Speakers

When we sit down to select our speakers we have a few things in mind: are they going to inform, educate, surprise, amuse and entertain our attendees? Will they change perspectives and alter opinions and, most importantly, bring about positive change and motivate our audience.

We hope that with the selections we make this year we’ll succeed with these goals.

We deliberately avoid setting a specific theme for the day. We would rather unleash great ideas and have themes emerge of their own account. Likewise we want our speakers to speak to their passion, which results in high impact talks and enduring performances. We want to bring in speakers from around the world who the audience might not have heard before and simultaneously highlight some of the great work being done by Calgarians.

2013 Speakers

David Cramb
Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry, Director of the Nanoscience Program, University of Calgary.
University of Calgary

Not only is David Cramb a Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry, but he is also the Director of the Nanoscience Program at the University of Calgary. Between coordinating undergraduate classes and mentoring his graduate students, Cramb has […]

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John Kani
Actor, director and playwright

John Kani is a world-renowned actor, director and playwright, based in South Africa. Among his countless awards and honors are a Tony award, various lifetime achievement awards, the 2000 Hiroshima Foundation Award for Peace, and special honors from the President […]

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John Vaillant
Author

John Vaillant is a writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and Outside, among others. His first book, The Golden Spruce (Knopf, 2005), was a bestseller and won several awards, including the Governor General’s Award […]

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Josh Dueck
World-Class Sit Skier

In 2004, Josh was in a life-changing accident that left him as a T11 full paraplegic. From his hospital bed with the long months of recovery ahead, it was the initial encouragement from his mentor Rick Hansen who helped Josh […]

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Kate McKenzie
Teacher

Kate McKenzie is a Storyteller, Artist and Junior High School Teacher. In 2012, she founded Worldviews Project as a way to combine all of these passions. Using storytelling and the art of videography she travelled to nine countries over seven […]

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Maurice Strong
Entrepreneur

Maurice F. Strong is a Canadian entrepreneur, a former under-secretary general of the United Nations and is widely recognized as one of the leaders of the global sustainability movement. Mr. Strong brings a historical insider’s perspective on Calgary’s oil patch, […]

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Rebecca Northan
Renaissance Woman & Theatrical Innovator

Rebecca Northan is a renaissance woman and theatrical innovator. She works simultaneously as a writer, producer, director, actor, improviser, corporate trainer, and teacher. Rebecca grew up in Calgary and trained with international improv guru, Keith Johnstone, at the Loose Moose […]

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Reuben and the Dark

Reuben and the Dark is the newest project from Calgary’s Reuben Bullock. The quartet weaves together sounds and vocal harmonies that create an unexpected texture that finds ways of translating the confusing language of emotion into song and melody; sounding […]

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Rollin Stanley
City Planner
City of Calgary

Rollin Stanley is an accomplished City Planner who has lectured and consulted widely throughout China, Canada, England and the United States and leads professional volunteer consultation teams for the American Planning Association in Atlanta, Shouzhou, China and currently in Jintang, […]

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2012 Speakers

Christina Franco
Arctic Explorer
Dr. Arpad Vass
Research Scientist
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dr. Breanne Everett
CEO & President
Orpyx Medical Technologies, Inc.

Dr. Charlene Elliott
Canada Research Chair of Food Marketing, Policy and Health
University of Calgary
Jeff De Boer
Artist
Joe Nolan
Singer/Songwriter