Join the panel for a discussion on leading within your community and being an active citizen. Our panelists will share inspiring stories of elevating women in leadership, community-focused leadership, navigating barriers, running for local government, and volunteerism. Discover how to create a better world through intentional, purposeful work, and the ways that a “side hustle” can earn passive income while also enabling you to give back to the community. Our panelists will also look at diversity, equity and inclusivity in Niagara and how organizations can improve those traits from within.

Speakers:

Kimberly Calderbank
Partner, Co-Founder and Director of Marketing & Communications, Yellow Robot

Kimberly Calderbank is a strategic and experienced leader in the communications and marketing sector. As Co-founder and Director of Marketing and Communications at Yellow Robot, a digital agency with a hands-on, focused approach, she has a demonstrated history of working with clients to identify and achieve their goals and to communicate their voice.

With more than 15 years of experience creating award-winning marketing content, Kimberly is a true believer in the power of community. She led the communications and marketing strategy for the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation’s $60 million capital campaign. The Joseph Brant Hospital Campaign was the most successful fundraising campaign Halton has ever seen.

She works extensively with not-for-profit organizations in the Halton and Hamilton communities, including leading the communications strategy for Food for Life Canada, a food recovery charity, as it navigates the COVID-19 pandemic. Kimberly holds the position of Halton Police Board Communications and Media Consultant and is the Secretary and Treasurer for the Ontario Association of Police Services Board for Zone 4. Board experience includes Director roles with Halton Crime Stoppers, Distress Centre Halton, Burlington Aquatic Devilrays, and more.

Full bio can be seen at: https://gncc.ca/engage/speakers/

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kimberlycalderbank
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimcalderbank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-calderbank-47918521/

Tim Empringham
Founder, Dine Niagara; Senior Director, Retail Credit Systems, RBC

Tim Empringham has been an almost life-long resident of Niagara. Tim has always been focused on supporting and growing the Niagara economy, working closely with Brock University and their business incubator as well as mentoring students who are looking at entrepreneurship as a career. It is his strong belief that business and community need to intersect in order for us to build a strong and sustainable future here in Niagara. As an entrepreneur he has started and operated several Niagara based companies, including his most recent venture, Dine Niagara. In addition to his entrepreneurial and mentorship efforts, Tim is currently the Senior Director of Retail Credit Systems at RBC and a proud member of the Board of Directors at Gillian’s Place.

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/dineniagaralocal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dine_niagara
Twitter: https://twitter.com/succeedsooner
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/succeedsooner/

Sean Vanderklis
Associate Producer, CBC; President, Niagara Regional Native Centre

Sean Vanderklis is Mississauga from Curve Lake First Nation. He currently resides in St Catharines, ON. Sean has a strong connection to the Indigenous community of the Niagara Region.

Sean has a passion and desire to create change. As such, through his volunteerism, he is:

• The Vice-President of the Niagara Regional Native Centre Board of Directors
• A member of the city of St Catharines’ Equity and Inclusion committee
• A National Advisory Committee member to the Aboriginal Fire Fighters Association of Canada, now known as The National Indigenous Fire Safety Council

Professionally, Sean works as a Journalist with the Niagara Dailies via the Niagara Falls Review and for Newstalk 610 CKTB as the co-host of the show, One Dish, One Mic – a radio program designed to discuss issues affecting Indigenous people.

For his work with One Dish, One Mic, Sean was the recipient of the 2020 CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships.

Though, Sean has recently accepted a position as an associate producer at CBC for its Indigenous flagship radio program, Unreserved.

When Sean is not working, he can also be seen on the Pow Wow trail. Sean is a Grass Dancer and frequently participates in Pow Wows province-wide. In the off-season, Sean often presents with two educational, cultural groups; Ohnia:kara and White Pine Dancers.

Sean’s worldview has been shaped by his various leadership roles. It is that worldview that Sean brings to the table when discussing issues affecting Indigenous people.

Full bio can be seen at: https://gncc.ca/engage/speakers/

Connect:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanVanderklis

The Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of your local government. After a brief history, meet the local players and discover the best ways to interact with your representatives at the city and municipal level. Take an in-depth look at the language of governance – bylaws, the Master Plan, zoning. Examine the chain of local government: the process of escalating concerns and the best way to ensure that you are heard. Explore the issues around affecting local change: issue management, journalism and communications, coalition building, and the power of Positive Politics.

Speaker:

Chris Ventura
Community Office Manager, Government of Canada

Chris Ventura was born and raised in Port Colborne and believes strongly in the power of affecting change in your own backyard.

While pursuing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History and Master of Education degree in Leadership and Administration at Brock University, Chris dedicated his spare time to “building better Badgers” as a student leader, mentor, staff member, and advocate for important student issues.

He began his career in political community engagement in 2016 with Pam Damoff, Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington as her Community Engagement Manager where he executed local engagement strategies and ensured constituent voices were heard at decision-making tables at the federal level of government. In 2018, he assumed his current role as Community Office Manager where he assists constituents with complex challenges with federal programs and supports.

Chris is passionate about helping others build capacity in their causes and projects and donates his time to support his local community. He currently serves on the Brock University Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Canadian Mental Health Association Board of Directors.

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/chris__ventura
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chris__ventura
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjventura/

A career change is something that many young professionals have pondered, especially over the past year. Whether it’s a change in your own company, into a new company or a new industry, it’s important to have a plan set in place. Madi and Country work with young professionals going through a career change on a daily basis and will share their biggest learnings from working at a web development bootcamp! This interactive workshop will cover the following: identifying the need for a change; how to effectively tell your career story; building a roadmap to make your career move; fostering a community to support your change; and connecting to untraditional pathways for upskilling or re-education.

Speakers:

Courtney Falardeau
Career Success Specialist, Juno College of Technology

As a Career Success Specialist at Juno, Courtney helps Juno job seekers with their job search strategy. Through 1:1 appointments and career lab workshops, the Career Success Specialist is with the job seeker every step of the way until they secure employment. Prior to joining Juno, Courtney was a Job Developer with a not-for-profit, and is passionate about empowering job seekers to recognize the value in their skills and experiences when making a career pivot!

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/courtfalardeau
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CourtFalardeau
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyfalardeau/

Madi Fuller
Career Success Specialist, Juno College of Technology

As Career Success Specialist on Juno’s Outcomes (Career Services) team, Madi works with Bootcamp graduates on their job search strategy. Through one-on-one appointments, Career Labs, and other programming, Career Services does everything they can to support Juno’s grads as they secure their first tech role. She also is the incoming chair for Hamilton Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professional Division. Prior to joining Juno, Madi worked in higher education and tech. She loves combining her passions of career development and inclusive education and tech every day! Madi also loves to challenge the status quo, being involved in her local community of Hamilton, and hanging out with her two clingy cats!

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/fullmadi
Twitter: https://twitter.com/madifuller13
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madi-fuller/

In this session, Joanna Gasparotto will show you how to reinvigorate your space and your state of mind with simple tips to switch up your surroundings. From colour coordinations to furniture positioning, you’ll learn how to achieve balance in your living and working space, boost productivity, and generate positivity. Most importantly, this session will help you turn your workspace into a place of joy, inspiration, and somewhere you love to be everyday.

Speaker:
Joanna Gasparotto
Founder & Design Specialist, Elmview Hill Design & Decor

Joanna Gasparotto is a 32-year-old mover, shaker and designer by day, wine lover, dog whisperer and lasagna maker by night. She loves bringing clients’ visions to life, and nothing brings her greater joy than seeing the grin on client’s faces after she finishes with their homes. After a successful 10+ year career in the world of Public Relations & Communications, Joanna changed course and leapt (ok, more so dove face-first) into staging and design. She’s always had a passion for interiors and decor, flair for colours & patterns, and the ability to make others feel comfortable in their own space – both mental and physical surroundings. Joanna launched Elmview Hill Design & Decor in September 2020 during the midst of a pandemic. By taking the leap of faith, it brought Joanna endless opportunities to grow and accommodate her business to those needing design & decor services during this time. Today, Joanna continues to transform and creatively design spaces that meet both budget and inspiration.

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/elmviewhilldesigns
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannagasparotto/

In this session, attendees will understand the purpose of the resume, and how to develop a document that highlights their skills, talents and impacts, not just a work history that focusses on their responsibilities. Best practices around how to format bullet points, how to tailor a resume to the desired position, and common errors to avoid, will be reviewed. This session will also be useful for anyone making a career transition or seeking a position in a new field.

Speaker:

Kristen Nilsen
Experiential Education Coordinator, Brock University

Kristen has spent much of her career working in higher education, supported by an academic background in Human Resources and Leadership in Education, currently working as an Experiential Education Coordinator at Brock University. These experiences have consistently had a student-centered approach, which collided with her HR background when she began working as a Career Coach in 2017. Her coaching philosophy focusses on providing clients with the tools to be successful and empowering them to maneuver the job search process confidently, in relevant and relatable ways. During the pandemic, in addition to her day job, she co-founded The Career Shop to provide personalized career coaching to clients who may be established in their careers but are now looking for new opportunities.

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristennils
Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.careershop
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristennils
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/knilsen/

Join us for a keynote and Q&A session with Korey Jarvis, who represented Canada in the heavyweight category at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Korey’s past accomplishments include a gold medal win at the 2014 and silver medals in 2010 and 2018 at the Commonwealth Games, silver at the 2015 and bronze at the 2019 Pan American Games. As a decorated athlete, Korey will share insights on success, work ethic, and perseverance. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to work hard to achieve what you want to achieve. Success doesn’t come easily to most, and you really have to put in the time and effort to get where you want to be.”

Speaker:
Korey Jarvis

After a thirteen-year career of international wrestling, Korey Jarvis, RBC Olympian, has retired from the sport. Jarvis, from Elliot Lake, Ont., represented Canada in the heavyweight 125 kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics where he finished eighth. He was also the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion, and two-time Commonwealth Games silver medalist in 2010 and 2018. At the Pan American Games, Jarvis captured silver on home soil in Toronto in 2015 and bronze in Lima in 2019. His best finish at a world championships was seventh in 2017. The 34-year-old began wrestling in 2000 with the Elliot Lake Gladiators, before spending most of his career with the Guelph Wrestling Club. Jarvis had a run of over six years where he didn’t lose a match to a Canadian. He was also the first athlete to win the Canadian Championships in three consecutive years in both freestyle and Greco-Roman styles. “I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to represent Canada over the years,” said Jarvis. “I hope my career has taught my daughter and maybe other wrestlers to work hard to achieve their goals.” As a mainstay on the Canadian team for the past decade, Jarvis credits his success to his work ethic and perseverance. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to work hard to achieve what you want to achieve. Success doesn’t come easily to most, and you really have to put in the time and effort to get where you want to be.”

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/korey.jarvis
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Daddyjar86

Andrea McGee from Soul Fire Power Yoga will lead us in a morning routine to energize your day. Bring a water bottle, a yoga mat (or a towel will work!), a block (or a stool or the back of a chair, for support and balance). It’s for everyone – no experience necessary!

Speaker Bio:
Andrea McGee
Owner, Soul Fire Power Yoga

Andrea McGee is the owner of Soul Fire Power Yoga and has been teaching yoga since 2005. While the yoga studio industry is competitive in Niagara, McGee is committed to keeping the community engaged and ensure that Soul Fire Power Yoga remains relevant.

McGee has developed and implemented a teacher mentorship program, started a teacher training program, and offers complimentary trauma-sensitive yoga classes for First Responders called Healing Heroes.

When the pandemic struck, McGee was forced to alter course over a weekend and offer virtual classes to be the constant for students while everything else was unknown. Although this was challenging, she was able to provide support to teachers and students and push through it together.

Once the studio reopened in July 2020, they continued to offer inperson and virtual classes simultaneously to suit individual needs. The future development of Soul Fire Power Yoga is driven by a set of core values which include community, acceptance, connection, integrity, and empowerment.

McGee understands that as a yoga community, it is a responsibility to continue to offer diverse programs and further develop community offerings to elevate and empower others. Soul Fire Power Yoga promises to continue to offer a series of new virtual and in-person opportunities, with a strong vision for the future.

Connect:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/soulfire_poweryoga
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mcgee-06a22117/