top of page

Speakers

Adam Chaleff

Adam Chaleff

Civic Activist

Adam Chaleff is a Toronto-based civic activist who uses legal processes to hold politicians accountable and promote fair elections and public integrity. His work has instigated many investigations, forensic audits, court applications, and prosecutions...

Aliénor (Allie) Rougeot

Aliénor (Allie) Rougeot

Climate and Energy Program Manager, Environmental Defence

Aliénor (Allie) Rougeot is a climate justice activist and a program manager at Environmental Defence Canada where she advocates for a just transition for workers...

Armine Yalnizyan

Armine Yalnizyan

Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers

Armine Yalnizyan is a leading voice on Canada’s economic scene. She is the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers and writes a bi-weekly...

Chi Nguyen

Chi Nguyen

Executive Director, Equal Voice

Chi Nguyen is the new Executive Director at Equal Voice, Canada's only multipartisan nonprofit dedicated to electing women to all levels of government...

John Beebe

John Beebe

Director, The Democratic Engagement Exchange

John Beebe leads the Democratic Engagement Exchange, serves as Advisor to the Dean of Arts...

Johanna Chevalier

Johanna Chevalier

Associate Vice President, Counsel Public Affairs

Johanna Chevalier is a dedicated community leader with decades of experience managing high-profile initiatives in both the public and...

Martin Regg Cohn

Martin Regg Cohn

Political Columnist, Toronto Star

Martin Regg Cohn is a political columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper, writing on domestic and international issues.

Maurice Mitchell

Maurice Mitchell

National Director, Working Families Party

Maurice is a nationally-recognized social movement strategist, a visionary leader in the Movement for Black Lives...

Rajni Perera

Rajni Perera

Artist

Rajni Perera is a painter and sculptor, known for exploring how power works through the imagery of science fiction. She explores issues of hybridity, futurity, ancestorship...

Sarita Srivastava

Sarita Srivastava

Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies, OCAD University

Dr. Sarita Srivastava, PhD, is the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Interdisciplinary Studies at OCAD University.

Tiara Letourneau

Tiara Letourneau

CEO, Rewrite Capital

Tiara Letourneau is CEO for Rewrite Capital, a private investment and advisory firm dedicated to creating 100% employee ownership for mid-market companies. She has extensive experience in strategy and financial innovation.

Akaash Maharaj

Akaash Maharaj

Ambassador-at-Large, Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption

Akaash Maharaj is Ambassador-at-Large for the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC).  He represents the international alliance...

Anand Giridharadas

Anand Giridharadas

Author and Journalist, Publisher of The.Ink newsletter, MSNBC Political Analyst

Anand Giridharadas is the internationally bestselling author of multiple books, and one of our foremost voices on democracy, overcoming division...

Celina Caesar-Chavannes

Celina Caesar-Chavannes

Sr. Advisor and Adjunct Lecturer, Queen's University

Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a business consultant, coach and international speaker, who currently serves...

Duff Conacher

Duff Conacher

Co-Founder, Democracy Watch

Duff Conacher is an internationally recognized leader in the area of democratic reform and government accountability.

Justin Ling

Justin Ling

Journalist, Freelance/Public Policy Forum

Justin Ling is a freelance investigative journalist who covers disinformation, conspiracy theories, extremism, politics, and so much more.

Lori Turnbull

Lori Turnbull

Associate Professor and Director of the School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University

Dr. Lori Turnbull is an associate professor and the director of the...

Matthew Mendelsohn

Matthew Mendelsohn

Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University

Matthew Mendelsohn is a strategic advisor, public policy entrepreneur, board director and educator.

Mia Gaviola

Mia Gaviola

Chief Operating Officer, TheNerve

Mia Gaviola is the COO of TheNerve, specializing in analyzing data to bring forth powerful insights and narratives, including disinformation campaigns.

Ranee Lee

Ranee Lee

Associate Professor of Industrial Design, OCAD University

Ranee Lee 郭恩琳 is an industrial designer and an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at OCAD University. She is the founder of DESIGNwith, a design incubator lab for...

Shireen Hassim

Shireen Hassim

Canada150 Research Chair in Gender and African Politics, Carleton University

Shireen Hassim is Canada 150 Research Chair in Gender and African Studies at Carleton University, and Visiting Professor, WiSER, Wits University.

Zachary Spicer

Zachary Spicer

Associate Professor, York University

Zachary Spicer is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration and Head of New College at York University.

Alejandra Bravo

Alejandra Bravo

Toronto City Councillor

Alejandra Bravo was elected as the City Councillor for Ward 9—Davenport in 2022. A Ward 9 resident for over two decades, she first became active in her children’s school n 2000, becoming the Chair of the Davenport TDSB Ward Council.

Andrew Parkin

Andrew Parkin

Executive Director, Environics Institute for Survey Research

Andrew Parkin is the Executive Director of the Environics Institute for Survey Research, a not-for-profit agency created in 2006 to conduct in-depth public opinion and social research on the issues...

Dave Troy

Dave Troy

Investigative Journalist, Washington Spectator

Dave Troy is an investigative journalist focused on exposing threats to democracy. Based in Baltimore, his background as a technologist...

Heather Scoffield

Heather Scoffield

Senior Vice President of Strategy, Business Council of Canada

Heather Scoffield is senior vice-president of strategy at the Business Council of Canada, focused on...

Kazmy Chi

Kazmy Chi

Architect / Professor, Universidad de Monterrey

Kazmy is an architect, researcher and educator, specialized in morphology, form/finding, environmental design...

Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa

CEO, Rappler

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, press freedom fighter and author, Maria Ressa, to headline DemocracyXChange in Toronto, March 25th.

Liz Osawamick 

Liz Osawamick 

Visiting Elder, President of Anishinaabemowin Teg

Elizabeth (Liz) Osawamick is an Anishinaabe Midewiwin-kwe community leader, Water Walker/activist, jingle dress dancer...

Nadia Urbinati

Nadia Urbinati

Professor, Columbia University in the City of New York, Department of Political Science

Nadia Urbinati is a distinguished political theorist who will analyze the rise of the far right in Italy.

Sanjay Ruparelia

Sanjay Ruparelia

Jarislowsky Democracy Chair, Toronto Metropolitan University

Sanjay Ruparelia is an Associate Professor of Politics, and the inaugural Jarislowsky Democracy Chair, at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Sonja Solomun

Sonja Solomun

Deputy Director, Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and Faculty Associate, Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University

Sonja Solomun is a Faculty Associate at the Max Bell School of Public Policy, and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy at McGill University. 

DemocracyXChange is a collaboration of:

Presented by

OCADU_LogoMain_RGB_White.png
OpenDemocracy-Logo.png
TMU-White.png
bottom of page