Team Category: Presenter

Juliet Jackson is the Director of Culture and Inclusion at the Region of Peel and has held many leadership positions, which has contributed to her becoming an accomplished strategic leader, coach and influencer in the Public Sector. Director of Integrated Community Access, Director of Human Services Strategy and Service System Manager for Affordable Housing in Peel are a few notable leadership examples. In addition, Juliet sits on a number of advisory boards and committees and has been the President of the Peel Children’s Aid Society Board since June 2017 and is actively supporting the development of an Afro-Canadian Wrap-around service model for child welfare.

As Next Gen Men’s Community Manager, Veronika oversees volunteer engagement and appreciation, as well as donor stewardship. Together with our amazing volunteers, she works to plan and facilitate NGM Circle events every month, and connects us with community partners and stakeholders. She also provides project support for anything that comes our way and leverages social media to spread the word!

Veronika has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, where she became firmly invested in intersectional feminist theory. She is passionate about social justice, and in particular, gender-based violence prevention and eliminating poverty. She has worked with marginalized youth in Edmonton in relationship-based roles involving mentorship, advocacy, and education since 2013. She has also been involved in grassroots work with Men Edmonton to engage men in gender-based violence prevention since 2015.

An avid volunteer since her youth, Veronika believes in giving time to social causes, but when not working or volunteering, you can find her curled up with her dog and a good book, with friends, family, and good food, or playing the Legend of Zelda for the zillionth time.

Evan Hu is a serial entrepreneur and executive coach. He was the founder of several successful startups including OmniLogic, MapleMusic, and Ideaca. A Rainforest AB fellow and a member of the A100 and Engineers Canada Change Lab, he is active in the Canadian startup community as an angel investor, educator, and coach. He is the Chair of Platform Calgary (formerly Calgary Technologies Inc.), a Founding Partner and G7 Associate at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL). and is the General Partner of the Calgary Mount Rundle venture fund (CMRIC Fund 1) that provides early stage seed investments in CDL ventures.

With more than thirty years of experience in the creation and management of successful businesses, he has a proven track record in growing and mentoring successful professionals. He has worked with and consulted to many leading Canadian, American and European companies; guiding them in the best practices for technology enabled businesses across numerous industries, including telecommunications, advanced technology, entertainment, utilities and oil & gas.

Amy Huwang is a Program Manager of the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives program at the Department of Canadian Heritage, and formerly worked with the Integration team at the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada in both Calgary and Vancouver. She currently resides on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations and is grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and play on these lands.

Amy graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Science degree, however realized rather quickly that life in a lab was not going to cut it. She made the transition to the public service and has spent the last ten years working with community organizations to develop and implement social programming and services for racialized communities, including newcomers to Canada. As a child of immigrant parents who struggled through their initial years in Canada, Amy believes that we all play a critical role in creating inclusive spaces that recognize the unique successes, challenges, and experiences of racialized and newcomer communities.

Susan Hayes is the Chief Professional Resources Officer at Stewart McKelvey, a 220 lawyer law firm with offices throughout Atlantic Canada.

Susan is a people focused leader whose role encompasses various aspects of law firm management including the continuing professional development of the firm’s lawyers, marketing, business development and client service, student programs and lawyer recruitment, Knowledge Management and the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy. She sits as the firm’s co-chair of their diversity and inclusion committee and provides support to both the firm’s Partnership Board and Human Resources & Governance Committee. She is a proud graduate of Acadia University and Dalhousie Law school.

Anishinaabe ArtistandCulturalAdvisor

Lauri is a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation where she lives and creates in her studio on the water called‘Eagles in the East’producing woodland styled art pieces.Herart hasbeen createdtoteachandsupport land acknowledgements, equity andinclusionwork,storytelling,andIndigenousways of knowingand can be seen in organizations across York Region.

In her professional life, Laurihasdedicatedmany years tovariousleadership rolesserving theFirst Nation communityin the areas of governance,education,and culturerevitalization.During thistime,sheadvancedGeorgina Islandtobecomeself-governing in education, managingtheir own services, and building their own school.She also held a seat onbandcouncil forfourterms,during thehistoricalWilliams Treaty settlement.

Mohammed Hashim is the Executive Director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and previously worked as alabourorganizer and human rights advocate for two decades.He hasdedicatedhiscareer to supporting equity, inclusion, and community empowerment. He is currently leading a national taskforce on hate crimes with the RCMP to establish national standards, and has contributed to various legislative and policy agendas within the Government of Canada. He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Way of Greater Toronto and was a founding advisor of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Over the past 27 years with Eli Lilly Canada, Jackie has held positions in sales, sales training, sales and marketing integration, sales management, and for the past 19 years she has held leadership roles in marketing, focusing on a variety of therapeutic areas such as Osteoporosis, Diabetes, Men’s Health, and Neuroscience with various products in all stages of the product lifecycle, from pre-launch to post-patent expiration. During that time, Jackie has also had the opportunity to work on joint venture and alliance products, blockbusters and small resource brands as well as navigate all the experiences that come with working for a mid-sized global company operating within a rapidly changing environment.

Over the past 3 years Jackie has led the Diversity & Inclusion Network at Eli Lilly Canada, helping to lead efforts to develop and execute a relevant and meaningful Diversity & Inclusion strategy based on local needs and insights.

A lifelong volunteer and entrepreneur, Mark Harrison is an experienced marketer and big believer in purpose – be that brand purpose or people being purposeful in everything they do. Twenty-seven years ago, these beliefs led Mark to launch the award-winning marketing agency, The T1 Agency, and a global community of sponsorship practitioners, the SponsorshipX.

As part of Mark’s commitment to DEI in society, he founded the Black Talent Initiative to facilitate change, access, and connections to aspiring Black talent in the business. Through partnerships, internships, mentorships, and networking, BTI empowers Black leaders for the future. In 2020, Mark also co-founded Park Street Education, a non-profit school that offers experience-based, hybrid learning and works to provide accessibility and remove all barriers to children’s education. Additionally, Mark is also a member of the Board of Directors at Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto and a Fundraising Campaign Cabinet Member at CAMH Foundation – two organizations near and dear to his heart.

Chief Operating Officer, Indigenous Works

Craig Hall has a diverse background in both the public and the private sector. He has held senior positions with government in Canada’s far north in the areas of business development, culture and corporate affairs as well as in trade and investment. Craig has extensive project management experience through his trade work in Japan, the United States and Europe. He has a History degree from Carleton University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Exeter in England.

In 1986 he began a 12-year career with the Government of the Northwest Territories starting as a project officer in Baffin Island and then moved to Yellowknife where he was a Director with Economic Development and Tourism. During this period Craig negotiated several development agreements between the federal and territorial governments later putting in place the necessary administrative, communications, human resource and financial systems for their implementation.