Kate Robson
“I’m thrilled that so many people now have access to her compassion, wisdom, and humour as well to the tools she has honed for many years as a therapist, mother, and friend.”
– Sarah Polley, Academy Award winner and bestselling author of Run Towards the Danger.
“This delightful book offers invaluable tools to readers, featuring the many strategies available for anybody hoping to heal and find connection in their lives.”
– Clara Hughes, Olympian and bestselling author of Open Heart, Open Mind.
Kate Robson is a registered psychotherapist based in Toronto and author of Something to Hold Onto (S&S). Inspired by her own experiences with her children in a neonatal intensive care unit, she has worked with babies, parents, and families for more than twelve years as a NICU family support specialist. She has since travelled internationally to educate parents and clinicians on family-centred and trauma-informed care. Her talks and workshops focus on cultivating secure attachment in relationships and creating emotion-friendly homes, workplaces, and systems.
In her private practice, Kate supports individuals and couples navigating infertility, high-risk pregnancies, NICU hospitalizations, and bereavement – she has led Canada’s largest support community for NICU families for the last 10 years. She holds degrees from McGill University and OISE/UT, completed her psychotherapy training at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy, and has trained in modalities including ACT, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, PACT, and somatic approaches.
Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, Kate brings a deeply human lens to conversations about trauma, attachment, and resilience. Her speaking style is grounded, compassionate, and practical – offering language and tools people can use immediately in moments that matter.
Attachment & Relationships
Creating emotion-friendly homes, workplaces, and communities
Strong relationships are built not on perfection, but on safety, repair, and emotional attunement. In this talk, Kate explores how attachment patterns shape the way we relate … to partners, children, colleagues, and ourselves … and how small shifts can create environments where people feel seen and supported. With warmth and clarity, she translates attachment theory into practical guidance for fostering trust, connection, and emotional literacy in everyday life.
Resilience & Emotional Wellbeing
Practical tools for navigating adversity and finding calm in uncertainty
This talk explores resilience not as toughness or positivity, but as the capacity to stay present and resourced when life feels unsteady. Drawing on psychology, lived experience, and simple, practical frameworks, Kate offers tools for regulating emotion, reducing overwhelm, and responding to stress in ways that are workable rather than reactive. Participants leave with language and practices they can use immediately — especially in moments when certainty is in short supply.
Grief & Loss
Gentle ways to be with grief and move forward with meaning
Grief shows up in many forms. It appears not only after death, but in illness, infertility, change, and when we notice the lives we didn’t get to live. This talk invites a compassionate, non-pathologizing approach to grief, focusing on how we can honour love and meaning without being crushed by loss. Kate offers steadying perspectives and accessible practices that help people make room for sorrow while staying connected to what sustains them.
Kate Robson in the Media:
- Jann Arden Podcast: Kate Robson and Sarah Polley
- The Tyee Review: Something to Hold Onto
- Kate Robson speaking at Rotman School of Management
Jessica Barrett
Jessica Barrett is an award-winning journalist and author of No Place Like Home: The Missing Key To Our Housing Crisis. Jessica got her start as a community newspaper reporter in Vancouver, B.C., where she fell in love with covering municipal issues and urban affairs. Over the years she worked her way up to reporting for the Vancouver Sun, B.C. Business Magazine and eventually became Senior Editor of Vancouver Magazine. Jessica has also appeared regularly as a columnist in print and on the radio. Her writing has won multiple awards, including Postmedia’s prestigious Michelle Lang Fellowship and the Jack Webster Foundation’s City Mike award for her columns about Vancouver’s housing affordability crisis.
Jessica now lives in Calgary, where she continues to write and think about how to bring about systemic change for a more just, joyful and functional society. When not writing, Jessica spends her time gardening, devouring podcasts and attempting to wrangle her young son into bed.
Topics:
- Urban Planning and Housing Policy
- Community Connections and social isolation
- Writing and Writing Craft
Talks
Housing Vs. Home
After living in Vancouver for her entire adult life, Jessica Barrett packed up her apartment, quit her dream job as a magazine editor, and headed for Calgary in search of a more affordable place to call home. In the years since Barrett was priced out of Vancouver, the issue of housing affordability has become a national crisis, fanning the flames of social inequality and setting us up for financial ruin. But our obsession with rising housing prices obscures a more complex and pressing issue: we have lost our reverence for, and our understanding of, home. In this talk, Jessica introduces audiences to her research on the fundamental elements of home and explores how these elements are, or are not, prioritized in our current housing system. She then goes on to present examples from around the world and locally on how to get back to the fundamentals of home, and produce better, more affordable housing for all.
C is for Community
When it comes to our housing crisis, most of the proposed solutions come from one of two places: the market, or the government. Both are problematic, though for different reasons. Private developers don’t always build homes that people can afford — or homes that people want. And governments are famously fickle. All it takes is a shift in political ideologies or a change in ruling parties to decimate systems and organizations that rely on public funding. But there is a third option. A vast middle ground between public and private on which we can build housing that is affordable, desirable and socially and environmentally sustainable. And there is an overlooked stakeholder group that is inherently motivated and perfectly capable of leading this charge. Us. In this talk, Jessica introduces audiences to the concept of Community-Led housing, offering examples from all over Canada, and all over the world, that show how the housing crisis can be solved by regular people coming together in pursuit of a better way to live.
The Hidden Power of Neighbourliness
Canadians spend significantly less time with our neighbours now than we did just a few decades ago. In the era of Amazon and Instacart, our lack of neighbourly connections might seem a little sad, but largely inconsequential to our lives—we no longer need our neighbours to provide that proverbial cup of sugar. But we do need our neighbours, and we need them more than ever. In this talk, Jessica dives into the astounding research on the role neighbourliness plays in our health, safety and social fabric, explaining how reclaiming neighbourliness is one of the biggest untapped solutions to some of most pressing issues of our time — everything from the loneliness epidemic, to political polarization, to surviving climate change. She then points the way toward some surprising, and surprisingly simple, actions we can take to nurture neighbourliness at every level of our lives, from the personal to political.
She can be found on Instagram at @thewrightlight
Selected works:
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Cherie Dimaline
Cherie Dimaline is an internationally bestselling author. Her book The Marrow Thieves was named by TIME magazine, one of the Best YA Books of All Time and won the Governor General’s Award and the Kirkus Prize. Her novel Empire of Wild was an instant Canadian bestseller and is being adapted into a full opera for the Canadian Opera Company. Hunting By Stars was a 2022 American Indian Library Association Honor Book and her novel VENCO debuted at #1 on Canadian bestseller lists. Other titles include Funeral Songs for Dying Girls (AILA Honor Book, AURA Award winner, CRIME WRITERS Best Book, Bram Stoker Finalist) and Into the Bright Open (2024 Governor General’s Award Finalist).
Cherie lives in her Georgian Bay Métis Community and has written and produced for MARVEL, FX, HBO, Disney, and is currently adapting two major projects for AMC.
To book Cherie, contact Rob Firing at rob@transatlanticagency.com
Dr. Cathy Miyata
Whether collecting, mining, researching, writing, or telling, Dr. Cathy Miyata is passionate about story. As a master storyteller she has performed, conducted workshops, lectured, and delivered keynote presentations for educational, corporate, and student audiences in Germany, Sweden, Serbia, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Mexico, the United States, and all across Canada. Her presentation style is vibrant, emotionally charged, and deeply meaningful, transforming you from tears of laughter to tears of sadness and back again. She also maintains a wide repertoire of folklore (folktales, legends, myths, parables, sacred stories) from many cultures which she weaves into her presentations depending on the needs and requests of her audience.
As an award-winning author, Cathy has published in a variety of genres: novels, teacher education books, academic chapters, research studies, and journal articles. Her writing styles are eclectic, poignant, and powerful.
As a life-long learner, at the age of 52 she decided to pursue an educational dream by beginning her doctorate at U of T. Even before she defended, she was offered an Assistant Professorship in the Faculty of Education and Global Education Departments at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her uncanny ability to transform a dry lecture into a compelling story event made her extremely popular on campus in both the undergraduate and graduate programs.
She recently left her role at Laurier in order to write full-time. Her third novel, co-written with her husband Kaz, is awaiting publication. Cathy considers this work to be the most significant writing of her career so far. It captures the heart wrenching and desperate plight of a Japanese Canadian family incarcerated in a German prisoner of war camp in Northern Ontario after the second world war has ended. Sadly, there is almost no public knowledge of this camp and most of the events in the novel are true. The scenes were woven together from interviews with survivors who graciously shared their memories, recollections, and nightmares about this devastating time in Canada’s history. Cathy’s husband was imprisoned in this camp.
Speaking Topics
Dr. Cathy Miyata is a dynamic speaker whose expertise spans leadership, inspiration, and the art of masterful storytelling. With a deep commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), she empowers audiences to embrace diverse perspectives while cultivating authentic leadership. Renowned for her engaging public speaking, Dr. Miyata seamlessly blends insight, personal experience, and compelling narratives to inspire action and foster meaningful connections. Her presentations leave audiences motivated, enlightened, and equipped with practical tools to lead with impact.
Outsider on the Inside
As a white middle class woman, I had a lot to learn about raising BIPOC children, handling discriminatory snipes, and supporting my partner’s challenges. Hard lessons. Life-changing but worthwhile lessons. EDI are gifts worth fighting for.
Successful Leadership
If a leader wants to be authentic, make an impact, drive their team forward, embed a vision, transform an image, or rescue a failure, they need the right story, for the right audience, told the right way. And they need it now. In this interactive presentation we will explore several narrative structures and techniques that will help you achieve your leadership goals.
Community Building
Solidify your group by exploring the three C’s of Community Building: Collaboration, Connection, and Communication. In this interactive presentation, you will learn strategies and techniques that bring people together.
Speak and Be Heard!
If you want to be heard, really heard, then learn to tell well. This interactive presentation will provide you with the techniques you need to motivate, persuade or inspire your team, class, or audience.
YOUR Life, YOUR Story
In this interactive presentation explore techniques of mining and writing, empowering you to capture those crucial life moments that make thrilling and impactful stories for sharing.
Cathy will create presentations uniquely for your group upon request. She is also available for workshops and residencies. Presentations can be in person or virtual.
Testimonials
“Cathy is an exceptional speaker. She is captivating, insightful, and profoundly authentic. Her ability to blend academic knowledge with real-world experience brought the topic to life in a way that was both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. I was fully engaged throughout her presentation and the conversations she inspired continued long after our session had ended. What impacted me most was her call to move from awareness to meaningful action, a message that continues to shape my leadership today. Cathy doesn’t just talk about equity; she lives it, breathes it, and empowers others to do the same. She is articulate, genuine, and truly inspirational.”
– Josée Landriault: Directrice, École Secondaire Gaétan Gervais
“Cathy brings the perfect blend of humour, heart, and intellectual engagement in her professional speaking sessions, and I would highly recommend her to any organization or team looking to drive transformational change centered around an ethic of love.”
– Betsy Enriquez: Instructional Program Leader, Halton District School Board
“Cathy’s impact on our faculty was immediate and lasting. Whether speaking to a small group in a workshop or a packed auditorium, Cathy connected with her audience through a powerful blend of storytelling, research, visuals, and real classroom practice. Her sessions were both informative and inspiring.”
– Mr. Chuck Reid: Director and Ms. Suzanne Tsuchida: Associate Director of Academics: Dover International School, Cairo, Egypt
“Dr. Cathy Miyata is a brilliant storyteller. She reads a room with the sensitivity of a true artist- chooses stories that meet her audience exactly where they are- and then lifts them to someplace more expansive. She can make you laugh and cry in the same breath. More than that, she consistently moves her audience into a deeper sense of understanding themselves. Her keynote addresses are not only masterclasses in communication—they’re unforgettable experiences that leave people feeling seen, connected, and inspired.”
– Nicole Fougere: Executive Director, Rotary Arts Centre, Corner Brook, NL
“It’s obvious from the moment you meet Cathy that she has a passion for storytelling and is eager to share that passion with others. Cathy was part of our Inspiring Success Speaker Series, where she led us through the art of storytelling. Not only did she share her own stories, we learned to engage, persuade and motivate others through storytelling and the practical ways we can build collaboration, connection, and community.”
– Jill Reiner: Director, Talent – Human Resources, Wilfrid Laurier University
“Dr. Miyata is a dynamic speaker and master storyteller who draws on drama, literacy, and creativity to engage and inspire. Her warmth, energy, and deep understanding of learning combined with her practical and powerful use of storytelling strategies, leave a lasting impression on audiences.”
– Dr. Kari-Lynn Winters: Professor, Brock University
“Cathy has a unique talent for engaging diverse groups, ensuring that each presentation is memorable and that it resonates deeply with the audience. She manages to captivate everyone in the room and keep them engaged. Her presentations are experiences that stick with you long afterwards, and I have found the messages to be both enlightening and profoundly moving.”
– Laurie Reid: System Principal, HDSB
“Dr. Miyata’s gift for beautifully expressive and moving oratory stands out for her natural conveyance of personal insight, based on vast intercultural dialogue and the uncanny ability to peer into the hearts of others. Audiences respond to her deep empathy and quick mind.”
– Paulus Linnaeus: Graphic Artist
“During her keynote address, Dr. Miyata shared her insights on public speaking and the transformative potential of storytelling as a powerful creative tool for connection and inspirational impact. I left the keynote stimulated by the practical tips on how to better engage an audience and with a beautiful parable that I later shared while emceeing another event. Dr. Miyata inspired me to embrace the opportunity to share stories with others. Thank you, Cathy, for reminding us of the power of words and the importance on how we deliver them.”
– Suzanne Luke: University Art Curator, Robert Langen Art Gallery
Liz Renzetti
Elizabeth Renzetti is a bestselling author and journalist. She is the author of five books, most recently the national bestseller What She Said: Conversations About Equality. She’s also the author, alongside Kate Hilton, of the Quill & Packet mystery series. Their first novel, Bury the Lead, was published in 2024, and Widows and Orphans followed in 2025.
As a journalist, Elizabeth reported from London, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Berlin, and wrote a popular column on current affairs in The Globe and Mail. In 2025, she was awarded a King Charles III Coronation Medal for her work on gender equality, and she has twice won the Landsberg Prize for reporting on gender issues. She lives in Toronto with her family and two very bad cats.
Praise for What She Said:
“What She Said is frank, funny, and unfailingly honest …. Should be mandatory reading!” – Lisa LaFlamme, journalist
“What She Said is as honest as it is painful and smart …. It made me weep, laugh, and ultimately helped me exhale.” Kathleen Wynne, former premier of Ontario
Liz is an experienced public speaker and can lecture on numerous topics including:
Women in Leadership
Women are underrepresented at all levels of leadership in every field. And it’s getting worse. At a time when companies are rolling back their diversity policies, what does the future hold for women in leadership roles? Drawing upon years of reporting, interviews with leaders in politics and business, and her own story as a woman in management, Liz speaks to this fraught moment – and the future ahead.
Gender Inequality & Why It Harms Us All
We know that we are facing an unprecedented backlash to the rights of women and non-binary people, not just in North America, but around the world. Young women and young men grow farther apart in their political beliefs. How did we get to this place, and how do we find a way out that heals rather than harms?
Teamwork is Dreamwork
As the co-author of a fictional mystery series, and as a journalist who participated in many group projects, Liz can reveal the secrets of what makes for a fruitful partnership. How to choose the right collaborator, best ways of working that will not lead to divorce, and how to successfully play to a team’s strengths and weaknesses are all part of the discussion.
The Misinformation Crisis & The Power of Journalism
How do we move forward as a society if we can even agree on facts? As a journalist with decades of newsroom experience, Liz can talk about how journalism is facing this crisis, and what we can do to understand each other better.
Liz also hosts panel discussions, conducts public interviews, and gives workshops on interviewing techniques.
Valerie Jerome
“As chief, I travelled around the world, meeting royalty and prime ministers, and never was I nervous or anxious. But my knees shook with fear at the schoolhouse door. Valerie Jerome changed that for my son, and for many children in our nation. We were made to feel welcome, safe, and cared for.”
Valerie Jerome Speaking Topics
Jen Sookfong Lee
Jen Sookfong Lee writes, edits, and sometimes sings badly on a podcast.
Her books include The Conjoined, nominated for International Dublin Literary Award and a finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, The Shadow List, and Finding Home. Her memoir, Superfan, explores her lifetime obsession with pop culture, and was an instant bestseller before being a named a Best Book of 2023 by both the Globe & Mail and Apple Books. Called “a dazzling, kaleidoscopic memoir” by the Toronto Star, Superfan was also featured on the Today Show, The Social, and eTalk.
A familiar voice on radio and podcasts, Jen was a columnist for CBC Radio One’s On the Coast, All Points West, and The Next Chapter for many years and was also a frequent co-host of the Studio One Book Club. She also taught fiction at The Writers’ Studio Online at Simon Fraser University for six years. Currently, she co-hosts the literary podcast, Can’t Lit, with Dina Del Bucchia and acquires and edits for ECW Press.
Born and raised in East Vancouver, Jen now lives in North Burnaby with her son and very emotional rescue dog.
Jen’s Speaking topics
- The Intimate and the Universal: How Memoir Builds Connections and Community
Jen explores how writing about the self can forge deep connections between the author and the reader, but also between seemingly disparate communities. Each story—and each life—is unique and idiosyncratic, but at the heart of great memoir writing is the possibility of kinship and reciprocity, a relationship where humanity’s greatest emotions are shared, acknowledged, and understood.
- Talking to Kids About Tough Topics in the News
In an increasingly divided world where disturbing and traumatic news stories are broadcast every day, children are experiencing anxiety and confusion. In this talk, Jen, an experienced non-fiction children’s author and mother, guides educators and caregivers with tips on how to discuss issues such as war, homelessness, racism, and colonization with children, and how to answer their questions with compassion and clarity.
- Pop Culture, Representation, and Identity
Even though we think of pop culture as fun entertainment, the reality is that it holds a mirror up to each of us and our preoccupations, while also shaping the ways in which we perceive others and ourselves. In this talk, Jen discusses the impacts of representation (or the lack thereof) on marginalized communities, the harm that aspirational celebrity branding can enact, how increased visibility has and can change the creative industries and their fans, and the joy and connectedness we feel when a media asset truly reflects who we are.
- Writing, Inclusion, and Diversity
After twenty years working in publishing in every role one can imagine, Jen has a few things to say about the role of inclusion in the book industry. How can authors and publishing professionals navigate an industry that has struggled to enact systemic change? Here, Jen chats about why diversity, particularly at the management and executive levels, seems so hard to integrate, and why inclusion from the top down only means a greater variety of stories and voices, and a more compassionate and nimble industry as a whole.
Karl Subban
KARL SUBBAN is the bestselling author of How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life, speaker and award-winning educator. A school principal for many years, he is also a director of the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation. Subban was awarded an honorary doctorate of education by Lakehead University in 2022. He is a certified Maxwell speaker, coach and a trainer. His second book, The Hockey Skates was published in September 2023. Karl’s latest book, Raise Your Roof: The Hidden Power of Potential, will be published in April 2025. He lives in Toronto.
Speaking Topics
The Power of Potential
For more than three decades, Karl Subban has been honing his proven approach to building resilience, increasing perseverance, mastering goal setting—and bringing out the best in everyone. Every year we get bigger, but not necessarily better. Older, but not necessarily wiser. We’re not always set up for success, and despite our best efforts, we can get stuck in a place where we don’t think it’s possible to dream, let alone dream big. As a coach, educator, author and father, Subban knows that understanding and believing in our own potential are key to making changes that matter and bringing purpose to our lives and the lives of those around us. Packed with proven strategies including “raise their roof ” playbooks for leaders, parents and educators, Raise Your Roof is an inspiring and practical guide to creating meaningful change, realizing goals and finding fulfillment. The power of potential is at your starting line, not your finish line.
Developing Potential (Talk for educators)
Teachers plant seeds in the minds, bodies, and souls of young people and they don’t often see the fruits of their efforts. An example for me was Mr. Kangas, my very first teacher in Canada. He was the primary reason why I wanted to go to school. He pulled me up when I was feeling down and wasn’t aware of it until I wrote about him in my first book, How We Did It. He saw me, valued me and made me feel special. His impact on me helped me to identify the three vital qualities of effective teachers: know your students, care about your students, and inspire your students.
This keynote will explore two primary ways to empower growth in our student leaders:
- Creating a growth empowering environment
- Developing as a growth empowering leader
Potential is having the capacity to develop into something in the future. The potential of the school is directly related to the potential of the students and the staff. If we want better results, we must invest in young people.
It Always Seems Impossible Until It is Done (Talk for students)
This keynote, aimed at students, will focus on my journey, sharing stories and lessons learned working in my three worlds as an educator, hockey dad, and coach working with youth in several sports including coaching the men’s basketball team at George Brown College and being a hockey coach in the Greater Toronto Hockey League for approximately ten years.
My aim is to provide students with tools and framework to inspire them reach their unlimited potential.
Topics:
*Is your dream your dream?
*The power in your beliefs
*Facing and working through challenges and adversities
*Focusing on possibility not performance
*Using the 4 Ts to take effective action (Time, Task, Training, and Team)
*Navigating distractions
*Building confidence and overcoming fear and failure
*Are you teachable, coachable, and likable?
*Do you want to be good, or do you want to excel?
*You must FOCUS to make it.
Dr. Jean Marmoreo
Dr. Jean Marmoreo is a doctor, writer, athlete, advocate and adventurer.
For 45 years she was a family physician practising in downtown Toronto, and in 2016 became one of Canada’s first practitioners of MAiD, to provide Medical Assistance in Dying. In 2022, she also began practising family medicine in the High Arctic.
Jean is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Family Physicians; is affiliated with Women’s College Hospital; and is a Lecturer in the Family Practice Department of the Temerty School of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Graduating in 1964 from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario with a degree in nursing, Jean became Head Nurse at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, the predecessor to CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She then decided to pursue a career in medicine and in 1974 graduated with the highest marks in her class in clinical practice from the Temerty School of Medicine, one of the top handful of medical schools in North America.
For many years, Jean was a specialist in mid-life medicine and now in end-of-life issues, and was also a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and Zoomer. Her Zoomer series, “This is what 70 looks like”, won a Silver Award in the 2014 National Magazine Awards.
The popularity of her columns led to her writing a book, The New Middle Ages: Women in Midlife which was published in 2002 by Prentice Hall. In the fall of 2022, Penguin Random House published a book by Jean and co-author Johanna Schneller titled The Last Doctor: Lessons in Living from the Front Lines of Medical Assistance in Dying, which was short-listed for the Balsillie Prize in Public Policy and is a national best-seller.
But it has been in the storied Boston Marathon that Jean Marmoreo has broken records. In seven different years, she placed first in her age group, and her 2013 time set a course record for her age group. In her final Boston Marathon in 2019, she finished first among women 75-79 with a time of 4:18.
Jean is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and has hiked 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail. She has also undertaken numerous treks in New Zealand, Australia, Spitsbergen, Patagonia, Bhutan, Tanzania, and to the Base Camp of Mt. Everest, and in 2019, she circumnavigated Manhattan by kayak.
In 2023, Jean was inducted into the Order of Canada, and in 2024, she was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for the Sciences from McMaster University.
Speaking Topics
Jean is frequently called on to speak to women as a media commentator or directly to women’s audiences. In 2005, Jean was chosen as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.” Her keynotes cover a range of topics for audiences both male and female, from aging meaningfully, to menopause, to medical assistance in dying.
Live long. Die well.
Our attitudes to life and death have changed dramatically: we all want to live long and happy lives, but when it’s time to go, we want the best for ourselves and our families as well. Dr. Jean Marmoreo, the noted family physician and MAiD doctor, discusses what to do now to give yourself the best chance at a longer, happier life — and a good end.
What are you doing in the second half of your life?
Being over 50 doesn’t have to feel like a waiting room; it can be a supermarket. The trick is to do some very simple things to give yourself the best chance to stay healthy, functional and happy in your next 30 years. Dr. Jean Marmoreo says you get old when you slow down – and she shows the life-enhancing benefits of exercise, adventure and most of all, connecting widely and deeply with your world.
Finally, you can do something about your menopause.
For most women in midlife, menopause was something to be endured in frustrating silence. Yet its symptoms (there are many more than medicine thought before) can make your life and work miserable. While menopause isn’t a disease it can feel like you have a crippling one. Dr. Jean Marmoreo was on the front lines of menopause 30 years ago when she was a midlife women’s specialist and is again today as the medical advisor to an AI-driven online menopause service.
Dying on the day you choose.
The legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying has given Canadians the opportunity for something they never before: A Good Death. But how do you qualify for MAiD? What are the rules, the myths, the trends? Renowned MAiD doctor Jean Marmoreo explains it all.
To book Jean for an event, contact Rob Firing at rob@transatlanticagency.com
Eliza Reid
Eliza Reid is a bestselling writer, public speaker, gender equality advocate, cofounder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat and former first lady of Iceland. She was born and raised in Canada but has lived in Iceland for over twenty years. Eliza’s first book, Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland’s Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World, was an instant bestseller in Canada and Iceland, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Pick, and translated into numerous languages. Her first novel, an Iceland-set mystery called Death of a Diplomat (Death on the Island in the U.S.), will be published in spring 2025.
From 2016 to 2024, Eliza served in the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland, during which time she acted as patron of numerous organizations and was named a United Nations Special Ambassador for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals. A memoir of her time in the role is set for publication in 2026.
Passionate about inclusion, belonging, and equality, she wielded her influence through poignant op-eds, a compelling TEDx talk, and dozens of keynote addresses to audiences of hundreds around the world, including presidents and royalty. In addition to public speaking, Eliza Reid is an experienced moderator and has interviewed celebrities, including politicians and other world leaders such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ashley Judd and internationally-acclaimed authors Louise Penny and Anthony Horowitz. Her advocacy in the field of gender equality has been praised by U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Governor General Mary Simon, and numerous others. She has also received awards from the Better World Fund, Meet in Reykjavík, and the Institute for South Asian Women.
Eliza has degrees from the University of Toronto (Trinity College) and Oxford University (St. Antony’s College). She lives in the outskirts of Reykjavík with her husband and four children.
Eliza’s Speaking topics
- Secrets of the Sprakkar: How to Bring Gender Equality Within Reach, and Why That’s Important for Everyone
What do a fishing captain who dabbles as a standup comedian, a group of middle-aged women who swam across the English Channel, and a small-town Canadian who unexpectedly became First Lady all have in common? They are all women in the tiny Nordic country of Iceland, the country closest in the world to closing the gender gap. Iceland has a word – *sprakkar –* that means “extraordinary women” and this informative and funny talk, which is based on Eliza’s bestselling book *Secrets of the Sprakkar <https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Secrets-of-the-Sprakkar/Eliza-Reid/9781982174064>*,
shares their stories and those of many others who are making a difference in their communities by being positive role models. Be reminded how building greater equality will benefit everyone in society, and be inspired to continue your vital work making a positive difference in the world by nudging things in the right direction. (Spoiler alert: Eliza herself is the unexpected first lady of this description)
- The Bend in the Road: How to Make the Most of Unexpected Opportunity
Eliza’s memoir of her time as first lady is set for publication in 2026 and this talk is based on much of that content.
Eliza Reid grew up in small-town Canada and met her Icelandic husband, Guðni Jóhannesson, at graduate school in England. When she gave fate a push by contriving to win a date with him in a raffle, she never imagined that spontaneous decision would lead her to becoming First Lady of Iceland almost two decades later, after a whirlwind seven-week campaign on her husband’s first foray into public office.
Incorporating insightful behind-the-scenes moments from life in the world of global leaders; from having tea at the White House with the Bidens, to poignant moments such as attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, navigating volcanic eruptions and living through a global pandemic, this talk examines how Eliza navigated her public but undefined role, and used it to upend expectations about first ladies.
Although it’s entertaining and provides a glimpse into an unusual world, this talk is really about inspiring people to make the most of unexpected opportunities, to be forces for positive change in the world. It’s for everyone who strives to write their own fairytale, and subvert the expectations others might impose on us.
- Storytelling for leadership and change
Everyone has a unique story. Paying attention and harnessing the wisdom of your journey can enhance how you move through the world—the type of organization you run, the children you raise, the people whose lives you’ll impact.
This workshop is designed to help you make sense of your story and sharpen your observation skills to better understand the stories that continue to unfold around you. It will help you to tease out the special details of a life and how to use those details to inspire, inform, and connect with others, putting your story to work to bring out the kind of change you want to create in your company or community.
- General talks in the sphere of travel & sustainability
I have delivered numerous keynote speeches on travel and sustainability at industry events and was named a United Nations Special Ambassador for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017. I can adapt speeches to suit a broad range of audiences and explore a variety of topics. Often using Iceland as a case study, I can speak to how travel and tourism are economic drivers in a country; the challenges and opportunities that tourism brings, and how Iceland is a leader in sustainable tourism and has (unusually) a generally positive view of tourism among its local population.
More broadly speaking, travelling and discovering new places and meeting new people has the potential to bridge divides and bring us closer together. I have travelled extensively, much of it solo, and can share some of the stories I have heard and adventures I’ve had on the road, and what that has taught me about communication and cooperation in other facets of life.
Testimonials
“She shared many heartfelt messages, leaving an indelible impression as one of the most empowered, driven, and inspiring women I have ever met.”
—Lilian Atho, CEO and Founder Real Time Global
“I had the great privilege of recently attending a speech by Iceland’s former First Lady, Eliza Reid. She was funny, smart, insightful, and entertaining. She didn’t hit a homerun; she hit a grand slam.”
—Jean Becker, Former Chief of Staff to George H.W. Bush
“Her energy, intelligence and integrity are so inspiring and most of all, I love how real she is. When you think of a First Lady you don’t expect someone to be so warm, unpretentious and personable.”
—Amy Skelding, Managing Partner at Finn Partners Travel
“Ms. Eliza Reid captivated our group of over 100 lawyers and their spouses with her stories of life in Iceland and extraordinary women in Icelandic history, but the best aspect of her presentation was the message that equality in authority and parity in opportunity are possible and within reach. Eliza’s approachable style and comfortable delivery, sprinkled with humor and playful wit, capture and sustain the attention of the audience. She is a delightful, entertaining and empowering keynote speaker for any meeting or conference.”
Steve Quattlebaum, 2023 National President of The American Board of Trial Advocates