process improvement as a certified Six Sigma Specialist and ISO-9001 Auditor. Her greatest strength lies in being a successful entrepreneur who has built and sold businesses. As a practising artist and arts administrator she believes that artists directly benefit the eco-cultural balance of a country. As ALL Canada Chairperson for Social Change and Networks and a community leader she always inspires everyone to share their unique gift and contribute to the world. Lastly, Anu advocates the importance of volunteering and has worked and served on boards of non-profit organisations in North America. This work in the not-for-profit world won her the prestigious Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in 2009. She is a loving humanitarian with a pure passion for the arts and an ARTepreneur with a purpose.

Phoenix is a high-school student who is actively involved in supporting and empowering young women. A natural-born empowerment coach, Phoenix grew up immersed in the field of personal development and ancient spiritual traditions. Today, Phoenix is frequently sought out for support, guidance, and encouragement by her peers as they navigate their tumultuous journey through adolescence into womanhood. Phoenix recently began co-facilitating weekend retreats to strengthen Mother-Daughter relationships that frequently suffer during the tween and teen years and sometimes into adulthood.

Shelina was born and raised in a small town on the shores of Lake Victoria, Mwanza in East Africa. She was always interested in business growing up, and was fortunate enough to manage a series of Motels for her father in Mwanza. While managing the motels, she became involved with the Lioness club and became one of the chair persons in 1979. Shelina developed and started the leprosy project as it was a major undictated disease at the time and was spreading really fast. They had major Ear, Nose and throat camps for locals and sent eight children to England for heart surgery as they were suffering from heart murmur. She was also involved in opening a local orphanage for children which she is still involved in Watoto wa Africa. That was her first taste of the business world and what possibilities could be out there for her, and how succeeding in business would help her to continue to give back to the communities she is involved in. As an owner and co-founder of Nanas Kitchen which was established in 2000 along with her sister Nasim. Shelina has seen their company grow from a small family restaurant into a large manufacturing facility which is the only HACCP/BRC federally inspected plant in British Columbia in this category. They produce over 25,000 hand made samosas daily. Today their Convenient Comfort Foods with a Global Taste are sold in the Deli case at mainstream grocery chains across North America and as far as Alaska and Hawaii. Her vision was of a business being a safe and welcoming space for new Canadians to get their first job in Canada. We know that by having employment, new Canadians come to gain independence, learn contribution, and assimilate into the Canadian way of life. Nana’s Kitchen has employed over 45 employees, many of whom have arrived in Canada as immigrants, with minimal English language, a lack of cultural adaptation skills, and a limited understanding of Canadian culture. Seventeen years later, many are still on staff, but now are assimilated into Canadian culture and living self-directed lives. Over time, many have succeeded to become managers and supervisors on our team. Shelina is most proud of her long-term relationships with her staff, and the empowerment that she has support in new Canadian women. Shelina slogan is “Everything with Love & respect”. Shelina is grateful for the experiences and success that she has embraced in Canada. In 2014 she won the BC Ethno Canadian Entrepreneur award, and was also a recipient of Shakti awards in 2014. Nana’s Kitchen was then nominated in 2015 for one of the Top 25 fastest growing women Businesses in Vancouver. Shelina was also the recipient of the BC Provincial award in 2015 for Multicultural business of the year. In 2016 Shelina won the Business women of the year by Times of Canada and also was awarded the 2016 Surrey Board of Trade award for best export business. Shelina has had the honor to have been featured in many local TV programs, newspaper articles, and magazines, and has recently been blessed with opportunities to speak at many different functions about her failures to her success.

Julia is an educator and presenter whose passion is to help create unity and community within relationships by facilitating understanding and communication. Working with the family’s vision for itself, Julia supports and empowers each member to find the path of least resistance to the relationships they desire. She is frequently invited to speak at conventions and conferences, most recently The Children’s Mental Health Awareness Conference held in Rochester, NY.Julia also facilitates emotional healing and self-destructive pattern repair. Her experience with troubled youth, struggling families, and individuals battling addictions allows her to relate in a non-judgmental way to a wide range of clients. Her services have been accessed through schools, homeless shelters, and detention centres. Julia is the mother of 6 children and is expecting her first grandchild later this year. Family Coaching Services – family coaching services Children do not come with instruction manuals, so, as parents, we do the best we can with the skills and tools we have acquired during our lives. Sometimes, we come to a place where we recognize we need an outside, unbiased, and non-judgmental perspective.“Our team at Family Coaching Services works with families of all ages facing a wide range of challenges, including struggles with Children’s Aid Society, addiction and recovery, conflicts with the law, behavioural problems, and more. No matter where you are in your parenting journey or what challenges you are facing, Family Coaching Services can assist and support you.”

I am Vice President Business development at Mundo Pato Inc. We are a therapy intelligence company, with UnitusTI- an innovative Electronic data records system and cloud publishing partner. I am also an Accredited Music Therapist, specializing in Autism & Special Needs for 20 years. www.etmusicther

Annemarie Shrouder inspires connection. Whether she is presenting to an audience, leading a workshop, consulting with a client, or writing, she creates opportunities for people to see more – more of each other, themselves, and the world around them. Imagine what the world would look like if we really knew each other? Annemarie helps organizations and communities navigate the often challenging journey of creating spaces where people feel a sense of trust, belonging and connection, and where programs and services are impactful, relevant and meaningful. An engaging & dynamic speaker, thoughtful workshop facilitator, and insightful consultant, Annemarie credits her insights and perspectives to growing up in a household with two very different cultures and languages. She has been an elementary school teacher in a multicultural school environment, has a Masters Degree in Equity Studies, and was a competitive swimmer. Now, as a mother of a 4-year-old, she is even more committed to building understanding through conversation and connection, creating environments that inspire innovation and where people can thrive.

Beth Kelly Hatt established Aquila Tours in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada 35 years ago. Beth’s blend of compassion, confidence, pride and vision is shared with her team and all those destinations and companies she mentors. She loves her work and her life, and that is contagious. Beth believes that Aquila’s success is due to her greatest asset, her team, the people she calls her work family and the belief that “together we can accomplish anything”. Today, Aquila provides shore excursions to cruise lines, and is highly respected within the cruise industry, often being named as one of the best tour operators in the world by cruise executives. An Aquila Center for Cruise Excellence was established in 2007, offering training programs for Tour Operators, Tour Guides and Destinations with training programs reaching over 55 countries worldwide. In addition to her leadership role with Aquila, Beth is a leader in the tourism industry and business community. An active and innovative visionary, Beth is frequently requested to share her strategies for success as a speaker at events within the tourism industry and business community.

Dynamic educator, Transformational leader, Human experience expert, Social innovation Artist The heart of social change is in the space between you and I. This is the call that inspires what I do. My inner fire to transform conditions of injustice has always illuminated that another way of being in relationship to one another and realizing our humanity is possible. After two decades of producing an expert tool box for doing this work and as a recognized “Woman who Inspires,” I founded Relational, a social enterprise and global institute that supports, companies, institutions and communities to achieve social justice, inclusion and equity as foundational to who they are and what they do. As a transformational leader and social entrepreneur I create pathways for new thinking, practices and relationships.Relational builds off of 20 years of experience I have had as a dynamic educator, researcher, innovation expert, artist and consultant. What makes me powerful at what I do is the coalescing of my diverse background.In this sense, I’ve been at the center of shaping diversity, equity and inclusion institutional policies and practices with a range of stakeholders in North America and Europe. Informing direct action and strategies for designing and implementing resources, institutional supports, team and leadership building and professional development have been key to my impact. I have had the privilege of shaping how institutional leaders design and envision all aspects of their diversity and inclusion goals. My work has received acclaim calling it “ground breaking.”Becoming an expert in understanding human experience as a researcher has also been central to my story. This has included designing, leading and implementing out of the box research methods that are participatory and take into account stakeholder needs. Many of these projects have taken place in Canada, USA, Europe, South Asia and the Middle East addressing issues such as social exclusion, community development, racial barriers, civic participation, on-line social movements and gender justice. My research has been acknowledged for “excellence.”As an educator and learning and growth advocate I have directly focused on the widest range of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice issues, publishing in a range of places like blogs, scholarly journals and magazines. It has been my honor to also teach and train youth and adults in formal and informal educational spaces such as in high schools, colleges and universities, and NGO’s in the USA, Canada and South Asia. My educational practice has been evaluated as “powerful, critical and positively impactful.”Last but not least, with training in theatre and dance, I use cultural production to bring forward marginalized and untold stories, key to my modalities of shaping consciousness and creating outlets for exploration and change making. I have written and directed a range of theatre productions. Reviews on my past productions have stated responses such as, “human, touching and innovative.” www.iamrelational.com

Fatima Babakura, a 21 year old final year student at McMaster University pursuing a major in accounting, is the founder and creative director of Timabee. Timabee is a luxury accessory brand she started out of her passion for sketching designs. Within 3 years of starting the business, Timabee has won best fashion brand of the year award and Fatima has also been listed among 22 women redefining luxury in Africa by the Lionesses of Africa group. Fatima is an ambitious young woman whose passion for women and girls has inspired her to continue to grow Timabee as well as start other businesses that would create job opportunities for women and girls especially in Africa. Fatima is also the co- founder of Signature Boutique in Canada, a multi brand boutique that aims to showcase the works of African based designers to the world.Fatima enjoys cooking, travelling and sharing her success story.

Founder and Creative Director of I AM Limitless and Limitless Productions, Ashima Suri is an award-winning established dance artist that uses performance art and story-telling as a tool for social change. Based in Canada, Ashima has toured her work to places such as Japan, France and London. She is an active performer and choreographer always seeking out ways to break down societal barriers through powerful use of story-telling. Recently, Ashima has introduced technology as additional method to convey a story. Some of her performance themes include bullying, sexuality and abuse. Ashima has choreographed for places such as TedX Conference and WE DAY Waterloo. She has launched several projects including Cha & Chai, a project to empower women leader in the arts. In addition, Ashima has successfully launched BOLLY YOGA which is taking Canada by storm and creating impact through dance and yoga

Alison Donaghey is a powerful dynamic speaker who challenges her audience to think about what they think about.She has been a featured speaker for the PowHERtalks speaker series, offering her unique perspective on business and life, and she continues to move audiences nationwide with her real talk and direct approach. Alison’s innate talent for challenging the status quo is exactly what gave birth to her brand, Domino Thinking. Her philosophy is that we all have a significant responsibility – to ourselves and society as a whole – to examine our beliefs, opinions and positions in order to understand their ramifications. After hearing one of Alison’s fiery speeches, audience members often respond with “Wow! I never thought of it that way”. In today’s busy world where we are constantly inundated with information, it is only natural to fall back on familiar patterns of thinking. Alison’s message is more important than ever: “We are simply putting Band-Aids on bullet holes. The business world changes so quickly, we lose sight of our customers. Our children’s needs have outgrown our education system. Our contributions to social causes are based on wishful thinking rather than relevant analysis.” In response to these bullet holes, most people act with the best of intentions, but after hearing Alison speak, they understand why good intentions are no longer effective. Alison’s wide world view offers her listeners new ways of thinking so they can successfully maneuver through life with the tools and confidence to create better outcomes for themselves, their families and community. In addition to speaking, Alison runs a successful painting company called Sonshine Girls Painting and continues to share her ‘uncommon thoughts’ with others as host of the Natural Born Speakers radio show.

Anjli is a Program Manager for IBM Canada, Host/MC and Speaker. She dedicates her time working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation as well as the Women of Influence Group in Toronto. When Anjli was very young, she unexpectedly lost her father. In her 20’s, she lost her home to a strike of lightning, which left her with nothing but ashes. In her 30’s, her mother suffered a stroke & a heart attack leaving her with no memory. All the sudden tragedies in her life have made her realize the importance of living in the present moment, not knowing what tomorrow may bring. Through these unexpected life events, Anjli has a unique perspective on how to handle tragedy and turn it into empowering lessons for others. Anjli would love to share her story and inspire you to live an exceptional quality of life!

Pamela Jane Gerrand is an ardent and acclaimed, internationally beloved performer and speaker with a passion for empowering and inspiring women. She is a singer/songwriter, sacred sound alchemist, speaker and poet. Her music is intensely personal, and invitingly universal. Pamela’s music has been described as ‘uncommonly moving’, and her voice as ‘ angelic, soothing, electrifying, uplifting.’ She is a certified sound practitioner, and leads workshops in sound healing, self care and spiritual attunement. She is also a poet and spoken word performer, weaving music, poetry and stories into her unique, heart-opening performances and talks. Pamela travels widely, performing and delivering workshops and keynote talks at forums and festivals devoted to personal and planetary healing. Pamela has had the honour of performing her original music at keynote talks given by Deepak Chopra, Byron Katie, don Miguel Ruiz, and Barbara Marx Hubbard. Pam travels widely, performing and delivering workshops and keynote talks at forums and festivals devoted to personal and planetary healing.

Thembi has worked in the Canadian federal public service for 20 years and is currently serving as Senior Policy Analyst for the ministry of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). Her work focuses on promoting international cooperation and the engagement of indigenous peoples of the arctic. Thembi holds two masters’ degrees, in science and international relations. She is fluent in English, Russian and five Southern African languages. Her professional career began in Zimbabwe as assistant Metallurgist at Arcturus Gold Mine. In 1987 Thembi was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study in Canada at Carleton University, Chemistry Department. She later joined the Southern Africa Education Trust Fund as coordinator for a scholarship program involving graduate students from South Africa and Namibia studying in Canada. Thembi’s contributions towards social science research began with the drafting of issue papers for the UN World Conference for Women. She serves on the Board of Initiatives of Change-Canada, (IoC) www.iofc.org and her contributions include a women’s initiative – Creators of Peace, Youth Trainer in Ethical Leadership and co-founder of the Global Indigenous Dialogue which meets at Caux, Switzerland. Thembi also supports the Board of Newlife Women’s Project www.newlifeprojectinc.org – an organization which empowers disadvantaged women of Sierra Leon and Ivory Coast. Thembi is a certified Professional Life Coach, a graduate of Erickson International Academy, Vancouver.

Susan is a skilled and experienced Women’s Freedom Coach, Self-Love Activist, and the creator of Rebel Thriver, a 4-Step Healing Process to Love Your Life Again After an Abusive Relationship, as well as being a survivor of an abusive relationship herself. Through her coaching programs, Susan motivates and guides her clients to restore confidence, balance, wellbeing, and joy. She encourages and supports women to activate self-love, awaken their potential and embrace all their beautiful possibilities. To fall, deeply, madly in love with themselves so they can live fulfilling and confident lives and fully embrace their Rebel Thriver. Rebel Thrivers are so busy creating their future, they have no time to think about the past!

Jenny is President of Gulamani-Abdulla & Co., Immigration Consulting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from University of Calgary, Canada where she was recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award. Jenny received her Juris doctorate from the United States of America, is a member of the International Bar Association, and a Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant. With over two decades of professional work experience, Jenny is equipped with the latest information on Canadian immigration law. She leads a team of professionals to diligently respond to the needs of a diverse group of clients worldwide. Named “One of Canada’s Most Powerful Women” by the Women’s Executive Network, Jenny has made outstanding contributions to advance equality for women and girls. She serves on the legislation committee at the International Federation of Business and Professional Women which holds Consultative One Status at the United Nations and is President of the Canadian Federation.

Melissa inspires & empowers men, women & children globally. She hosts a myriad of events online & offline that really give people the tools to tap into their greatest strengths, to become the leader in their business or organization and creates fun workshops for people to experience. Through her mind reprogram techniques she is able to shift mindsets & perspectives to create business owners, more empowered employees and inspired people. Melissa has a natural gift to draw out the most personal stories with people. She creates a safe space for people to learn, grow and share. She believes you must believe in yourself first before anything else. Using NLP and belief reprogramming techniques she teaches people to see the masks or stories that they have been hiding behind for years and how to break free from these masks and limiting beliefs and start recreating their ideal life. Simple step strategies to real world results. What’s your next step? Are you living the life you dream of? If not, why not?Is your business needing guidance? Do you lack communication between employees and standards within your organization? Want better relations amongst all staff? Melissa delivers unique, processes that streamline the process to have better relationships, improved communication and staff that are fully energized and committed more than ever before.If you are feeling like there’s something deep within you that you are not fulfilling in your life right now, Melissa has an innate ability to help you tap into your hidden gifts & talents.Melissa currently sits on the board for Women in Leadership and is the Mentorship Lead. She is passionate about inspiring women to create all the success they desire in life and business and to become the best version of themselves. Melissa is a great speaker and facilitator whether that be for a corporate engagement or personal engagement. She will ignite the fire within you.

Not enough commitment, courage and lack of clarity affected Shannon Skinner, until one day a dear friend made a shocking announcement that changed her life forever. He had less than one year to live. This caused Shannon pause and ask herself: If I had one year to live, what would I do? Yes, she had asked herself this quality question before. But this time it was different. This time, she felt a sense of urgency, a need to answer the question and follow up with solid action. Committed to move past all obstacles, naysayers — and get out of her comfort zone — Shannon launched her BIG dream. In less than 30 days, she premiered Shannon Skinner’s Extraordinary Women TV™, a first-of-its-kind television series (Rogers TV & web) that inspires the lives of hundreds of thousands through intimate, personal interviews, insights and commentaries. Since Sept. 2010, Shannon has produced 52 episodes of her show for television, and more than 300 webisodes. In June 2015, Shannon launched her new radio show, Shannon Skinner Live on VoiceAmerica Women’s Channel. Through her shows and media channels, regular column in The Huffington Post news site, and personal blog, ShannonSkinner.com, Shannon is reaching millions, and her featured appearances and keynote talks inspire women around the globe. Carrying on from a lineage of broadcasters, Shannon has established herself as a pioneer in Internet broadcast. She is the recipient of the Alumni of Influence Award 2014 by the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Arts & Science. She is an active member of Women in Film and Television (WIFT), the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Toronto and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television; and is a media expert with the Centre for Media and Celebrity Studies. Her signature book, Whispering Heart: Your Inner Guide to Creativity, provides a how-to guidance to discovering and living your dream. Currently in development is the Extraordinary Women book series. Shannon has appeared in several media outlets: LIFE, Good Morning America, Rogers TV Daytime, Global TV, Canadian Living, The Huffington Post, The Globe & Mail, Notable.ca, Good News Toronto. Internationally, in India, media includes: “DD News TV” Delhi, India’s The Telegraph, The Hindu, Assam Times, “Assam Talks” TV channel, Assam, and The Pioneer. Today, Shannon has found the heart of an extraordinary woman: a woman who listens to her heart and takes inspired action.

Brenda Saunders/Todd is committed to CONNECTION, COMMUNITY and COMPASSION. As the founder of various businesses and non-profits for the past 36 years, her passion lies in transforming the lives of others, including her six children & six grandchildren. Brenda serves as Executive Director of Dress for Success Halifax and Founder of The Social Boutique, a non-profit organization that financially supports Dress for Success. In 2016, she formed the first chapter of ALL (All Ladies League) and WEF (Women’s Economic Forum) in Nova Scotia and serves as the Chairperson for Atlantic Canada. An international award-winning speaker, Brenda graduated with distinction from the Canadian Women’s Foundation Leadership Institute at St. Francis Xavier University. She holds certifications in Corporate Etiquette, Change Management and Life Skills Coaching. Brenda is the only Atlantic Canadian who holds the Certified SpeakersTrainingCamp® Instructor designation and has earned her DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster designation). Active in the community, Brenda is known for her energy, positivity, and ability to move projects forward with ease. Whether serving on a board, business group or non-profit, she is soft on the people–hard on the issues, always keeping the best interest of the organization front of mind. She is happily married to the man of her dreams who supports her in her many endeavors.

I am a Certified Human Behaviour Consultant. I bring my leadership and educational background with the DISC model of human behaviour to provide insight into building stronger personal and/or professional relationships. I provide the skills to facilitate a faster connection with each individual you encounter, based on an awareness of their motivation and ‘blind-spots’. My skills allow you to foster a more productive environment where employees realize their full potential. I incorporate training and consulting in the areas of: conflict resolution, employee hiring practices, individual coaching, relationship building and leadership training. Through the various techniques I have studied, I completely transformed my personal and business life. I am very excited to share my expertise with you

Sharla is the Founder of One Woman, a Global Social Enterprise on a mission to help women and girls from Canada to around the globe live their deams and reach their full potential through education and entrepreneauship. She believes that all women are born leaders with incredible gifts to share with the world and make each of our communities a better place. Our goal is to provide the tools, educational opportunities, support and encouragement to empower women to become all that they can be. The world will be a better place when women are united around the world to make a difference, one