BIL:Vancouver 2016

IoT: Internet of Terrifying, or Internet of Trust?

David Ascher

BIO: I’m currently VP of Product for the Mozilla Foundation, where my focus is to make MoFo products as widely adopted as possible, as well as to support the engineering and design needs of MoFo as a whole. I am particularly interested in building systems that let new audiences create on the web by providing access to easy to use and engaging authoring experiences on the web. Before that, I was Director of Mozilla Labs, building product innovation capacity throughout Mozilla. I’ve been working with Mozilla technology since late ’99, first at ActiveState, then at Mozilla Messaging, which I led until its incorporation within Mozilla Corporation. I’ve thus seen Mozilla from a variety of perspectives, touching on community, technology, policy, and product.

The #1 Lie About 3D Printing Bullshit and You Won’t Believe What Happens Next with this One Weird Trick!

Pablos Holman

BIO: Pablos is a futurist, inventor, and notorious hacker with a unique view into breaking and building new technologies. Pablos is consulting worldwide on invention and design projects that assimilate new technologies – making wild ideas a bit more practical and vice versa. He helped create the world’s smallest PC; 3D printers at Makerbot; spaceships with Jeff Bezos; artificial intelligence agent systems; and the Hackerbot, a Wi-Fi seeking robot.

Going down without getting wet: Making ocean learning easy

Melanie Knight

BIO: Melanie Knight (BSc) is the Founder of the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium, a non-profit education center in Newfoundland, one of only three ‘catch-and-release’ aquariums in Canada. Since then, coastal communities around the world have asked for help to start their own “mini aquariums” and Ocean to Eye Level Consulting was born. Melanie graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a BSc. in Marine Biology and a minor in Business. For the past 10 years, Melanie has been working with the largest and the smallest aquariums in Canada fostering curiosity for the underwater world. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and K9.

The Internet of Useless Things

Nikolas Badminton

BIO: Nikolas Badminton is a Futurist speaker with over 20 years of research, writing and speaking experience. He has been programming computers since he was 10 years old, got onto the Internet in 1993, studied Applied Psychology and Computing at Bournemouth University (with a focus on artificial intelligence, linguistics, cognitive psychology, and organizational psychology), and has hacked his way through his career in software, management consultancy, advertising, and the sharing economy. Nikolas runs the popular Vancouver Futurists meetup, wows audiences with keynote speeches and regularly appears on media outlets from BBC to Vancity Buzz

It’s Time To Get Back Into The Water People!

Melissa Higgs

BIO: Melissa Higgs is an architect and Associate at HCMA Architecture + Design. Melissa is passionate about creating innovative public buildings where communities come together. Her focus has been designing recreation facilities and arts and culture projects, including the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre in Surrey, BC. She is experienced leading projects at all scales, including functional programs, renovations and expansions. Melissa is a member of the City of Surrey’s Advisory Design Panel and the AIBC’s Diverse Membership Group.

The Princesses Disney Won’t Touch

Jason Porath

BIO: For over a decade, Jason worked in the visual effects and animation industry on such films as Kung Fu Panda 2, The Croods, and How to Train Your Dragon 2. During that time, he would often joke around with co-workers about movies, and one conversation was about “what is the least likely woman to ever get the animated princess treatment?” From that, he started Rejected Princesses, a blog and art project that heralds the unsung women of history and myth from around the world, in classic animated princess fashion – no matter how ill-suited their stories might be for the medium. The first Rejected Princesses book will be published in Summer/Fall 2016, from Dey Street, an imprint of Harper-Collins.

Walking the Labyrinth: Your Path to Peace and Possibilities

Diana Ng

BIO: Diana Ng, aka the Labyrinth Lady, is the community leader who built the first outdoor public labyrinth in Metro Vancouver with the City of Surrey. As an award winning international speaker and author, leadership consultant, and social entrepreneur, she devoted her career to shift every individual, group, and organization to a new form of success—influenced by the powers of mindfulness and benefits of walking meditation in the labyrinth. Thousands of people have joined Diana to walk the labyrinth for peace, mental clarity, and nonviolent problem-solving. Her work has inspired thousands to develop stress-free, happy, and purposeful lives. Diana’s decision to be a part of something bigger led her to creating the first ‘Surrey World Labyrinth Day: Walk for Peace’. This event takes place on the first Saturday of each May in Surrey, BC—an idea came after long and active collaboration with the Surrey Mayor and Council.

Creating a Culture of Resistance

Joe James Rampanen – Gwaiina ; Sacheen Pointe – Xhopakelxhit

BIO: Our aim as Ancestral Pride is to ensure the continuity of the land, by educating ourselves, and others as much as we can about the need to connect with our home lands; Indigenous pathways will be used to implement cultural pride, recover knowledge that has been lost, create a new way for the future. We are an actively decolonizing family involved in the frontline work of protecting our lands and waters from ecocide in the form of destructive resource extraction. We have both been involved in several different resistance movements over the last 20 years of our lives, including the Native Youth Movement and Westcoast Warrior Society, and after we have moved home onto our ancestral lands we have become Ancestral Pride. Our most recent win was last month in September of 2015 when ourselves and other nation members called the Yaakswiis Warriors successfully evicted a Cermaq fish farm from our waters to protect our abundant and healthy aquaculture food sources. We have been involved in for several years now in an ongoing battle against Imperial Metals a mining company that wants to put an open copper mine on our sacred mountain Chitaapi or Catface. We have worked with several other nations whose lands Imperial Metals are impacting and will continue this struggle until they are gone.

Become More Creative: Tap Into Your Childhood Creativity and Start Design Thinking.

Meena Sandhu

BIO: Meena Sandhu is a marketing strategist and a speaker. She heads up Moonshot Marketing. Meena is currently working with a number of clients in the startup, fintech, and agency worlds. She is an adjunct professor at UBC at the Graduate School of Journalism and the Sauder School of Business. Meena led the acquisition strategy for Credit Unions of BC. She was responsible for leading ING DIRECT’s regional marketing strategy for Western Canada. Meena is well recognized in the social media community in Vancouver and hosted Social Media Week in 2011 and 2012 as well as presenting as a speaker and moderator each year. Meena joined the BCAMA board of Directors in 2012 as the Director of Social Media and in 2014 as the Director of Vision. She has been doing public speaking across North America since 2009.

What would you do if you had access to a biolab?

Scott Pownall

BIO: Scott Pownall is a scientist, biohacker and entrepreneur who is passionate about breaking down the barriers people face when trying to engage with DNA. In June of 2015, with the help of an awesome bunch of citizen scientists, he co-founded Open Science Network, a BC incorporated non-profit society, and established Vancouver’s first community biolab. He has a life long passion and curiosity for the world around him. In the early 1980s he switched focus from electronics engineering to studying biotechnology after reading an article in the Melbourne Age on the then new Gene Machines. This lead him to completed his doctoral research in Genetics from the University of British Columbia. Scott received numerous awards and scholarships including from the Australian Society of Microbiologists, the Canadian Arthritis Society, the Medical Research Council of Canada and the National Cancer Institute of Canada. He participated in the first human genome jamboree at Celera – the company that sequenced the human genome. His focus now is in supporting and engaging people in citizen science.

Gender, Politics and Power: making space for the things that matter

Andrea Reimer

BIO: As a long time supporter of sustainability, community economic development and social justice, I volunteer with many community organizations. Another passion is my work as the Executive Director of the Wilderness Committee, Canada’s largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization. I’m also the founder and principle of a consulting firm, Strait Communications, which provides graphic design, communications & strategic planning to clients in the non-profit and public sectors as well as socially responsible businesses. In 2002, I became the first person to be elected to a school board in Canada under the Green Party banner which was an incredible but sometimes frightening experience! You can read about it in my archived blog “Chronicles of a Rookie Green School Trustee”. As a school trustee, I sat on a whole bunch of committees including: Finance, Budget, Education & Student Services, Modern Languages and Advocacy. In addition I was the board’s liaison to the Vancouver Food Policy Council and an alternate delegate to both the special needs consortium and the One Day program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the city. In 2008 I left the Green Party to support Gregor Robertson’s bid for mayor, co-chairing his campaign to be nominated for Vision Vancouver. 11 months, two nominations and one election later, I’m now a Vancouver City Councillor. I ran on a campaign of three big ideas: Greenest City on Earth, a City of Compassion and Opportunity and a City of Strong Neighbourhoods. I know what you’re thinking – how hard can that be? In the rest of my spare time (yes mom, that is a joke), I do advocacy for electoral reforms that produce fairer electoral results and remove barriers to the election of women, write the occasional column and do public speaking engagements on topics ranging from province-wide 2005 municipal election results for CBC TV to being a Go Green Challenge judge for CKNW Radio. In 2007 I was chosen to be trained by Al Gore to deliver his An Inconvenient Truth powerpoint presentation to local audiences. 40 + venues and 10,000 people later, I’ve learned alot about climate, people and powerpoint.

Fighting prohibition! Changing BC liquor laws and other impossible dreams!

Corinne Lea

BIO: Founder and CEO of The Rio Theatre Corinne Lea is an Entrepreneur/ Provocateur. Originally schooled in the arts at ECUAD she was always a natural when it came to business. From selling Hubba Bubba gum to kids in her elementary school to designing Pop Art t-shirts and selling them in Japan, she’s had all kinds of entrepreneurial endeavours.
After graduating from art school she created and co-owned The Havana Restaurant Gallery/ Theatre on Commercial Drive. In 2000 she had a baby and opened up, Scout Pin Up Clothing Boutique, and became a local Burlesque dancer/ promoter known as Shameless Lee.
All her interests combined when she opened the Rio Theatre in 2008. We began as an independent movie house/ live venue for the first few years until the industry as a whole took a huge hit and local single screen theatres like the Rio were closing world wide. We realised the only way to survive was to get a Liquor license. After a long 14 month process we were finally granted our Liquor licence by the LCLB but that same day I was ordered to sign a letter confirming that I would no longer be allowed to “show movies of any kind at any time”. Thus began our four month battle to get the BC liquor laws changed.

The surprising sources of health and happiness

Dr. Alexandra Greenhill

BIO: Curious, passionate, impactful, Alexandra T. Greenhill is an award winning physician leader and tech entrepreneur. She is the cofounder CEO of myBestHelper.com, that was the first Canadian company ever to win the Global Cartier Initiative award. Always contributing to her communities, Alexandra has served on many boards the Canadian Institute for Child Health and was Chair of the BC Conseil Scolaire Francophone, twice elected as a public school trustee. Her recognitions include WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and the BIV Top 40 under 40. Alexandra lives in Vancouver, BC with husband James and three kids, where they support the arts & sciences – BalletBC, Science World, Vancouver Art Gallery! #loveBC

The Sitting Solution: How To Offset the Problems of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Jacob McGill

BIO: After waking up from a coma ( post MVA and Airlift) I was set up with a purpose driven life. This took me from pursuing a music degree into a decade of experiential research of alternative health care. After having my life saved by the health care system (ICU) I was left short with a traumatized body and brain. I began to borg together all the information I could find and study/apprentice with experts across North America to eventually develop The Hundred Year Plan. A system designed to leverage the simplest solutions possible to generate the greatest positive impact. I present a small part of the system during this talk.

Story Money Impact: the transformative power of local media

Tracey Friesen

BIO: Tracey Friesen is a media strategist, committed to supporting storytellers and social innovators in the creation of impactful content. Formerly the Executive Producer at the National Film Board of Canada, Tracey is now Director of Programming for Roundhouse Radio 98.3 Vancouver, a hyper local commercial station with a community focus.

Street Cat Photo Booth: Fame, Compassion, Machine Learning, and Curious Cats

Jordan Matthew Yerman

BIO: Jordan Matthew Yermanhas been around the world almost three times, and has cultivated a love of photography as a storytelling tool. He documents cities through the lived experiences of their inhabitants, be they human or otherwise. Yerman’s work has been published by the Vancouver Observer, APEX Experience Magazine, Akihabara News, Tokyo INSIGHT Magazine, Love Meow, Vancity Buzz, Vancouver Courier, Gripped, and Canadian Avalanche Journal; as well as being featured on Buzzfeed. He takes high-stakes cat photos for Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue, helping stray cats find new homes. He has presented on street cat photography at BIL2015 in Vancouver.

When in doubt, be human

Andrea Hayes

BIO: My name is Andrea. I am a science nerd, MBA graduate, entrepreneur, world traveler and, most importantly, I am a ridiculous human being who loves to have a really good time and live life to the fullest. I spent 7 months of my life living a nomadic lifestyle last year. It taught me what really mattered to me at a gut level and gave me a deep appreciation for simply being human. I learned that the development of understanding matters to me more than anything else – holding an empathetic space for others to be truly seen, heard and understood provides me with a great sense of flow. I love the concept of “sawubona,” which is a Zulu saying that means, “We see you.” It is an invitation to participate in one another’s life, which is profoundly beautiful and powerful.

THINK CRAZY!

Billie Carn

BIO: Billie Carn is Founder and Crazy Girl of The Crazy Ones.org that inspires companies and individuals to challenge their own status quo – because that’s how we’re going to find solutions to the world’s wicked problems and push humanity forward. Also Co-Founder of the Internet of Humanity alongside Redg Snodgrass, CEO and CoFounder of Wearable World. Their mission is to explore the internet through the lens of humanity, thereby striving to create a better society and push humanity forward. Billie is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post and has previously written for the Ministry of Entrepreneurship. For the last 3 years Billie has being Interviewing 97 [to date] different thinkers from artists to chocolatiers, venture capitalists to DJ’s, technologists to philanthropists who laugh in the face of the status quo – well it became one of the biggest adventures of her life. She is currently launching the crazyones.org and writing her book on her findings. Her mission is to inspire craziness in the sane world – business and life.. Billie is a crazy, energetic, fun, adventurous, brave, inspiring, emotionally intelligent go getter and innovator who believes that everything is possible and is happy to fail big time in the process of striving for this; as long as she is learning along the way. She uses an obtuse polymath approach to solution finding.

Food Waste: It’s hard to swallow

Shannon Lambie

BIO:
Growing up in North Vancouver, Shannon spent most of her adolescence as an athlete, competing Nationally in both Women’s Wrestling and Rugby. In university Shannon pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Human Geography at UBC, and began to develop a keen sense of how social systems impact long term human and environmental sustainability. Shannon went on to complete a Master of Arts in International Studies from SFU, specializing in International Development and Food Sovereignty in Latin America. Through this, Shannon became fascinated with food systems and their impact on social justice. After interning at a Campesino-focused NGO in Bolivia in 2012, Shannon realized the important role farmers play in sustainable food systems and enrolled in the Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture at UBC Farm. After completing the Practicum, Shannon co-operated a half acre market garden in Richmond for two seasons. Shannon recently moved on to full time professional work as the Communications and Engagement Specialist for the UBC Sustainability Initiative.

Breaking My Silence: Artistic Activism

Jodie Ortega

BIO: A self-proclaimed ARTivist, Jodie Ortega’s artistic activism can be found at the intersection of Hip Hop and Hope. As a product of childhood sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, Jodie has flipped the narrative of victimhood into advocacy, championing for survivors of sexual violence while continuing to break her own silence through her own poetry and digital storytelling. Since breaking her silence publicly in 2012, she has spoken in Toronto and San Francisco, and her work has been recognized by Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter and has caught the attention of the Greater L.A. Chapter of the US National Committee for UN Women. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram under @dontrunbabygirl and her TEDx talk can be found on YouTube. She is a proud volunteer at SNAP Vancouver (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests).

The ‘Abled Ones

Karen Magill

BIO: Forced to leave the workforce in 2000 by the onslaught of a chronic illness, Karen saw this as an opportunity to explore her lifelong desire to write. In February of 2014, Karen independently published an inspiring story of her journey so far with a chronic illness entitled On The Right Side, My Story of Survival and Success. In March of 2014, Karen made her debut public speaking performance and has been hooked ever since. She is now launching a career as a motivational speaker and a life coach. Ms. Magill believes that anything is possible and when she writes fiction, she leans towards the paranormal. She writes about extrasensory powers as if they are commonplace because, in her mind, we are all capable of those gifts. To date, Ms. Magill is the author of four published paranormal novels, including the award winning The Bond, A Paranormal Love Story. Karen lives in an eclectic area of Vancouver Canada and draws inspiration from the history and stories around her.

Everyone Has a Song in Them. What’s yours?

Signe Miranda

BIO: Signe is a professional songwriter and musician, performing her original songs and recording for over a decade; writing songs for over 20 years. She released three solo and band albums, toured across Canada and in the UK & Norway, leads songwriting workshops, and is author of the #1 international best selling book, “”The Song Creation Formula: 7 Easy Steps to Writing Your Song.””

When the Couch Potato Comes to Life – The Future of Narrative

Ollie Rankin

BIO: Ollie Rankin is a New Zealand born virtual reality creative director and visual effects supervisor whose career spans more than 16 years. His background in programming and specifically the field of artificial intelligence led him into what was then the brand new discipline of crowd simulation, as one of the first users of Massive, building brains and choreographing battle sequences for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since then he has worked at several other visual effects facilities around the world, on a variety of blockbusters and independent films, progressively broadening his knowledge and experience to cover the full gamut of vfx production. After five years as VFX Supervisor at Method Studios in Vancouver, he left to form Pansensory Interactive, a startup founded with the intention of pioneering the new forms of storytelling made possible by VR, AR and AI.

How to Make Money while Travelling around the World

Ricky Shetty

BIO: Ricky Shetty is the owner and operator of the family-friendly website DaddyBlogger.com where he writes about parenting from a father’s perspective. In addition, Ricky runs the YVR Media Group based out of Vancouver, BC which includes YVR Bloggers, YVR Foodies, YVR Dads, and YVR Travellers

The Lost Generation

Lisa Bunnage

BIO: Lisa Bunnage is a Parenting Coach with BratBusters Parenting Services. She has been working with children for 40+ years in schools, hospitals and youth detention facilities. She uses a mix of down-to-earth common sense and humour to teach parents how to get respect from their children.

Forget unicorns. Let’s Talk About Rhinos.

Matt Toner

BIO: Matt was drawn to digital media in New York during the “dot boom” of the 90s and has seen it become an unrelenting transformative force that has swept from industry to industry. These experiences have made him an accomplished startup executive, with a particular expertise in guiding traditional businesses through digital transformations. He has founded, co-founded or managed the growth of a half dozen startups, launched three intrapreneurial initiatives at major institutions and, oddly, created one nationally broadcast animated television series.

Transcending Trauma: Moving From Reactivity, Anxiety And Aggressivity To Enlightened Daily Living

Michael A. Gordon

BIO: MIchael A. GordonMichael Gordon is a 5th Dan Aikido teacher, and psychotherapist in private practice in Vancouver, Canada, writing and speaking across many forums on topics of ‘spiritual psychology in daily life.’ He holds an MSc. in Consciousness & Transpersonal Psychology, and is a doctoral student at SFU in Philosophy Of Education, with a thesis topic that explores practical and theoretical aspects of teaching, psychotherapy and Aikido. Michael brings a transpersonal and biopsychological approach to his clinical work, having given numerous public talks on the relationship between everyday life, mindfulness, trauma, and cognitive neuroscience, including past lectures at SFU. In 2009, he was part of a group teaching meditation to women in the BC correctional system. He is also a successful recording and performing singer-songwriter. His podcast ‘The Mind Whisperer’ has had 20,000 downloads, and his writing featured in mindbodygreen.com and the Elephant Journal. A former editor of now-defunct Shared Vision Magazine, in 2007 he curated and moderated a panel at EPIC Vancouver in 2007. In addition to his PhD work, he will be speaking at the upcoming 2016 Comparative International Education Society conference in Vancouver, and is contributing a chapter for the forthcoming SUNY Press book ‘The Intersubjective Turn In Contemplative Education.

How to Rescue Your Old Computer Using Linux and Change the World More Powerfully Than Steve Jobs Ever Could

Michael Persimmon

BIO: Michael is a computer doctor, retired monk, and meditation teacher. Michael often says, “there’s a wealth of high-quality, freely available software out there if you know where to look. And It can take a huge chunk of stress out of your life.”

Connecting Life & Death: Bringing Joy & Success back into your Life

Colleen Wynia

BIO: No stranger to loss, Colleen suffered the death of her dad and cousin Robert both to cancer 20 years ago. Dad and Rob passed within 9 months of each other, followed by the loss of several loved ones annually for the next 8 years. Unsure if the death experience was an end or renewal of life, Colleen’s experience of her loved ones desire to communicate through Spirit Signs paved the way to believing a soul’s life continues and contributed to her passion for educating on signs of Spirit Communication and how to live a healthier, happier and more successful life.

YOU are the key to change

Yana Kabirova

BIO: I’ve lived in 3 different countries and in 5 different cities. From being totally career oriented and working in financial/ investment world for over 5 years, I’ve evolved and realized that my true passion really lies in people, convincing and showing each person s/he have an enormous power within. Help them discover it, show it, share it. Currently I am looking to use my financial knowledge to contribute to social enterprises and non-profits, while also working on my own projects that are mostly oriented at social interactions. I’d love to turn Vancouver into the most interactive city, mostly through public interactive art. I happened to be one of the torchbearers for Vancouver Olympics while living in Ontario; participated in the Pride Parade in Vancouver walking on stilts; volunteered around the city to raise awareness for social issues & simply fun events; hosted street activities and big 200 persons parties. I love bringing people together.

Be Frumpy But Have The Attitude Of A Stripper!

Patricia Morrison

BIO: Patricia Morrison is a Vancouver, BC based Comedian, Writer, Comedy Coach, Yoga Teacher and vintage video game collector/seller. Her edgy style is known for being self deprecating, witty and satirical humor. Patricia lets it all hang out and tells it like it is while embracing and joking openly about her traumatic past and present. Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Agoraphobia, Panic/Anxiety Disorder and Suicide Ideation, performing stand up comedy has become her medicine, as laughter is healing, inexpensive and has no side effects. Entertaining the masses, by sharing her adventures into lunacy and self destruction, is what keeps her tethered to this world. Always an unconventional Occupational Connoisseur, this former Stripper turned non-practicing Bulimic, was born and raised in Toronto, ON. She has been writing, performing and producing stand up comedy for over four years and has an “award winning” Comedy/Cartoon Blog named The Writing Womb. She performs several times a week at most open mics around the city. In addition to performing regularly at Yuk Yuks Comedy Club and Lafflines Comedy Club, Patricia leads a weekly joke workout room specifically for comedians as well as being a stand-up comedy writing teacher/coach at local community centres. She will be hosting upcoming poetry slam and story slam events in Burnaby. If your life is difficult or boring and needs to be injected with some laughter, you may want to briefly enter the twisted, comedic mind of Patricia Morrison.

How to Kill your 3d Printing Startup: a cautionary tale of hubris, sex and schadenfreude.

Bartosz Bos

BIO: I’m a veteran of the 3d printing industry with some very interesting and funny stories to tell. I also write and consult on 3d printing and how it impacts people and industries.

Ted on it’s Head: Using Patreon to support culture creation and subvert culture consumption

Denise Brennan

BIO: Denise “d” Brennan holds a BA in Communications from Concordia University and an MSc. in Digital Media from ISNM in Luebeck, Germany. She wrote her thesis on social networking and its application in Open Source and other activism communities. She has a particular love for labour politics, and has been actively involved in several political campaigns at both provincial and municipal levels. Denise worked as a freelance public relations professional for the better part of a decade, with a focus on community building and venue based event promotion. In July of 2015, she opened a coworking studio focused on creative professionals in Vancouver’s Railtown district, where you’ll find her pretty much all day every day – except for Thursday evenings, when she plays competitive pool.

The Research on Meditation and Transcending – Changing the World Though Changing Individual and Collective Consciousness.

William R. Ayling

BIO: William Robert Ayling, D. Honoris Causa is an experienced and talented public speaker who has spoken to tens of thousands of people over his career. His style is professional, personable, interactive and heartfelt. From eight years old William’s main interest has been the study, development, and experience of the full range of human potential. With the goal to create a better world through the unfoldment of greater levels of creativity, intelligence, happiness and peace, in both the individual and in society as a whole. After learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) in 1970, he became a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique in 1972, and has taught TM to thousands of people over the last 43 years. He has taught TM in the military, education, health care, business, government, and the general public. To people of all religions, cultures, professions, ages, educational levels, and ways of life. He also teaches Transcendental Meditation privately and confidentially in the homes and offices of high performance busy individuals and celebrities throughout North America and around the world, by special private appointment when requested. For many years William served on the Board of Directors of an international health product and health educational company. He has also worked in market research and project financing for a Toronto Bay Street real estate development firm. He is the founder and CEO of the Vancouver based company “AV Royal Consulting.” Which specializes in offering meditation to professionals, in the corporate setting, in education, to military and police, in health care medical and government settings, and to the general public.

Am I Dreaming Or Am I Awake – Defining Personal Reality

Tee Crane

BIO: Tee CraneTee Crane is a teacher, public speaker and author. His areas of expertise are in Emotional Literacy, Relationship Building and Personal Development. He is co-founder of 3Source Enterprises, an international training company that assists people in resetting, redesigning and relaunching their lives in a direction with fulfillment as its purpose.

Ceremonial Activism and Future Ancestors: Building Community Through Storytelling as A Means of Creating Stronger Legacies

Cease Wyss

BIO: am a traditionally trained indigenous ethnobotanist of Coast Salish cultures. I am a media artist and specialize in utilizing community engagement as a means to bringing many cultures together to build on their traditional knowledge and investing I’m building stories for their future. This is how I incorporate my art practice into community engagement

Results Not Typical

Neale Bacon

BIO: I have lost over 190 pounds with no pills, potions, shakes, surgery or shortcuts. I would like to share a bit of my story but also to let people know about the multi-billion dollar scam known as the diet industry. Check out more of Neale’s story.

Signe Miranda

BIO: Signe is a professional songwriter and musician, performing her original songs and recording for over a decade; writing songs for over 20 years. She released three solo and band albums, toured across Canada and in the UK & Norway, leads songwriting workshops, and is author of the #1 international best selling book, “”The Song Creation Formula: 7 Easy Steps to Writing Your Song.””

Plus Guests

BIO: Plus Guests is a three-piece Indie Rock band from Vancouver, BC. Combining fuzzy bass, crunchy synth and pounding drums, they collaborate to create a unique sound through original songs about space, love and everyday occurrences. Matt (Bass), Eric (synth) and Jenn (drums) are all involved in other artistic endeavours, which contributes to their eclectic charm.