Theme: Links and Anchors

This year's theme is all about relationships between all things, and the perceptions we have about these relationships.
We want to share new perspectives with you, and trust that you will be greatly inspired by our speakers, who will challenge your perceptions.

Maison des Arts de Laval
1395, boul de la Concorde Ouest
Laval, Quebec, H7N 5W1
Canada

Corey Fleischer

President and Founder of #ErasingHate

Corey Fleischer found out early that he had a learning disability. For years, he did not know what he wanted to do in life. Through his talent as a hockey player, he got a scholarship to study abroad. There, he was told it was OK to learn and think differently, and turned his learning disability into one of his greatest strengths. Still today, Corey’s thought process is always outside the box. Entrepreneur at heart, Corey found his calling through a pastime, and has never looked back. This gave him what he longed for and made him feel complete. It then became a global movement, also changing the lives of thousands of people around the world.

Djamilla Toure

Fondatrice de l’organisme Sayaspora et mannequin

Née en Côte d’Ivoire, ayant grandi au Maroc, Française et vivant à Montréal depuis trois ans, Djamilla Toure s’identifie comme un fruit de la diaspora. Mannequin, elle contribue à une plus grande représentation des femmes noires dans les médias. Très impliquée dans sa communauté, elle a été élue présidente de l’Association des étudiants africains de l’UQAM en 2015 et, en 2016, elle a été chroniqueuse radio pour la rubrique « Diaspora à l’écoute » de l’émission NéoQuébec. En 2015, avec quatre autres jeunes femmes, elle fonde Sayaspora, un organisme visant à créer une meilleure représentation des femmes africaines et de la jeunesse de la diaspora africaine dans les médias. Elle aspire à créer un espace où les jeunes femmes africaines seront aussi inspirées à créer et à passer à l’action.

Geoffroi Garon-Épaule

M.A., doctorant

Geoffroi Garon-Épaule possède plus de dix ans d’expérience à titre de conseiller, chercheur et formateur en solutions numériques. Entrepreneur, il se spécialise en design pédagogique et technologique de systèmes de badges numériques (#Openbadges) au niveau des compétences, des usages numériques et des technologies collaboratives. Chercheur, il se passionne pour les stratégies d’innovation ouverte (communauté de pratique, Living Lab, Fab Lab), et pour la technopédagogie et l’apprentissage tout au long de la vie (littératie numérique).

Jean-Marie Lapointe

Acteur, animateur, conférencier, auteur et cinéaste

Jean-Marie Lapointe est acteur, animateur, conférencier, auteur, cinéaste et sportif accompli. En plus de ses multiples occupations, il soutient les causes des enfants malades, de la toxicomanie et des troubles alimentaires. Depuis plus de dix ans, il est l’un des porte-paroles du Défi sportif AlterGo pour les personnes handicapées. Auteur du best-seller Mon voyage de pêche aux Éditions Stanké et du livre Je ne t’oublierai pas aux Éditions Libre Expression, Jean-Marie a récemment publié son troisième ouvrage, Être face à la rue, inspiré de la série « Face à la rue » qui a connu un franc succès sur la chaîne MOI&cie du Groupe TVA.

Mark Morin

President, STRATEGIES

As a customer relationship builder, Mark has devoted the past 35+ years to bringing brands and people closer. He is an author, trainer, professional speaker and an expert in the field of relationship and cognitive marketing. His work focuses on creating lasting customer relationships between brands and their customers through relevant, personalized and creative marketing campaigns and programs. He has been teaching relationship marketing at Université de Montréal since 1998. Each year, he presents a host of keynotes and workshops throughout North America. His clients include national and international brands in tourism, leisure and travel, beauty and cosmetics, financial services and B2B. In 2009, he published a book on the importance of personalization and relevance in marketing communication titled Talk to Me! Get personal, get relevant, get more customers!

Nathalie Lasselin

Exploratrice, cinéaste sous-marine

Cinéaste et exploratrice sous-marine ayant remporté de nombreux prix pour ses films, Nathalie Lasselin est fellow de la Société canadienne royale de géographie et a été intronisée au temple de la renommée des femmes en plongée sous-marine (WDHOF Women Diver Hall of Fame). Pour mieux comprendre notre planète, elle repousse sans cesse les limites de l’exploration et, avec sa caméra, elle documente ses quêtes et constats. Elle partage ses préoccupations pour le milieu aquatique dans des articles de magazines de plongée, des films documentaires et des conférences audiovisuelles interactives. Sa mission est d’amener les gens à faire équipe pour se dépasser et vivre en meilleure harmonie avec leur propre environnement afin d’améliorer leur qualité de vie.

Paula Toledo

Creativepreneur, Singer-Songwriter, Writer

Paula Toledo is the founder of Ode to Wonder, a positive change and mental well-being blog and podcast that pays homage to wonder; the spirit of inquisitiveness where discovery meets gratitude. She is also a published singer-songwriter. Her music, produced by Grammy award-winning producer David Odlum, has been featured on television and in films worldwide. Paula Toledo is also a mental health advocate. As a caregiver to a family member living with a mental illness and survivor of her late husband’s suicide, she is using her voice and professional experience in communications to crush the stigma surrounding mental illness, while raising awareness for wellness.

Peter Hartman

Motivational Speaker and Consultant

Peter Hartman is a notable motivational speaker and personal empowerment consultant for individuals and organizations. Using positive thinking principles, he seeks to share a common sense approach to creating well-being in people’s daily lives. For nearly a decade, he has been encouraging audiences to redefine assumptions. He has shared his philosophy of purpose and meaningful actions with local groups, on the radio, through online content, and to students in different countries. Now the founder of Happy for a Change, he is promoting a deliberate social and cultural shift centering on selfishness as an engine for substantial change.

Samantha Kris

Success Coach & Brand Strategist

Samantha Kris is an international success coach, author and speaker. She is also the founder of the Bossing Up movement, a community that empowers each other to harness their hunger for more and create opportunities for themselves and others. Samantha is passionate about helping people get from where they are to where they want to be. She uses her personal experiences, rich marketing background and business acumen to elevate the success of individuals and businesses alike. Her proprietary method of goal setting earned her five promotions in five years, enabled her to double her income in that time, and propelled her into the life of an entrepreneur. Her approach and ability to help people and projects realize their full potential has shaped her into a true agent for change.