Peg Fong
Peg Fong is a journalist and an educator. She is the Vancouver writer for The Economist Magazine, a journalism instructor at Langara College and a business communications lecturer at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia and Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The former western bureau chief of The Toronto Star, Peg was also a staff reporter at The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun and the CBC. In 2020, she was the creator and host of the podcast Alone Together: A Curious Exploration of Loneliness and the author of the young adult book of the same title published in March 2024 by Orca Books. The Spanish version of the show Juntos en Soledad reached the top 10 of the podcast charts in Mexico in 2023. Japanese and Korean versions of the show will launch in 2024.
Her writing has appeared in the Daily Telegraph, The Sydney Morning Herald, New Zealand Herald, the South China Morning Post and The New Quarterly.
Speaking topics
Loneliness and Curiosity
We are living in lonely times. Loneliness is now a global epidemic. The health risks associated with it have cost billions and have factored in everything from cardiovascular diseases to dementia to depression and anxiety. Our sense of isolation is universally recognized, yet it is an intensely private feeling. We all experience loneliness differently. Still, are there things we can share from being alone together? The biggest lessons we can learn about loneliness are found through curiosity and understanding the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
Students and Resilience
Students today face challenges and distractions that previous generations never did. An increasing number of competing demands on their time and attention can hinder their academic performance. We can’t blame it all on social media. First-generation students have even more unique obstacles and often can’t relate to other students who share the same classroom. Innovative communication and learning techniques can help create communities in the educational environment and bring students together.
Building Social Connections Anywhere at Anytime Through Storytelling
From boardrooms to classrooms, around family dinner tables, and around the world, the communities created by shared experiences bind us to each other. We can all learn to be better business leaders, colleagues and educators when we listen and become a community through the gift we can all give and receive: storytelling. This talk is a workshop with writing prompts and brainstorming ideas to use stories to solve problems, find solutions and build confidence.
Journalism, Communications and Public Interest
Imagine a world without journalism. Ethical journalism and communications have never been more critical in today’s world. We live in a time when truth and objectivity are considered untrustworthy and unattainable. How can we trump cynicism about how journalists and communicators inform and engage with the public? This talk is an interactive and hands-on workshop where small groups break down how trust is earned and maintained.
Selected Media
CBC TV News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Sam Sullivan’s Salon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Apostrophe podcast: https://apostrophepodcasts.ca/
To book Peg Fong, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.
Brooke Bridges
Brooke Bridges grew up in Los Angeles California as an actress, appearing on TV shows like The Young and the Restless, 90210, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, and more. Now, she works as a mental health speaker, having spoken to over 10,000 people ranging in age from 5-65 years old, she works as an entrepreneur making herbal remedies for skin, hair, and self-care through her small business Brooke’s Botanicals, she serves her community as a CSA Assistant Manager at an internationally recognized nonprofit Soul Fire Farm, and she Mothers two young children.
Brooke speaks about what it was like growing up as a child actress and all of the anxiety and worries about perfectionism that came with it. She discusses her own experiences with mental health challenges throughout her childhood and into her young adulthood, and how those manifested in negative coping behaviors such as alcohol abuse and self-harming behaviors, hoping they’d help her escape from the pain she felt.
She discusses how after a cross-country move and a soul crushing breakup, she had planned to take her own life, but miraculously chose to seek help instead. She talks about how feeling completely hopeless actually opens doors for you to do things you never thought possible, and once you begin to realize that real change is available for you, you can be vulnerable and figure out how to turn your challenges into your greatest tools.
Brooke speaks from a place of understanding, love, and a reverence for nature, plant medicine, and an unwavering faith in our own ability to connect with our true selves and with one another to bring about personal and collective healing. Loves to speak about anxiety, vulnerability and healing through storytelling, the impacts of social media on our mental health, how you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, especially yourself, and anything about herbalism and nature immersion and how those things can contribute to our overall wellbeing.
Selected Speaking Topics
Before You Judge, Open the Book and Read: Getting Out From Behind the Mask
The only way to be known, is to be authentic. The only way to be authentic, is to accept that sometimes things are not the way we’d like them to be. In this talk, Brooke discusses what it was like growing up as a child actress, and how to others that meant that she must be happy, rich, popular; only positive things. She talks about the pressures of needing to act “just right” and how the stress of saying and doing things the way other people wanted her to impacted not only her childhood, but the rest of her life.
She hopes to share her own story to inspire others to do the same. She hopes that her vulnerability will allow others to truly see her, and for them to stop and get to know the people in their lives, and even themselves, before they make judgments because more often than not, things are not as they seem. At the end of the day, all we really want is to be loved for who we are, so how do we develop self-care and self-compassion so that others can show us the same?
Do I Hate My Body? Or Am I just on Social Media?
Social Media has an unwavering grip on our teens. Studies show that the average US teen spends 4.8 hours a day on social media, and nearly 70% of those teens are on it, despite it causing them to feel anxious, stressed, and depressed. 3 out of 4 children as young as 12 say that they dislike their bodies, because of triggering content they see on social media.
Growing up as an actress, model, and entertainer, Brooke endured severe disordered eating, unhealthy self-image, and body dysmorphia as a teenager. Although social media was not yet as popular as it is today, the concept of being a child actress brought about all of those body image and self-esteem issues to the forefront.
In this talk, Brooke talks about the parallels between being an actress and being a young, impressionable social media user who is presenting a curated version of themselves in order to be accepted, how these pressures inevitably lead to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, how to overcome body image issues through being mindful and present in your amazing body, because it’s the only one you’ve got.
Sharing My Story: Behind the Smile
In this talk, Brooke shares about her life and how she went from being a young, excitable child to an anxious actress with substance abuse problems, and then to an adult who truly loves herself and her life. In this story, Brooke hopes to share the experiences she had when she was younger and struggling with mental health challenges. When she was going through her mental health challenges she thought they would last forever. She wants to share her story because she realized that the pain can end, and things can get better. She hopes to motivate and inspire our youth to keep going despite the challenges, and to seek out resources and to love themselves because life is worth it. When she speaks, the takeaway is that it’s Ok to be vulnerable. She speaks about her life and her challenges casually, but the stuff she’s talking about is serious. She helps remind kids that it’s okay to be human, it’s okay to have feelings, good or bad, and those feelings are valid no matter what. She has gotten consistent feedback after these presentations, from youth, that her story feels so validating. And that is why she shares this story: to help others feel valid amidst such painful emotions, and to remind them that change is possible.
To book Brooke Bridges, contact Rob Firing at rob@transatlanticagency.com
Matthew Dawkins
Matthew is a Jamaican award-winning author and poet whose writing explores subject matters including adolescence, race, nationhood, and mental health. His short story about a brave and relentless Black girl is featured in the forthcoming THE ANNETHOLOGY, a collection of Anne of Green Gables re-imaginings (Acorn Press, 2024).
In Matthew’s debut YA novel UNTIL WE BREAK (Wattpad Books, 2022), a Black ballet dancer grapples with grief after a potentially career-ending injury and the death of her best friend. Matthew is currently at work on an adult novel about queerness and masculinity in World War II–era Jamaica.
His work has been featured in Westwind Poetry, Indolent Books, Pinhole Poetry, and in advertising campaigns for Western University and IKEA. Matthew was the 2022-2023 Student Writer in Residence at Western University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Arts and Humanities and English Literature.
Selected Media
- CBC Radio Q interviews author Matthew Dawkins
- Quill & Quire interview on artistic sacrifice, mental health, and personal growth.
- TeenInk interview on writing process and inspiration from Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo.
Selected Speaking Topics
Spoken Word
In his performances, Matthew combines traditional poetic forms with contemporary subject matters such as adolescence, race, ecology, nationhood, and mental health. His engaging style is influenced by Toni Morrison and Amanda Gorman, and encourages audiences to snap, hum, and nod along. Matthew’s poetry is suitable for ages 16 and up.
Moderating
Matthew is an avid reader, interviewer, and moderator with a passion for exploring the intersection of literature and diverse cultural experiences. His B.A. in English Language and Literature, as well as his lived experience, equip him with a deep understanding of the realities of diverse youth, particularly within the Jamaican/Caribbean and immigrant communities. Matthew’s insightful questions and ability to create a welcoming atmosphere allow audiences to engage deeply with topics such as identity, belonging, and culture. His passion and intention ensures every event is thought-provoking and enlightening.
Your Voice is a Key – Start Opening Doors
For Matthew, classrooms represent more than just homework and required reading; they are spaces where problem-solving skills and creative thinking are developed. In this session, Matthew uses interactive storytelling exercises to empower students, helping them refine their voices and showcasing how their passion and ideas can make a real difference. This workshop is ideal for students ages 12 and up.
In Defense of Storytime: Why We Need More Art in Schools
Matthew’s writing career can be credited to approximately ten staff rooms; worth of teachers who not only sharpened his talent but also supported him with resources. His experience forms the bedrock for this discussion on the significance of deliberately fostering creative talent among young people. In this session, Matthew will underscore the transformative power of a strong arts education and explore how and why adults, mentors, teachers, and administrators can support students’ creativity.
The Art of Self-Care
In this session, Mathew facilitates a brave space to help professionals explore the therapeutic benefits of creative writing and reconnecting with their inner artists. Through a series of hands-on activities, organizations will learn how to use art as a tool for self-care, stress relief, and personal growth. This session will leave teams feeling refreshed, inspired, and ready to tackle professional and personal challenges with renewed creativity and resilience.
To book Matthew contact Léonicka Valcius at leonicka@transatlanticagency.com
Riley Yesno
Riley Yesno (she/her) is a queer Anishinaabe scholar, writer, and commentator, from Eabametoong First Nation and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
She is highly sought after for her words and analysis— called an “Indigenous powerhouse” by the Toronto Star, “one of the brightest young minds in Canada today” by jury members of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, and “a rising intellectual giant by the University of Toronto.
She has been a contributor and commentator for some of the largest media outlets in Canada and the world, including the New York Times, BBC World News, The Globe and Mail, and CBC National News. Riley has also travelled the globe speaking at internationally renowned institutions and events, including the UN climate negotiations, the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality, TEDx stages, and many others.
She has taught Indigenous governance at Toronto Metropolitan University and is completing her PhD at the University of Toronto, where she is studying Indigenous / Canadian politics and is a Vanier Scholar. Riley is at work on the proposal for her first book of non-fiction, which will look critically at reconciliation in Canada, interwoven with her lived experience.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Beyond Reconciliation
It has been almost ten years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its Final Report and launched Canada’s reconciliation project into the country’s political and social consciousness. What progress has been made? Where have we failed to take action? In this talk, Riley charts the trajectory of reconciliation from its inception to the present— highlighting Indigenous people’s critiques and the work we must all do to go beyond reconciliation as it has been pursued to date.
The Future is Indigenous
Too often, Indigenous people are wrongly viewed as ‘past people’— stuck in a time of pre-colonization and unable to adapt to the modern world. In this presentation, Riley shows that Indigenous people are, contrary to this racist belief, one of the most adaptable people out there— surviving apocalypse after apocalypse and adapting to every change brought on by colonization— Indigenous people have never let up on their commitment to realizing futures where we all thrive. Drawing on a concept called ‘Indigenous Futurism, ‘ Riley will explain how Indigenous art and activism are writing the story of a bold new future— today.
Indigenous Queerness: The Colonizers Brought the Closet
Over the past few decades in North America, the term ‘two-spirit’ (2S) has been increasingly recognized. As a queer Indigenous person herself, in this talk, Riley aims to break down what ‘two-spirit’ means, where it came from, and common misconceptions of the identity. She will also highlight how colonization has impacted all of our understandings of gender and sexuality and challenge audiences to decolonize their relationships to gender and sexuality as well— whether you’re Indigenous or not.
#LandBack
How did an internet joke turn into a rallying call for Indigenous action that spans across the continent? This is the story of Land Back: Building off of a longstanding history of refusal of the settler-colonial status quo, Land Back has become a point of connection for supporters of Indigenous self-determination and, increasingly, for those who see Indigenous leadership as the world’s greatest hope against climate destruction. This talk will outline how Land Back came to be and how it fits into the larger story of Indigenous contestation, provide examples of Land Back in action, and suggest ways we can all take part in the growing movement.
Lessons in Youth Leadership
Riley was only sixteen years old when she started taking up prominent leadership roles in Canada and around the world. From the Prime Minister’s table and UN negotiating rooms to grassroots youth movements, she’s learned many lessons about what it means to be a truly strong and honourable leader. Drawing on these experiences and teachings from an Anishinaabe worldview, this talk asks audiences to deeply consider questions like: How do you define leadership? How do you move through challenges with integrity? Is leadership about having a seat at the table, or should we be challenging the idea of ‘the table’ altogether?
Transforming Education for Indigenous Peoples
In Canada, we know that public education is not serving Indigenous people in the way it should, even as the statistics improve from year to year. From the closing of the last residential school in 1997 to now, Indigenous people continue to have high school graduation rates far below our non-Indigenous counterparts, and Indigenous representation in higher learning is even further behind. How do we overcome this? How can we decolonize the classroom— both the physical environment and the learning approach— so that all students not just pass, but feel empowered and seen by their education?
Murdered and Missing: Canada’s Failure to Protect Indigenous Women, Girls, and Queer People
The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people was released to the general public in 2019, but it had been a conversation in Indigenous communities for much longer than that. In this talk, Riley traces the history of injustice against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people from the onset of colonization to now. The goal is to look beyond the data and the public reports and ask bigger questions like: How can we build communities and worlds that truly value non-violence, consent, and accountability?
To book Riley, please reach out to speakers@transatlanticagency.com
Rahim Thawer
Rahim Thawer (he/him) works as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, EDI consultant, facilitator and public speaker, sessional lecturer, writer, and community organizer. He began working in the HIV/AIDS sector in 2008 and dedicated over a decade to LGBTQ Muslim community organizing. He was welcomed as an International Visiting Scholar with the South African College for Applied Psychology (SACAP) for the 2021-2022 academic year and has taught as a lecturer at multiple universities in Canada. He’s an appointed Fellow at the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto for his contributions to the field of sexuality.
He was a co-editor and contributor for an anthology entitled Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Toronto Book Awards. He’s currently working on books under contract with Thornapple Press and Blue Cactus Press. His self-published essays on shame and sexuality, the social and sexual dimensions of envy, supporting LGBTQ Muslims, and the nuances of doing clinical work in communities you belong to can be found on Medium.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Rahim has spoken on over 35 topics related to queerness, identity, social justice, mental health, harm reduction, psychotherapy, social work practice, and cultural awareness. He uniquely combines EDI topics with the lens of psychological well-being.
BEING ANTI-OPPRESSIVE IN OUR FIELD
We all offer critical front-line services for people who are vulnerable and who need very real forms of support. In the public sector, we encounter people who are constantly enduring the systems and cycles of poverty, abuse, addiction, and illness. While we aim to “meet people where they’re at” we can sometimes falter and forget to reflect on our relative position in the world to the people we work with. Further, we may feel helpless or fatigued to consider the position we’ve been placed in to support individuals who are up against grating systems. Talks that explore anti-oppression concepts focus on power, privilege and oppression and consider how they operate in our world for both our clients and ourselves.
MANAGING VICARIOUS TRAUMA
Talking about trauma has become a big business for good reason. However, it’s useful to take a step back from the jargon and explore the concepts of trauma, trauma-informed, and vicarious trauma. This talk invites participants to examine the roots of trauma and sources of vicarious trauma in their own industry followed by a discussion of micro- and meso-level interventions needed to support individuals. Rahim will present a model for creating healthy boundaries and a burnout prevention plan.
QUEER MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
We often reduce mental health to diagnostic labels, wellness to the absence of symptoms, and queer men’s health to prevalence rates. If we take an exploratory approach to mental health and wellness we can begin to unravel some of the specific determinants of mental health concerns that affect GBTQ2S guys. As a racialized queer psychotherapist, Rahim examines 13 unique determinants that queer men come up against that impact their well-being. These will include but are not limited to, internalized shame, body image, substance use, ageing, and the landscape of connection-seeking.
OTHER COMMONLY REQUESTED TOPICS
Shame and sexuality; Supporting family members when someone comes out; The matrix of envy; Body image and wellbeing; Innovation in queer relationships; The meaning of substance use in our lives.
Pauline Dakin
Pauline Dakin is the bestselling author of Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood which won the prestigious 2018 Edna Staebler Prize for Creative Non-fiction. It was also named one of the best 100 books of 2017 by The Globe and Mail.
Run, Hide, Repeat is also the subject of a five-part podcast series of the same name with CBC Podcasts. Amazon called it one of the best podcasts of the year.
In addition, the memoir is the subject of an upcoming feature documentary and is being adapted as a feature film.
Pauline is a professor of journalism at the University of King’s College, where she specializes in teaching audio and podcasting. She is a fellow of the MIT/Knight Science Journalism program (Cambridge, Mass.) on Medical Evidence.
She’s an award-winning journalist who was for many years a trusted voice on health and medical issues as a reporter for CBC National News. She was also the long-time host of the CBC regional documentary program Atlantic Voice.
Pauline’s reporting and documentary work have been recognized with many regional and national awards.
She lives in Halifax with her husband and their two dogs.
Speaking Topics:
Resilience and Overcoming Hardship (Mental Health)
Resilience, or the ability to cope with and recover from difficulties, is one of the fastest-growing and evolving areas of psychological research. Pauline Dakin shares the story of her chaotic childhood as a lens through which to examine the factors that confer resilience, and approaches that can help people develop it in their own lives. Pauline was told her family was on the run from the Mob, necessitating secret moves without goodbyes to family and friends. The truth was even more bizarre, launching a years-long quest for answers and acceptance.
Delusional Disorder: The Worst Mental Illness You Never Heard Of (Mental Health)
After Pauline published her memoir Run, Hide, Repeat, detailing the exquisitely complex and nuanced delusions that hijacked her family’s lives, she heard from people around the world who’d had similar, if less dramatic experiences. They were relieved to have a possible explanation. Delusional disorder is under-recognized and under-studied, and can be present in people who are high-functioning and appear normal. Because it’s hard to spot, it can pose particular risks to families caught up in the dysfunction. Delusional disorder has been suggested as a diagnosis for cult leader Jim Jones who lead the mass murder/suicide at Jonestown, Guyana in 1978, or more recently the man responsible for the 2020 mass murder in Nova Scotia. Learn about the sub-types of delusional disorder and the remarkable and sometimes horrifying ways in which they impact sufferers and those around them.
Podcasting: Connection for the Ears (Technology and Media)
Everyone wants to make a podcast. This still-growing medium is a way to deeply connect with audiences, whether for journalistic, educational, or marketing purposes. But podcasting is a noisy environment, with millions available to stream and the vast majority of them not connecting. Pauline is the host, co-writer and co-producer of the podcast Run, Hide, Repeat, based on her book of the same name. Amazon named it one of the best podcasts of 2022, and it was the #1 podcast on Apple Podcasts. Learn about the podcasting landscape and what it takes to cut through the noise and grab your audience by the ears.
Misinformation and Disinformation: Countering Fake News in Health Care
The pandemic has shown clearly the risks and harms of false claims and conspiracy theories (ie. Bill Gates’ vaccine chips or bleach treatments.) It’s never been more important to find ways of countering science-deniers and elevating critical thinking. Pauline is a former national health reporter who’s been involved in teaching medical students how to counter evidence-denial and vaccine hesitancy. She uses this experience to help frame and address the problem, particularly in relation to health and medicine.
Storytelling for Scientists: How to Make Your Research Understandable to the Public
We live in an age of disinformation in which science-denying and logic-defying stories proliferate. The pandemic has both exemplified and exacerbated this trend. It’s up to people with knowledge and evidence to share it in a way that is accessible and understandable to the public. Pauline uses her experience as a former CBC health reporter, and a fellow of the MIT Knight Science Journalism program on medical evidence, to help scientists frame understandable messages to share what they know and counter forces of disinformation.
To book Pauline Dakin, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.
Tara MacLean
Photo Credit: Jen Squires
Canadian singer/songwriter Tara MacLean has been an internationally renowned and award-winning recording and touring artist for over 25 years. She released her first album with the Nettwerk Music Group in 1996 and Sony Music Publishing Canada. Since then, she has been signed to Capitol Records as a solo artist and to EMI Canada with her JUNO nominated band Shaye. She has written and recorded six solo albums and two Shaye records.
In 2008, Tara took a hiatus from being a touring artist to focus on being a full-time mother, raising her family on the beautiful west coast of Canada. She never stopped writing music.
Tara returned to her music career in 2016 when she wrote, produced, and directed her hit show “Atlantic Blue-The Stories of Atlantic Canada’s Iconic Songwriters”. The summer of 2019 saw “Atlantic Blue” presented by the world-famous Charlottetown Festival to sold out crowds. Tara went on to perform “Songs from Atlantic Blue” in Concert with the PEI Symphony Orchestra.
The same year (2019), Tara returned to recording original material with “Deeper”, an award-winning effort that was followed by a duet with close friend Catherine MacLellan. “This Storm” won the Song of the Year Award at the Music PEI Awards. In 2019 Tara also received the senate of Canada Medal for her activist work in her community. Last year, Tara received the Stompin’ Tom award by the East Coast Music Association, marking her outstanding contribution to music in the region.
Tara MacLean is an environmental and social justice activist, a zen student, a poet, author, playwright and inspiring public speaker. She resides primarily in her home province of Prince Edward Island, and lives part time on Salt Spring Island, BC. She considers herself bi-coastal. Her greatest joy is being a mother to her three beautiful girls.
Her first book, Song of the Sparrow, will be released on March 14th, 2023 with HarperCollins Canada, followed by the soundtrack for the book on March 31, 2023.
Speaking Topic
How to be a Lighthouse
An award winning performer and singer/songwriter for over 25 years, playwright, mother, zen student and now author, Tara MacLean will guide the audience through practical steps to remember their super powers, the tools they already have within to navigate the stormy seas of life and make it to safe harbour, and from there, how to be a beacon for others. With her life dedicated to service and seeing the urgency for a shift in perspective now, Tara is taking her message off the page and onto the stage in a new way.
After a childhood filled with extreme poverty, sexual abuse and countless other dangers, Tara speaks inspiringly and from personal experience about her steadfast commitment to love and forgiveness no matter what. She shines with remarkable incandescence as she recounts her experience cultivating resilience and a deep reverence for life.
By sharing her story, music and map, Tara lends us the torch she has safeguarded all her life. Anyone who holds that torch, even for a brief moment, will likely be profoundly moved and even possibly, deeply transformed.
To book Tara MacLean, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.
Asha Frost
Asha Frost (she/her), is an Indigenous Medicine Woman and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph and a degree in Homeopathic Medicine. Asha is the best-selling Author of You are the Medicine and has guided thousands of people through profound and lasting transformation for the past two decades in her work as a healer, homeopath and mentor.
Impacted by generational trauma and colonization, Asha has been on a lifelong journey of reclamation. A lupus diagnosis sent her on a path of studying and practicing a multitude of energy Medicine modalities with many guides. She has blended this life experience with her innate gifts and the wisdom of her Ancestors. She loves sharing her Medicine in powerful ways through Ceremonies, teachings, and speaking events. Through this work, she has seen people reclaim their roots, find their healing wisdom, and rise into their power.
Asha lives on Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee Territory, with her husband and two beautiful children, with whom she co-creates a better world for the seven generations to come. Her oracle deck, The Sacred Medicine Oracle will be released in 2023 by Hay House.
You are the Medicine
We are conditioned to believe that all of the answers we seek come outside of us. This comes from the systems at play such as colonialism, capitalism and the patriarchy. We have forgotten that we carry an inner wisdom and power that guides us. Asha will take the listener through exercises, guided journeys (meditations) and self-reflection to unwind the systemic impacts that have affected us all. She will then show you how to reclaim and remember the innate guidance that has always resided within.
Living by the Medicine Wheel
The Anishinaabe Medicine Wheel teaches us that every season and every cycle that we move through in life is needed and of great importance. After the past few years, many of us find ourselves in burnout and overwhelm. In this talk, Asha will show you how we can turn to the teachings of the Medicine Wheel to assist us in bringing more joy, ease and flow into our lives. In sharing these traditional teachings, Asha will help the audience turn burnout to beauty and overwhelm to balance. She will provide an embodied, healing experience so you can live with more peace and joy.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Asha is available for opening/closing ceremonies and land acknowledgements for any event, organization or workshop. As an Indigenous Healer, she has facilitated for thousands in such ceremonies and offers personalized words, energy and teachings based on the event topic. Her style infuses a healing experience for the participants providing a container that feels inclusive, warm and inviting.
7 Seven Grandfather Teachings for Resilience
Walking in a good way with the teachings of love, respect, humility, bravery, truth, honesty and wisdom is something we can all strive for. In times of struggle, these teachings can guide our way. When Asha was 17, she was diagnosed with lupus, a serious, long-term autoimmune disease. Following these seven teachings she has built a life of courage and joy, reaching goals and dreams that doctors told her would never happen. In this talk she will offer ways that we can use these teachings to build resilience and capacity for ourselves so that when hard things happen, we can continue to thrive.
Workshop offerings:
All of the following workshops can be offered and made suitable for the event topic and comfort of the audience. They can be offered in a traditional-circle way or a workshop style. These offerings tend to be more intimate, with a focus on wellness, teachings and healing.
Full Moon/New Moon Ceremony
From Trauma to Wisdom – Generational Healing
Animal Spirit Guidance
Summer/Winter Solstice Ceremony
Fall/Spring Equinox Ceremony
Ancestral Connection and Guidance
To book Asha Frost, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.
Natasha Negovanlis
Natasha Negovanlis is a Canadian bi/pansexual actor, writer, producer, advocate, and host who is best known for having played the titular role in the hit series and feature film Carmilla which lead her to winning the Fan’s Choice Award at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards with over two million international votes.
Since gaining notoriety for her portrayal of the “broody lesbian vampire” she has had a number of starring roles on TV shows and in female-driven movies, and has grown a dedicated global fanbase of over 269,000 collective followers on social media, where she is admired for writing candid posts about mental health awareness, intersectional feminism, sexual wellness, and positive 2SLGBTQ+ representation and fundraising for non-profits.
In addition to acting and her social influence, Natasha has a background as a classically trained soprano, having studied Voice Performance at McGill University, and experience as a host, interviewer, and presenter as the former face of the YouTube Network KindaTV. In 2017, Natasha co-wrote and co-produced the digital comedy CLAIREvoyant with Executive Producer Shaftesbury Digital which won a 2018 NYC Web Fest Award.
She has also performed in improv, sketch, musical, and cabaret shows around North America, has sat on the jury for Inside Out LGBTQ Film Festival, and has moderated panels on women directors at Whistler Film Festival. As a strong youth role model, she has also spoken for Kids Mental Health Ontario, volunteered at CAMH, and has participated in panels about web series creation and marketing to queer millennials at MIP TV in Cannes and YouTube Space Los Angeles. When she is not wearing many hats, she enjoys long walks on the beach… with her adopted rescue dog and a perfect cup of coffee.
KEYNOTE TALKS
“Map To The Scars” – A Rising Star’s Struggle With Dermatillomania
In this vulnerable talk, Natasha opens up about her OCD diagnoses and how her launch into fame and the patriarchal standards of beauty upheld within the entertainment industry triggered body-focused repetitive behaviours and an excoriation disorder that left a map of scars on her skin. Natasha will discuss how she learned to reclaim her scars as a “constellations” and found the confidence to return to screen acting after years of healing and inner work. She will also explore the importance of online mental health awareness, how social media can be used to find and build community, and how folks can support people like her who are struggling with their mental wellness.
“The Little Web Series That Could” – The Power of Positive Queer Representation in Media
In this talk about on-screen queer representation, Natasha discusses her experiences as the titular role in the internationally acclaimed web series Carmilla and co-creator of the award-winning digital comedy CLAIREvoyant and shares what she has learned from being a leader of a global 2SLGBTQ fanbase, through the lens of her own bisexuality. Geared towards entertainment industry professionals and students alike, this chat will convince you why queer projects and creatives are a worthy investment – both monetarily and socially.
GROUP FACILITATION
“Improv For Confidence Building” – A Community Focused Workshop
Explore your creative side and gain confidence in public speaking in just a few hours. Using techniques learned from studying and performing at the Montréal Improv Theatre, as well as The People’s Improv Theatre and Upright Citizen’s Brigade in New York City, Natasha will guide your team through gentle warmups and games practiced by both amateur and professional improv comedians and actors alike. This workshop can be altered for accessibility needs and includes easy-to-learn theatre exercises that explore physicality, voice work, and character development, in a non-judgemental and welcoming environment, with a goal of encouraging you to get out of your comfort zone and say… YES, AND! Through the playfulness of this medium, Natasha will teach skills that can be applied to both your workplace and social life, such as listening, eye-contact, and teamwork. Discover that laughter really is the best medicine!
MODERATING
With experience on both sides of the lens and stage, Natasha is also a skilled and experienced interviewer and facilitator, available to moderate panels at marketing and media conferences, and fan and comic conventions.
OTHER SPEAKING & MODERATING TOPICS
- Women in Film & Television
- 2SLGBTQ Representation on Screen
- Dismantling Patriarchal Beauty Standards
- Finding Your Creative Voice
- Mental Health Advocacy & Awareness
- Bisexual Myths & Visibility
- How To Ensure Inclusive Productions
- Vampire Tropes & The Queerness of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Incorporating Allyship Into Social Media Influencing
- Web Series Creation: From Ideas To Funding & Producing
To book Natasha Negovanlis, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.
Yusra Ahmad
Dr. Yusra Ahmad, MD, FRCPC, is a community & academic psychiatrist in Toronto. with specific expertise in trauma, mood & anxiety disorders as well as SPMI (severe & persistent mental illness) populations. She believes in the power of psychotherapy to address the struggles that spring from the human condition and is dedicated to community work & advocacy around diverse issues such as marginalization, homelessness, poverty, refugee mental health, gender-based violence and the struggles of Muslim youth & families.
Dr. Ahmad created a trauma-informed group therapy program entitled Mindfully Muslim which blends mindfulness-based interventions with the sacred wisdom and teachings of Islam, which she presented at the 2019 World Psychiatric Association Congress on Religion & Psychiatry in Jerusalem. Because of this work, she was awarded the 2019 Breakout Community Psychiatry Advocacy Award by the Ontario Psychiatric Association & her program was profiled as the feature article, “Race, Religion & Mental Health”in the Black Lives Matter special edition of Chatelaine magazine.
Dr. Ahmad embraces multifaith initiatives and has led prayers at the World Parliament of Religions in 2018 and in 2021. She served as a film consultant for the award-winning hit dramatic series, “Transplant,” which aired on CTV & NBC/Universal and “The Path Travels Me,” an independent Netflix film by Jasmin Mozaffari. She also served as a consultant for “I Don’t Know,” a theatre production by Syrian playwright, Ahmad Meree.
A poet at heart, Dr. Ahmad loves to live in between the lines because she believes a lot of power & beauty springs from these liminal spaces. She cares deeply about people and their stories.
Speaking topic
The Stories We Hold: Sharing Perspectives from the Intersection of Faith, Race, Gender & Mental Illness
Dr. Yusra Ahmad (MD, FRCPC) shares her experiences, both personal and professional, in exploring some of the social and structural inequities of our current moment.
- Why do we hold the perspectives that we do?
- How can we overcome misunderstanding and heal division
- Where do these divisions even come from and what purpose do you think they serve?
- What do you think it’s like to be a Muslim today?
- How might we better learn from each other?
- What are 3 things you can do to learn more about Islam & Muslims?
- What is your understanding of faith, culture & spirituality?
- Even if you don’t identify with a particular religious tradition or don’t believe in God, do you believe faith & spirituality can be helpful? Why or why not?
Selected media
Toronto Star article and video
To book Dr. Ahmad, contact Rob Firing at speakers@transatlanticagency.com.