University of Toronto Scarborough
University of Toronto Scarborough
B.B.A., Management & Marketing
B.B.A., Management & Marketing

Adam Rodricks has spent the last decade growing the social properties of Canada’s most prominent brands, managing all aspects of their digital marketing strategy including social listening, management of social media channels, crisis comms and social media programs. Adam Rodricks currently the National Lead of Digital Marketing Services at KPMG Canada. His work as a social media influencer has been featured on CBC, CTV, Yahoo, BNN, DigitalJournal.com, MaximumPC, WhatCulture.com, staples.com, Nintendo.ca, and his own site, https://www.adamrodricks.com. Adam Rodricks has engaged millions of followers on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram as well as viewers on YouTube, IGTV and Facebook Live. Adam Rodricks also consults for a number of small and medium businesses, and teaches a course that Adam built off of proprietary data and case studies from his own career at George Brown College. Adam Rodricks is a 2-time “Top 30 Under 30 Canadian Blogger to Watch” (Front Side Bus) and a previous winner of the National Rogers Marketing Competition, for which he also held the title of best undergraduate speaker in Canada.

University of Windsor
University of Windsor
MBA, Finance
MBA, FinanceMcMaster University
McMaster University
PhD, Human Resources Management and Organizational Behaviour
PhD, Human Resources Management and Organizational Behaviour

Haniyeh Yousofpour is a dynamic award-winning educator and a celebrated strategic negotiator, consultant, and human resources and organizational behaviour expert. Her thought-provoking and engaging techniques have garnered Haniyeh numerous global MBA and executive-level teaching accolades. Moving to Canada at age 14 from Iran, she has has first-hand experience of the challenges we face when we lack awareness of our unconscious biases and the skills to manage diversity. Her personal life has motivated Haniyeh Yousofpour to be a passionate speaker and expert in Negotiation, Diversity Management, Overcoming Unconscious Bias and Leading with Emotional Intelligence. In addition, Haniyeh has founded her own consulting firm and her passion and expertise has benefited multinational Fortune 500 companies, universities, the public sector and midsize organizations. Furthermore, Haniyeh Yousofpour has been giving key-note speeches over a decade for domestic and international audiences. She is very enthusiastic about training and development and she had developed numerous master level courses and self-assessment tools for blended and online learning.  

To name a few, her teaching experience includes: Schulich at York University, DeGroote at McMaster, Rotman at University of Toronto, Canadian University of Dubai and University of Salzburg. Haniyeh Yousofpour has also been a consultant for some of the well-known international companies and universities such as Johnson and Johnson, TD Canada Trust, RBC, Toyota, Bausch and Lomb; Paragon Security, University of Toronto, Queens University, University of Ottawa, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo and Canadian University of Dubai. She is currently writing her debut book on how to simplify negotiation. 

Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
Co-Active Training Institute
Co-Active Training Institute
Issued Apr 2020 · No Expiration Date
Issued Apr 2020 · No Expiration Date

Elizabeth Manley competed 40 years in both amateur and professional figure skating. She has participated in two Olympic Games (where she won the 1988 silver medal and became the Olympic Freestyle Champion), six World Championships, and has won three National Titles. Reliving her incredible journey for audiences, Manley gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to make it to the top and speaks with honesty about the importance of mental health. Today she is a Certified Life/Executive Coach and helps many through the struggles of Life and Careers. Her passion to speak about Well Being and Success has her work with many corporations and organizations. She has been on the Speaking Platform for 28 yrs. 

 Since her retirement from amateur competition, Elizabeth Manley was awarded The Order of Canada. She is the author of two autobiographies, and she has also starred in three major television specials, which won a Gemini Award, and was sold to Disney Productions. She is a Sports Commentator and worked for NBC for the Salt Lake City and Torino Olympic Games and was a part of the CTV broadcast team for the Vancouver Olympic Games. As well a blogger for CBC for Sochi Olympics. Elizabeth has been a National Spokesperson for The Alzheimer’s Society of Ottawa, and Winners Walk of Hope for Ovarian Cancer Canada. She is also an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association of Canada, has been an Ambassador for the Health Council of Canada. She constantly works with the Canadian Mental Health Association and is a member of the Cancer Foundation Courage Campaign Presidents’ Advisory Circle in Ottawa. Elizabeth has spoken to more then 700 schools on the importance of Mental Health, Bullying, and Teen Suicide.  

Elizabeth Manley has become a Producer, and held three Charity events “Elizabeth Manley and Friends for Mental Health”. Elizabeth is a member of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, and the Skate Canada Hall of Fame. In 2015 Elizabeth received one of the highest honours in Ottawa ” The Builders Award ” from United Way which recognized her continuous contributions and work in the community for charitable work. As well, in 2020 received the “Inspiration Award” from the Royal Ottawa for her continued work and support towards Mental Health. 

Dr. Aaron Barth, thought-leader and president of Dialectic, gives progressive leaders the confidence they need to tackle their hardest people problems using scientific methods and innovative technological solutions. Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, Dr. Aaron Barth works collaboratively with clients to build high performing, inclusive workplace culture. He founded Dialectic after completing his Ph.D. in Philosophy at Western University, aiming to fuse theory with application to drive measurable behaviour change.

Dialectic uses the power of science to transform organizations by accelerating employee learning through digital microlearning, improving employee engagement and developing effective strategies. Dr. Aaron Barth and his team of gifted scientists and designers have implemented successful interactive learning experiences for companies across Canada, uncovering workplace barriers and mobilizing impactful strategies.

Dr. Aaron Barth, a social advocate, philosopher and entrepreneur, comes with a decade of experience working with clients to transform their organizations, and ultimately increase their bottom line. Not only does he inspire audiences to be pillars of change within their workplace, he outlines the path to action by offering tools and tactics for cultivating a thriving workplace culture. He believes while awareness is important in eliminating systemic issues in the workplace, taking action is the only road to change.

Growing up in Pickering, Ontario, Anthony Lue knew that he was destined for greatness! Having found a love for sports and speed early on in his childhood only set him up for a rollercoaster of a ride. By the time he was 14 years old, it was evident that his talent would place him as one of the top hurdlers and baseball players for his age in the nation! As life would have it the vision was blurred and the path to greatness was no more. The downturn started and the decision-making became horrific. Getting back on track and never giving up is something Anthony Lue has always been good at and when he landed his automotive apprenticeship, things seemed to be looking up.  

 

Eleven months in at his apprenticeship, with knowledge being gained on a daily, life was only getting better until that fateful day of September 30, 2009. After moving some scrap vehicles to the scrap yard down the street, the unthinkable happened to Anthony.  As he exited the weigh-in scale the crane with a 6ft wide magnet and 4ft. long claws came crashing down on the car crushing Anthony inside. By the grace of God Anthony was pulled from the wreckage by firefighters and airlifted to Toronto’s #1 trauma center Sunnybrook Hospital. When the dust settled and surgery was over, Anthony Lue was told that he was now a paraplegic and would never be able to walk or regain the use of his legs ever again. Immediately he knew how blessed he was simply just being alive and that is when he made the conscious decision to forgive the crane operator and put the accident behind him. His new goal on a daily basis is to figure out how he can move forward in life inspiring everyone he meets. 

 

Today. Anthony Lue speaks at a variety of schools, corporate events, television, and on radio as well as being an ambassador for 2 of Canada’s largest accessibility trade shows, The People in Motion show and the Abilities Expo. Anthony hasn’t stopped moving since the accident and continues to evolve, helping make this world a more accessible place with his Accessibility consultant certification through the Rick Hansen Foundation. Recently he worked as the Accessibility Chair for the 2019 Parasport games and organizations such as Human Space, The Ontario Building Code Association, Urban Ability Access Solutions, and more. Anthony is also pursuing his lifelong Olympic dream as a 2021 Tokyo Paralympic hopeful in the sport of handcycling. Anthony Lue shares with his audiences how they too can persevere and succeed against all odds. 

Amy Oliver is the founder and President of Amy Oliver + Co, offering dynamic and trusted advisory services and executive coaching to drive high performance and impactful change to practitioners, leaders, and organizations within healthcare, social services, and academia. She specializes in assisting practitioners, health organizations, and leadership teams in the areas of strategy development, project planning, operations, leadership and engagement, and diversity and inclusion.

Amy Oliver speaks publicly on collaborative and authentic leadership and value-based strategy in healthcare offering a mix of practical advice and inspiration. Her personal experiences launching a firm, running a corporate healthcare portfolio, and attending grad school while raising three young kids has fostered her passion for supporting the advancement of women’s full and equal participation in healthcare, leadership, and business.

From the 1960s to 1980s women in Canada were continuing to fight for rights to their reproductive health, equal pay for equal work, and the right to get a professional education. The progress and rights of women have been built on the shoulders of many women who fought for equality before us. Now, nearly two hundred years after the suffragettes began their movement, Amy Oliver continues to educate and empower others to join the movement towards gender equity and the elimination of harmful barriers and stereotypes that hold women back at societal, organizational, and individual levels.

Amy Oliver weaves in personal (yet all too common stories) through her motivating and inspiring delivery. Amy Oliver holds an MBA with a dual concentration in Organizational Leadership and Health Administration. She is a licensed pharmacist, a Certified Leadership Coach, and a globally certified Project Management Professional. She also holds certificates in Emotional Intelligence and Advanced Strategic Management and Leadership. Amy Oliver has won multiple health sector and leadership awards and most recently has been selected as a member of the prestigious 2020 Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference.

Nathan Hall is an award-winning entrepreneur, business leader and educator.  He is the CEO of Culture Check, an anti-racism support centre for the workforce.  They provide support and resources to individuals who have faced racial discrimination at work, while aggregating the stories and data to educate business leaders around their true experiences of racialized employees. Hall is also the CEO of Simple Story, a video marketing agency that specializes in helping brands tell their story.  He has worked with companies like Shopify, P&G and Shutterstock to help craft their visual storytelling.  Powered by stories, Nathan Hall utilizes his position to amplify the voices of the marginalized and underserved within organizations.  Specializing in anti-racism and inclusive cultures, Hall’s ability to simplify complex issues and put audiences at ease when discussing such uncomfortable topics has been his secret weapon. 

Nathan Hall is equipped with an Honours degree in Sociology from the University of Ottawa, a Masters in Ecommerce from McGill University and an MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics and Strategy from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.  Paired with his experiences of being “the only one”, or one of a few in all the offices and boardrooms he finds himself in, Hall has a rich wealth of knowledge at the intersection of race and business. Adamant on making everybody around him better, Nathan Hall has always worked hard to be the change he wishes to see.  He feels the utmost responsibility to break down as many walls as he can, to help make the road for everyone following him just a little easier.  Hall’s work has led him to being named one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40, the BBPA’s Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur of the year, and his company was named small business of the year. 

Jean-Francois Dupras is originally from Québec, but he have been living in Canmore Alberta for the past 15 years. Most of his life Jean-Francois have been looking for a career opportunity where he could help people, just to realize, a few years ago that he was the one that needed help first.

 

It was following traumatic events in his early teens that he began to be affected by depression, without really knowing it. At that moment in his life, Jean-Francois tried every possible means to free himself from this suffering that prevented him from living a normal life. From substance abuse, stealing and gambling, he tried to live any high sensations that would make him feel alive again, without success. At the age of 20 years old, he felt more confused, lost and frustrated than ever before, until one night he decided to end his life.

 

Over the next few years, Jean-Francois went through several phases related to depression. Finally 5 years ago after a work related injury and a second depression, he made the hardest decision of his life, harder than any mountains he ever climbed and decided to seek professional help. That decision changed his life forever. It was only with the help of medication and professional guidance, that he have been able to make peace with his past, to love himself and to simply enjoy life. From that point on, not only did he start to live a better life, but he decided to help and inspire other people.

 

Shortly after,  Jean-Francois created a project called Overcoming mental illness One summit at a time, his mission with his project and his talks is to share his story in order to raise awareness about mental health, still misunderstood by the majority of the population, and to demonstrate the importance of listening to one’s passion and following one’s dreams. We all have a mountain to climb !

 

Jean-Francois Dupras dream is to climb the 7 summits, the highest summit on each of the seven continents in the name of mental health. Climbing the 7 summits is a mental and physical accomplishment only completed by less than 430 persons worldwide and only few Canadians.

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]To Jeremiah Brown, reinvention and resilience are the lifeblood of progress, and as such, he’s spent his life harnessing the power of resilience to adapt to new environments and overcome setbacks. The Olympic medalist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker delivers a compelling message – realizing your potential requires adapting to change.  To get to know Jeremiah, explore the six related areas of his work.

Within only four years of learning how to row, Jeremiah Brown helped power rowing crews to World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic medals. Jeremiah began his career as a commercial banker with TD Bank, managing the lending risk for an $80 million portfolio of loans to SME businesses on Vancouver Island. After the 2012 Olympics, Jeremiah was selected by the Canadian Olympic Committee to lead the development and implementation of Game Plan – a holistic athlete wellness and transition program designed to support over 3000 national team, Olympic, and Paralympic athletes in their transition out of elite sport and into their next phase of life. The work of Jeremiah Brown and his team has been featured by major news outlets including the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, CTV, CBC, Radio Canada, Al Jazeera, and Jeremiah has been consulted by the International Olympic Committee for his expertise while continuing to support the development of athlete welfare programs around the world. It took Jeremiah four years to get to the Olympics and five years to write the book about it, but with resilience and dedication he got it done. The 4 Year Olympian, published by Dundurn Press, spent five weeks as the #1 bestselling sport memoir in Canada, and has achieved a cult-like following in Canada and the USA. The book has transcended the sport memoir genre with its raw honesty and appeal to anyone chasing a big dream. 

Consistently ranked as one of the top speakers on resilience, leadership, and transformation, Jeremiah Brown brings an engaging warmth and humour while delivering powerful, inspiring, and practical keynotes. His presentations are customized for every event, ensuring a highly relevant and valuable outcome. Through his talks, Jeremiah has inspired thousands of people around the world. Beginning at age eight, Jeremiah became a dedicated musician. He studied piano and drum set for ten years, and has shared the stage with Randy Bachman (on keys) and The Arkells (on drums). He was named honourary fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2013 for his advocacy for the arts. Jeremiah brings the creative mindset he cultivated as a musician to all his business and speaking endeavors. A passionate advocate for mental health, Jeremiah volunteers his time every week with the Alzheimer’s Society in order to improve the quality of life for those suffering with mental illness. Jeremiah Brown brings a unique and diverse set of experiences to every keynote. He helps people and organizations become more resilient in the face of adversity, and more prepared to build a strong vision for their future. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

 

Dr. James Makokis leads one of North America’s most progressive family medical clinics serving both LGBTQ2+ and First Nation peoples from all over Canada. He is a proud Cree, Two-Spirit doctor from Saddle Lake First Nation in Northern, AB. Known as one of Canada’s most progressive doctors and experts on numerous topics, he is on a mission serve marginalized populations and to change the outcomes for Indigenous and LGBTQ2 peoples. Dr. James Makokis and his partner Anthony Johnson were crowned winners of the Amazing Race Canada Season 7, where they received international recognition for their advocacy of marginalized individuals by making the world aware of the impact of discrimination and the mistreatment of anyone labelled as being “different”. They both currently reside on Treaty 6 Territory outside of Edmonton.

Dr. James Makokis has received international attention for his holistic approach to medicine. He is also one of the few doctors that combines traditional Cree and Western practices. Known for his compassion, numerous accomplishments and his unique insights, Dr. James Makokis has inspired all types of Canadians to challenge stereotypical and often discriminating views towards First Nation and LGBTQ2+ peoples. Dr. Makokis has won numerous awards, sat on many boards and councils, and continues to give back to his communities in any way he can. Through his work and his previous contributions, he continues to break down stigmas and identify the societal structures and forces of oppression that LGBTQ2+ and First Nation people face.

Dr. James Makokis wanted to be a doctor since he was four, and it was during his education that he decided to focus on LGBTQ2+ and Indigenous health so that he could make a difference for those often left out of the healthcare system and society as a whole. Because of the attitudes and discrimination individuals he serves face it often leads to his patients being misguided by the healthcare system, which then leaves them to mistrust the advice they have received. Dr. Makokis is here to create real change by serving marginalized populations and rebuild relationships with those who have are often left behind. Many of his patients travel from long distances to receive his advice and services.

Dr. Makokis earned his Master’s in health science from the University of Toronto in 2006 and graduated from the University of Toronto’s medical school in 2010 and the University of British Columbia’s Aboriginal Family Medicine Residency Training Program in 2012. He is also trained in family medicine. continue to save lives through his medical practice and his unique approach to medicine. Dr. Makokis has also worked as an instructor at the Yellowhead Tribal College, the University of Toronto, and the University of Alberta, teaching courses on Indigenous health, Indigenous cultural practices, and traditional medicine.

Dr. James Makokis faced many challenges earlier on in establishing his career as an Indigenous doctor. Being Two-Spirit, from a small segregated and poverty stricken forced him to prove himself, try to ignore hurtful statements against him, and to develop coping strategies to manage systematic and social forms of discrimination. This is in large part a big part of his success as a doctor as he can relate to his patients and can emphasize with them before providing his medical advice. He has worked from travelling alongside former Governor General Michaëlle Jean on a diplomatic mission to Brazil and had the rare opportunity to work next to Dr. Patch Adams in the Amazon Jungle. He also received certification from the Aboriginal Family Medicine Training Program and served as the Spokesperson for the National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Role Model Program for many years.

He brings his mix of expertise, knowledge, commitment, understanding, compassion and ultimately – love to every person he interacts with, and we are all blessed to hear his progressive approach and his unique insights. Dr. James Makokis has been called to serve individuals that struggle to make sense of themselves and to bring awareness to become an ally in improving the lives of those who struggle to find purpose and make sense of their world. He shares the stories he and his patients live with while celebrating each person’s uniqueness and showing us all how to contribute to improve each other’s lives and our world.