Team Category: Presenter

To be updated.

Mandy Price, Consulting and Training Associate with Indigenous Works, is a business and training development expert who is known throughout the highest levels of the Provincial and Federal Governments for the innovation and success rate of programs that she has spearheaded. Mandy is a proven expert in the development of training to employment programs that identify the labour market needs of industry partners and creating pathways to unite an Indigenous workforce with them by eliminating the common barriers faced by Indigenous Canadians.

A proud Anishinabek Kwe from the Red Rock Indian Band and member of the Eagle Clan, Mandy stands as a recognized “bridgebuilder” between her Indigenous roots and the modern business world, working tirelessly to ensure that Indigenous People have the tools necessary to be successful outside the boundaries of their communities. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Western Governor’s University and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Business Management and Leadership. She also possesses extensive experience and certifications in project management, professional economic development designation and program facilitation.

Senior Manager, Indigenous Enablement and Recruitment

KPMG in Canada

Jade Psutka is the Senior Manager, Indigenous Enablement and Recruitment with the National Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Talent Attraction team. She works alongside HR professionals, business leaders and community to guide in building a mutually respective path forward. Her work is centered around strategy and process in support of breaking down barriers and bringing Indigenous perspectives to the core of Corporate Canada.

She is of mixed ancestry, both Polish and Haudenosaunee from Oneida Nation of the Thames. Her passion stems from her background, honouring of community, and passion in sharing the knowledge and experiences that Indigenous Peoples offer to the corporate world. She has taken learnings from community to advocate for meaningful consultation, deeper understanding, and inclusion in all aspects of business.

Jade Pichette (they/them) is an inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA!) professional based inTkarón:to/Toronto. Currently, Jade serves as the Director of Programs at Pride at Work Canada, where they work with over 250 large employers across Canada around gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation inclusion. Previously, Jade served as the Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator atthe ArQuives, the Education Programs Coordinator at Kind Space, and an independent inclusion consultant. They were one of the authors of Transitioning Employers: A survey of policies and practices for trans inclusive workplaces and are the cohost of the Uncovering Belonging Podcast. In their spare time they can be foundgeekingout over queer, trans, and Norse histories, disability justice, interfaith advocacy,firekeeping, and spending time with their chosen family.

Lead IDEA Consultant, Consulting

Sheena Prasad lends her expertise to CCDI Consulting as Lead IDEA Consultant, Consulting, with a wealth of lived experience and an exuberance for creating positive change in workplaces and beyond.

As a participant of the Katimavik national youth service program, Sheena lived and worked in small towns across Canada, gaining volunteer experience in both official languages. Meeting and working alongside a variety of Canadians inspired her to learn more about others’ perspectives individually and within communities. This fascination with interpersonal connections drove her academic efforts to Carleton University, earning her a B.A. in Linguistics and Discourse Studies with research emphasis in cross-cultural communication and linguistic analysis.

Sheena is a multilingual queer woman, born to Canadian immigrants, who strives to cultivate mutual understanding between clients, her team and those whose voices yearn to be heard. Her professional accomplishments range from project planning for Ottawa’s Fierté Capitale Pride, volunteer lifecycle management and moderating allyship skills workshops for nationwide organizations.

When she’s not at her desk, Sheena loves making props and creative costuming, horror films/video games and home cooking challenges.

Evelyn Steinhauer, PhD, is an agent for change in the advancement ofnêhiyawkiskinohamâksewin(Indigenous/Cree Education). Born in Alberta, and a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, in Treaty 6 territory, Dr Steinhauer is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. In addition to her professorship, she serves as the Associate Dean of Indigenous Education and Director of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP). As much as she enjoys every aspect of her work at the University of Alberta, her passion and deep commitment is to community; uplifting hernêhiyawiwinlanguage,ways of knowing, being, and doing in everything she does.

Maria Papadimitriou is co-founder at TheHow.ca, a consulting company focused on improving experience and outcomes for people who use drugs and the organizations supporting them. They develop strategy, policies, procedures and effective communications, consult on complex issues and train service providers and caregivers.

Maria’s expertise is in leveraging policy and collaborative strategy to execute social change within organizations and across systems. Throughout her career, she has partnered with people who use drugs and their caregivers to develop and deliver non-stigmatizing services, improve workforce capacity and transform systems to be more effective, compassionate and inclusive.

Maria is a certified adult education specialist with a Masters in Behavioural Neuroscience (MSc) from Queen’s University and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. She lives in Brampton Ontario with her wife and daughter and their dog Piper.

Jeff Perera builds bridges between people of all genders having spoken to tens of thousands of people across North America about gender, masculinity, empathy-building, and men helping end gender-based violence. Whether in the boardroom, on campus, or the locker room, we need more examples of positive ways to be a man today. Jeff is a storyteller inspiring new models of possibility for men and young men, and healthier versus harmful ideas of manhood where we work, live, play, worship or study. He has delivered two TEDx talks: ‘Words Speak Louder Than Actions’ looking at the power of gendered words, and ‘The Ladder of Manhood’ which explores the male pursuit of identity and how too many men are fluent in a language of violence. In 2011, he curated the first TEDxWomen event in Toronto.

Jeff previously worked for the White Ribbon Campaign, the world’s largest grassroots effort to engage men in ending violence against women, and Next Gen Men, as well as founded and curated the What Makes A Man conference for four years, which featured actor Terry Crews in 2014.

From Rogers Media, Mackenzie Investments, Klick Canada, Vidyard, and Canada Post, to numerous other organizations and campuses, Jeff has delivered interactive talks for team leaders and groups of all genders, fields, creeds, and faiths within various organizations, conferences, and spaces. His work helps nurture brave spaces for real discussion: inspiring people to challenge our gendered ideas of success and failure and to be the lesson in action.

Jeff regularly contributes thought leadership through writing and appearances on podcasts and interviews exploring how limiting ideas of gender impact us all in everyday life.

Instructional Designer | Filmmaker | Storyteller | Strategist

Ejiro Onobrakpor is a growth-minded Instructional Designer, filmmaker, and photographer with over two decades of experience in creating impactful, human connection-centric content. Raised in the slums of Lagos, Nigeria, Ejiro’s early experiences fueled his passion for community engagement. He successfully developed and implemented programs that fostered connection and reduced conflict among vulnerable populations.

Prolific in coordinating productions and events, Ejiro brings a unique blend of creativity and organizational skill to every project. His writing spans feature articles and films, with his latest feature film, *Love. Sex. Religion*, currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Ejiro holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in accounting and has pursued further education in Digital Film Production at the SAE Institute. In 2015, he was honored to be among 21 young Nigerian filmmakers sponsored to study at the prestigious Relativity Education Studio in Los Angeles.

In addition to his filmmaking accomplishments, Ejiro is also a documentary filmmaker and a proud 2024 ATB president league winner, showcasing his dedication to excellence. Currently, he serves as an Instructional Designer at ATB Financial, where he continues to merge his passion for storytelling with educational innovation.

A devoted father of three and husband, Ejiro balances his professional pursuits with his commitment to family and community, always striving to make a meaningful impact through his work.

Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights

Debbie is the Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights. Before joining Action Canada, she was the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity (CCGSD) and has been instrumental in advancing the rights of2SLGBTQIA+youth and communities.

She has spoken at Parliamentary and Senate standing committees and has appeared innumerousmedia outlets. She has held several advocacy and policy-oriented positions in government and non-profit organizations, including Oxfam Canada and Global Affairs Canada.

Debbie is an accomplished community educator, feminist activist, and social justice advocate driven by the mission of creating a more inclusive,equitable, and safe world. She has continued to dedicate her time to local progressive organizing, including most recently, as a commissioner for the Ottawa People’s Commission on the Convoy Occupation.