Michael is a member of the Curve Lake First Nation and brings a unique leadership profile to the CIPS team. Michael’s specialty is management consulting and community engagement for First Nation communities and projects. Michael has worked on multiple energy projects as well as projects in health, economic development, infrastructure development, governance, housing and environmental stewardship. Michael is a confident project manager and works seamlessly with First Nation leadership, staff and community members. Michael’s unique ability to translate the needs of all stakeholders into a language that is understood and relevant to a variety of audiences ensures that communications and information exchanges have value to all participants.

Dr Anna Banerji (O.Ont MD MPH FRCPC DTM&H CTropMed) is an associate professor in pediatrics and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and is a pediatric infectious and tropical disease specialist. She graduated from medical school at the University of Toronto and trained at Ottawa University (pediatrics), McGill University (infectious disease and tropical medicine). She received an MPH in International Health from Harvard School of Public Health where she was selected “promising graduate” for the class of 2003.

Dr. Heather Castleden is a (white) settler guest and scholar on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee territory at Queen’s University where she is a Canada Research Chair in Reconciling Relations for Health, Environments and Communities. She is grateful to be able to live and work here, raise her family, and appreciate the beauty of the land and water around her. She acknowledges that this has only been made possible by the earlier settler colonization of her European ancestors, and the ongoing settler colonial state currently known as Canada.

Kerry-Ann Charles is a Member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation and the Environmental Partnership Co-ordinator for Cambium Indigenous Professional Services (CIPS). She is proud to have been able to serve her Community for over 17 years working in various capacities such as by-law development and implementation, waste management, housing, environmental project co-ordination and management as well as serving a term on Council. Over the past decade Kerry-Ann has dedicated herself to learning about and up-holding her responsibility as an Indigenous person to protect and preserve mother earth and at the same time dedicated herself to sharing this knowledge to ensure equity, sustainability and balance for future generations.

Driven by the need to create a more just and inclusive transition towards a sustainable future, Ana has been working on climate change issues for over 13 years, focusing on sustainable local economic development and the empowerment of diverse actors such as young people, women and girls.

As Co-Founder and Managing Director at the Youth Climate Lab, Ana leads the operations of the organization, developing and implementing resources needed to accelerate our impact by empowering youth in climate entrepreneurship and policy.

Chris Henderson is a Canadian eco-entrepreneur, community leader and environmental innovator. For the past 35 years, he has led and been at the forefront of ground-breaking Canadian enterprises and local/national business, social and ecological initiatives which have global impact and resonance.

Chris is a trusted and insightful commentator on economic, environment and energy issues that respect the Planet, and generate enduring outcomes for corporations, communities and Canada. Chris prime current role in advising and equipping Indigenous peoples and communities to develop and own clean energy projects to catalyze social development, economic opportunity and to combat Climate Change. His first book Aboriginal Power was published in 2013.

Sam joined Lyft in 2018 as the Director of Sustainability, where he oversees Lyft’s sustainability and climate impact efforts. Lyft was one of the first companies to join former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “We Are Still In” movement to pledge its commitment to the Paris Climate Accord. Most recently in June 2020, Lyft made an industry-leading commitment to reach 100% electric vehicles on the Lyft platform by 2030.

Prior to Lyft, Sam spent 10 years at Google as Senior Lead for Energy & Infrastructure, where he co-led Google’s achievement of 100% renewable energy in 2017, making Google the largest non-utility purchaser of renewable energy on the planet to-date with over 3 GW of wind & solar energy under contract.

Dr. Runa Das is an assistant professor in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC. Her research centers on sustainability issues with a particular focus on energy-related topics including the human dimensions and determinants of energy use, energy poverty, and energy transitions. She asks questions like: Why do we use energy the way we do? Is there fair and equal access to energy in society? And what does a just energy transition look like?

Armi is an active transportation planning professional who strives to help more communities receive the benefits of active transportation through community engagement, capacity building, and collaboration. Currently, she is the Active Transportation Coordinator at the Town of Ajax where she is transforming the Town’s transportation awareness campaign, Active and Safe Routes to School campaign, and overall engagement methods using techniques in inclusive engagement, modern marketing, and evidence-based behavioural change. Outside of Ajax, Armi is the founder of Transportation Equity Toronto: a volunteer-led initiative that develops and implements programs for raising awareness on mobility equity through an intersectional lens. Recently, she received the 2020 Public Sector Professional of the Year award by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.

AJ Esquega comes from Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek – Gull Bay First Nation (KZA), an Ojibwe Community on the Western Shoreline of Lake Nipigon in Northwestern Ontario – 2 hours North of Thunder Bay. AJ is a former Councillor of Gull Bay First Nation who now serves as the Community’s Mashkawiziiwin Energy Projects Coordinator; the official liaison between the Chief and Council, Citizens, Industry partners and companies in his first major project – The Giizis Energy Solar Storage Micro Grid Project! Canada’s FIRST fully integrated remote renewable energy storage micro grid.

Meaghon Reid started as the Executive Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary in September, 2019, bringing a diverse range of experience in organizational leadership, advocacy, collective impact initiatives and policy change. Prior to working at VCC, Meaghon was the Executive Director of the Brenda Strafford Centre, the largest second stage domestic violence shelter in the province, where she experienced firsthand how the critical work being undertaken under the Enough for All Strategy has positively impacted the lives of people experiencing poverty. Before moving to Calgary, Meaghon was the Associate Vice President at the National Council for Behavioral Health in Washington, DC where she led the expansion of the Mental Health First Aid USA Program. Meaghon also worked as the Director of the Mental Health First Aid program at the Mental Health Commission in Ottawa, Ontario. Meaghon is a proud graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland where she studied economics and political science.