Ms. Ahmed, has accumulated a wealth of experience and accomplishments in the performance measurement, policy development, HR planning analysis and employment equity and diversity sectors. Ms. Ahmed has been the recipient of notable awards over the years including the exceptional service within the Federal Public Service, the Canada150 Community Builder Award, The Hope Academy community contribution award, the Ottawa Black History Community Leadership Award and most recently the top 100 under 40 Most Influential Person of African descent in support of United Nations decade.

Ms. Ahmed is a founding member of the Justice for Abdirahman Coalition, which advocates securing justice for the late Abdirahman Abdi and his family. A previous member of the Black Agenda Noir organization, a Circle of United Black Citizens whose goal is to cement Black presence on the national radar. Ms. Ahmed is also the Chair of the Federation of Black Canadians, which is a national non-profit organization that is driven by Black organizations across Canada, which advances the social, economic and cultural interests of Canadians of African descent.

In the professional realm, Ms. Ahmed was recently appointed as the Executive Director of the BlackNorth Initiative. In her previous role Ms. Ahmed was the Human Resources Specialist within the Public Sector and primarily responsible for the Visible Minority Advisory Steering Committee of the Agency and working in the agency-wide Employment Equity Action Plan and Anti-racism Strategy.

Among the many other organizations of which she has been a part of, Ms. Ahmed has played an instrumental leadership role in the Ottawa Mayor’s taskforce combatting anti-black racism. Ms. Ahmed was a lead researcher for Justice for Abdirahman for its submission to the Justice Tulloch Independent Police Oversight Review and street check review.

Ms. Ahmed has also played an integral role in the roll out of the new Ottawa Police Service’s recruitment strategy, as well as being a lead member of Black Agenda Noir. Her crucial role in the Nyansapo Wisdom, which promotes equity and inclusion for African, Caribbean, Black Canadians (ACBC) students in education, has seen Dahabo make deputations at the School Board to address series challenges facing children and teens of African descent within the Ottawa school Board.

Ms. Ahmed stands as a strong role model particularly to members of all Black communities, and has played a transformative role in improving the quality of life of Canadians of African descent and the community at large.

Jeannette Campbell is the CEO of the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN). ODEN is a membership network of Employment Service Providers across the province of Ontario that is united in the goal of increasing employment outcomes for job seekers who have a disability. ODEN works with Private Sector businesses to support their Diversity and Inclusion efforts and build their capacity to access the disability talent pool. Jeannette has over 25 years of experience in the disability service sector and has been a leader in the non-profit sector for disability organizations, youth agencies, education settings and Supported Employment services.

Dr. Wendy Cukier is the Diversity Institute Founder, Academic Director of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and Research Lead of the Future Skills Centre. She is the co-author of the bestseller, Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Java to Jurassic and former VP of Research and Innovation. The Diversity Institute has 75 research staff, 100 research associates from around the world, 200 industry partners and focuses on dimensions of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, future skills, and entrepreneurship and innovation. Harnessing the power of innovation, it promotes the advancement of underrepresented groups. The Diversity Institute is also a research lead for the $300 million Future Skills Centre and the $8.6 million Women Entrepreneurship Hub. Wendy has been recognized with the Harry Jerome Diversity Award, the Bob Marley Award, the Canada-Pakistan Business Council’s Female Professional of the Year, the Metropolis Research Award, the CATA Alliance, Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN. She has been named a YWCA Woman of Distinction and one of the International Women’s Forum 2020 Women Who Make a Difference, a Woman of Influence and one of the “100 Alumni who shaped the Century” by the University of Toronto. Wendy holds a PhD, an MBA, an MA, and honorary doctorates from Laval and Concordia.

Carrie Fletcher has a healthcare career spanning 22 years. She currently holds the role of Vice President People & Experience at CAMH in Toronto, ON. Her past roles encompass frontline clinical care in cardiac diagnostics and cardiac rehab, primary care administration, clinical application project management, implementing and operating an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), and health information management (HIM). In Ms. Fletcher’s role as Sr. Director EPMO & HIM, under her leadership, the CAMH EPMO was recognized internationally as the Project Management Institute’s, PMO of the Year for 2017.  Ms. Fletcher has spent much of her focus and energy over the past 4 years working collaboratively with CAMH’s unions – ONA and OPSEU, to support improved health and safety of CAMH’s staff, physicians, volunteers and students. This work has included, but is not limited to, the reset of CAMH’s Joint Health and Safety committees, and the inception of a Workplace Violence Prevention committee. This work has been integral in garnering highly positive working relationships with CAMH’s unions and has laid the infrastructure to further support CAMH’s Safe & Well journey. This work continues with dedicated focus on anti-racism, anti-oppression and horizontal violence under the Fair & Just strategic initiative at CAMH.

Ms. Fletcher has earned a B.Sc Kinesiology with a minor in Gerontology from the University of Waterloo, an MHSc Health Administration from the University of Toronto, and a certificate in Strategic Human Resource Management from Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto. She is also certified as a Canadian Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

DELEE FROMM is an author, lawyer and former psychologist. As a consultant, she helps individuals and organizations with women’s advancement, key career skills and implicit bias. She is a guest lecturer at various Ontario universities and the author of Advance Your Legal Career: Essential Skills for Success and Understanding Gender at Work. She has co-authored A Workbook for Understanding Gender at Work with Rocca Morra Hodge, a director at Rotman. She is on the advisory board for Young Women in Law. For more information about her, please go to her website at www.deleefrommconsulting.com and her profile on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/deleefromm.

Karen Jensen is Canada’s first Federal Pay Equity Commissioner.  She is working with a team of experts at the Canadian Human Rights Commission to establish the Pay Equity Division of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The Division will be responsible for implementing the Pay Equity Act, once it comes into force later this year.  Karen is an experienced lawyer who is widely recognized as an expert in human rights, labour and employment law. She has represented unions and employers in pay equity disputes at different points in her career, and through this work has developed a deep appreciation for all perspectives on this important issue.

A sociologist with a PhD focused in Equity Studies and 20+ years of experience in the field of diversity and inclusion, Leeno does his best to combine his education, research and expertise as a facilitator and consultant to help organizations engage inclusion in a way that drives positive, pragmatic and sustainable change. He is an official member of the Forbes Human Resources Council, and an internationally recognized speaker and consultant in the areas of emotional intelligence, communication and performance. He’s widely published, and his newest book, “The Old Black Lesbian Elephant in the Room: Race, Racism and the Anti-Racism Revolution,” will be out later this year.

As a workplace culture, diversity and inclusion strategist, and educator, Naveen has been delivering illuminating and actionable training and keynotes for more than a decade. Relying on technology as the backbone of a data, behavioural analytics & science-based approach, he provides practical advice to pioneering and courageous leaders looking to build high performing cultures and world-class leadership.Prior to joining MESH/diversity, Naveen was an accomplished litigator and then General Counsel for 20 years.   He is actively involved in supporting the Canadian legal community, firms, and lawyers towards becoming a more contemporary and inclusive profession.

Damon Murchison is the President and Chief Executive Officer of IG Wealth Management, effective September 14, 2020.

Previously the Executive Vice-President, Head of Retail Distribution at Mackenzie Investments, Damon led Mackenzie’s retail sales organization and has been with the company since 2014. He was responsible for the retail sales, alliance and group sales businesses, including planning and sales effectiveness, training and development, sales experience and analytics teams, along with the private wealth, tax, estate and practice management teams.

Damon has 25 years of financial services leadership experience and previously held progressively senior positions, including Head of Sales for Retail Markets, at Manulife Financial and Head of Alliance National Sales at Fidelity Investments.

Damon has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Western University in London, Ontario, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western.

He is also a Member of the Board of Directors for the George Brown College Foundation.

As Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategy & Head LGBTQ2+ Business Development, Al is a member of TD’s Wealth leadership team, acting as a key liaison between TD Wealth Advice and Business Banking.

Al also leads TD’s LGBTQ2+ business development team executing strategies across One TD. This program is considered leading edge and unique within the financial industry across North America.

Originally from Jamaica, Al and his family moved to Canada in 1994 to start a new life and complete his education. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University. Over the past 15 years, Al has held increasingly senior positions supporting TD’s Diversity and Inclusion mandate spearheading customer, employee and community initiatives. He is instrumental in helping TD to become a leader in the Black and LGBTQ2+ communities.

Al’s previous work experience at TD includes: National Manager, Diversity Community Relations; Senior Manager, Corporate Diversity; Senior Manager, Marketing Diversity, and Branch Manager.

Al has a passion for advancing inclusiveness in the workplace and in his community. He spearheaded the launch of several of TD’s Employee Resource Groups, including its LGBTQ2+ and Black Employee Networks which have now expanded to include thousands of employees across North America.

He has served on numerous work committees and boards championing Diversity and Inclusion. He currently sits on the board of Rainbow Railroad and is a corporate advisor to the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and ExeQutive.

In 2016, Al was awarded TD’s Vision in Action award, its highest honour for an employee. In 2018, Al was awarded the Ted Rogers School of Business Management’s Trailblazer Alumni Award – for his leadership work in Diversity and Inclusion. Earlier this year, Al was the recipient of the 2020 International Day of Pink Executive Pride Award for his outstanding contributions in the LGBTQ2+ community.

In his spare time, Al is an advocate for promoting health, wellness and creating safe spaces for everyone to feel a sense of belonging. He also enjoys mentoring students and young professionals to help them achieve their full potential both personally and professionally.

Kristine Remedios is KPMG’s Chief Inclusion & Social Impact Officer. In her role, she leads KPMG’s vision and strategy to leverage the firm’s diversity for broader economic and social inclusion in the Canadian marketplace and our communities.

Kristine is the co-chair with the CEO of the Executive Inclusion and Diversity Council, and is among the top executives in the KPMG network of firms leading our social impact strategy with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the environment.

With over 20 years’ experience in human resources, inclusion and diversity, and social impact, Kristine has led innovative strategies and partnerships focused on women, LGBTQ+, inclusive leadership, unconscious bias and mental health, to name a few.

Erin started with the Diversity Institute in 2011 and has helped grow the Institute from a team of six researchers to a 100+ multi-disciplinary, cross-functional and diverse team. She has 12+ years of experience working in the federal government, private sector and university administration and research, overseeing the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative programs aimed at advancing diversity and inclusion. Currently, Erin has taken a leadership role on DI projects such as the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub and Future Skills.

Her work focuses on critical approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship, intersectionality and action-oriented, systems change strategies, and has been published in the International Journal of Human Resource Management, Gender in Management and the Women as Global Leaders book series. Erin has an M.A. In Immigration and Settlement Studies from Ryerson University.

Waheeda Rahman White is the Director, Equity, Diversity and Human Rights with the City of Toronto, where she provides leadership and strategic advice to the Toronto Public Service (TPS) to ensure that City programs, policies, and practices are responsive to the needs of Toronto’s diverse communities. Waheeda’s team administers human rights processes on behalf of members of the TPS, members of Council, and the public; and they develop innovative programs and services to meet the organization’s equity goals to reflect and effectively serve the City’s diverse population.

Prior to working with the City of Toronto, Waheeda was the Director of Organizational Development, Diversity and Inclusion at the Scarborough Health Network (SHN). As Director, she led and supported organizational effectiveness and transformational change through coaching, learning and leadership development, performance and succession management, employee engagement, change management and the hospital’s diversity and inclusion strategy.

Waheeda has nearly 20 years of leadership expertise in both the private and public sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and government. She has served on a number of boards, including the Board of Governors at Centennial College, and she is currently on the board of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, as well as a volunteer advisor on Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO).

Waheeda is a frequent guest speaker, leadership coach, and mentor and is certified in both coaching and change management. She holds a Masters from Ryerson University, graduate education in Organization Development through the Schulich School of Business, and she is a graduate of the Rotman School of Management’s Executive Leadership program.