Summit for Creative Community Solutions 2024 Schedule

Ellie Joseph is of the Mohawk Nation, Turtle clan, residing on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. After participating on the 16 day Two Row Renewal Campaign whose aim was to honour the Two Row Wampum, Ellie was one of the four participants who established “Two Row on the Grand.” This 10 day paddle excursion brings our Six Nations Community together with ally participants. Encouraging healthy relationships and connections to Mother Earth through cultural teachings.

Having survived and thrived teaching French for 35 years and coaching 40 basketball and volleyball teams, Jay Bailey has become an authentic voyageur, paddling over 4000km on the fur trade routes, equipped as in 1800. He has staged over 500 voyageur events for over 50,000 people, live and online. He is also a published software designer/programmer, curriculum writer, Presbyterian elder, Indigenous ally, husband, father of three and grandfather of five.

Gary Joseph, a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, is a studio owner, creative director and visual storyteller at Thru the Red Door. He is passionate about building community through collaboration and providing the next generation with the confidence and skills to take our place.

Cynthia Lickers-Sage [Kanienkeha:ka] is a proud recipient of the Governor-General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design, she Co-Founded the Centre for Aboriginal Media, imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Tkaronto Music Festival, Tkaronto Productions and is the sole proprietor of Clickers Productions. She was the former Executive Director at the Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts, and the General Manager at Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. She is currently the Executive Director at the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance.

Naomi Johnson, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Bear clan from Six Nations, has worked for over eighteen years in the arts sector as a curator and arts administrator. Formerly Artistic Director at the Woodland Cultural Centre for seven years, she now serves as Executive Director for imagineNATIVE, the world’s largest Indigenous media arts festival that showcases, promotes, and celebrates Indigenous-led creators. Honored with the Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Award by the Toronto Arts Foundation in 2023, she's exemplified creative cultural leadership in developing arts and culture.

Dr. Josephine McMurray, Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University's Lazaridis School of Business & Economics, focuses on technology's role in healthcare and helping Canadians with aging independence. With funding from organizations like SSHRC, CIHR, UK Research and Innovation, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, her research centers on deploying smart technologies in long-term care facilities, the community, and workplaces to support aging in place, older employees, and establish standards for AgeTech design. As Associate Scientific Director at AGE-WELL NCE, she directs Canadian research on technology and aging, advancing solutions benefiting older adults and caregivers.

Dr. Maurira Harris, Assistant Professor of Liberal Arts at Wilfrid Laurier University, offers guidance in User Experience Design and Social Justice & Community Engagement. With a background in Psychology (B.A., North Carolina State University) and Community Health (M.S., Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), her research explores technology’s support of our aging population, emphasizing design for aging, digital health, health and racial equity and technology lifecycle. As Director of Well-Tech Research & Design Laboratory, she leads an international team of interdisciplinary researchers to ensure the integration of diverse approaches from fields such as psychology, gerontology and social justice.

Dr. Kate Rossiter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.  Her background combines the critical social scientific study of public health with theatre and performance studies. Her award-winning research work merges critical health and disability studies with participatory and arts-based methodologies. Dr. Rossiter has been the PI of “Recounting Huronia,” a long-term research project aiming to explore developmental disability and experiences of institutionalization and institutional violence, with focus on the Huronia Regional Centre.  She is interested in the ways in which discourses of security are engendered to dehumanize institutionalized populations.

Laura Almeida (she/her) is an Admin and Project Coordinator with the City of Brantford, with experience across the municipal, non-profit, and community arts sectors. In addition to her MPPA from Toronto Metropolitan University, her many years of involvement in local theatre and music have provided her with the knowledge and connections necessary for bringing people together to turn public spaces into community art. Laura also sings in Myriad Ensemble (S2) and acts in community theatre productions every now and then.

Kara Davey is the Tourism, Culture, and Sports Manager for the City of Brantford and has proudly been part of the Economic Development, Tourism, and Cultural Initiatives Department since 2016. Before working for the City, Kara was a Product Manager for Scholastic Canada Ltd.; publishing two books. Kara received an Honours BA from Western University, and an MBA from the University of Guelph with a specialization in Hospitality and Tourism Management, where she graduated at the top of her class. Kara is also a part-time professor at Conestoga College in the School of Business.

Rebecca Szczepanowski is the Climate Change Officer in the Business Support and Sustainability office in the Public Works Commission at the City of Brantford. Rebecca is responsible for the planning and implementation of municipal climate change priorities and implementing the Corporate and Community Climate Change Action Plans, including GHG emissions reductions strategies and goals. Rebecca holds a Master of Environment and Sustainability from Western University, a Post Graduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Assessment from Niagara College, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geoscience and Geomatics from the University of Guelph.

Tara Buchanan is a cisgender settler that uses She/Her pronouns. She works in the developmental sector at Community Living Brant and has been involved with an asset-based community development project called Belonging Brant for over 3 years. She works from a social justice lens and is passionate about the importance of community-lead initiatives and celebrating our differences and gifts.

Joshua Wall is deeply involved in community building, working alongside businesses, nonprofits, local leaders, and residents to create positive impacts. He often takes on roles such as hosting, emceeing, promoting, and volunteering at events that champion local causes and showcase the rich arts, history, culture, and heritage of Brantford/Brant. His career is dedicated to fostering connections and adding to the colorful social fabric of our community, helping ensure that each endeavor leaves a lasting positive effect.

Theresa Vidal is the EDI coordinator for Woodview Mental Health & Autism Services.  She has worked in the children’s mental health field for just over 13 years and advocates for youth and their families.  Theresa has dedicated her career to walking alongside families to support them in their growth and help them enhance their strengths.  Theresa believes that building a family’s capacity will give them the tools they need to reduce social isolation, support healthy children and family development and overall family empowerment.

Theresa is also a member of the Board for Child and Family Service of the Grand Erie, Co-chair for the community of practice for the Brantford, Brantford Brant Norfolk Ontario Health Team Community of practice and a member of several community tables to support the growth and continued development of families in the Brantford/ Brant community.

Wiktor Kulinski currently serves as the Chair of Grand Culture, an organization dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural scene in the Brant region. He also lends his expertise by sitting on various arts, culture, and heritage committees. With a PhD in Performance Theory and Anthropology, Wiktor's research bridges these disciplines to develop imaginative understandings of anthropological questions. More practically, he employs ethnographic methods to better understand and advance the creative and cultural sectors.

Ed Bernacki is an international trailblazer with expertise in creativity, aiding organizations in innovation. He has written many articles and books, spoken at 250 conferences across 12 countries and invented the Navigator Journals; selling 60,000 copies. He made his return to Brantford after living in New Zealand and Australia.

Marinus (Martin) de Groot, a historian specializing in US history, has taught at various universities, including the University of Waterloo and Brock University. He served as Executive Director of the Waterloo Regional Arts Council and now coordinates programming and development at the Commons Studio. He wrote the Saturday Arts & Culture column for the Waterloo Region Record and received the Arts Awards Waterloo Region Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Currently, he directs Inter Arts Matrix and the Arts Network for Children and Youth, advises Peace for All Canada, and founded the Home (on the) Range Generator.

Azra Chaudry has been living, volunteering, and working in Brantford for over thirty-five years. Her background includes marketing, manufacturing, and fine arts expertise. She operated a commercial graphic design business in the late nineties, and recently, has the role of “Community Connections” Program Coordinator with YMCA Employment and Immigrant Services of Brantford. Azra has expanded projects and served on committees such as Haldimand and Norfolk Community Legal Clinic, Canada Day Citizenship committee, and has volunteered with Victim Services of Brant. She is also an active board member of the Grand Erie Work Force Planning Board.

Elise Ens is the Program Coordinator at Margot's Place, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting young moms in the Brantford-Brant community. With her background in Midwifery and child welfare, she leads her team as they work to provide welcoming and solution oriented programs for one of our community's most vulnerable populations.

Michelle Carpenter holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree with a minor in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Management and Supervision Certificate from the University of Waterloo. As the Supervisor of Operations at Crossing All Bridges Learning Centre she oversees day-to-day operations and works with families to navigate services and administer Individualized Passport Funding. Michelle is an advocate for inclusion using a strength-based approach for continuous learning and creating meaningful experiences for individuals living with various abilities. She has over 20 years of experience, including eight years in her current leadership role.

Dave Hind was born and raised on the edge of the Hamilton escarpment. He is a passionate scavenger and an ingenious thingmaker. Marrying these two pursuits, along with strong beliefs in environmental responsibility, social justice, and community collaboration, provided the foundation for his artistic practice. He is the founder of the Aluminum Quilting Society and a co-founder of the TH&B art collective. His works are part of public, private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, China, and Europe. He has exhibited nationally and abroad since his career began in the early 1990s.

Becky Katz is a Hamilton-based multi-disciplinary artist, art educator, graphic designer, arts promoter, experimental musician, community darts practitioner, social justice activist, and grassroots community organizer. She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Strangewaves, and the former Director of Outreach at Centre 3 for Artistic and Social Practice; two non-profits based in Hamilton. Becky is involved in dozens of creative projects, community-based programming, and artistic initiatives through the City of Hamilton – most of which have a particular focus on collaboration; shining a spotlight on the peculiarities of Human Nature.

Krystal River is the founder and director of a grassroots organization, based in Six Nations, called River Rockz; offering Indigenous youth various arts-based and cultural-based programming in a variety of mediums. These include Visual Art, Dance, Music, Storytelling, Film Production, Regalia-Making and Beading, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership Skills, Entrepreneurship, and more. Krystal’s work is entirely geared towards contributing to the collective healing process and she actively seeks to collaborate with the youth and create works in a way that engages community in meaningful dialogue.

Courtney Lebel holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Gerontology. She is a Community Initiatives Coordinator with the City of Brantford and oversees the Age-Friendly/Healthy Aging Portfolio. She played a key role in creating programs like Bridging the Gap, Let's Get Moving, and the Healthy Aging Passport in Brantford. She is a member of the Brant Elder Abuse Awareness Committee, the Seniors Safety Group Committee, and GRCOA Communications Committee. Courtney has experience working for and alongside older adults in different capacities such as: Recreation Aide, Caregiver and Alzheimer’s Care Coordinator.

Amy Brandt is a Community Initiatives Coordinator with the City of Brantford, overseeing portfolios such as the Empowering Youth strategy and Inclusive Communities initiatives. She is currently co-leading the Building Safer Communities Action Plan. She graduated with an honours Bachelor of Social Work and minors in Community Health and Indigenous Studies, receiving the Lyle S. Hallman Gold Medal for academic achievement. Amy worked in roles supporting youth, older adults, and individuals with disabilities in schools, communities, and healthcare settings, gaining a deep understanding of their needs and the systemic barriers they face.

Natalie Walker is a Small Business Consultant at The City of Brantford's Business Resource Enterprise Centre. Natalie assists entrepreneurs by providing guidance with business planning, financial forecasting, marketing and sales - and often just lends an ear - as business ownership can be a lonely road! Additionally, she oversees three grant programs, ensuring that business owners have access to essential resources and funding opportunities. As a lifelong Brantford resident, Natalie understands the pivotal role that entrepreneurs play in contributing to our community economic development. Natalie also co-owns an electrical corporation in partnership with her husband. 

Taylor Berzins (they/she). Despite all youthful impulses to flee from BCI to find home in the big city, Taylor returned in 2019 and understands themselves to be a longstanding human of Brantford. As a Brantford teen in the aughts, Taylor basked in flipping burgers and immersed herself in the local indie music scene. In university, she was captivated by anti-oppressive literature. Taylor enjoys gardening, art, poetry, horror films, her dog Gertie, and wandering the woods. Professionally, Taylor is a Community Initiatives Coordinator with the City of Brantford, supporting initiatives for an inclusive community and empowering youth.

Brian Wood, a lifelong Brantford resident, began his journey into Bell family history during the Bell Centennial in 1974. While studying at MacMaster University, he gravitated towards museum work after a summer stint at the Bell Homestead. He holds an Hon. B.A. in Sociology and German and transitioned from historical interpreter to Assistant Curator in 1990, ascending to Curator in 1995. Brian completed the Ontario Museum Association Certificate in Museum Studies and serving on various historical society boards. Outside his historical pursuits, he enjoys traveling with his husband and caring for their Dachshunds.

Heather George is a mother, gardener, beader, curator, PhD Candidate and the Executive Director of Woodland Cultural Centre. There, she leads the rehabilitation of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School. With Euro-Canadian and Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) family, Heather's passion lies in better understanding Indigenous heritage and community responsibilities. Her award-winning research examines how museum practices and material culture can heal trauma and foster cross-cultural dialogues across Haudenosaunee communities. From 2022 to 2023, she served as the first Indigenous female president of the Canadian Museums Association. Heather opens her first international exhibition with the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève this spring.

Adrienne Briggs is Arts and Culture Coordinator at the City of Brantford. Adrienne's passion for museums led her to pursue a degree in History, Cultural and Heritage site management, and a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester. Throughout her career, Adrienne has gained experience working in museums in Scotland, Saskatoon, Niagara Falls, Scarborough, and Toronto. Her time with the Alberta Museum Association was particularly influential in shaping her perspective on the important role museums play in society. Adrienne now walks in both worlds, working with artists to advance the city’s public art collection while supporting the museum community.

Tova Davidson is Executive Director, Sustainable Waterloo Region. Tova leads Sustainable Waterloo Region and is responsible for developing their strategic direction, supporting team members, and building key relationships throughout Waterloo Region. She brings her experience in public relations and communications to creatively approach sustainability opportunities. Paired with her business background, Tova is uniquely qualified to collaborate with organizations in Waterloo Region to help drive change locally and provincially. A former recipient of the City of Guelph Mayor’s Award of Excellence and member of the Guelph Mercury’s Top 40 Under 40, Tova always leads by example while inspiring others to do the same.

Katelyn Tozer has over 10 years experience developing and implementing municipal climate change and energy management strategies. Prior to this, Katelyn worked in the not-for profit industry, managing residential utility programs, and community energy plans. She has an undergraduate degree in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Masters of Science Degree, from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland in Environmental Sustainability with a focus on community renewable energy projects. Her proudest accomplishment are her two daughters, 4 years and 18 months, who drive her to facilitate large scale transformative change to address climate change, to advocate for their safe future.

Sheila Boudreau is the Principal Landscape Architect and Planner at SpruceLab Inc., an Indigenous and women-led firm in Toronto, Hamilton, and Edmonton. With over 30 years of experience and advanced degrees in Landscape Architecture and Planning, she founded SpruceLab in 2020. The firm emphasizes collaborative, nature-based community-focused designs that prioritize Indigenous employment and voices, honoring her Mi’kmaq heritage. Boudreau holds memberships in several professional landscape and planning associations, teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University, and serves on related boards. She is also finalizing a book on urban nature for OwlKids Press.

Peter Smith, Grand River Community Play

Peter, an award-winning writer and professional artist for over 35 years, has traversed the country as an actor, director, writer, and producer. Serving as Artistic Director at the Blyth Festival twice, Artistic Director at Playwright’s Workshop Montreal, and Associate Artistic Director at Canadian Stage, he's been involved with stories across television, radio, film, and theatre. As Founder, Executive, and Creative Director of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity (CCRC) in Blyth, Ontario, Peter champions rural innovation and sustainability. The CCRC hosts the biannual Rural Talks to Rural Conference, uniting global rural innovators to share actionable ideas.

A Grand Spring

The Grand River Community Play Project: the Voice of a River is a 310 kilometre adventure in storytelling. It is the story of a place, told by the people of the place. At the WLU summit we'll offer a brief overview of the project, introduce some of the creative team, present stories and a scene from A Grand Spring. We'll also introduce the audience to some of the large puppets we will be using for the production - a production that will travel over 18 nights the length of the Grand River from the headwaters to the mouth at Lake Erie - stopping in different communities in August of 2025.

James N. Wilson is a Mohawk and French-Canadian Singer-Songwriter Musician from Six Nations of The Grand River. He has performed his music all around North America sharing the stage with many artists such as Derek Miller, Logan Staats, DJ Shub, and many more. His original music has been compared to artists such as Dave Matthews, Shawn Mendes, and Coldplay. In December of 2019 his song “City Lights” hit #1 on the IMC Indigenous Music Countdown. He is set to be releasing his second album "Alive" in 2024.

Meet KAOS Dance Team, the heartbeat of Laurier Brantford! Small but fierce, our passion for dance knows no bounds. We provide a supportive, healthy environment, fostering a tight-knit community of diverse dancers. More than just talented individuals, we're united in our shared passion. Dedicating over 10 hours weekly to practice, our focus is on building confidence, creativity, and empowering each dancer. Specializing in hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, and more, we shine at university competitions, community outreach, and campus events, embodying Laurier Brantford with skill and golden hawk pride.

Team LUX is an award-winning group of 2nd year User Experience Design students in Dr. Goodrum’s Design Thinking II course. Members of Team LUX are Eddie Bissell Simmons, Emily Chau, Laynol Eap, Caleb Nolet, Jagdeep Singh, & Olga Steblyk. We are active members of the community with involvement in the Theatre Club, the UXDSA, The Sputnik, employment at The Hub and with the Department of Residence.

Description

In our design thinking project at St. Joseph’s Lifecare Centre in Brantford, we aimed to enhance the experience of caregivers through innovative solutions. By engaging with caregivers directly via semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observational studies, we identified key challenges in their daily interactions. Our solution, the Caregiver Kiosk, was developed through multiple prototype iterations and thorough user testing, including storyboards and usability tests on medium fidelity screens. This system is designed to empower caregivers by offering crucial contact information and resources, improving communication and transparency within long-term care settings. 

Mimi Pham and Duncan Katzel are Laurier UX seniors. They will showcase the solution their capstone group has researched, tested, and designed since September 2023. Duncan is passionate about accessible design, and Mimi has almost two years of experience working in the OPS.

Description

Panda Design Solutions, in collaboration with Rocket Homes Real Estate's design director, has developed an accessible home search platform specifically for individuals with visual impairments. Traditional real estate websites often neglect the needs of visually impaired users, leading to feelings of exclusion. Our initiative aims to bridge this gap by creating an inclusive website that supports efficient navigation with screen readers, utilizing alt-text and well-structured information architecture. Designed and tested with input from its target audience, our goal is to offer a universally accessible real estate experience, focusing on necessary adaptations for a tailored user experience.

Kevin Shang Ye is a young entrepreneur with ambitions and a Master's degree from the University of Waterloo. He is currently working on his start-up 'Care Connect' which received social impact award from University of Waterloo.

Description

Care Connect is an online platform that is optimizing the elder healthcare system. Care Connect will solve the problem of finding caregivers for elders and their families and address the issue of caregiver burnout.

Clara Mendiola, Emily Chau, Joshua Yang, Olga Steblyk, and Rathesa Kodeeswaran are 2nd and 3rd year User Experience Design students in Dr.Stephen Fernandez’s Maker Lab II course in Winter 2024. Together, these students went through the iterative phases of making, and demonstrated asomatic approach to critical making and the somatic design process.

The group was tasked with incorporating electronic components, a tangible connection to the Internet of Things (IoT), and following somatic design concepts to adapt new user experiences. The result is a prototype for a device called the FusionDeck; inspired to create an accessible and affordable alternative to the macro-keyboards, production consoles and other similar devices currently available on the market. It primarily functions as a macro-keyboard controller with programmable buttons set to perform certain keyboard commands or combinations. The dual functionality assists to streamline user workflows, supporting their concentration and also serving as a discrete and portable tool for sensory regulation. The prototype’s construction includes an Arduino microcontroller and various electronic components that engage the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and motion. The incorporation ofa Bluetooth module demonstrates a tangible connection to the IoT and presents a practical application of the FusionDeck at this prototype stage. This device serves as an “object to think with”, stimulating reflection on the interface between products and the somatic experience of its end-users.