Friday Keynote Speakers
Friday, October 18, 2024, from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific time
Description: These days, discouraging news cascades upon us in a seemingly endless cycle. Dire forecasts about everything from impending catastrophic climate change, growing inequity, and racial unrest, to the next unpredictable wave of a global pandemic. It can be very easy to lose hope. Exploring the lessons she attained from over a decade as a wilderness guide in one of the world’s last temperate coastal rainforests, Nikki will share how she tapped into her superpower of resiliency and how this quality lives in us all. Weaving together principles of biodiversity, forest ecology, and trauma-informed practice Nikki shares 10 accessible steps to climate resiliency and inspires audiences to unlock their infinite wells of resiliency to live their best life while riding the waves of these epic times.
Biography: Nikki Sanchez holds a Masters degree in Indigenous Governance and is currently completing her Ph.D. on emerging visual media technology as it relates to Indigenous ontology for climate change mitigation strategies. A Pipil and Irish/Scottish academic, Indigenous media maker and environmental educator, Nikki is a regular panelist on CBC radio’s the Early Edition and in 2021 she was selected as one of the HATCH 100’s influential change makers and collaborators, who cross-pollinate to accelerate solutions for positive impact and to HATCH A Better World. As the former David Suzuki Foundation’s “Queen of Green” Nikki focused on environmental journalism, social and digital media to help drive sustainable solutions for a healthy planet. She also created content to bring more racial and gender inclusivity into the environmental movement. An Indigenous media maker, Nikki’s 8-part documentary VICELAND series “RISE” focused on global Indigenous resurgence. RISE was debuted at Sundance in February 2017 and has received global critical acclaim, winning “best documentary” at the Canadian screen awards. She is the creator and director of “Decolonize Together” a collective of Indigenous and black women who offer decolonial and anti-racism workshops and curriculum creation. Decolonize Together has been teaching and facilitating decolonization and anti-oppression training for universities, school boards, corporations, and NGOs. Nikki has been a wilderness guide and environmental educator in the Nuu-chah-nulth territory of Clayoquot Sound where she was mentored by Nuu-chah-nulth elders Tsahsiits and Qaamina Sam. She is a guest contributor for the DavidSuzuki.Org website, The Hundreds, Last Real Indians, Intercontinential Cry, Loose Lips Magazine, and ROAR Magazine. She is on the BC Women’s Foundation Youth Council, as well as a board member for Sierra Club of BC, Load Bow and Photographer’s without Borders. In 2020, she released her first book “Spirits of the Coast: Orcas in Science, Art and History” which became a bestseller.
Her TEDx presentation is entitled “Decolonization is for Everyone”.
Friday, October 18, 2024, from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Pacific time
Description: In her keynote, Hayley Wickenheiser speaks to the importance of always looking for improvements or opportunities to bring change within your life. Through personal stories of triumph, relentlessness, and more than a couple confrontations, Hayley shares the keys to her tremendous success – as well as how she learned to grow from immense failure. Told with humour, compassion, and steadfast optimism, Hayley’s story and invaluable perspective inspires audiences to never accept “that’s not the way we do things” or “that hasn’t been done before” as limitations.
Biography: Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser is widely regarded as one of the best female hockey players in the world. With seven world championships, six Olympic appearances, and five Olympic medals, she is a titan of sport and a leader both on and off the ice. Hayley now serves as the Assistant GM of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs and is a practicing Family and Emergency medicine doctor.
*Sessions and presentations are subject to changes.