Symbols and signals provide information that guides our actions, our feelings and our choices. Often, we are oblivious to these inputs, yet they influence our daily decisions, and help us provide clarity to others. Symbols and signals can be traced back to the very first cave drawings, and have evolved with us over time to become a universal language that we share across the entire human species. Every aspect of life on this planet can be translated to a symbol or a signal, invoking our curiosity and serving as a catalyst for understanding.
Speakers
Speakers may not be confirmed. Check event website for more information.
Broken Dance
Bollywood Dance Company
Broken Dance is a South Asian dance company that focuses on the different dance forms of South Asia and fuses them with Western dance forms like hip hop, jazz, etc. The company’s head choreographer, Chase Constantino, specializes in creating unique choreography that combines different styles to create a spectacular performance. Broken Dance is best known for their appearance on the television show “Canada’s Got Talent” where they were voted all the way to the Finals of the show, thus earning them the title Canada’s #1 Bollywood Dance Company.Canadian Opera Company
Ensemble studio
Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The COC Ensemble Studio is Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals. The members of the Ensemble Studio are the COC’s resident artists and important ambassadors for the company. For TEDxToronto 2016, Liz Upchurch, Jennifer Swan, and Wendy Nielsen coach singers Danika Lorèn and Iain MacNeil.Darren Austin Hall & Alexandria
Shamanic music experience
Alexandria is a professional singer, songwriter, and entertainer. She has a voice that soothes the mind, heals the body, and touches the soul. Alexandria’s music has been heard on American Horror Story and in Mercedes-Benz commercials worldwide. Alexandria has performed on local Canadian TV and radio stations such as CP24, Rogers TV, Sirius XM, OMNI TV, and more. Along with music, Alexandria is a yoga teacher and the creator of NULOVE. Darren Austin Hall is a shamanic musician, sound healer and spiritual teacher. His empowering music entails diverse, salving instrumentation, from the crystal singing bowls, Indian tanpura, mystical guitar, shamanic singing and song-channeling. Darren is also the founder of Conscious Masculinity Toronto and co-facilitates a men’s group devoted to raising the consciousness of the masculine and is a devotee of the wisdom of nature.Aled Edwards
Chief Executive, Structural Genomics Consortium
Aled Edwards is the founding CEO of the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), a U.K.-based charitable company that carries out open-source research to support the discovery of new medicines, with support from the public and private sectors. Al studied at McGill and Stanford Universities and he is now a Professor at the University of Toronto, as well as at Oxford and McGill Universities. He is among the world’s experts in open science and drug discovery.Andray Domise
Writer, Community Activist
Andray is a writer, community activist, and co-founder of TXDL, an educational program which teaches tech skills to diverse youth. Born and raised in Toronto, Andray is a critical observer of the way race is lived in Canada, and was named one of the Globe and Mail’s “16 Torontonians to Watch in 2016”. Beyond his community and political activism, Andray has delivered talks on the financial benefits of diversity in pop culture, the mental impact of systemic racism in business, government, and media, and the importance of frank conversations on race and activism.Bassel Mcleash
LGBTQ+ advocate
In May 2016, Bassel Mcleash immigrated to Canada fleeing the ongoing civil war in his home country of Syria. Born and raised in Damascus, Bassel studied at the High Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus, and became actively involved in the local arts industry. Bassel is a passionate advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and has been dedicated to the pursuit of LGBTQ+ rights, even during his time in Syria and Egypt. Bassel has often been forced to rely on the kindness of friends and strangers to survive. On May 26th, 2016, Bassel became the first of several Syrian refugees sponsored by Rainbow Railroad, a Toronto based organization dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ people targeted by state sponsored violence, to find safety in a new country.Calvin Rieder
Student & Member of World Youth Parliament for Water
Through his junior and high school years, Calvin focused on developing solutions combining sustainable environmental engineering innovation with social justice to increase access to clean water where it is most acutely needed. He has received numerous awards for this work at regional, national and international science fairs in several categories including engineering innovation, sustainability and environmental management. He was recently included in Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 from Plan Canada, an organization that recognizes youth who have the power to change the world. As a member of the World Youth Parliament for Water, Calvin helps to raise awareness and promote universal access to water and sanitation – and is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto.Duana Taha
TV Writer, Author & Name Expert
Duana Taha is a television writer, producer, best-selling author, sought-after columnist and name expert. As the child of immigrant parents from Ireland and Egypt, Duana’s curiosity about personal, cultural, and national identity, has formed the trajectory of her career in television, print, and online. After creating the immediately popular “Name Nerd” column on Laineygossip.com, Duana quickly became a sought-after name expert, and her opinions on the culture of names and naming have appeared in the New York Observer, the Daily Mail, and Today’s Parent, among others. In April 2016, Duana’s first book, The Name Therapist, was published via Random House Canada, and rapidly became a National Bestseller. Duana has become a singular voice on first names, discussing not only what they ‘mean’ but how they shape our experiences and ultimately, our lives. She has never met another Duana.Helene Polatajko
Occupational Therapist & Rehabilitation Scientist Researcher
Dr. Helene Polatajko is an internationally respected researcher, clinician and educator of occupational therapy and rehabilitation science. Her work has focused on understanding how to enable people who are challenged to perform the necessary tasks of everyday living. The research she has spearheaded has resulted in groundbreaking work on the role of cognition in motor performance. This new cognitive-based approach has resulted in individuals being able to quickly learn the skills that have eluded them for years, skills that had often been deemed impossible for them. Dr. Polatajko has received numerous national and international honors and awards, and her work with colleagues and graduate students has significantly changed the face of treatment for children and adults with such neuromotor disorders as developmental coordination, dystonia, stroke, and acquired brain injury. Her approach is being used nationally and internationally.Marcel Danesi
Professor of Semiotics and Linguistic Anthropology
Marcel Danesi is Professor of Semiotics and Anthropology at the University of Toronto, and has been teaching since 1972. He is passionate about the study of customs, signs & symbols (aka semiotics). An extensively published author, Marcel is known for his work in language, communications, and semiotics. He is fascinated by the meaning of popular culture, and how it informs social evolution. His work has been featured in The New York Times, the Toronto Star, and Psychology Today.Mary Donohue
CEO of Donohue Learning
Dr. Mary Donohue is an advocate of revolutionizing today’s workforce through technology and internal talent. She is the founder of the Donohue Learning Systems™, designing communication training that provides people with a roadmap to achieve a better work/life balance. Mary is known for enhancing communication skills in a matter of minutes, and breaking patterns that have been accumulated over a lifetime. She is passionate about helping people understand the nine essential conversations in life – and inspiring people to become more ethical leaders. In 2015, Mary was named as one of the 18 Outstanding Women in Tech, and Diversity MBA’s Top 50 Under 50. She is a regular television personality, and her work has been published across The Huffington Post and Financial Post.Neil Pasricha
Director of The Institute for Global Happiness
Neil is the New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Equation and The Book of Awesome. His books have been published in over a dozen languages, spent seven years and counting on bestseller lists, and sold millions of copies. Neil is a Harvard MBA and spent a decade running Leadership Development at Walmart. He is one of the most popular TEDx speakers of all time. His work has been featured across CNN, BBC, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, and The Sunday Times.Nick Saul
President & CEO of Community Food Centres Canada
Born in Tanzania and raised in Canada, Nick Saul is President and CEO of Community Food Centres Canada, a national organization that builds and supports vibrant, food-focused community centres in low-income neighbourhoods. These centres are based on the idea that good food is a powerful force for greater health, equity and social change. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jane Jacobs Prize, as well as an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University. A long-time community organizer, Nick speaks regularly on issues of justice and the Community Food Centre model of food access, health and community building.Paul Rowan
Co-founder & VP Inspiration, Umbra
Originally from Toronto, Paul has had an extensive and impressive career in design. He graduated from George Brown College in 1974 with a diploma in Graphic Design, and then moved to Ottawa to work for the world’s first digital typography company, Alphatext. For the past 30+ years, Paul served as founding partner and VP of Inspiration at Umbra, and has dedicated his career to creating purposeful, intelligently designed products. Paul is passionate about the relationship between people and the objects they use in their homes – and bringing thoughtful design to utilitarian needs.Ryan Janzen
Scientist & Co-Founder of Transpod
Ryan Janzen is a scientist, engineering researcher, and artist. His work, featured on the Discovery Channel, the World Expo in Shanghai and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, embodies a fusion between science, technology and art, and has led to advances in acoustics, optics, aerospace electronics, mathematics, and vehicle propulsion. Janzen is co-founder and CTO of TransPod, working to design ultra-high-speed aerospace vehicles, moving passengers and cargo between cities faster, with reduced dependency on fossil fuels – creating the future of transportation.Salim Ismail
Founder & Chairman, ExO Works & Founding Executive Director, Singularity University
Salim Ismail is the best-selling author of Exponential Organizations and Founder of ExO Works. He is a sought-after technology strategist and a renowned entrepreneur with ties to Yahoo! and Google. Salim consults with governments and the world’s top Fortune 500 companies on innovation and growth, and his work has been featured in premier media outlets like the New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, WIRED, Vogue, and the BBC. Singularity University, where he serves as Global Ambassador and Founding Executive Director, is based at NASA Ames, and aims to “educate, inspire and empower a new generation of leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity’s grand challenges."Sarah Barmak
Female Sexuality Author & Journalist
Born and raised in Thornhill, Ontario, Sarah is a freelance journalist and author. Her first book, Closer: Notes From the Orgasmic Frontier of Female Sexuality, was published in July 2016, with a focus on exploring the cutting-edge science and cultural trends behind women’s sexuality. Sarah’s message aims to reveal how women today are reshaping their sexuality in new and innovative ways – and how female sexuality is being redefined on its own terms. Sarah’s work has appeared in publications such as Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, The Toronto Star, This Magazine and Canadian Business.Sonny Kohli
Chief Medical Officer of Cloud DX
Dr. Sandeep (Sonny) Singh Kohli is a practicing Physician in Internal Medicine and Critical Care, and is faculty at McMaster University in Canada. In 2010, while volunteering in Post-Earthquake Haiti, Sonny experienced first-hand the perils of inadequate health care faced by Earth’s most marginalized peoples. As an alumnus of the International Space University, and former top 40 CSA Astronaut Candidate, he became intrigued by space-age solutions to the world’s health problems. He then co-founded Cloud Dx to create a fully autonomous ‘digital doctor’ called Vitaliti. Vitaliti is currently a finalist in the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE. Cloud Dx’s other approved solutions, anchored by their Pulsewave® wrist device, are revolutionizing how your health is monitored at home.Organizing team
