Speakers and Presenters
Welcome to Connecting the Dots!
We are thrilled to introduce the dynamic and accomplished speakers and presenters who will be sharing their expertise and insights at this year's event. From thought leaders to industry pioneers, our speakers are at the forefront of innovation, hinting at the exceptional content and connections awaiting you as we explore the intersection of education, technology, and employment.
Christall Beaudry
Christall is a trail brazing non-profit leader with more than 20+ years’ progressive expertise leading innovative regional and national programs. Christall is the Vice President, Western Canada for CNIB. With a lifelong commitment to advocacy, Christall actively supports efforts towards breaking down myths and misconceptions about individuals with sight loss. Enthusiastic about professional development, she has an MBA from the University of Regina and has also completed International Trade, Immigration and Life Coaching programs. Leaning into this acumen, Christall actively draws upon best practices to hire, inspire, inform, and coach others.
In her downtime, Christall is an avid reader, volunteers as a mentor, enjoys time spent outdoors and with her growing family.
Dolan Bogus
Dolan holds a degree in International Business and Supply Chain Management from MacEwan University. Working with Public Services and Procurement Canada since 2004, he has held numerous positions, ranging from the purchase of goods and services, business and policy support, to the design of workload management and risk assessment systems for procurement officers across Acquisitions Branch within PSPC. Dolan currently leads a team of outreach officers for PAC-WR. Fun Fact: Dolan helps run a farm that has been in his family since 1915.
Angela Bonfanti
President and CEO of CNIB.
Since joining the CNIB team in 2011, Angela Bonfanti has been a driving force behind many of our organization’s most transformational achievements for Canada’s community of people impacted by blindness, and a vocal advocate for accessibility and inclusivity for all people living with disabilities.
Having close ties to sight loss in her personal life, Angela has been a lifelong champion of the rights of Canadians living with blindness, Deafblindness, or low vision. Throughout her tenure with CNIB in various senior roles, she has been instrumental in shaping our organization’s strategies and moving the needle on a number of issues faced by people with sight loss in Canada.
Read Angela's full bio on cnib.ca
Back to top.
Monika Borchert
Working with CNIB for 5 years in a variety of operational and strategic roles, Monika’s focus has always been to create and innovate inclusive program offerings for the diverse community we serve. Some CNIB programs Monika has transformed include Phone It Forward, Amateur Radio, CNIB Connects, and other technology-based offerings to meet the evolving needs of the community.
Melanie Burgess
Melanie Burgess is the Vice President, Centralized Programs and Operations at CNIB. She has worked in the not-for-profit sector her whole career and has been with CNIB for over 15 years. Melanie has worked in fundraising, marketing, programming, operations and has led both small and large teams. Melanie contributes much of her success to having wonderful mentors over the course of her career and always enjoys giving back by helping others navigate their careers and roles.
Lance Douglas
Lance G. Douglas, CEO of IAXOV, is a visionary technologist with 30 years of experience in ground-breaking human-centric solutions. He's revolutionizing speech-based assistive technology, removing roadblocks to human potential. Lance's expertise spans AI, EdTech, CyberSecurity, and productivity, with solutions used by global corporations and all levels of government. As a successful inventor, he tackles complex challenges in industry and society. Lance's work in creating intuitive, accessible interfaces aligns with CNIB's mission, promising to enhance lives through technology.
Robert Fenton, KC
Robert Fenton is an esteemed member of Canada’s legal community, currently holding the role of Director of Legal Services for the Calgary Police Service. His three-decade legal career is marked with many highlights, including acting as legal counsel for Team Canada during the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Robert, who has been blind since birth, is no stranger to competitive sports himself. In 1984, prior to moving into law, he competed as a swimmer in the International Games for the Disabled, the predecessor to the modern Paralympics. He also competed nationally in goalball, and both nationally and internationally in other athletics competitions. He previously held the roles of President of the Canadian Blind Sports Association, Vice President of the Calgary Speed Skating Association, and Vice President of the International Blind Sports Federation. He is also a current member of the Canadian Paralympic Committee Board of Directors and the Chair of its Governance Committee.
Stephanie Harpe
Stephanie Harpe is a proud member of the Fort Mckay First Nation, and identifies as Cree, Dene, and Métis. She is the former Community Outreach Coordinator for the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women (IAAW). Some of her work at IAAW included hosting their Murdered, Missing and Exploited Indigenous People’s Support Group, as well as being their National Representative for Aboriginalalert.ca.
Stephanie’s life experiences have shaped her humanitarian work: she herself is a survivor of the Residential School System, and survived an attempted murder attack. She is a proud daughter of a murdered mother, Ruby Anne McDonald, and is the niece of Historical Chief Dorothy McDonald of Fort Mckay First Nations.
In 2019, Stephanie traveled to 31 Indigenous Communities in Western Canada as an International Advocate for Murdered, Missing and Exploited Indigenous People’s with the Safety and Wellness Super Clinic. She has been a keynote speaker for National Models United Nations International Conference, and has delivered a powerful TEDX Talk titled Indigenous Suffering and Survival to Success.
As an award-winning singer/songwriter, Stephanie was able to tie her passions together when she received the United Nations Youth Representative’s invitation to the world’s largest youth conferences in Malaysia, Dubai and London to both speak and sing.
Patrick Hung
Patrick Hung is a Professor at Ontario Tech University. He is a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Aston University and a Scottish Science Council’s Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Abertay University. Hung worked with Boeing Research and Technology in Seattle with two U.S. patents on the mobile network dynamic workflow system. He was a research scientist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. His current research interests focus on social robots and accessibility.
Chris Hylton, MA
Chris is a Consultant specializing in human resources and employee benefits. He presented webinars for CNIB members on how to start and succeed at running their new start up business last year. Chris and his team have worked with all levels of public, private, and non-profit organizations in Canada, over the last 40 years. In his work, Chris enjoys promoting individual success stories of staff who may be facing challenges and discovering ways of engaging staff in an encouraging workplace.
Mindy Johnston
As a dedicated Senior Manager in Talent Attraction, Mindy Johnston leads a dynamic team of experienced hire and campus recruiters across KPMG's regions west offices. Her role centers on fostering a culture of inclusion, diversity, and equity through innovative strategies and high-performing teams. Mindy integrates ID&E values into talent attraction, ensuring an inclusive experience and attracting diverse talent for early and experienced hires.
Callie Leshchyshyn
Callie Leshchyshyn is a senior manager in employment programming at CNIB, overseeing initiatives that empower individuals with sight loss to develop tech, career, and entrepreneurial skills. With over a decade in nonprofit management, marketing, and public engagement, Callie brings a unique perspective on mentorship, reflecting her journey through personal and professional growth in her current role. Her insights as a mentee underscore her dedication to inclusivity, skill-building, and career empowerment.
Patrick Milne
As the Vice President of People & Culture at CNIB, Patrick is committed to creating an inclusive, dynamic, and growth-oriented environment for all employees. With a focus on enhancing operational excellence, the employee experience, and organizational culture, he partners closely with CNIB's senior leadership teams to drive strategic initiatives across the organization. Patrick’s approach emphasizes inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA), and leads efforts to embed these values into the heart of the workplace. Prior to joining CNIB, Patrick spent 15 years in retail human resources at Hudson’s Bay Company and Holt Renfrew.
Erin Shilliday
Erin is the Chief Creative Officer of Pedesting, a mobile app that he co-founded with Nabeel Ramji. Erin has more than 30 years’ experience as a registered architect, but it was not until he met Nabeel that he realized architecture, for some people, can be a confounding barrier. Pedesting has the power to give all pedestrians a clear understanding of the urban built environment and how to navigate safely and quickly through the many man-made barriers.
Mike Shoreman
Mike Shoreman, celebrated for his resilience and inspiring journey, empowers audiences to face adversity with positivity. After being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome in 2018, Mike defied medical expectations to become the first person to paddleboard across all five Great Lakes, raising mental health awareness across Canada. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Marg Starzynski Mental Health Leadership Award and the 2024 Changemaker of the Year Award.
Jonathan Siesweda
Jonathan, born with a visual impairment, has always been passionate about technology and connecting with people. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science, he also competes as a water skier on the Canadian Adaptive Team, having recently participated in the Canadian Nationals. After years of avoiding his impairment, he now embraces it as a source of strength, realizing it offers him a unique worldview and remarkable opportunities. Jonathan is passionate about encouraging others to embrace their disabilities, while fostering greater acceptance and inclusion from those without them.
Trish Van Sickle
Trish Van Sickle is a licensed and an RDSP specialist dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities through financial education. Since 2018, she has worked in the financial sector, focusing on diverse investment options, but her passion lies in the RDSP, which offers up to $90,000 in grants and bonds. As a mom of three, including a son with disabilities, Trish is on a mission to educate 1,000 people about this vital program in 2024, ensuring everyone has access to this essential resource.