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LEAD. CHALLENGE. EMPOWER.
EDUCATE DELEGATES ON YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE
PARTICIPATE IN AN ENGAGING PANEL
CONDUCT AN INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP
PAST SPEAKERS
An overview of inspiring leaders from our 2021 Conference.
MELANIE THOMAS
Melanie Thomas is Vice President at Community Foundations of Canada, the national network to 191 community foundations across the country that collectively has $6 billion dollars in assets and reaches over 90% of Canadian communities. Melanie completed her degrees in business and law from Ivey Business School and Osgoode Hall Law School, respectively.
Melanie has worked in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. In the corporate world, Melanie has worked on Toronto’s Bay Street in law and banking. In the not-for-profit sector, Melanie has worked to fight human trafficking in India and Cambodia and has led a not-for-profit where she taught entrepreneurship and consulted start-up companies in Russia and Moldova.
In her current role, Melanie is responsible for seeking, developing and scaling new initiatives. Some of the initiatives include leading Community Foundations of Canada’s administration of the $350M Emergency Community Support Fund from the Government of Canada in response to COVID-19; she was part of the design team of the Equality Fund, a new philanthropic and investment fund to support feminist movements in Canada and around the world and she has worked closely with partners.
CHRIS BOSCH
Chris Bosch, MA, MWS, CFRE, Pro.Dir is the founder and principal of Chisel Consulting. He has over 20 years experience in the non-profit sector and has spent most of his career learning, teaching, and facilitating in the areas of strategy development, conflict resolution, leadership development, and problem-solving using design thinking principles. He has been a senior leader with World Vision Canada, taught at four different universities, started a non-profit organization called Flourish Financial to support the capital needs of small and growing businesses in poorer contexts, and led many planning sessions with organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, Canadian Feed the Children, World Vision International, Toronto District School Board, and many other social service organizations.
Chris has certifications as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Professional Director (board governance), Balanced Scorecard specialist (strategic planning methodology), and graduate degrees in International Development and Political Theory.
TAZIM LAL
Tazim started her second business, Thank You India (TYI), a privately owned social enterprise whose name is a play on Ottawa singer Alanis Morissette’s 1998 song, “Thank U”. Thank You India is a privately owned social enterprise, driven to impact women, children and education through ethical and sustainable fashions sold online and through like-minded retailers. Each piece purchased by a TYI customer is changing the lives of those who handcraft the beautiful products as well as those who are the recipients of the charitable contributions.
The products are ethically sourced and purchased at fair value. Tazim is an active volunteer participant in Aga Khan Foundation’s Development Champion Speaker Program. She earned her BSc at University of Toronto followed by a Diploma in Interior Design at the Applied Arts program at Algonquin College. She is a recent-retiree member of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario and of Interior Designers of Canada.
MIKE GERBIS
Mike is CEO of a constellation of organizations that includes The Delphi Group, GLOBE Series, EXCEL Partnership, and Leading Change and shares a common purpose: to achieve a sustainable, prosperous, and socially just future in a generation. Mike works closely with Canadian and international leaders on issues related to climate change, corporate sustainability, cleantech and innovation, and the green economy. In addition to his 25 years of experience in sustainability consulting and events, Mike also engages and educates youth and business leaders through guest lectures and presentations as well as through initiatives such as SHAD Valley International and TEC Canada.
MICHAEL BRYANT
Michael Bryant, BA, MA (UBC), JD (Osgoode Hall), LLM (Harvard) is the 4th Executive Director & General Counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, founded in 1964. Bryant was the 35th and youngest-ever Attorney General of Ontario, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Minister of Economic Development, and Government House Leader. He served as provincial member of parliament in Toronto from 1999-2009. Mr. Bryant is a barrister certified by the Law Society of Ontario. He has appeared before all levels of court, from bail courts as Duty Counsel through the Ontario Court of Appeal and Ontario Review Board as solo practitioner, to the Supreme Court of Canada as counsel at McCarthy Tetrault LLP. Bryant was Chief Negotiator for the Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point, resulting in the historic 2016 Ipperwash Settlement Agreement. In the '90s, Bryant clerked for the former Chief Justice of Canada, and served as Lecturer in Law at King’s College, London, and Adjunct Professor at U of T and Osgoode Hall. In 2019, Bryant was named Canadian Lawyer's Top 25 Most Influential in the justice system and legal profession in Canada.
DAN HENDRY
Dan is a systems thinker and social innovator who is passionate about sustainability, innovation, and community engagement. He is an architect behind a simple but powerful model to transform public transportation and it starts with training youth. It has increased high school ridership from 28,000 to over 500,000 riders annually in Kingston, Ontario. He was also responsible for designing, creating, and managing the Innovation Hub at St. Lawrence College, which has become a destination for skills teaching through engagement & collaboration on community-based, interdisciplinary projects.