A seasoned specialist in education policy and initiatives, Fiona Deller has spent much of her career conducting research and evaluation, creating and designing programs related to student equity, educational pathways, teaching and learning, and skills development.  

She currently works as a Research Associate and Special Advisor to the Future Skills Centre and the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University). She also runs a consulting business where current and recent clients include People for Education, The Rideau Hall Foundation, The Future Skills Centre, The Hamilton Community Foundation, ContactNorth, and Colleges and Institutes of Canada. Fiona previously has held senior management positions with the Future Skills Centre, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, and has worked for the Ontario and Federal governments. Additionally, Fiona also taught program evaluation and research design for 8 years at Toronto Metropolitan University. Fiona is passionate about designing practical solutions that meet students’ needs, and creating an accessible, user-friendly educational eco-system. Fiona has bachelor’s and master’s Degrees from McGill in History, and a PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at University of Toronto in the field of higher education theory and policy.

Norah Marsh is the Executive Director for Marsh and McMahon Executive Consulting Services. Norah’s 19 years as a senior leader in Ontario’s school districts, including being the Director of Education for the Durham District School Board, provide her with a strong leadership foundation and understanding of complex organizations. During Norah’s tenure as Director, Forbes Canada awarded the board as one of the top ten employers in Canada and number one of all school boards.  

Norah is a strong advocate for student success in public education and student and staff well-being.  She has completed the Human Rights Certification program at the University of Toronto in support of her continued learning of how to lead with Indigenous and human rights at the centre.  

Olivia Seamone-Brown

Olivia Seamone-Brown is a grade 11 student in Nova Scotia. She attends New Germany Rural High School, a school of under 350 kids, in a community with less than 600 people. Olivia is most passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive community within her school and area. Olivia is currently on the Minister Student Advisory Council, where she collabrates and provides feedback/suggestions to the Honourable Becky Durhan and her team. She is a part of many extracurriculars including Techsploration, West Northfield Twirlettes, Her school's GSA, 4-H, and many more. She is honored to have this opportunity.

Eleanor Wong

Eleanor Wong is a Teacher Candidate in the Community and Inquiry in Teacher Education (CITE) cohort at the University of British Columbia. Eleanor graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and double minor in English and Kinesiology last April. Recently, Eleanor began her qualifying practicum where Eleanor is teaching a grades 6 and 7 split class in Richmond. Eleanor is passionate about teaching for understanding and encouraging curiosity and critical thinking. 

Eva Wong 

Mark Beckles has over 25 years’ experience in financial services, Mark has executive leadership experiences in banking, insurance, risk management and non-profit leadership.    

Mark leads the strategic execution of RBC’s Social Impact portfolios including RBC Future Launch, RBC Tech for Nature and RBC Emerging Artists. Mark also leads stakeholder relations to cultivate and maintain key relationships across Canada including policy makers, partners and stakeholders to advance RBC’s community investment priorities. Mark holds an MBA in International Business from the University of Bradford and has completed executive programs with Richard Ivey School of Business and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D).  

Lisa Cole is a passionate, award-winning educator, and system leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education. She is committed to building equitable opportunities for students. Lisa is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM with experience providing workshops, consulting on the development of resources, managing large scale projects, developing multi-stakeholder partnerships, and facilitating diverse teams. She believes that STEM literacy is important for all learners. Through her work, she hopes to inspire educators, students, and communities to become future innovators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers. @llimcolehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-limcole/   

Lisa currently works at York University, Lassonde School of Engineering. She is the founding director of k2i (kindergarten to industry) academy, an innovative ecosystem of diverse partners, committed to dismantling systemic barriers to opportunity for underrepresented students in STEM. The k2i academy engages youth by bringing STEM to life – connecting directly with school boards and their classrooms, offering innovative work-integrated learning programs, and partnering with community organizations to provide unique, hands-on STEM learning opportunities. Since June 2020, k2i academy has already reached over 6,000 students, teachers, families, and community members, spending over 175,000 hours in virtual and face-to-face engagements. Recently, k2i academy was awarded a Minister’s Award of Excellence in the category of Equality of Opportunity.https://lassonde.yorku.ca/k2i @k2iacademy 

Annie regularly provides advice to policymakers and government, and her writing on education has been published in a range of media. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Ontario Principals’ Council 2004 Outstanding Contribution to Education Award, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation 2005 Public Education Advocacy Award. In 2018, Kidder was awarded an honourary doctorate from York University. She has spoken at conferences in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, and South America.  She is regularly quoted in the media as an expert on education issues. She lives in Toronto. 

@anniekidder