Audiences love Marc Andre Morel’s (CSP) content-rich but accessible presentations filled with stories, analogies, humour and energy! Part of what makes him so compelling is the strength of his message, delivered with passion, creativity and authenticity. His charismatic delivery and style inspire participants to immediately take action and use it at work and in their personal lives, making the total experience even more enriching.

Marc Andre Morel founder of Morel Leadership International and Du Leader Publishing is one of Canada’s top self-leadership experts. He has delivered close to two thousand inspiring, educating and entertaining sessions to both English and French audiences across Canada, the United States and Europe. With four published titles, he is a bestselling author, columnist, coach and consultant. After earning his Commerce degree from Concordia University in Montreal, he accumulated several coveted corporate sales and leadership awards including the Multiple Sclerosis Leadership 2002 Award for his professional excellence and outstanding community contribution. Morel has been interviewed and has appeared in various national television, radio and print media for his premiere expertise on personal and professional leadership.

Marc Andre Morel has also earned the coveted Certified Speaking Professional  by the International Association for Professional Speakers. He has been interviewed and has appeared in various National television, radio and print media for his expertise on Personal and Professional Leadership. Dedicated to making a difference for adults and youth, he is actively involved in his community to help strengthen the leadership of the next generation as well as to help promote life and perseverance in education. Marc Andre Morel’s own personal and inspiring story as a teenager is featured in the acclaimed Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul. It was at the age of 16 that he delivered his first motivational keynote in front of an audience of 1200 people.

Marc Gordon is a marketing and customer experience expert. He has been referred to as “Canada’s Marketing Superstar” by the Oprah Winfrey Network and regularly appears on television and radio to provide feedback and opinions on current business news.

Since 2003, Marc has studied, written and spoken about how companies can cultivate or ruin relationships as the result of how they communicate through marketing and customer service. Marc Gordon travels all over the world to train and educate organizations in the art of using customer service in tandem with marketing. His clients include Canada Post, The Canadian Securities Exchange, Johnson & Johnson, and presidents and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

His article series, High 5 For Business, is the number one syndicated business column in the world, appearing in over 300 trade and business publications in six countries. In addition to being listed as one of the Top 100 Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter, Gordon is also a regularly quoted expert, having been featured in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, The National Post, Rogers Media and the CBC. Delivering knowledge and insight, Gordon’s true talent lies in understanding how people react to marketing messages. With over 25 years honing his marketing skills for both his own company and those of his clients, Gordon has become one of the leading authorities on relationship building for business.

In his presentations, Marc Gordon combines real world examples with his own knowledge and experience to deliver content that is thought provoking, relevant, and engaging. Bringing a life’s worth of experience, Gordon’s first steps into entrepreneurship began at the age of eleven as a victim of relentless bullying. By painting Dungeons and Dragons figurines for the students in his class, he learned how people’s behaviour and attitudes can change if they see value in what they purchase. This was a lesson he would remember throughout his career

At the age of 16, Marc Gordon was back in business for himself. Over the next 8 years he imported collectible model cars, had his own clothing line, and even sold lingerie to escorts and strippers. During that time he would see his businesses grow faster than he could handle, stumble due to economic conditions or get squeezed out by aggressive competitors. In 1994, unemployed and with no job prospects, Gordon invested $2,500 in a gold plating machine and started GoldPro Canada. In that first year, operating out of his parent’s basement, sales totalled just $4,000. However by 2000, the company had grown into a multi million dollar manufacturer and distributor of automotive equipment and accessories, servicing over 2,400 car dealerships and body shops across Canada.

In 2003, after emotional and physical burnout, Marc Gordon sold GoldPro for seven figures. Owning virtually no inventory or capital equipment, the high value of his company was based on GoldPro’s name, distribution network, brands, and web presence. This was a testament to Marc’s skills as a marketer. After taking a year off, Gordon started Fourword Marketing as a way to provide the marketing and consulting services he wished were available to him when he was starting out.

Fourword specializes in developing and executing marketing programs for companies ranging from startups to public companies in dozens of different industries. Fourword’s list of services include web design, print production, promotional campaigns, and public relations. Marc Gordon is an active participant and volunteer in a number of organizations and educational symposiums that provide free marketing tools and management experience to new entrepreneurs.

Marc Gordon’s approachable style and industry knowledge have made him a sought after source for media outlets looking for opinions on business trends and events in the areas of marketing, social media, and customer service.

 

Marilyn Jensen is a vibrant and powerful speaker addressing major current themes and areas pertinent and relevant to Indigenous people in Canada and elsewhere.  Her passion lies within reclamation and revitalization of ceremony, songs, culture and everything foundational to her identity but which was stolen and displaced.  Marilyn, Yadultin and Dūsts’ā̀dle, is Inland Tlingit and Tagish Khwáan from the Carcross/Tagish First Nation; belonging to the Dakhl’aweidí Clan under the Tagish Keét Hít (Killerwhale House) in the Southern Yukon Territory.

She currently teaches First Nation Governance at Yukon College and works closely with many Indigenous communities as a contractor focusing on governance strengthening. Her main methodology in speaking, teaching and facilitating has always been through storytelling and sharing the beauty of her culture and identity.  Growing up in the North has fostered her deep love and respect for the land, the animals and for her people who have lived there for 1000s of years. She loves to speak and share the remarkable journey of her family, clan, community and nation, an epic feat of pure survival and determination.

Marilyn Jensen has facilitated and taught important and engaging workshops for Yukon Government on Indigenous history, land claims, self-government and self-determination for 18 years and for numerous First Nation Governments and organizations in many communities.  She has traveled all over the North and elsewhere to share her knowledge and bring awareness to Indigenous narratives. Besides speaking, Marilyn spends most of her time engaging in traditional dancing, singing, drumming, choreographing and storytelling with the Inland Tlingit dance group she founded and leads; the Dakhká Khwáan Dancers.  The dance troupe’s main vision has been to reclaim and revitalize this integral part of their culture and also to share with the world the beauty of their identity with the highest respect to authenticity and excellence.

With Marilyn Jensen standing in front and officially speaking for the group, they have danced and promoted their Nations internationally in New Zealand, Taiwan, across Canada and the U.S. They have also presented at the Vancouver Winter Olympics and for people such as Prince William & Princess Kate. Recently they have been honoured as the recipients of the National Aboriginal Tourism Award. In 2016 Marilyn was honoured by the Governor General of Canada as a recipient of the Polar Medal for Cultural Reclamation.  Marilyn Jensen has earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Alaska and a Master’s Degree in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria.

Some Highlights of Speaking Engagements:

• Reconciliation Canada –Whitehorse, 2016 “Reconciliation in my Own Heart”
• The World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) Honolulu Hawaii – “Indigenizing Governance in the Yukon through Education to strengthen self-determination within Yukon Indigenous communities”
• Indigenous Circumpolar Women’s Gathering, Dene Nahjo, Yellowknife, 2014 “Cultural Revitalization – Leadership in Action”
• TedX Whitehorse – “Transforming the Self in self-determination by reclaiming Ceremony”
• Key Note – St. Johns, Newfoundland – “Self Determination and Ceremony”, Gwich’in Tribal Council Post- Secondary Academic Conference Series. “Aboriginal Citizenship in the 21st Century: A Time of Challenge and Possibility” Memorial University, 2015.

The Honourable Judge Marion Buller (also known as Marion Buller Bennett) is a First Nations jurist in British Columbia, serving as the Chief Commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. A member of the Mistawasis First Nation, she was the first First Nations woman to be appointed to the Provincial Court of British Columbia and presided in courts throughout B.C. She was instrumental in establishing the First Nations Courts of British Columbia in 2006 and the Aboriginal Family Healing Court in 2016. Buller served as both Director and President of the Indigenous Bar Association and served as Director of the B.C. Law Court Society, B.C. Law Foundation, B.C. Police Commission and the B.C. Mediators Roster. She also was the Commission Counsel for the Caribou-Chilcotin Justice Inquiry and published reports and articles dealing with Aboriginal rights and legal services for First Nations in BC.

Marion Buller was appointed the first woman First Nations judge in British Columbia in 1994 and was appointed as chief commissioner for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2016. Prior to being appointed to the Provincial Court bench, Judge Buller worked as a civil and criminal lawyer. Buller has lectured and written numerous articles and papers about aboriginal law, criminal law, family law and human rights.

Judge Buller is currently resident in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, where she sits on the Provincial Court Bench, but maintains band membership with the Mistawasis First Nation in Saskatchewan. In 2012, she was given the University of Victoria Faculty of Social Science Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2016, Maclean’s listed her as one of six people who might be especially influential on policy in the Trudeau government. She retired from the Provincial Court on August 31, 2016 in order to lead the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Mark Black (CSP), was Born with a life-threatening heart defect where he underwent two open-heart surgeries before the age of one. He battled his condition and it’s limitations for twenty-two years quite successfully, but at 23 yrs old, Mark was suddenly faced with the biggest challenge of his life. His doctor informed him that his heart was failing badly and that without a rare and dangerous heart and double-lung transplant, he would not likely see his 25th birthday.

In October 2001, Mark Black moved thousands of kilometers from home and was put on the transplant waiting list. After just four months on the list, Mark’s condition grew worse and he was placed in the hospital where he lived, waiting for a miracle, for 6 months. Finally, by the grace of God, on September 7th, 2002, after almost a year on the list, Mark Black received a second chance at life: a life-saving Heart & Double-Lung Transplant. Since receiving his second chance at life Mark hasn’t wasted a moment. He has now impacted the lives of more than 100,000 in more than 350 presentations across North America with his truly unique story and powerful life lessons that help his audience members live life with passion and purpose.

Mark Black conveys how we live in an age of perpetual change. He warns that those who try to avoid change will become obsolete. The power of innovation and adaptability now dominate markets and industries. The organizations who will thrive in the next decade are those focused on seeking the numerous opportunities these times will create, rather than looking back toward a time when things were simpler. Using his powerful experience dealing with the continual threat of death, Mark Black delivers life-changing insights into how to cope effectively with the adversity of change, and turn it into a catalyst for innovation and growth. Mark Black will help your organization to stop wasting time trying to bring back the “good old days” and focus on fostering a new way of looking at change.

Dr. Mark DeVolder is recognized as one of today’s original thinkers and motivators on transitions. His high-energy, content-rich and humor-filled presentations teach people how to be bold, flexible and innovative in face of constant change. Known by his clients as the Change Specialist, Mark DeVolder’s presentations are in demand by some of the largest and most successful organizations in the world. And with good reason, DeVolder reveals why 70 percent of most change initiatives fail to achieve their stated goals. With convincing business examples and compelling stories, Mark unveils straight-forward strategies that produce dramatic results.

Mark DeVolder delivers dynamic presentations in both the private and the public sector to industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies. Mark’s client list is impressive, including NASA, Re/Max, Siemens, PepsiCo Europe, Suncor Energy, Oman Air, Laird Technology, Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic, Produce Marketing Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers, to name a few. DeVolder has entertained, informed and delighted audiences from Monaco to Dubai, from Singapore to Barcelona and from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur.

Mark reveals why many change initiatives fail to achieve their stated goals. With straight-forward strategies and convincing business examples, he shows leaders how to drive results to improve the bottom line. He is the author of “Get Engaged! A Practical Guide for Improving Employee Engagement” and “Unity in Diversity Through Synergy.” As an internationally acclaimed speaker, Mark has received the Top 5 Speaker Award in Business Management, Top 10 Speakers in Change Management and the Top 25 Speakers Award three years running.

As a change expert, author and internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, Dr. DeVolder won the prestigious Top 5 Speaker Award U.S.A. in Business Management for four consecutive years. He was also voted as a Top 10 Speakers in Change Management and the Top 25 Speakers Award three years running in the U.S.A. Mark’s keynotes are backed-up by impressive business acumen; as a licensed mediator, DeVolder has skilfully guided million dollar change management projects and resolved multiparty disputes with an enviable 95% success rate.

A globally recognized speaker on change, innovation, engagement and resilience, Mark engages audiences the moment he steps on stage. customized programs are a mix of practical tools, rigorous research, collaborative consulting, all punctuated with entertaining humor and engaging audience interaction. People leave with tools and a template to re-energize, re-engage and transform their workplace and life. In addition, Dr. DeVolder’s presentations are always customized to fit each audience, industry and meeting requirements. Mark is known for cutting-edge content, valuable take-aways, entertaining audience interaction, unstoppable humor and memorable stories. Mark’s mission and passion is to help people and organizations adapt boldly, nimbly and quickly in the midst of exponential change.

NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)
NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)
Computer Systems Technology Diploma (Honors)
Computer Systems Technology Diploma (Honors)
1998 – 2002
1998 – 2002

NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)
NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology)
Management Diploma, Human Resource Management
Management Diploma, Human Resource Management
1989 – 1991
1989 – 1991

Marni Panas is diversity and inclusion professional dedicated to creating safe and welcoming, and inclusive environments especially for the LGBTQ population in large public and private organizations, all levels of government and departments, health care, educational institutions, corrections and law enforcement. Most recently she was a member of the LGBTQ2 Apology Advisory Council which helped draft the apology Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Nov 28, 2017 to LGBTQ people in Canada who for discrimination and injustices faced by this community as a result of federal legislation, policies and programs.

Marni Panas was also part of the work that led to Gender Identity and Gender Expression being added as protected grounds from discrimination to Alberta’s Human Right’s Act. She was part of an expert panel that assisted in developing guidelines to support school boards in Alberta in creating policies that would provide safe and welcoming environments for LGBTQ students, families and staff. She recently provided testimony to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in support of Bill C-16 (And Act to amend Canada’s Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code of Canada) which received Royal Assent in July, 2017.

Marni has holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Administration and is currently working towards her Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional designation. Marni Panas has been invited to share her experiences and expertise in community engagement, facilitation, Patient & Family Centred Care, bereavement and loss, and inclusive health and cultural safety for LGBTQ* patients and their families locally, nationally and internationally. She is a regular lecturer at Edmonton’s universities.

She has consulted with the various levels of government, law enforcement, universities, local school boards, community services organizations, health care professional colleges and societies, corrections facilities, corporations, and other institutions on public engagement and development of inclusive spaces and services for our diverse population. She often appears in local and national media discussing a variety of topics that affect the community in which she lives. Marni Panas has also made appearances on CNN and The BBC.

As an engaged member of her community, Marni Panas received the Human Rights award from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, nominated as an Edmonton YWCA Woman of Distinction and named a Camrose Composite High School Alumnus of Distinction for her commitment to creating a community where diversity is not only accepted, but celebrated. A community that is safe for others to be their authentic selves.

Martin Lespérance is a keynote speaker, trainer and host. Martin Lespérance has spent his entire career in the field of coaching and training, working as an artistic gymnastics coach, a Canadian Armed Forces Reserve soldier, a high-school teacher, an advisor for the Quebec Government Secrétariat aux Loisirs et aux Sports, a national trainer at Bayer, and a director of training and development at Essilor Canada. He is an expert communicator and an extremely passionate speaker. He knows how to light up a room full of participants and rouse their emotions. He is enthusiastic, forthright, humorous, pragmatic and intelligent.

In recent years, Martin has focused on giving motivational conferences and workshops to help teams achieve their goals and get inspired. He has motivated entrepreneurs in China, Thailand, France, United States and across Canada.

He uses his creativity and sense of humour to lead national sales meetings. He also hosts keynotes with a great deal of intensity and generosity.

His objective is to inspire people to act so that, together, we can live in a better world.

WHO SAID IT CAN’T BE DONE? LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Marty Park is a rare breed. At the age of 21, while most students are neck-deep with homework and weekend plans, Marty was running his first company, with 8 staff members on payroll. Since then, Park has owned and operated over 14 companies, across industries from software to restaurants, audio production to marketing – he has become an expert at business growth and the personal growth that comes with it.

On top of being an accomplished entrepreneur, Marty Park is an award-winning business coach and has been involved in the launch, growth, restructuring or financing of a multitude of companies internationally. Working with clients to conquer adversity, transform their performance and achieve their ultimate vision of success, in business and life. As a serial entrepreneur and veteran business coach, Marty has identified strategies, ideas and specific actions that can help anyone create a better business and a better life. As a speaker his stories are real, relevant, and the tools and tips he shares are purposeful and immediately implementable.

Above all, Marty Park is a expert business strategist and storyteller. His crafted keynotes include equal parts, humour, practicality and energy for each audience. Marty is not about academia – he is about real world solutions and experience you can use. As a result, his audiences come away feeling energized, enlightened and equipped to put the wheels in motion to produce better results. Marty Park delivers dynamic presentations to many different audiences related to business leadership, business strategy, business growth, branding, marketing, entrepreneurship, sales, customer service/experience, innovation and business success.

Marty is a storyteller. When he steps on stage you feel as though you are in the story with him. His presentations are crafted with equal parts, humour, practicality and energy. Marty is not about academia – he is about real world solutions and experience you can use. His audiences come away feeling energized, enlightened and equipped to put the wheels in motion to produce better results. He’s the real deal. Marty hasn’t had one big, lucky break in business, but instead has consistent success across many industries, geographies and economic conditions. What sets Marty apart from other speakers is that he has experienced, first-hand, the unforeseeable highs and lows of being a hands-on business operator.

Noteworthy

Mary Charleson is a marketing speaker, educator, writer and consultant. She presents keynotes & workshops at conferences and any type of business or organization. Charleson believes that it comes to marketing, it all starts with a solid strategy. Mission, vision, objectives, and strategies must all align with core offerings, core competencies, and a segmented approach to create a unique positioning. Mary Charleson’s expertise helps any organization launch, expand, or refocus.

Mary Charleson develops strategies for strategic business units, markets, products, pricing, distribution, and promotions. Our recommendations are based on an assessment of your internal strengths and weaknesses, external threats and opportunities, your competition, the customer and the business environment, as well as segment opportunities and trends analysis.

As a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, Mary Chareleson’s customized presentations marketing presentations appeal to a variety of different clients. She has the ability to use storytelling and her research into large and small businesses best practices, address audiences in a compelling and memorable way.

Mary Charleson can also build a half or whole day workshop to make the program specifically for your business. Mary Charleson is a sought after academic, who actively consults in her field, bringing current knowledge and examples to every audience and presentation. Mary regularly delivers marketing seminars for Small Business BC, as a way to support the entrepreneurial community in Western Canada.