TEDxLakeheadU

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Arron Lin

  VP of Innovation at one of the top 5 banks

  Arron operates at the intersection of finance, technology, and human behavior. As Vice President of Technology and Innovation Banking at a leading Canadian financial institution, he advises the country's most promising startups, helping them scale from initial ideas into industry leaders. With over a decade of experience in finance and entrepreneurship, Arron holds a BA in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and a Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queen's University. This unique blend of business acumen and psychological insight drives his passion for ethical technology, mental health, and intentional personal growth. Arron strongly believes that the human element must remain at the core of technological advancement. He champions centering people, their well-being, and their values in innovation, ensuring that progress ultimately serves humanity rather than overshadowing it.

• Ava I Penney

  Student, Author & Cultural Researcher

  Ava I. Penney is a 20-year-old freelance social science essayist and poet from Thunder Bay, Ontario. She coined the “Social Erosion” theory at age 17, which inspired her debut published essay Social Erosion (2025). Penney is a keen advocate for individuality and nonconformity through using one’s innermost gifts despite societal and group doubts. Upon selling out her local book launch for Social Erosion, Penney made it her mission to inspire readers worldwide to follow their intuition and dreams to make the most of their potential—or as argued in Social Erosion, not losing their identities amid the “ebb and flow of socialization.” Penney maintains an active status in the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW) and Toastmasters International. She is also a regular contributor for The Walleye Magazine in her hometown of Thunder Bay, and has her poems published in The Artery, Lakehead University’s literary magazine.

• Benveet Gill

  Co-founder of ReYu Paralysis Recovery Center

  Bean Gill is a fearless advocate, speaker, and the co-founder of ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre. After a virus left her paralyzed in 2012, Bean rebuilt her life from the ground up—facing trauma, disability, and a deeply inaccessible world. She transformed personal adversity into purpose, now using her story to challenge stigma, promote inclusion, and empower others living with disabilities. She is also faculty at NAIT and one of Canada's leading voices on disability inclusion and etiquette, giving people specific, actionable skills they can use the moment they leave the room. The reigning Miss Wheelchair Canada, a two-time royal medal recipient, and star of CBC's hit docuseries Push, Bean doesn’t just talk change—she delivers it.

• Brian Lenahan

  Founder & Chair of the Quantum Strategy Institute

  Brian Lenahan is a leading strategist and thought leader specializing in quantum computing and artificial intelligence. As the Founder and Chair of the Quantum Strategy Institute (QSI), he helps businesses create practical roadmaps for adopting quantum technologies. A prolific author, Lenahan has written several bestsellers, including Quantum Boost: Using Quantum Computing to Supercharge Your Business. His work successfully bridges the gap between complex emerging technologies and real-world business applications. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Strategy Voice and a contributor to The Quantum Insider, he serves as a global consultant and an advisor at the Innovation Factory in Hamilton. Lenahan is a sought-after international speaker who excels at demystifying quantum and AI concepts for executives. His focus is on accelerating organizational readiness by emphasizing strategic implementation rather than purely technical details.

• Dr. Chitra Anand

  Author & Advisor on Intrapreneurship

  Dr. Chitra Anand is an award-winning transformation strategist with over 20 years of experience in the tech sector, having led strategies at Microsoft Canada, TELUS, and OpenText. As Microsoft Canada's former Chief Brand and Communications Officer, she guided the company through digital disruption. Today, she advises high-growth tech firms and teaches as a tenured faculty member at Centennial College. A pioneer in intrapreneurship, she developed The Greenhouse Approach to help leaders cultivate innovation. Her book of the same name is required reading for the Forbes School of Business MBA program. In April 2026, she will launch her new book and podcast, Oxygen. Recognized as a 2022 Changemaker by The Globe and Mail, Dr. Anand holds a Kellogg MBA and a Doctorate from the University of Bradford. She firmly believes that true innovation is the disciplined redesign of outdated systems, rather than mere disruption.

• James McCormack

  CEO of XPawn

  James McCormack is a Thunder Bay born founder and applied AI practitioner. He holds a computer science background from Lakehead University and began his healthcare AI work at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, contributing to research on next generation electronic medical records, computerized physician order entry, and clinical data systems. His research spanned stroke care, hospitalist medicine, internal medicine, oncology, and nephrology. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Medical School and the MIT Health Innovation Bootcamp. In 2024, James founded XPawn, a venture-backed healthcare technology company focused on practical AI implementation. XPawn has developed solutions including data compression methodologies for clinical systems and tools that automate administrative workflows such as medical form completion. The company also works with organizations across Canada on AI adoption, governance, and policy.

• Stephen Ritz

  Founder of Green Bronx Machine

  Stephen Ritz is an award-winning, global educator, best-selling author of The Power Of A Plant, & Founder of Green Bronx Machine. Known as America's Favorite Teacher, he created the first edible classroom in the world supported by whole-school K-12 curriculum. He and his students have grown more than 375,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx, been celebrated at the Obama White House three times, been featured by Forbes, Fast Company, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, TNT, Disney, NPR, and internationally from Colombia to Dubai. His TED talk boasts more than 1M views, ranked the Top 10 Food/Education TED Talk of all time, and is used for teacher training/workforce development globally. Stephen’s work is the subject of a full-feature documentary, Generation Growth. Stephen manages a network of 1,100 schools and is featured in the Educational TV Series called Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz.