Toronto 2015

Theresa “Tree” Walsh is a mover, shaker and groover who has been a teacher, leader and facilitator of dance for over 19 years. Her mission is to inspire people of all ages to live more joyfully by encouraging them to enthusiastically express their essence through movement.

Roula Said is a multi-faceted artist who has mainly dedicated her talents to Arabic music and dance. One of Canada’s leading lights in the world of bellydance, Roula is the director of Om Laila Studio and the vocalist, dancer and percussionista of Gypsy/Arabic funk band, Nomadica. Roula is an inspiring teacher who has been sharing the wisdom and pleasure of bellydance to women of all ages for over 25 years.  Throughout this time, she has developed a holistic repertoire called Seven Waves that  focuses on healthy movement, body awareness, building fluid strength, and cultivating a practice of self-love, nurturing and deep fun.

Kasha Slavner is a passionate photographer, aspiring filmmaker, blogger & social entrepreneur whose passion to make a difference was sparked when she was 8 years old.  At the age of 14, Kasha was selected as youth delegate by the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace to attend the United Nations for the 57th annual session on The Commission on the Status of Women.  March 2015 marked her third year attending the UN as a Youth Delegate. A 16 year old high school student, Kasha is a contributor to The Huffington Post as well as several other publications. Working alongside her mother Marla through The Global Sunrise Project, Kasha is making a documentary film on global citizenship.

Mini Pop Kids love to sing, dance and cover the latest songs. They record family friendly versions of today’s top hits and perform them live for all of their fans! The Mini Pops consist of an immensely talented, all-Canadian group of kids aged 10-14. Packed with positive energy, the Mini Pop Kids brand is about empowering kids to be confident and to shoot for their dreams.

Zahra Haji is the director and founder of Yoga Goddess. Zahra works with women to nurture their physical and spiritual health. She’s a Yoga Therapist and Teacher passionate about restoring women’s fertility and sensual feminine energy – naturally. Her signature Moon Goddess teachings have traveled through India, Dubai and in her native Canada. Through the magic of the moon, kundalini yoga and meditation, Zahra guides women to self-connect and regain trust in their body’s innate wisdom.

Jamie Ridler is a creative force! From her popular Creative Living with Jamie Podcast to her inspirational Behind the Scenes vlogs, from innovative workshops to inspirational blogging, Jamie helps others bring their creativity to life! As founder of Jamie Ridler Studios, she has helped hundreds of women around the world find the confidence and courage to discover and express their creative spirit, whether that means re-discovering their artistic self or bringing more of their creative capacity to their life and business. Jamie is a magic maker, a possibility awakener and a deep believer in the power of girls!

Irene Whittaker-Cumming is Executive Director of Mother Nature Partnership, an organization that empowers women and girls to live their lives to the fullest by providing access to menstrual health care. She is a communications consultant in the women’s health sector, and a published author and photographer. Irene is the recipient of a Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel Innovation Award and a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant. She lives on beautiful Toronto Island. Follow@MothertoNature for information and stories.

Kathryn Barrett is a creative coder, maker, doer and educator currently living in Toronto. She is the Youth Program Lead at Ladies Learning Code, a not-for-profit organization that runs beginner-friendly tech education programs for women and youth all across Canada. She is passionate about encouraging girls to be resourceful makers (and not just consumers) of technology, and is all about promoting code and maker tools as creative outlets. In her spare time Kathryn is also an independent new media artist and regularly showcases work within the Toronto area.

LolaBunz is making big strides in representing female emcees in her hope to be one of the most successful artists out of Toronto. She is not your average Emcee. Her passion for the craft originates from her spoken word artistry where her words crept from paper to speech. Her ability to inspire and infuse her crowds with a feeling is what provides much of the fuel for her musical creation. She has performed at venues all over Toronto, New York, and Nigeria. Look out for more from LolaBunz in 2015!

Kim Sedgwick feels that, despite living in a sex-saturated society, candid, honest conversations about sexuality are far too rare. It’s her mission to help change that! Through workshops and one-on-one coaching, she supports women who are ready to begin claiming and communicating their erotic desires. She also runs workshops for new moms on postpartum sexuality and loves to offer advice to parents on how to have “the talk” with their kids. Kim’s hope for G Day is that it will offer an opportunity for girls to experience the power of community and feel supported through this time of transition. Kim is a co-founder, along with her sister Amy, of Red Tent Sisters – a business dedicated to women’s reproductive and sexual health.

Amy Sedgwick is a co-founder, along with her sister Kim, of Red Tent Sisters– a business dedicated to women’s reproductive and sexual health. Amy struggled with debilitating cramps and irregular cycles as a teenager. After being put on the pill for nearly a decade to manage her symptoms, she is now passionate about the importance of teaching women about hormone-free contraceptive options. Amy’s hope for G-Day is that it will provide an opportunity for girls to celebrate and become educated about their bodies. In doing so, she hopes it will help them develop the courage and skills necessary to challenge currently accepted norms about menstruation and coming-of-age. Amy  is a former Occupational Therapist and a certified Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner.

Tanya Geisler is a Leadership Coach with a penchant for clarity and an abhorrence of the Impostor Complex. A mother of a 10 year old girl, she’s coached hundreds of people who were ready to step into the starring roles of their lives. She’s created The 12 Lies of the Impostor Complex (and One Truth), The Joy Pages, Board of Your Life and the transformational Step into Your Starring Role coaching program. A writer and in-demand TEDx speaker, she’s convinced that if we all knew our own personal brand of joy, life would be more aligned, saner and well, joyful!

Kate Whitfield is a speaker, author, social entrepreneur, and the founder of FearlesslyGIRL and FearlesslyKiND – a National anti-bullying movement and school program dedicated to inspiring young women across Canada to be kinder to themselves and each other. Since 2012, FearlesslyKiND has reached over 50,000 girls in over 150 schools & universities in 10 provinces. Kate started her speaking and girls empowerment company while still in high school, and since then, has spoken to tens of thousands of teens all across North America and shared her big-sister-style advice on radio and TV shows. Kate is the author of the teen girl handbook, FearlesslyGiRL: The Book.

Vivek Patel has been teaching Conscious Parenting concepts to families for over 10 years. He’s been practicing them for 18! The ideas he shares have helped mend many broken relationships between parents and their kids. He cares deeply about empowering parents to develop more harmonious relationships with their kids using a simple and powerful parenting model based on Communication, Collaboration and Reasoning with a Foundation of Love. Vivek’s G-Day workshop will focus on sharing tools to help build girls’ unconditional self-esteem. You will walk away from this session informed and motivated to inspire deeper confidence in your kids. Vivek shares his ideas on parenting at meaningfulideas.com

Erica Ross, with 40+ years involved in the creative, healing and spiritual arts in Indonesia, Wales, USA, India and Canada, offers the wisdom of her life experience as a dancer, artist, group facilitator, trainer, DJ, mother and traveler. She is co-founder of Toronto’s award-winning women’s dance practice, Dance Our Way Home, an online program, DAILY DANCE, andRADICAL RADIANCE and the Dance Our Way Facilitator Trainings.  Erica’s passion is in creating sacred spaces for the blossoming of our magnificence, together.

Alison Smyth Helping young females become aware of their innate wisdom and unlimited potential is a dream come true for Alison. It is her wish to inspire strong and confident girls into women who will stand tall throughout their life journey. Alison is a certified yogini (Ashtanga, Yoga Nidra) through the Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto and enjoys sharing her love of life and femininity with all who are interested. Also a professional actress, Alison has appeared in Toronto productions such as Jersey Boys, Hairspray, & Evil Dead: The Musical. She has been directing, choreographing & teaching the performing arts to young people for over fifteen years.

Nayna Trehan was intrigued from a young age by the ancient practices and wisdom of Yoga and Meditation inspired by her ancestral heritage. This curiosity set her on a journey of exploring the spiritual path at the age of 14, helping make her a force of energy to be reckoned with; carrying wisdom far beyond her years.  Being appointed as one of the youngest teachers in Art of Living, she has been teaching Empowerment workshops to kids, university students and young professionals since the age of 18. Today, she continues to teach meditation and ancient breath work techniques through the Art of Living Foundation to give back to the community the life skills and inner-strength she has gained on her spiritual path.

Julia Arbuckle has been teaching Art of Living and IAHV programs for youth since 2005 across Canada. She teaches life transforming workshops for kids, school teachers, and parents using breathing and relaxation techniques as a tool to promote confidence, well-being and enthusiasm. She is also a certified Sri Sri Yoga Teacher.

Rachel Weinstock is an elementary school teacher, professional artist, public speaker, story teller/spoken word artist and workshop facilitator. She has been teaching both globally and locally for over ten years. Rachel is a member of the Toronto District School Board and has taught thousands of children across the GTA. She is best known as “Ms. Rainbow Fairy” because of her unique approach to teaching. She is passionate about creating a better world through alternative education and looks forward to expanding her community of like minded people who share similar dreams!