Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Telling Our Story: The Power of Narrative to Inspire and Connect
Leonard Cohen Ballroom - Toronto Congress Centre, South Building
Thank you Keynote Sponsor
MIKE DOWNIE
Mike Downie is a celebrated documentary filmmaker and philanthropist. Most recently, he directed and produced The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, a powerful exploration of the band’s legacy and its deep connection to Canada’s cultural identity. It premiered at TIFF 2024, where it won the prestigious People’s Choice Award for Documentary, and recently won seven Canadian Screen Awards. Downie is also the co-founder of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, the largest reconciliation fund in the country, and, along with his brother, Gord, created Secret Path, the groundbreaking multimedia project that tells the tragic story of Chanie Wenjack. Through his work and speaking engagements, he inspires audiences to embrace storytelling as a means of connection, change, and creating cultural identity.
Downie’s work has earned multiple Canadian Screen Awards, including the prestigious Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary. His other award-winning documentaries include Invasion of the Brain Snatchers, The Hockey Nomad, One Ocean, and The Covid Cruise, all of which showcase his ability to tell compelling, wide-ranging stories.
For more than three decades, award-winning filmmaker Mike Downie has explored a simple truth: the stories we tell shape who we are. From documentaries on music, nature, hidden histories, and his acclaimed film No Dress Rehearsal about The Tragically Hip, he has seen how authentic storytelling connects people, inspires action, and preserves hard-won wisdom.
In Telling Our Story, Downie shifts the focus from Canada’s broader narrative to the personal stories each of us carries.
Drawing on a lifetime of filmmaking and adventure — from small-town beginnings to northern mines and travels around the world — he reveals what makes a story powerful, how to find your voice, and why sharing your story matters now more than ever.
Blending humour, authenticity, and practical insight, this keynote inspires audiences to embrace the stories we carry and the stories we are eager to share — using storytelling as a means of connection, change, and cultural identity, and passing on the wisdom that shapes us all.
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Hope is the Strategy: Actioning Hope for Resilient Organizations
Leonard Cohen Ballroom - Toronto Congress Centre, South Building
Thank you Keynote Sponsor
DR. ROBYNE HANLEY-DAFOE
An educational behaviorist (one of very few in the world) and a globally recognized speaker and scholar, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is also your friendly neighborhood scientist who makes life make sense! With a treasure trove of awards and a worldwide following, she's on a mission to empower audiences everywhere with practical strategies for fostering resiliency and making stress your ally, not your enemy.
Hanley-Dafoe embodies her teachings by seamlessly blending real-world realities, rigorous research, and profound wisdom with her own personal journey. A mother of three teenagers, a high school dropout turned respected professor, author, entrepreneur and survivor of a life-altering accident, her life story exemplifies her unwavering dedication of spreading resilience. Hanley-Dafoe proves that it is not just a theory, but a transformative skill set.
In times of uncertainty, hope becomes more than an emotion — it becomes a strategic imperative. Award-winning psychologist and education behaviorist Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe shows that hope is a critical asset for organizations striving for excellence. It transforms challenges into resilience and helps build environments where innovation, high performance, and sustained productivity can thrive.
What does it take to stay steady in the face of relentless demands? Drawing on 20 years of research, this keynote delves into practical frameworks and evidence-based strategies that empower individuals and organizations to navigate uncertainty with confidence and strategic clarity. Participants will learn actionable habits and mindsets that make teams unstoppable, leveraging hope as a foundational strategy.