Stories of Transformation ~ Toronto 2018
Hosted by SHIFT Toronto
Join us for this evening of vulnerable, honest, and inspirational stories in the Main Hall at the Great Hall venue. The Great Hall is a premier event destination in the heart of Toronto’s West End. From the red brick façade to the smallest interior details it is a revitalized piece of living history that brings Victorian style into the 21st century.
soho house 192 ADELAIDE STREET WEST TORONTO, ON M5H 0A4 CANADA
Doors open at 6pm. Event starts at 7pm.
Early Bird: $25 plus HST (available until May 12th at midnight)
General Admission: $35 plus HST
At the door: $45 plus HST
Parking and Transit:
The Great Hall is located in downtown Toronto’s west end, at 1087 Queen Street West, the intersection with Dovercourt Road. There is a TTC streetcar stop right outside our doors and you’ll find four Green-P public parking lots nearby.
Questions:
If you have questions, please email hello@vanessabenlolo.com.
SPEAKERS:
Zachary Schraeder
Zac is a Student Advisor and Skills for Success educator at Toronto Film School where he helps develop and improve school, community, and mental health resources for students – including those in the Queer, First Generation, and Immigrant communities. He is also a compassionate listener who helps them one-on-one to visualize their goals, create plans for success, develop vital professional and self-care skills, and realize their own greatness. His goal is to see every student graduate on time, to their academic standard, and to enjoy the fruits of their success.
He also sits on the Board of Directors for Adler Graduate Professional School in Toronto where he assists with the development of policies and procedures for the school’s programs in psychology, coaching, and continuing education for mental health professionals. He is also a Strategy and Business Development Consultant for the Toronto Mindfulness Centre.
In his free time he volunteers with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture where he helps refugees and victims of torture transition into life in Toronto. Additionally, Zac loves to cook (he's a bit of a foodie!), write, and spend quality time with those he loves. He also has a serious case of wanderlust and the travel bug that he just can't shake!
Brittney Mishio
Brittney Mishio is the principal of Dombri Design, a boutique interior design firm based in Toronto. Guided deeply by her intuition, she places the desires and emotions of her clients and their spaces at the centre of her work to curate spaces that are soulfully engaging and lavish in detail. Brittney is also a practicing Reiki Master, a powerful healing modality which allows her to connect intuitively with her clients and their spaces on a profound soul level. Informed by 15 years of experience in design and construction, her craft strikes an artful balance between style, comfort and functionality. Resulting in homes and working environments that are balanced to the senses and fully highlight their potential while setting the stage for deep, meaningful connections.
Gary LeBlanc
Gary LeBlanc (B. Eng, MBA) - an east coaster now living in Toronto, Canada – is recognized as an international thought leader, coaching individuals and organizations towards finding their purpose.
Although Gary found success in the corporate world, his former career as a vice president for a tier 1 company left him searching for meaning. When a close friend got diagnosed with cancer, Gary realized that helping people live to their potential was his passion. Spending the better part of 20 years researching the latest diet, health, fitness, and cultural trends, Gary now empowers people to live their purpose.
As many people find themselves searching for meaning in their lives, a common first step is to get healthy, which includes aligning the body and the mind. Gary's helped countless people and organizations foster deeper connections and begin their journey to become healthier and happier…naturally.
The second step to people finding meaning in their lives is to understand why, how, and what that looks like. Through his "Find Your Superhuman" ecosystem, Gary marries engineering and purpose to help people feel what it means to express their unique gift.
Deepak Kashyap
Deepak Kashyap is a wellness counsellor and life skills trainer. He runs Toronto Mindfulness Centre, with emotional and mental health practice in person and online. He holds a Master’s Degree in the Psychology of Education from the University of Bristol, UK. He has been formally trained in advanced programs in REBT and CBT from the Albert Ellis Institute in New York and attended the MBCT summer school program at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre at the University of Oxford, England. He has conducted workshops in Dubai, the United States, the United Kingdom, India and Canada on various emotional wellbeing projects. He is a published columnist in national newspapers and magazines, and writes about issues related to sex, mental health, relationships, and emotional disturbances. He has appeared on various national and international news channels, talk shows, and debates, radio and newspapers, discussing emotional health and sexuality issues.
Jen Abra
Jennifer had always wanted to teach and help others. Her early days included playing school with her neighbourhood friends or bringing home stray animals much to her Mother’s dismay. Her love of teaching led her to a decade- long career teaching young children to write their names, read short sight words and how to tie their shoes. After balancing Motherhood and raising four young children of her own at home and commuting to the city to work with 30 kids who were not her own for many years, Jen grew weary and felt guided to make a big change: On both the career front and the personal and spiritual front. A life-changing event led Jen to discover that there was more to this life than washing dishes and cooking chicken nuggets. She realized she had a much bigger purpose than Motherhood alone and set out on a spiritual journey of self-discovery; with the mindset that it was time for her now. Today, Jen continues to educate and encourage others on a similar journey on the fact that there really is a whole spiritual world ready to be discovered. That just because you can’t see something doesn’t
mean it isn’t there. You just have to find the courage to look.
Eyra Abraham
Eyra Abraham spent her career in a wide range of non-profit organizations in a variety of industries such as government, technology, education, and tourism. She has worked for notable organizations in both Canada and the UK like British Council, London School of Economic, City of Toronto and Government of Ontario. Each experience taught her a lot about herself and became the growth that led her to start a company, Lisnen, where she develops an app that serves the deaf and hard of hearing community.
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Darren Austin Hall
Darren Austin Hall is a shamanic musician, sound healer and spiritual teacher. He tours internationally and is an acclaimed recording artist. He is a renowned speaker and pioneer, teaching on a diversity of topics to do with the evolution of universal consciousness, including the reclaiming of indigenous origin, the shamanic archetype, sacred sexuality and spiritual living. His concerts are experiences of sonic mysticism, blending crystal bowls, angelic guitar, channelings of song and words, poetry and story-telling. He is a TEDx performer, published writer and has performed at a diversity of festivals, including Cosmic Convergence and OM Reunion Project. He is the founder of Conscious Masculinity Toronto and co-visionary of Project Unity. www.darrenaustinhall.com
Sarah Robichaud
Sarah is a classically trained dancer, author, entrepreneur, and charismatic leader, who has been recognized as a force for purposeful and impactful change as the founder and executive director of the registered charity 'Dancing with Parkinson's.' DWP brings those living with Parkinson's Disease out of isolation and into an inclusive artistic space where they can experience the transformational cognitive, physical and emotional benefits of moving to music in over 15 locations throughout the GTA.
Sarah studied and performed extensively throughout Canada, Europe and Moscow where she trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School, and has performed and choreographed for many theatre, film and television projects over the last 15 years. Sarah's interest in Parkinson's Disease began in the spring of 2007 when her client Andy Barrie ( formerly of CBC Metro Morning ) asked for help managing his physical PD symptoms through exercise. Sarah learned about an innovative PD dance class being offered in New York City and was immediately inspired to offer free DWP dance classes in Toronto starting in 2008 and thus Dancing with Parkinson's Canada was born.
Sarah’s passion for helping other connect and express through dance prompted her to launch her most recent initiative, a groundbreaking dance and arts program focused on addressing mental health challenges of First Nations peoples in Pikangikum, a struggling community with the world’s highest suicide rate. www.dancingwithparkinsons.com