10:15 - 10:45 ET
The Unexpected Power of Pausing: A New Approach to Resilience at Work
Charles Achampong is a best-selling author and award-winning keynote speaker who teaches ambitious professionals how to build powerful pauses into their lives—so they can stop running on empty and start living fully.With over 20 years of leadership experience across the public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, Charles has led transformative initiatives with organizations such as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Committee, Scotiabank, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Mitacs.His debut book, Around the World in Family Days, became a best-seller thanks to its heartwarming storytelling and deeply relatable insights. Inspired by a life-changing sabbatical with his wife and daughters, the book chronicles a journey of personal transformation—one shaped by curiosity, reflection, and meaningful connection. Through intentional pauses along the way, they uncovered deeper joy, emotional clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose. They also developed what Charles calls “failure immunity”—the inner resilience to face challenges with courage and turn setbacks into stepping stones toward a more fulfilling life.As a dynamic speaker and thoughtful storyteller, Charles brings humor, heart, and hard-won wisdom to the stage. His talks help audiences rethink the pace of their lives, embrace the unexpected, and reimagine success on their own terms. Whether working with corporate teams or community groups, he empowers people to pause with purpose and reconnect with what truly matters.Currently, Charles also serves as an Executive in Residence at Capacity Canada, where he champions social impact by connecting talented professionals with nonprofit boards through the MatchBoard program.
11:00 - 12:00 ET
The Paralyzing Impacts of Financial Stress and the Cost to Employers – Root causes, assessing the problem in your workplace and potential solutions
In a competitive business environment, optimising your organisation’s return on its investment in human resources – often a company’s single largest expense – is vital to long-term success. The health and wellbeing of your workforce is a key factor in their ability to perform and help your business accelerate forward, which is why mental health and exercise programmes have become such an important focus for business and people leaders. Over 15 years of research and analysis undertaken by the National Payroll Institute proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is time to add financial wellbeing to the mix. The cost of failing to do so is both real and significant from a bottom-line business perspective. What is that cost? As of 2024, more than $55 billion per year in lost productivity across Canada due to the effects of financial stress in the workplace – and the problem has worsened year on year. The good news is that there is much we can do as employers to help alleviate the financial stress experienced by our staff and support them in performing better at work. Through this session, you will learn about the root causes of financial stress – identified by Canada’s Financial Wellness Lab and the National Payroll Institute – how to assess the financial wellness of your workforce to determine whether action is needed, and discover practical steps you can take as an employer to help employees overcome financial stress (beyond simply increasing their salary).
12:15 - 12:45 ET
ICU Leadership Hacks for Burnout-Proof Teams
Running an ICU in a pandemic leaves zero margin for ego, slow decisions, or burnout. Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng distills critical-care tactics—rapid data loops, psychological safety under pressure, and quick-win recovery protocols—into a playbook tech and creative leaders can use to keep teams high-performing without melting down. Walk away with scripts, dashboards, and a 30-day micro-habit plan that cut staff burnout 35% in hospital pilots. Run ICU-style 15-min data loops to slash decision fatigue and correct course in real time. Build a psychological-safety buffer that keeps innovation alive during crises. Deploy a 30-day PRESS micro-habit plan that cut burnout 35%—no costly perks required.
13:00 - 13:30 ET
Why Leadership Accountability is a Wellbeing Imperative
In today’s workplace, wellbeing isn’t just an HR initiative. It’s a leadership responsibility. Yet many organizations tolerate inconsistent leadership behaviors that quietly erode trust, increase stress, and contribute to burnout. In this session, Vince Molinaro, author of Accountable Leaders, explores the powerful connection between leadership culture and employee wellbeing. He’ll share how to build a leadership contract that supports clarity, connection, and accountability across your organization. Takeaways: Understand how leadership behaviors directly impact employee wellbeing. Identify the hidden costs of weak or inconsistent leadershipLearn practical strategies to build a culture of accountability and care
13:45 - 14:15 ET
Dancing with Disruption: Building Resilience During Relentless Change
Our world is full of worries that claw away at focus and performance. And yet we must learn to manage it. Disruption is the new normal. From AI to hybrid work to shifting career paths, professionals at every level are navigating constant change—and many feel unprepared and overwhelmed. In this engaging, high-energy session, Jeff Skipper offers a roadmap for helping individuals and organizations not just survive disruption, but move with it. Based on his book Dancing with Disruption, Jeff introduces a practical model for guiding behavioral change, reducing resistance, and building the resilience that allows people to adapt through the churn. Participants will learn how to lead teams—and even themselves—through uncertainty with purpose and resilience. Learning Objectives: Recognize the psychological triggers of resistance and how to defuse them. Learn the “Change Dance” model to guide clients and teams through disruptionCreate momentum for success with techniques to help people stay motivated during transitions
14:30 - 15:00 ET
What Every Workplace Needs to Know About Nervous Systems, Boundaries, and Belonging
Burnout isn’t just about workload—it’s about disconnection. In this powerful and timely session, Vivian Meraki offers a groundbreaking look at how somatic awareness, emotional intelligence, and authentic connection can transform workplace culture. Ideal for HR, DEI, and leadership audiences, this talk explores how to support working parents, reduce attrition, and build teams where people can thrive—not just survive. Takeaways from this session: Understand how nervous system regulation impacts team dynamics and performance. Learn practical boundary-setting strategies that protect energy and promote connection. Gain tools to create a culture of safety, empathy, and true belonging
15:15 - 15:45 ET
Best Boss Ever: What the Happiest, Healthiest Teams Have in Common
Christine Laperriere is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of Leader In Motion, a boutique leadership development firm that has supported thousands of high-performing professionals. For over 16 years, Christine has successfully run her own business, closing countless six-figure contracts and partnering with global brands to elevate their leaders and transform workplace culture. Before building her company, Christine spent years mastering the art of high-stakes sales. She knows what it takes to win big deals—and she also knows the hidden cost of success. After facing her own battles with chronic stress and burnout, she became obsessed with finding a more sustainable path to high performance. That journey inspired her to write Too Busy to Be Happy, a powerful book that helps ambitious professionals realign their energy, their values, and their definition of success. Each year, Christine coaches more than 100 senior leaders—many of whom credit her with helping them navigate pressure, lead more effectively, and rediscover what really matters. Her latest movement, Dessert First Living, is a mindset and lifestyle shift that encourages driven individuals to stop delaying joy and start designing a life they love now—not someday. Whether she’s on stage, in a boardroom, or leading a retreat, Christine brings a rare combination of business savvy, bold honesty, and deeply human insight. She’s not just teaching people how to perform—she’s helping them feel alive while they do it.
16:00 - 16:30 ET
FISH IN TREES - The Hidden Advantage of Neurodiversity
During this session we will explore what neurodiversity is and how many people worldwide are neurodivergent. We will go over the strengths of neurodivergent brains, and some of the struggles. We will cover how to support all workers and in turn boost team output, productivity, and revenue.
