 Thelson Desamour Thelson Desamour is a lawyer, Senior Legal Counsel with Fenchurch General Insurance Company. He has been in practice for over 15 years. Thelson is presently a member of the Lakeridge Health Board of Trustees. He is formerly the Director of Professional Development for the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, CABL as well as a former Board member of the Community Development Counsel of Durham. Thelson obtained is undergraduate degree from York University and his law degree from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. |
 Kim Johnson Kim Johnson is a diversity, equity and inclusion strategist with experience in building corporate and public diversity & inclusion initiatives, employee resource group program creation, governance and support; corporate and crisis communications, community volunteerism and outreach. She spent 10+ years in Canadian broadcast news journalism in Toronto, Regina, Calgary and Windsor as a senior news producer. After her career in journalism, Kim spent some time working in public relations in both government and finance. As a diversity, equity and inclusion leader, she helps corporations build equitable and fair workplaces for all Canadians - especially racialized, LGBTQ+, disabled and Indigenous persons. Kim is a graduate of both Ryerson University and Centennial College. |
 Denise Lopes Denise Lopes grew up in Toronto, Canada in a fairly diverse part of the city. However, as a child, she hardly ever saw examples of what she looked like in the books that she read. As a mother of two, she wanted to make sure that her future grandchildren, and ALL children, saw others that had their skin colour and were beautiful and smart, in the books that they read. She has won awards for her work in equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Toronto Scarborough and is using that experience to share her dreams of representation with children around the world. |
 Michelle Osbourne Body Liberator | Content Creator | Brand Builder Michelle Osbourne is a content creator, communications professional and multi-disciplined educator that specializes in helping marginalized communities build socially conscious brands. She works from an anti-racist, anti-oppression, intersectional feminist framework and can often be heard speaking on topics such as body liberation, self-confidence, marginalized woman issues and LGBTQ2+ rights. She’s been a frequent guest speaker on radio, podcasts, voted CBC’s 2021 Black Changemaker, featured on T.V. and in magazines such as City News Montreal and Today’s Parent. With over 15 years of experience working in marketing and communications, Michelle is the owner of her own branding and communications studio Michelle Osbourne & Co. and is also the Creative Director of Project Femme Noire, a photo series that celebrates Black women living in Québec. |
 Erica Shaw Erica Shaw is a bilingual award-winning marketer, consultant, voice artist and content producer with 25+ years of experience in multi-media production. She has produced television commercials for brands such as Coca-Cola Ltd, RBC and Microsoft and has voiced national ads for PBS, President’s Choice and RBC. She holds a Masters in Media Production and a Post-graduate certificate in Creativity and Change Leadership from State University of New York. She also serves as Secretary on the Reelworld Screen Institute Board and currently works as a Marketing Manager and Professor at Sheridan College. |
 Roxane Tracey Visual artist, poet and owner of Fresh Paint Studio + Café, Roxane A. Tracey has exhibited her artwork and engaged audiences throughout North America for over 15 years. When Roxane is not creating or managing her studio she can be found facilitating art and poetry workshops for groups of youth and adults in local schools throughout the Toronto District School Board as well as in community centres. Roxane is not only passionate about inspiring and empowering others through her artwork, she is passionate about encouraging youth and adults to embrace their own creativity by creating art fearlessly. Learn more about Fresh Paint Studio: www.freshpaintstudio.ca |
 Dion Walcott Dion Walcott, the founder of MARTK'D is a highly sought-after speaker, strategist, and curator who has used his passion for sneakers to create a notable career in the marketplace. Dion’s first break came when he was chosen as the Director of Programs and Partnerships for North America’s first-ever sneaker exhibit at The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. This success then sparked collaborations with other global brands and organizations such as the NBA, SXSW, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Parsons, and the Art Gallery of Western Australia to help develop their communities and cultures. |