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Our speaker lineup will be updated over the coming weeks. Check back regularly for updates.

Panelists:
Armine Yalnizyan, Isobel Mackenzie, Dr. Samir Sinha, Tabatha Bull, Vass Bednar, Dr. Zayna Khayat

Moderators:
Brian Lewis

Workshop Facilitators:
Heather Russek, Jessica Thornton

Panelists

Armine Yalnizyan

Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers

Armine is the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers and writes a regular business column for the Toronto Star. She was senior economic policy advisor to the federal Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada in 2018 and 2019 and raised awareness of the she-cession and the care economy during the pandemic, serving on a high-level federal task group. Armine advanced the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Inequality Project from 2006 to 2016, provided weekly business commentary for CBC radio and TV from 2011 to 2018, and served as Vice-President and President of the Canadian Association for Business Economics since 2017.

Isobel Mackenzie

Former Seniors Advocate, Province of BC

Isobel Mackenzie was appointed Seniors Advocate for the Province of British Columbia in 2014. As a statutory officer of government, Isobel was responsible for monitoring services to seniors and released over 30 public reports that prompted changes to legislation, regulations and policy across a wide spectrum of seniors’ programs. As a recognized national authority on issues related to seniors, Isobel has testified as an expert witness to numerous parliamentary and legislative committees, served as national media spokesperson and addressed over 100 professional conferences and symposia on topics related to seniors, aging and the health care system. Isobel has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the BC Medical Services Commission, the Canadian Home Care Association, The University of Victoria Board of Governors, the Canadian College of Health Care Leaders and is a member of both the Canadian Gerontology Association and the Canadian Association of Business Economists. Prior to her appointment as the Seniors Advocate, Isobel served as the CEO of BC’s largest Not-for-Profit serving over 6000 seniors annually in housing, home care and long-term care. Currently, Isobel is a faculty member at Simon Fraser University’s department of Gerontology and serves as Chair of the HSO Technical Committee to establish national homecare standards.

Dr. Samir Sinha

Details coming soon

Tabatha Bull

President and CEO, Canadian Council of Indigenous Business

Tabatha, a proud member of Nipissing First Nation, holds the distinction of being named CEO of the Year for 2022 by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2023, and named as Top 100 Lobbyist in Canada four years in a row. As the President and CEO of CCIB, she is dedicated to rebuilding and strengthening the path towards reconciliation and fostering a prosperous Indigenous economy for the benefit of all Canadians. With a background in electrical engineering, Tabatha is committed to promoting Indigenous inclusion and diversity in Canada’s energy sector. In her role at CCIB, Tabatha serves the Indigenous community by supporting the Indigenous economy and sits on various boards, including the Dexterra Group, Wigwamen Inc., Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and Catalyst CEO Advisory Board in Canada, among others. Tabatha’s dedication to diversity extends to her efforts in removing systematic barriers to enhance opportunities for Indigenous businesses and women across all industry sectors. She was awarded an Honorary Diploma from Loyalist College in Applied Arts and Technology in recognition of her leadership and contributions to Indigenous economic growth. Additionally, she has earned her ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, further strengthening her expertise in corporate governance and board leadership.

Vass Bednar

Executive Director, McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy in Digital Society

Vass Bednar is the executive director of McMaster University’s Master of Public Policy in Digital Society program. Her work focuses on the intersections between policy and the innovation ecosystem. She is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and writes the popular newsletter “regs to riches.” Vass is a contributing columnist at The Globe and Mail and the host of their podcast, Lately. She is the co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians.

Dr. Zayna Khayat

Health Futurist at Deloitte Canada and Adjunct Faculty at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Zayna is the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada’s Healthcare and Life Sciences practice. She is an adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where she instructs courses in healthcare innovation and partnerships in the health MBA program. Zayna is a Growth Advisor at Teladoc Health in Canada and advises a few emerging health startups. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She currently resides in Toronto with her husband and three children and is proficient in French and Arabic languages (and a bit of Dutch!).

Moderators

Brian Lewis

Senior Fellow and Lecturer, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

Brian Lewis is a Canadian public policy economist and lecturer at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, where he teaches in the Master of Public Policy and Undergraduate Public Policy Major programs. He specializes in public finance and labour markets and is a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute. Previously, Brian had a long career in the Ontario Public Service, serving as Chief Economist and Assistant Deputy Minister of Economic Policy at the Ministry of Finance (2015–2022), where he advised on economic performance, forecasting, and policy. Earlier, he taught economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, Brock University, and the University of Alberta. He holds an Honours B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier and an M.A. from the University of Alberta. Brian is also Treasurer and Board Member of GovFest, a charity supporting community projects through music and arts.

Workshop Facilitators

Heather Russek

Co-President, Creative Futures Studio

Heather Russek is a strategist, facilitator and researcher. As Co-President of Creative Futures, she works with public sector and not-for-profit organizations in crafting innovative strategies that are both practical and impactful. Heather is focused on the futures of health and well-being, work, and cities.

Jessica Thornton

Co-President, Creative Futures Studio

Jessica Thornton is a futurist, researcher, strategist, social innovator, and designer. As Co-President of Creative Futures Studio, she helps public sector and non-profit organizations prepare for their futures using applied strategic foresight and innovation tools. She works across a variety of sectors, exploring the futures of cities, work, health, wellbeing, arts and creativity.