Grace-Edward Galabuzi is an Associate Professor in the Politics and Public Administration Department, Ryerson University, and a Research Associate at the Centre for Social Justice in Toronto.  He is currently serving as the Undergraduate Program Director in the Politics Department. His research and teaching focuses on race and class theory and the experiences of racialized groups in the Canadian labour market. This includes immigrant socio-economic integration, social exclusion, the racialization of poverty, criminal justice system reform, education, anti-racism and anti-oppression, anti-Black racism, economic development, and the impact of global economic restructuring on local communities. He has also taught courses on topics related to economic theory, political economy and international political economy.

Neetika Sathe is VP of the Alectra Green Energy & Technology Centre where she leads innovation projects in the energy industry.  The GRE&T Centre is Alectra’s latest initiative to help put it at the forefront of exciting industry changes to make energy innovations come to life. It identifies, develops and accelerates emerging clean and customer-friendly energy solutions.  Neetika serves on several industry associations such as EMC, NSERC Energy Storage Technology Network, and National Electricity Roundtable.

Julia obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from McGill University and a Master of Education in Adult Education and Community Development from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. In her current role with Environmental Defence Canada, she works to advance climate action at the federal level. She has previously worked with both Greenpeace Canada and Oceana Canada.  Julia has been organizing around climate justice for over a decade.  

David Miller is the Director of International Diplomacy and Global Ambassador of Inclusive Climate Action at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. He is responsible for supporting Mayors in their climate leadership and for building a global movement for socially equitable action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. He served as Chair of C40 Cities from 2008 until 2010.  Miller was Mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010. Under his leadership, Toronto became widely admired internationally for its environmental leadership, economic strength and social integration. He is a leading advocate for the creation of sustainable urban economies, and a strong and forceful champion for the next generation of jobs through sustainability. Miller has held a variety of public and private positions and served as Future of Cities Global Fellow at Polytechnic Institute of New York University from 2011 to 2014.  David Miller is a Harvard trained economist, a lawyer and author of the book “Solved: How the World’s Great Cities are Fixing the Climate Crisis”.

Frances Lankin has been a lifelong advocate for workers’ and women’s rights.  Lankin served for 11 years in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1990-2001), holding the positions of Minister of Government Services and Chair of Management Board, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and Minister of Economic Development and Trade. She also spent more than 10 years as the CEO of United Way Toronto.  She has contributed to a number of diverse government bodies and initiatives including Co-Chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Federal Grants, and Contributions and Co-Commissioner of the Commission for the Reform of Social Assistance in Ontario. She has also served on several Crown, not-for-profit, charitable and corporate boards.  Lankin is a Member of Privy Council, a Member of the Order of Canada, and was appointed to the Senate on March 18, 2016.

Osnat was born in Israel but lived most of her adult life outside of Israel, in England and North America. She is a practicing digital artist and photographer and has been working as one for the last thirty years.

She graduated from London Guildhall University (now London Metropolitan University) in London England with a diploma in Art and Design and continued her studies later on to acquire a Postgraduate diploma in Digital Imaging and Animation.

Since moving to Toronto fifteen years ago she has a been teaching art history courses around various educational facilities in Toronto including the Life Institute which is part of Ryerson University Chang School of Continuing Education for the fifty plus, the Prosserman JCC, U of T continuing Education, and other smaller venues.  She has been covering many periods, topics and artists. Her enthusiasm and passion for art has made her courses fun, engaging and informative.

Iain Scott is one of Canada’s best-known and most popular opera educators and tour leaders.

For 25 years, he was a regular and frequent guest on CBC radio’s “Saturday Afternoon at the Opera”

… and for 8 seasons was a guest panelist on the “Texaco Opera Quiz” from the Metropolitan in New York.

He now regularly teaches courses at the University of Toronto, York University, Ryerson University, George Brown College, Jewish Community Centres, etc. … and increasingly in private homes.

He is in constant demand as a lecturer for guilds, societies and opera companies across North America, including …

• the Smithsonian Institution
• the Chautauqua Institution
• Opera America and
• almost every Wagner Society in the US and Canada.

Each Spring and Fall, he organizes a variety of Opera tours to European and North American opera houses. Detailed itineraries for his tours are on his website  www.opera-is.com      (the “I.S.” is for “Iain Scott”)

Brian Carlile, born and brought up in the UK, has a broad background in the world of professional music.

As a player in major symphony and chamber orchestras and as a session musician, conductor, contractor and organiser, his working life has taken him across continents and through society.

As a music writer and arranger, he has experienced the creative process from the ground up. As a speaker he gets to explore and share his perspectives and insights with interested audiences.