RDC24 Speaker Bios
We have a great line-up of speakers at this year’s conference!
Learn more about speakers leading the sessions you’ve chosen to attend by reading their bios.
Alison Bambury – 4C | Donnalee Bell – 3B | Michael Bennett – 7A | Dan Bigonesse – 6A | Jennifer Crowson – 1C | Evan Dawe – 3B | Jake Deutsch – 5A | Nicole Flynn – 1B | Liz Gosse – 6C | Maureen Haan – 2C | Janeen Halliwell – 6A | Lorraine Katanik – 6B | Matthew Kingsbury – 7B | Marty Lampkin – 1A | Julie LaSorda – 2A | Lisa Livingston – 4B | Jolene MacDonald – 3A | Keith Manalo – 4C | Amanda Mastronardi – 5C | Melanie McGregor – 2C | Ingrid Muschta – 5C | Hannah Nogiec – 5A | Joanna Patsakos – 7B | Pawrnaa Perinpanayagam – 6C | Brendon Pooran – 4A | Cheryl Wiles Pooran – 4A | Onysia Robinson-Kotsikas – 1C | Derek Roy – 3B | Melissa Sliter – 8A | Theresa Somerton – 1B | Yvonne Spicer – 1B | Ryan Stanga – 6A | Jill Teeple – 5C | Kelly Thibodeau – 3A | Aaron Watson – 2A | Sean Wiltshire – 2B | Peter Young – 5B | Brian Zeiler-Kligman – 7C | Dino Zuppa – 2C
Alison Bambury
For the past 18 months, Alison has been the Transition to Work Program Specialist at Humber Polytechnic. In this role she strives to bring useful information and tools to students with disabilities who are preparing for work placements or permanent jobs. Previously, Alison worked in government communications for 20 years preparing user-friendly materials, organizing tours and leading a team of writers. An advocate for equity and inclusion, Alison has had to negotiate workplace accommodations for herself many times and is aware of the often frustrating challenges people with disabilities face with employers.
Speaker session:
4C — Transition to Work From Post-Secondary School: How a New Program is Helping Students
Donnalee Bell
Donnalee is the Co-Executive Director of the Canadian Career Development Foundation and has led a wide range of Pan-Canadian, provincial and territorial career and labour force development initiatives.
She has worked with sector councils and employers to build career awareness, recruitment, retention and skill development strategies. Donnalee has developed career transitions, skill development and career service policy frameworks for governments and intergovernmental bodies, notably the Council of Ministers of Education’s Reference Framework for Successful Student Transitions.
She co-authored and led the scaling of In Motion and Momentum+, an evidence-based pre-employability program targeting vulnerable populations and those living in poverty.
Donnalee has keynoted at several conferences, including the Premier of Manitoba’s Skills Summit in 2018. Her research on the career transitions of youth has been featured in Canadian media including the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the Financial Post and a CBC documentary on Generation Y.
She is passionate about the career-development field and works to bring its potential to the workforce development goals of governments, employers, communities and individuals.
Speaker session:
3B — The Power of Employment Discovery: Proven Results in Creating Long-Term Labour Market Attachments
Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett has been actively involved in supporting persons with disabilities in Peel Region, Halton Region and Dufferin County since 1993. He has played a key role in the development of employment programs in these regions and is particularly dedicated to helping clients obtain and maintain lasting and meaningful employment. Understanding the complex needs of business, and working to maximize the skills of candidates, has become a key component of Michael’s work. Employer engagement and retention strategies as well as an understanding of workplace culture have proven to provide a solid foundation for the complexities of the work we all love to do.
Speaker session:
7A — Creating Partnerships That Work — How Does This Work With Employment Transformation?
Dan Bigonesse
As a trainer and facilitator, Dan Bigonesse (he/him) has spent the last 25 years helping people expand their thinking and discover new possibilities. With his quick wit, probing questioning skills and productive thinking techniques, Dan is known for delivering high-content sessions in a relaxed and entertaining style, helping people find solutions to their challenges. With PMB, Dan led the French facilitation of the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services Journey to Belonging community consultations. Dan currently works as an associate consultant with a French consultancy in Ottawa.
Speaker session:
6A — Collaboration Unleashed: Powering Success Through Engagement
Dr. Jennifer Crowson, PhD
Jennifer holds a Bachelor and Master of Social Work from McMaster University and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. She is a Disability Employment Inclusion Specialist with the Ontario Disability Employment Network. She is also a part-time faculty member with the School of Social Work at McMaster University, where she teaches as a sessional instructor. Jennifer is passionate about ensuring the rights and recognizing the abilities of people with disabilities.
Jennifer is guided by a deep personal desire to positively impact the lives of young people who have faced barriers in health care, education, and employment opportunities.
Speaker session: 1C — ODEN’s Newest Initiatives and You!
Evan Dawe
Evan Dawe is the Co-ordinator of Employment Supports for Community Living Sarnia-Lambton. His career in employment services spans over 16 years as an Employment Consultant, Job Developer, Workshop Facilitator, as well as a Program Co-ordinator and Manager, and has led to him serving several communities across Ontario. Over that time, he has assisted a variety of job seekers, including youth, newcomers to Canada, francophones, and since joining Community Living in 2016, he has specialized in serving job seekers with disabilities in the Sarnia-Lambton area. He strongly believes in the business case for hiring job seekers with disabilities and advocates for true diversity, equity, and inclusion in all workplaces.
Outside of work, Evan enjoys a variety of sports, including hockey and ultimate frisbee, and is an active member of the southwestern Ontario music scene as a performer in multiple bands. He currently resides in Sarnia with his wife, Angele, and their two Goldendoodles, Maxine and Stevie.
Speaker session:
3B — The Power of Employment Discovery: Proven Results in Creating Long-Term Labour Market Attachments
Jake Deutsch
Manager, Deloitte
Jake is a leader in Deloitte’s Customer & Digital Strategy practice where he is focused on designing human-centered experiences for public sector clients in Canada. Jake focuses on digital strategy development, user engagement, and research and public sector innovation. Jake’s experience spans across all levels of government with recent project experience including Employment & Social Development Canada, Government of Ontario, Government of Alberta, Service New Brunswick and Serco Canada.
Jake completed a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology at the University of Waterloo and is passionate about Equity-centered Design for government services with his thought leadership on the topic published on deloitte.com.
Speaker session:
5A — Co-Design & Co-Production: Meaningfully Engaging Job Seekers in the Design and Delivery of Services
Nicole Flynn
Nicole Flynn is a graduate of the Loyalist College General Arts and Science program. Flynn has taken advantage of many opportunities in life, and these have led to experiences that have shaped her employment. Nicole advocates strongly for the right of people to be employed, for a fair living wage, in a job of their choosing. As the CEO of Nicole Flynn Enterprises, Nicole presents interactive workshops and seminars on topics such as Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion and Allyship.
Speaker session: 1B — Perspectives of Employment from the Voice of Lived Experience
Liz Gosse (she/her)
Disability Awareness Trainer, Ontario Corporate Training Centre
Liz is responsible for growth and development of the Jobs Ability Canada platform, overseeing subscriber onboarding and account support. With over 15 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector, she excels in fostering relationships with businesses, community organizations, and funders. Liz has consistently demonstrated success in delivering impactful programming, organizing successful events, and achieving outcomes.
Speaker session: 6C — Jobs Ability Canada 2.o: An Interactive Session
Maureen Haan
President & CEO
The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
Maureen has been the President & CEO of CCRW since 2012. CCRW is the only national organization with the sole vision of equitable and meaningful employment for people with disabilities, in operation since 1976. Maureen provides insight to meaningful employment for people with disabilities and employer engagement through CCRW best practices and proven results.
Maureen has been active in the cross-disability sector, including involvement with Civil Society on the United Nations Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as the lead for Article 27; leadership with the Disability and Work in Canada initiatives; co-development and leadership of the pan-Canadian Strategy on Disability and Work; and as a Board member on both Accessibility Standards Canada and the Canadian Association of Supported Employment (CASE). Maureen was appointed the Minister’s Disability Advisory Group (MDAG) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maureen’s awards include the inaugural Hummingbird Award from DAWN Canada.
Maureen started her career in the Deaf community and is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). She lives in Thornhill with her husband and two sons.
Speaker session: 2C — The Canadian Landscape for Disability and Work
Janeen Halliwell
Janeen Halliwell (she/her) is a seasoned social entrepreneur with vast experiences, from developing and leading quality systems to driving innovation in human services. With 35-plus years of work in diverse global engagements (Canada, U.K., Australia, Mexico, U.S., Tanzania), she embodies creative leadership with every step. Janeen’s mastery in Design Thinking and Creative Problem-Solving and other innovative methodologies equip her to facilitate the co-production of positive change. Janeen has a MA in Leadership and Organizational Learning and has taught at two universities. Her efforts were recognized with a Certificate of Achievement from UN Women for her We Move Forward initiative.
Speaker session: 6A — Collaboration Unleashed: Powering Success Through Engagement
Lorraine Katanik
Lorraine Katanik is a Director with the Career Development Certification Board of Ontario (CDCBO). She holds a diploma in Career Counselling from George Brown College, and has over 30 years of managerial experience in the not-for-profit and private sectors.
Lorraine has worked in the sector from front-line to program management. During the later years she was involved in developing resources, tools and professional development opportunities to support the skill enhancement of staff and managers in the sector. She worked on many provincial and national stakeholder committees, and boards, within the Career Development sector. Currently Lorraine is the lead for the transition committee taking CDPCBO to a professional association.
Speaker session:
6B — Community Connections — CDPCBO Transition to CDPOntario: from Certification to a Professional Association
Matthew Kingsbury
Area Store Manager and lead for the “Makers Like Me” initiative at Michaels Canada
During his tenure at Michaels, Matt has seen the store footprint in Canada grow from 10 stores in Ontario to 132 stores nationwide. With this growth, Matt has had the opportunity to open multiple new stores while building inclusive and diverse teams. Today, Matt is proud to be a part of the Michaels resource group called ABILITY and is also the district captain for Makers Like Me — an intentional recruitment initiative to hire people with disabilities. With the support of ABILITY and the implementation of Makers Like Me, Matt and his team continue to educate and support their Michaels team members on the benefits of hiring and including people with disabilities.
Speaker session: 7B — Employer 2 Employer Service Provider Conversation
Marty Lampkin
Keynote Speaker
Marty Lampkin (she/her)is an Afro-Caribbean woman who lives by her motto, “My Ancestors did not die for me to remain silent.”
She is a strong advocate, educator and consultant on the intersection of Anti-Black Racism for Black people living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), intellectual disabilities and neurodiversity and their caregivers.
Marty’s leadership has led to the founding of the first Anti-Racism Black Cultural Awareness Group within a leading developmental disability and autism agency in the City of Toronto. She not only created a safe space for Black-identifying clinicians across the agency, but led the development of Anti-Black Racism education and training for both leadership and frontline staff.
Marty has consulted on discrimination issues within the disability sector and has developed a unique program for Black adults with ASD. Her work has highlighted how Black families experience a lack of culturally-appropriate care and increased incidents of racism when trying to access support for their children living with complex disabilities. Her work can be seen on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin and in a NOW Toronto Magazine feature article.
Marty is the founder of a community program titled Racism affects me too, which focuses on the impacts of Anti-Black Racism on individuals living with intellectual disabilities or ASD.
As a professor in the School of Community and Social Services, she is an educator on Anti-Oppressive Practice, Anti-Black Racism and Mental Health and has contributed to the development of a Black Futures Campus Hub Space to provide supports to staff, faculty and students.
Lastly, she is also the recipient of the Nancy CAIRR Award for consistently demonstrating the values of collaboration, accountability, innovation, respect and responsiveness in 2021 and last year’s recipient of the 2023 Inspirational Leader Award from the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW).
Speaker session:
1A — The Intersection of Disability and Anti-Black Racism on Employment Part 2: A Reflective Journey into Unpacking Our Understanding of Labour
Julie LaSorda
Julie LaSorda, Director of Marketing and Innovation at CL Essex County, is a dynamic professional with a Bachelor of Commerce and a minor in Applied Information Technology from the University of Windsor, along with a Bachelor of Education.
As a passionate tech enthusiast and creative entrepreneur, Julie has successfully launched a product from concept to market, selling both online and through local retailers. With experience in digital marketing, Julie also supported a small business in successfully transitioning to online sales during the pandemic.
A proud parent of three boys, ages 15, 13, and three, Julie is a hockey mom and has been a Red Wings “super fan” since she was a child.
Speaker session: 2A — Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
Lisa Livingston
Lisa Livingston is a Regional Manager — Skills Development and Employment at March of Dimes Canada with over 25 years of experience working with people with disabilities. Lisa is a Registered Rehabilitation Professional, Certified Vocational Professional, and Return to Work Disability Manager. She has also previously worked as a Registered Kinesiologist. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Honors Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo and a Certificate in Disability Management from Mohawk College. For the past 20 years, Lisa has specialized in vocational rehabilitation and developing honest and trusting relationships with employers to help them meet their business needs. She currently manages the mentorship and job development team for the SkillingUp program and the MentorAbility Canada project Ontario team.
Speaker session: 4B — Skilling Up Program
Jolene MacDonald
Jolene is the Founder of Accessibrand. For over a decade, she has known that people with disabilities need a different work model to be able to give their full potential to their careers. Accessibrand™ is based on Jolene’s 25-plus years of knowledge in the graphic design and marketing industry, as well as her 21 years as a successful entrepreneur and award-winning designer and creative director. Top that all off with her own personal disability experience, and out comes an innovative model for a design, marketing and communications agency that provides work opportunities for professionals with disabilities.
Jolene is an advocate, wife and mother of three. She has volunteered with Little People of Ontario and Rare Disease Foundation Canada, and sits on the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee and CAN National Committee.
Speaker session: 3A — Inclusive on Purpose: Making Sense of Accessible Marketing
Keith Manalo
Keith is a higher education professional with 12 years of experience in student services and post-secondary education. He is currently an Accessible Learning Co-ordinator at Humber Polytechnic where he helps students who have academic accommodation needs. Since 2017, Keith has been an active member of the Transition to Work Advisory Committee, dedicated to supporting students with disabilities successfully make their way into the workforce. Keith’s passion lies in helping students recognize and leverage their unique strengths while challenging conventional employment norms.
Speaker session:
4C — Transition to Work From Post-Secondary School: How a New Program is Helping Students
Amanda Mastronardi
Amanda has over 16 years’ experience in the Developmental Services sector, serving in a variety of roles within Community Living Essex County including Project Management, Human Resources, Administration, and Direct Supports. Amanda graduated from the University of Windsor and holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce, Honours Business Administration degree from the Odette School of Business. With these varied positions and experienced perspectives, Amanda understands the critical need and significance of knowledge translation, giving people applicable information and resources they require, helping to bridge the knowledge gap that often exists across the sector.
Speaker session: 4C — Real XChange: Unlocking a Treasure Trove — Discover the Ultimate Resource Directory
Melanie McGregor
Manager, Quality Improvement and Development
Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch
Melanie has been part of the CMHA Halton Region Branch team since 2012 and is currently responsible for leading quality improvement opportunities, accreditation, communications, and grants. It is her own lived experience with a mental illness that gives her passion for mental health awareness and service excellence to support community members’ wellness and recovery.
Melanie is a Mental Health First Aid Canada Master Trainer and an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) Facilitator. She also writes a bi-weekly wellness column for local Halton newspapers.
A passionate learner who loves reading, baking, and playing tennis, Melanie has been blessed with great life teachers, the greatest of all being her 13-year-old son.
Speaker session: 2C — Turning the Lights Back On: Recognizing and Managing Burnout
Ingrid Muschta
Director, Special Projects & Innovation, Ontario Disability Employment Network
Ingrid is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario with 20+ years of combined working experience in corporate, entrepreneurial, and not-for-profit settings.
Since 2017, Ingrid has worked with the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) first as a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist and now as Director of Special Projects & Innovation. As a D&I Specialist, Ingrid was instrumental in moving 250 people who have a disability to into employment and delivered the ODEN Disability Awareness and Confidence Training to over 500 business members. In her latest role Ingrid contributes to ODEN’s mission by working alongside a team of professionals who identify and promote innovative and promising practices in both the business and employment service provider sector.
Ingrid is a confident leader with excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills; she’s an experienced trainer, who has effectively delivered content to multicultural and multigenerational audiences locally and internationally; lastly, Ingrid is a professional with strong project management, program, and procedure development skills.
Ingrid’s vision for her son who has Down syndrome is in-line with that of all parents. She has a vision her son will grow up in a society where people with disabilities will participate in formal higher education; that as citizens, they will be engaged in equal and meaningful employment; her vision is that they will access and contribute to decision-making processes, which directly impacts their lives, and they will be recognized as vibrant contributors to their communities.
Speaker session: 4C — Real XChange: Unlocking a Treasure Trove — Discover the Ultimate Resource Directory
Hannah Nogiec
Senior Manager, Deloitte
Hannah is a leader in Deloitte Canada’s Public Sector Transformation practice — specializing in supporting clients within the human and social services sector nationally. Her work focuses on organizational effectiveness, equity-centred service design and delivery, and large-scale business transformation, with areas of expertise in public sector strategy, project management and evaluation, governance and leadership decision-making, and operating model design. Hannah partners with senior executives and operational teams across all levels of government and the broader human services ecosystem in Canada, including the Government of Alberta, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto and Serco Canada to rethink how they can deliver an exceptional service experience and make an impact that matters for our country’s most vulnerable populations.
Prior to joining Deloitte, Hannah began her professional career in urban planning after completion of a Master’s of Science in Planning at the University of Toronto. She is passionate about bringing the urban planning principles of participatory design and community-oriented city-building to her client work — advocating for the meaningful inclusion of end users and their broader communities into the design of public services.
Speaker session: 5A — Co-Design & Co-Production: Meaningfully Engaging Job Seekers in the Design and Delivery of Services
Joanna Patsakos
Joanna is a dedicated accessibility and diversity inclusion specialist with over a decade of experience in community development and policy creation and she previously served with the Ontario Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. In her current role at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, she has spearheaded significant inclusive hiring initiatives, including the We Belong Here program, which has enhanced the organization’s talent pipeline and engaged the disability labour pool. Joanna holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, with a concentration in accessibility and inclusion.
Speaker session: 7B — Employer 2 Employer Service Provider Conversation
Pawrnaa Perinpanayagam
Marketing & Communications, Ontario Corporate Training Centre
Passionate about inclusivity, Pawrnaa Perinpanayagam is responsible for the marketing of Jobs Ability Canada. With extensive experience in healthcare, non-profits, and small businesses, she excels in creating effective campaigns and aims to integrate both traditional and digital marketing approaches.
Speaker session: 6C — Jobs Ability Canada 2.o: An Interactive Session
Brendon Pooran
Brendon Pooran is Founder and Managing Partner of PooranLaw Professional Corporation. He acts as corporate counsel for not-for-profit and charitable corporations. He also advises on wills, trusts and estates, and disability law matters.
In addition to being a lawyer, Brendon is a Founding Director of Plan Toronto (now Partners for Planning) and Microboards Ontario. He sits on the Canada Revenue Agency’s Disability Advisory Committee and teaches Critical Disability Law at York University.
Speaker session: 4A — Journey to Belonging: Bracing for Impact
Cheryl Wiles Pooran
Cheryl leads the labour and employment team at PooranLaw Professional Corporation. She provides a broad range of human rights, labour and employment services to clients across Ontario. Cheryl’s practice is dedicated to the Developmental Services sector and she provides sector-specific guidance to agencies across Ontario related to day-to-day HR practices, collective bargaining, grievance mediation and arbitration, human rights and accommodation, contracts, policies and training. Cheryl is also a long-time volunteer with Special Olympics athletes and advocate for people with developmental disabilities.
Speaker session: 4A — Journey to Belonging: Bracing for Impact
Onysia Robinson-Kotsikas
Onysia is the Co-op Marketing and Communication Co-ordinator at the Ontario Disability Employment Network. She is also a student at the University of Toronto, studying management and international business with a specialty in marketing and a minor in French. Onysia is passionate about inclusion and diversity within the workplace. She appreciates how people from different cultures can work together to create innovative and unique outcomes. During her studies in Australia, she immersed herself in a new culture, and developed a new admiration and respect for the culture and history of the Indigenous people of Australia.
Speaker session: 1C — ODEN’s Newest Initiatives and You!
Derek Roy
Derek Roy is the Manager of Community Living Supports at Community Living Essex County, overseeing Career Compass. He began his career in the Developmental Services sector with Community Living Essex County in 2010 as a direct support employee and has since held various leadership roles, including Project Manager and Director of Marketing and Innovation. Notably, Derek managed projects such as REAL Xchange and collaborated with Human Resources on employee recruitment and retention initiatives.
He is involved in the Developmental Services Workforce Initiative’s Communications Committee and serves as a Director on the Ontario Disability Employment Network Board.
Speaker session: 3B — The Power of Employment Discovery: Proven Results in Creating Long-Term Labour Market Attachments
Melissa Sliter
Senior Manager
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD)
Over 20 years ago, Melissa started her career as an Employment Counsellor with a focus on supporting students and youth in transitioning from school to work. Currently, Melissa is the Senior Manager of Employment Services Policy and Programs Unit, in the Transformation Secretariat Branch with the MLITSD. She leads her team in the development of program guidelines to support the Integrated Employment Services.
Speaker session: 8A — Breakout session: MLITSD Workshop Sessions for IES Model Options
Theresa Somerton
Theresa Somerton is a woman of many talents from baking cheese croissants to cutting hair. Theresa is an active advocate for the rights of persons with disability. She is involved on various committees and is a power to behold. Theresa offers insight to the world of work from a person who has several challenges.
Speaker session: 1B — Perspectives of Employment from the Voice of Lived Experience
Yvonne Spicer
Yvonne Spicer is a college graduate from three programs. Yvonne has held several positions in her life, some paid and successful, some volunteer, and some not so successful. Spicer has been a tireless advocate for disability rights. She is presently developing her own business centered around educating the public about disability and assisting self-advocates to live their best life by making their own decisions.
Speaker session: 1B — Perspectives of Employment from the Voice of Lived Experience
Ryan Stanga
Ryan Stanga (he/him) has consulted on strategic planning, leadership and developing strong cultures with non-profits for more than 20 years. Ryan is known as a strong researcher, super personable and collaborative, which allows him to connect well with all constituents. Since graduating from the University of Windsor with a MA in Applied Social Psychology (Industrial/Organizational Psychology), he has worked extensively to support non-profit organizations in the physical and mental health sectors.
Speaker session: 6A — Collaboration Unleashed: Powering Success Through Engagement
Jill Teeple
Jill is the Executive Director of Partners for Planning and a Certified Financial Planner. Jill was formerly an Investment Advisor with BMO Nesbitt Burns in London where she specialized in financial planning for people with a disability and their families. Jill currently sits on Inclusion Canada’s Board of Directors and is the former president of Community Living Ontario’s Board of Directors. A strong advocate for people with a developmental disability, Jill is involved in the campaign to bring the Canada Disability Benefit to fruition along with advocating for changes to Registered Disability Savings Plan regulations in Ontario.
Speaker session: 5C — Real XChange: Unlocking a Treasure Trove — Discover the Ultimate Resource Directory
Kelly Thibodeau
Kelly is a consultant, trainer and speaker who’s been making online marketing make sense for organizations, nonprofits and industry groups for over 25 years. She’s the Founder and President of Squarely Accessible.
Kelly believes that content can’t be conversational until it’s inclusive. As the daughter of a mom with physical and cognitive disabilities, she’s witnessed first-hand the impact of an inaccessible world and wants to affect change to build a more inclusive society.
Kelly’s been on LinkedIn since 2006, and has had too many browser tabs open ever since.
Speaker session: 3A — Inclusive on Purpose: Making Sense of Accessible Marketing
Aaron Watson
Aaron Watson brings over two decades of experience to the field of Information Technology through his work at Community Living Chatham-Kent, in his role as Information Systems Manager. He has a B. Ed. in Computer Science and a passion for teaching and supporting others in the use of technology.
Aaron’s current areas of interest include Enabling Technology, with a focus on using technology as a natural support option for person-centered planning; cybersecurity and its growing impact on the Developmental Services sector; and more recently, leveraging artificial intelligence, which is poised to have an impact on almost everything we do.
Speaker session: 2A — Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace
Sean Wiltshire
Sean Wiltshire is an internationally recognized diversity advocate, celebrated for his engaging storytelling and infectious enthusiasm. With a distinctive laugh and a resonant voice, he captivates audiences around the globe and inspires change in organizations, businesses and communities.
For over 32 years, Sean has served as the CEO of Avalon Employment Inc., a St. John’s, NL-based employment agency dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and autism. His experience spans the globe, from St. John’s to Bombay and Vancouver to Kathmandu, where he showcases diversity as a vital business solution.
Known for his candid approach, Sean’s presentations emphasize that while challenges exist, the path to improvement is always within reach.
Speaker session: 2B — Autism Employment Successes: Selling the Skills of Talented People
Peter Young
Peter Young is the owner of Virtual Encounters, a new business dedicated to enhancing experiences through innovative and effective virtual reality (VR) solutions. With over 10 years of experience in behavioural counselling, program development and evidence-based practices, Peter has held various roles including education consultant, employment counsellor, marketing specialist and mental health professional. His career has involved collaboration with esteemed organizations such as Employment Ontario Service Providers, the Canadian Families Correction Network, the Canadian Mental Health Association and more.
As a certified career development practitioner with a degree in Behavioural Psychology, Peter has Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification in Lean management. He specializes in using VR technology to elevate soft-skill development workshops, improve recruitment approaches, enhance employee retention strategies and innovate internal operations.
He has been a sought-after speaker at notable events including the 2023 Workplace Wellness Conference, the 2024 Beyond the Label Conference, and the 2024 Peace Festival.
Recently, Virtual Encounters received funding from the Kingston Economic Development Corporation’s Starter Company Plus Program and established partnerships with organizations such as The Children’s Safety Village, Compass Psychotherapy, DiversX and The Quinte Cultural Innovation Committee.
Driven by a passion for technology, gamification and innovative evidence-based practices, Peter aims to improve learning and business experiences with his motto: “learn, play, innovate.”
Speaker session: 5B — Enhancing Employment Services with Virtual Reality & Digital Literacy
Brian Zeiler-Kligman
As the Vice-President of Ontario Government Relations for the Sussex Strategy Group, Brian helps to simplify the complexities inherent in government processes. Leading many files related to economic development, construction, labour and infrastructure, Brian advises clients on how best to navigate the Ontario Government and supports them across a broad array of policy areas.
Prior to joining Sussex, Brian served in senior public affairs, regulatory compliance and strategic planning roles at major industry associations and worked at a major national law firm.
Outside of work, Brian is an adjunct professor at York University, teaching International Business; dabbles in amateur stand-up comedy; and is a live-music enthusiast.
Speaker session: 7C — Effective Communicating & Working With Government
Dino Zuppa
Dino Zuppa is the acting CEO of Accessibility Standards Canada. He also oversees the development of equity-based accessibility standards supported by pioneering research funded by Accessibility Standards Canada’s grants and contributions program.
Dino’s career spans more than 25 years. He led a number of strategic initiatives at all orders of government in Canada, and at an American university. Dino holds a PhD and lives in Ottawa with his wife and two kids.
Speaker session: 2C — The Canadian Landscape for Disability and Work