Keynote Panelists & Speakers
Opening Keynote Panel
Partnering for the Future of Canada's Workforce
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
Partnering for the Future of Canada’s Workforce brings together leaders from Indigenous communities, youth-serving organizations, industry, labour market intelligence, and higher education to explore what it will take to build a more resilient, inclusive, and responsive workforce.
This opening panel will examine how collaboration across sectors can better support learning-to-work pathways, respond to shifting labour market realities, and create opportunities for learners and workers across Canada. Grounded in diverse perspectives and lived experience, the conversation will set the tone for the conference and invite participants to think differently about partnership, purpose, and impact.
Featuring
Ken Chatoor
Director of Research and Strategic Foresight, Labour Market Information Council (LMIC)
Ken leads LMIC’s research and strategic foresight efforts, guiding the organization’s approach to data collection and analysis in support of Canada’s evolving labour market.
He brings experience in education, labour market outcomes, and equity research, and has authored reports and evaluations on mental health, government service funding, Work-Integrated Learning, and graduate labour market transitions.
Shauna Feth
President & Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Shauna Feth has served as the President and CEO of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) since June 2022.
With a career rooted in business leadership and community engagement, Shauna brings extensive experience supporting entrepreneurs, business families, and rural economic development.
Before leading ACC, Shauna spent over 14 years as Executive Director of the Alberta Business Family Institute at the University of Alberta School of Business. A designated Family Enterprise Advisor™ and a thirdgeneration business owner, she has long been an advocate for entrepreneurial growth and the sustainability of family enterprises. As Project Manager for the Creating Pathways for Entrepreneurial Families Initiative, she led outreach programs benefiting over 8,000 rural business owners and communities across Alberta.
In addition to her business expertise, Shauna and her husband Ken have built and successfully sold two oilfield/pipeline consulting, maintenance and construction companies. Their newest family enterprise is an apiary, where they proudly and passionately serve as stewards of a large brood of honeybees.
Shauna’s leadership extends to a variety of influential committees and task forces that shape Alberta’s economic landscape. She serves on several provincial and national advisory boards, including the Provincial Foreign Credential Advisory Committee, Provincial Career Education Task Force, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Western Executive Council, among others.
A dedicated community volunteer, Shauna is the Past Chair of both the Alberta and Camrose Chambers of Commerce, a former Board Director for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and a Past Advisory Board Member for the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise. Her leadership and service continue to shape policies that support Alberta businesses, enhance workforce development, and strengthen communities across the province.
Brandon Meawasige
Chief Operating Officer, Indspire
Brandon Meawasige, a member of Serpent River First Nation, is the Chief Operating Officer at Indspire. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Studies from McMaster University and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing from St. Lawrence College. Since joining Indspire in 2020, Brandon has led the Communications team—spearheading a reimagining and successful execution of Indspire’s events—and has played a key role in shaping the organization’s voice and public presence.
With over a decade of experience in marketing, communications, and media, Brandon previously managed a web design agency and held leadership roles with both established tech companies and early-stage startups. Born and raised in Toronto, he also has familial ties to Alderville First Nation and was a recipient of Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures bursary program during his undergraduate studies.
Wasiimah Joomun
Executive Director, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA)
Wasiimah Joomun serves as the Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), a national, non-profit organization representing over 400,000 undergraduate, graduate, college, and polytechnic students across Canada. In this role, she leads federal advocacy efforts focused on advancing a more accessible, affordable, and high-quality post-secondary education system.
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Wasiimah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Psychology from St. Thomas University, which she completed in 2020. Following graduation, she served as Executive Director of the New Brunswick Student Alliance before assuming her current role at CASA in August 2023.
Her commitment to student advocacy began in 2017 when she was elected International Student Representative during her first year of university. Originally from Mauritius, Wasiimah moved to Canada in 2016 to pursue her studies and has since developed a strong foundation in student leadership, governance, and policy advocacy.
Drawing on her lived experience navigating the Canadian post-secondary system and workforce, combined with nearly a decade of leadership experience, Wasiimah brings a systems-level perspective to education advocacy. Her work is grounded in ensuring that student voices meaningfully shape policies that impact their academic and professional outcomes.
Keynote Plenary
Decolonizing WIL: Shifting Frameworks, Language, and Practice
THURSDAY, MAY 21
In this plenary session, NVision Insight Group and CEWIL Canada will share insights from its national Decolonizing WIL initiative, a commissioned project that brings together Indigenous practitioners, scholars, Elders, and institutional leaders to challenge how work-integrated learning is currently defined and practiced in Canada.
The initiative examines how CEWIL Canada’s widely used “nine types of WIL” might be reconsidered through Indigenous worldviews and land-based pedagogies. The resulting report introduces emerging principles for decolonizing WIL and proposes shifts in language, frameworks, and institutional thinking to recognize relational accountability and land as a learning partner.
Following a brief presentation of the project and its early findings, participants will move into facilitated roundtable discussions to reflect on the implications of this work and explore how WIL frameworks and practices might evolve across institutions and communities.
Featuring
Bryanne Smart
Senior Reconciliation Consultant, NVision Insight Group Inc.
Bryanne Smart (she/her) is a proud member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, Seneca Nation, Turtle Clan. With more than 20 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to working alongside Indigenous individuals, communities, and organizations, supporting them in navigating colonial and institutional systems across the health, education, and legal sectors.
In her role as Senior Reconciliation Consultant at NVision Insight Group, Bryanne leads all projects and initiatives that support organizations across Canada in advancing Reconciliation. Her work brings together national membership organizations, Crown corporations, and Indigenous and non‑Indigenous institutions across sectors such as healthcare, law and education. Central to her practice is a deep belief in the power of authentic relationships to create meaningful, systemic change. Bryanne specializes in Indigenous community‑led and strength‑based approaches. Her work includes engagement, research, program development and implementation, strategic planning, and facilitation.
Bryanne also has a strong passion for governance, both in practice, and in supporting and facilitating Indigenous-based governance approaches. She serves as Chair of the Board for De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, and Vice-Chair of the Board for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Ontario Division.
Previously, Bryanne served as Associate Director, Indigenous Relations in the Co‑operative and Experiential Education department at the University of Waterloo, where she initiated Reconciliation and Indigenization efforts and collaborated with Indigenous work‑integrated learning (WIL) practitioners across Canada and internationally to strengthen and support Indigenous WIL. She remains an active member of the Indigenous WIL Community of Practice.
Bryanne’s past roles include work with Indspire, the Ontario Native Women’s Association, Aboriginal Legal Services, and as Director of an Indigenous‑led criminal law practice. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Post‑Graduate Certificate in Public Administration, and a Master’s degree in Aboriginal Education and Leadership.
Jennie Nilsson
Associate Director, Indigenous and Canada North, CEWIL Canada
Jennie Nilsson is a dedicated contributor to Canada’s work-integrated learning (WIL) community as Associate Director, Indigenous and Canada North Relations at CEWIL Canada. With a strong commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement, Jennie works alongside colleagues and partners across the country to support initiatives that strengthen the connection between education and meaningful WIL experiences.
Her approach is grounded in listening, learning, and helping others succeed—whether that means supporting practitioners, program development, coordinating projects, or contributing to conversations about the future of WIL. Jennie values the collective effort behind this work and is motivated by the impact it has on students, institutions, and partners alike.
Closing Fireside Chat
AI and the Future of Work - Rethinking Pathways Between Education and Employment
FRIDAY, MAY 22
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the labour market, big questions are emerging about skills, talent systems, and the future of work-integrated learning. In this fireside chat, we’ll explore what AI could mean for how people prepare for, access, and navigate work in the years ahead. Joining the conversation is Mark Patterson, Executive Director of Magnet at Toronto Metropolitan University, whose work sits at the intersection of workforce innovation, digital platforms, and labour market transformation. Together with an industry leader in AI, this conversation will challenge assumptions about how technology may reshape pathways between education and employment.
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Featuring
Mark Patterson
Executive Director, Magnet
Mark Patterson is the Executive Director of Magnet, a centre of innovation focused on the future of work at Toronto Metropolitan University. Under his leadership, Magnet built a platform that connects millions across talent, industry, education, and training, helping Canadians develop the skills needed for a rapidly evolving job market.
One of Canada’s top thought leaders in workforce innovation and technology integration, Mark offers valuable insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping skills and employment. As a founding member of Canada's Future Skills Centre, his experience positions Mark as a key voice in advancing inclusive solutions for the future of work, both across Canada and globally.