What does a meaningful educational experience look like for individuals with ASD? In some ways, very similar to other students; but in many ways, very different. Understanding these differences is the secret to unlocking a meaningful experience for students with unique learning needs. Kim shares what a needs-based, meaningful educational experience entails, and the impact this can have on students and their families. Founder and Director of Clinical Development, Kim Moore has dedicated her professional career to exploring innovative, effective and science-based therapies for individuals with autism. Having spent years implementing traditional autism intervention programs, Kim recognized the need for evolution within the field. Moving beyond the unnatural and rigid intensive therapies, Kim opened Aspire Academy in 2019. The Academy is setting a new standard for the education of students with unique learning needs by offering individualized teaching within a group setting. Bringing together some of the best educators in Ottawa, her vision for a positive, nourishing and comprehensive school experience for students with autism has become a reality. Kim’s vision reaches beyond the doors of her academy, she continues to share her philosophies and expertise with her larger community. She’s working with educators from various disciplines and spreading a positive message about what we can accomplish.

You can make a big difference by helping young people look beyond job titles to find important challenges to solve. We can then help them find companies working on these challenges. This new approach is called the challenge mindset, and it is igniting a sense of purpose in youth. What difference could you make if you could ignite a sense of purpose in the youth today? JP Michel is on a mission to change the way we prepare people for their careers. He is the founder and head coach at SparkPath and creator of the challenge mindset. JP’s work on careers has been featured on the BBC, CBC and TFO. Since 2009, he has leveraged his experience coaching high-performing leaders to help hundreds of high-school students develop their potential, set meaningful career paths, and accomplish their goals. The question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ is no longer serving young people. For too long, we’ve encouraged them to prepare for their future by choosing a job title. This approach is causing anxiety and not preparing them for a complex future.

As our need for mobility continues, and the need for sustainable options is important. We need to explore how we can change the global energy transition. With an AI-based technology capable of ultra-fast charging of lithium-ion batteries without compromising cycle life, Kostyantyn shares how we can transform the way batteries are charged and reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by internal combustion engines. Kostyantyn is the CEO of GBatteries, an advanced battery technology company working towards enabling electric vehicles to charge as fast as it takes to fill-up a tank of gas, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles, and in turn reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Operating since 2014 at the intersection of artificial intelligence, electrochemistry, signal processing, and high-power electronics, GBatteries has the first and only demonstrated technology that can ultra-fast charge lithium-ion batteries without compromising battery life or changing the battery’s chemistry. With applications ranging from smart phones to electric vehicles, GBatteries is revolutionizing the way batteries are charged. Prior to GBatteries, Kostyantyn was the founder of Wolna, a SatCom company working on connecting airplanes to ground via satellite network, and Smart Rotor Systems (SRS), a vibration and noise reduction technology for helicopters.

The issue of inclusion and diversity is finally on the minds of leaders everywhere. As we work toward understanding how to create and maintain truly inclusive cultures, comprised of diverse groups of people, the focus has been on what we can do for others. What’s most important is how do we become conscious of embracing and developing diversity within ourselves? This question is key, because if we can’t accept all of ourselves then our ability to accept others is compromised.

Simeon challenges us to use failure to launch into something new and lead us to find our voice. He shares how not to waste your failures but rather use them to better yourself and land on something you are truly passionate about in places you least expect. Simeon is a business professional with over 16 years of global corporate experience. He has served in senior management consulting roles at Deloitte, PwC Consulting, Accenture, Jackman and Slalom Consulting, and in leadership positions in multi-billion $ companies such as Rogers Communications, Maple Leaf Foods and Sears Canada. After a tumultuous 25-year journey, Simeon has discovered his passion in Career Coaching, as an enabler of others’ successes. His clients range from new immigrants looking to enter the Canadian workforce, to new university graduates, to seasoned professionals in transition or recently laid off to help them get back on their feet. A proponent of higher and continuous education, Simeon completed a Bachelor and Master of Science at University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration at McMaster University.

Rose challenges you to ignite your curiosity, spark learning, discovery, and how to be inquisitive while embracing our inner child. She shares how curiosity helps us to build better relationships and business opportunities. Learn how we can nurture curiosity to improve opportunities for learning and solving problems. Rose's career spans over 30 years in the Ottawa tech sector. Her natural curiosity drives her creative problem-solving abilities and exceptional analytical skills. As VP of Business Operations at Solace, she specializes in sales enablement and productivity and business automation. Rose doesn’t describe herself as a thrill seeker or extremely adventurous. She used to say she was “just plain lucky” or “fell into opportunities” when describing her path. With further reflection, she has uncovered the real secret behind her choices – and it starts with curiosity. Rose will present a talk on why curiosity is so important to relationships and for business. Rose is Ottawa Chapter President of the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals and member of the Sales Enablement Society. She is a sought-after mentor and coach with a passion for building and enabling high performing teams.

Eli will take us on a personal journey from a one room apartment with nine family members to making a difference in the AI revolution. Eli Fathi is the Chief Executive Officer of MindBridge Analytics which introduced the world’s first auditing tool based upon artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The AI Auditor platform is used to uncover errors in financial data. Eli attended Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa where he earned a master’s degree in Engineering. Eli has been a technology entrepreneur for over 30 years, having founded or co-founded numerous technology companies including MindBridge Analytics and Fluidware Corp. He currently sits on the Boards of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Start-Up Canada, and C-Com, a company that develops satellite-based technologies.

As teenagers prepare to enter a new work world with jobs that don’t exist and can’t yet be imagined, what kind of career advice do we give to prepare the next generation for the unknown? The answer is simple – skip a generation. Amy MacLeod is a seasoned tech executive, thought leader and trusted advisor to business and public leaders, with 25 years experience in Ottawa’s political and private sectors where she has served as the senior communications executive and spokesperson for multiple organizations. A member of the Mitel executive leadership team, in 2018 Amy was appointed to her current position as the company’s first Corporate Diversity Officer. An agile business leader, strategic communicator and messaging architect, Amy specializes in translating complex business, financial, and technical developments into global communications programs and messaging frameworks that support strategic priorities. Her expertise spans all aspects of stakeholder communications, both external and internal, from M&A, strategic issues management, corporate messaging, analyst, government and public relations, and executive and employee communications.

In Jim's video 'Bigger than hockey. Finding Contentment in Unexpected Places', he takes us on a short walk through the relationships he's had with numerous people facing tremendous challenges and will share what they have each taught him about contentment and gratitude. Jim Perkins is an ordinary guy with an extraordinary story. He’s a coach and a crisis counsellor, has consulted with law enforcement, served on the Governor’s Council on Drug and Alcohol Awareness, led mission teams to Mexico to help build orphanages, and organized support projects for local family shelters. The list goes on. Eleven years ago, Jim and his wife Shana witnessed something that would forever change their lives. On a winter weekend at a rink in Ontario, they watched special needs kids step on the ice and play hockey with their friends. Inspired by these kids and their families, Jim and Shana returned to Ottawa, rallied a small group of friends, rented some ice, and with three participants, started a team. That group of three has become the Capital City Condors, which now has a total of six teams in Ontario, providing adapted hockey programming for over 150 players and engaging more than 75 volunteers. Jim has been presented with the Senate of Canada Sesquicentennial Medal in recognition of his valuable service to our country in addition to numerous local awards.

Anna challenges our everyday actions – how they are making us less human and why we’ll pay for it. As a Director of Talent Acquisition at Shopify, Anna leads a team of more than 100 people, including recruiters, researchers, and coordinators across seven locations globally. Over the last seven years, Anna has contributed to Shopify’s growth by designing high impact teams who serve Shopify’s global merchant base. Anna is committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion are embedded into Shopify’s hiring practices. She has recruited top talent from all over the world across a variety of disciplines, helped to position Shopify as a top employer, and has grown Shopify from 150 to over 3,000 employees around the world.

As local tech company Martello made history with its debut on the TSX Venture Exchange in September of last year, CEO John Proctor became one of few military veterans to take a company public in Canada. Looking back at his journey, John shares what military culture has taught him about business and considers the impact on Canada’s economy if more businesses understood how to make the most of the untapped talent pool it has in Canada’s military veterans. As President and CEO of Martello Technologies, John oversees corporate direction and strategy to grow the business and ensure the company’s position as a global industry leader. A respected senior ICT executive, John brings more than eight years of experience driving strategic initiatives that build businesses. Prior to his work in the private sector, John served for more than twenty years in the Canadian and British Forces. On entering the private sector, John served in multiple roles, including Vice President, Global Cyber Security at CGI. John is also a very active member of the ICT community, including sitting on the ICT advisory board for Government Affairs Canada and the CATA Cyber Council.