2025 Consultation Speakers | Canadian Council for Refugees

Meet this year's presenters

(Information subject to changes and will be updated as new details become available)

Elder

Carolyn Moar

I introduce myself to the Creator with two Spirit Names, Blue Sky Woman, and Morning Star. I have been walking traditionally for over 25 years and worked in the community for some beautiful and powerful organizations and groups for 30 years. As a mother of two and grandmother of 8, & Great-grandmother to 2; I am proud of these achievements.

I worked in various positions from administration to program planning and implementing. I sat on a few boards and am now conducting Red Road to Healing Family Violence Program at Ikwe Widdjiitiwin. My work also includes being part of the team with Kairos Blanket Exercises. I am asked to do various Traditional Teachings and Duties with the City of Winnipeg, River East School Division and many organizations, I perform and attend various ceremonies.

I believe in community and the work that can be achieved. Reconciliation is very important to me as a traditional person.

Speaker at:
2025 Opening Plenary – We're Better Together: Growing Public Support for Immigrants and Refugees - Tuesday, November 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Plenary speakers

Gina McKay

Gina McKay is the President of CUPE Manitoba, General Vice President for the Prairies on the CUPE National Executive Board, and Equity Vice President for 2SLGBTQI+ Workers at the Canadian Labour Congress. As a 2SLGBTQI+ equity leader and labour movement activist, she is involved in the regional, national and international labour movement.

Gina is a proud working member on numerous equity and human rights committees and prioritizes intersectional movement building to build stronger communities.

Speaker at:
2025 Opening Plenary – We're Better Together: Growing Public Support for Immigrants and Refugees - Tuesday, November 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Carleen Pickard

Carleen is the Social Mission Director at Ben & Jerry's, where she leads the global business to make the world a better place by advocating for human rights, social and economic justice, and environmental protection. She previously led advocacy & activism at Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics in North America for a decade. She also held several positions at the human rights group Global Exchange between 1997-2015, including Executive Director, and was the Political Co-Director at the Council of Canadians.

Details to come

Speaker at:
2025 Opening Plenary – We're Better Together: Growing Public Support for Immigrants and Refugees - Tuesday, November 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Kaylee Perez

Kaylee Perez is a refugee advocate who holds an MA in Peace and Conflict Studies and has worked in the refugee (re)settlement sector since 2013. Add being raised in a Cuban-Colombian-Palestinian family in Canada, and you learn what has fueled her love for peace work both locally and abroad.

Based in Kitchener, Kaylee serves as the National Migration and Resettlement Coordinator with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). In this role, she co-coordinates MCC’s work as a National Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH), bringing together their network of 5 provincial offices to support program delivery, strategic collaboration, recruitment and advocacy.

Kaylee is passionate about grassroots movement building for social impact. She has learned about these dynamics, not only through her work at MCC, but also in her previous roles as Chair of the SAH Association and lead on the ReSpo Project with Refugee 613.

Speaker at:
2025 Opening Plenary – We're Better Together: Growing Public Support for Immigrants and Refugees - Tuesday, November 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Delphine Mas

As communications coordinator for the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI), Delphine ensures that the TCRI's mission to defend rights is reflected in all communications undertaken to promote it, whether aimed at members of the group, the media, or the general public.

While the current immigration context in Quebec, Canada, and elsewhere presents increasing challenges, Delphine draws her faith in solidarity from the power of storytelling, which can build bridges and highlight, through words, images, and emotions, the humanity we all share.

Speaker at:
2025 Opening Plenary – We're Better Together: Growing Public Support for Immigrants and Refugees - Tuesday, November 18, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Workshop speakers

Destiny Klassen

Details to come

Speaker at:
How to Support People Who Lose Status - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Levelt Michaud

Levelt Michaud is originally from Haiti. He holds a master's degree in Social Ethics and Immigration from Boston College (United States) and a certificate in Human Rights and Migration from the Zolberg Institute (New School, United States).

He was National Director of the Jesuit Migrant Service-Haiti and Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean. He has worked on the front lines with migrants in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, France, Greece, and Canada.

Speaker at:
How to Support People Who Lose Status - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Whitney Hayes

Whitney is a founding member of the Alberta Workers Association for Research and brings over a decade of experience advocating with undocumented and migrant worker communities across Canada, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Nepal, Portugal, and Norway.

Her expertise bridges academic research and grassroots organizing, with a deep understanding of global migration and labour policies—and their impacts in both countries of origin and destination.

Speaker at:
How to Support People Who Lose Status - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Clayton Sandy

Details to come

Speaker at:
Building Common Ground: Newcomers, Refugees, Settlers, and Indigenous Communities in Dialogue - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Mari Jo Vanidour

Details to come

Speaker at:
Building Common Ground: Newcomers, Refugees, Settlers, and Indigenous Communities in Dialogue - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Mbalu Lumor

Details to come

Speaker at:
Building Common Ground: Newcomers, Refugees, Settlers, and Indigenous Communities in Dialogue - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Alix Reynolds

Alix Reynolds is Red River Métis (French Métisse) and settler Scottish, living in Treaty 2 territory, Manitoba. Her work bridges refugee issues and Indigenous cultural regeneration in Canada and globally, emphasizing shared experiences and natural allyship.

Since 2021, she has supported the Truth and Reconciliation efforts of the SAH Association and co-founded the National Newcomer Collective for Truth & Reconciliation (NNCTR). Alix's work focuses on applied decolonization and reconciliation, building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and strengthening Indigenous-newcomer solidarity.

Speaker at:
Building Common Ground: Newcomers, Refugees, Settlers, and Indigenous Communities in Dialogue - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Tanya Aberman

Tanya Aberman (she/her) is the coordinator of the Sanctuary Scholars programs at York University and Toronto Metropolitan University, programs that provide access to the universities for students who have precarious immigration status. She also holds a PhD in Gender Feminist and Women’s Studies from York University.

Speaker at:
Setting Up Sanctuary for Scholars Programs across Canada - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Brantella Williams

Brantella Williams is the Executive Director of S4 Collective and holds a BA in Political Science from York University. She has collaborated on research, workshops, and art-based advocacy projects, and has spoken on panels for Seneca College, TMU, U of T, and York, advocating for equitable access to education for precarious migrants.

Brantella contributed to People for Education’s 2020 Right to Education Framework and co-developed several Know Your Rights Toolkit. In 2023 and 2024, she attended the UN High-Level Political Forum on Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals. She continues to amplify precarious migrant voices and advocate for education as a fundamental right.

Speaker at:
Setting Up Sanctuary for Scholars Programs across Canada - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Christina Clark-Kazak

Christina Clark-Kazak is Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa and project director of UnborderED knowledge / Savoirs sans frontières, which aims to widen, deepen and institutionalize access to post-secondary education and research for people with lived experiences of displacement.

Speaker at:
Setting Up Sanctuary for Scholars Programs across Canada - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Kinan Swaid

Kinan Swaid is the Interim Executive Director of The Refugee Centre in Montréal, an organization providing comprehensive services to support the integration and rights of refugees and newcomers across Québec and Canada.

He oversees programs spanning housing, legal access, employment, education, and digital inclusion, while leading national collaborations with governments, institutions, and community partners. With a focus on sustainable systems and equitable access, his work centers on building scalable, community-driven models that strengthen long-term settlement infrastructure and improve outcomes for displaced and migrant populations.

Speaker at:
Setting Up Sanctuary for Scholars Programs across Canada - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Sean Rehaag

Sean Rehaag is an Associate Professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, the Director of the Refugee Law Laboratory, and the Co-Director of Access to Algorithmic Justice.

He was previously the Director of York’s Centre for Refugee Studies and the Academic Director of the Poverty Law Intensive Program at Parkdale Community Legal Services. He specializes in refugee law, access to justice, and computational legal methodologies. His award-winning research examines refugee decision-making processes using AI and quantitative methods. He publishes annual statistics on Canada's refugee determination system and actively engages in public debates and law reform efforts.

Speaker at:
Technology and Surveillance in Migration: Risks and Opportunities - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Petra Molnar

Details to come

Speaker at:
Technology and Surveillance in Migration: Risks and Opportunities - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Nazmun Siddiqua

Nazmun Siddiqua is the Access to Justice Project Coordinator at Healthy Muslim Families, where she leads initiatives that support refugee claimants, newcomers, immigrants in navigating Canada’s legal and protection systems.

Her work focuses on promoting access to justice, legal education, and advocacy for refugee, newcomer and immigrant communities. Nazmun is dedicated to ensuring that these communities are informed, supported, and empowered to rebuild their lives with dignity and confidence in Canada.

Speaker at:
Technology and Surveillance in Migration: Risks and Opportunities - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Gwendolyn Muir

Gwendolyn Muir is a lawyer at the Migrant Justice Clinic, a community legal clinic that provides holistic services to vulnerable individuals and families with precarious immigration status in Montreal, Quebec. She provides legal information and representation in humanitarian immigration and refugee law, with a focus on deportation defence and regularization.

A settler who grew up on Wabanahkik lands divided by the ever-maintained U.S.–Canada border, Gwendolyn has also long been involved in migrant justice organizing through direct support, collective advocacy, and academic research.

Speaker at:
Post-Refusal Pathways: Exploring Post-Claim Recourses and Humanitarian Pathways to Permanent Residency - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30am

Jennifer Dagsvik

Jennifer Dagsvik is an assistant professor at Lakehead University's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law and a practising immigration and refugee lawyer.

She is the founding director of Thunder Bay's Newcomer Legal Clinic and a member of the CCR's Litigation Affairs Committee. Jennifer is interested in the experiences of migrants, immigrants, and refugees living in non-traditional gateway cities and in rural and remote regions, especially when it comes to experiences of seeking legal help and dealing with legal problems.

Speaker at:
Post-Refusal Pathways: Exploring Post-Claim Recourses and Humanitarian Pathways to Permanent Residency - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30am

Humaira Jaleel

Humaira Jaleel is a community advocate and founder of Healthy Muslim Families, serving immigrant and refugee populations. She has developed and led transformative initiatives, including the Court Diversion for Racialized Communities program, as well as the Access to Justice project, to run Legal Clinics focused on helping women facing domestic violence and legal precarity.

She has also set up the Refugee Legal Clinic and Support services, helping refugee claimants file refugee claims. Humaira is a legal professional working as a student lawyer and a recent recipient of the Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize awarded by the Royal Society of Canada.

Speaker at:
Post-Refusal Pathways: Exploring Post-Claim Recourses and Humanitarian Pathways to Permanent Residency - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30am

Imtenan Abd-El-Razik

Imtenan Abd-El-Razik is an immigration staff lawyer at Waterloo Region Community Legal Services (WRCLS). She studied science at York University before obtaining her law degree from the University of Toronto.

After her call to the Ontario Bar, Imtenan worked at the Cairo-based NGO Africa & Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), representing refugees before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. For several years before joining WRCLS, Imtenan ran her own practice in Toronto focusing on Middle East and North African refugee claims. She has taught at Queen's University and the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, and is a co-Chair of the CCR's Legal Affairs Committee.

Speaker at:
Challenging the Safe Third Country Agreement: Rethinking Advocacy and Mobilization - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm
No Refuge from Racism: Exposing Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada’s Communities, Policies and Refugee System - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Kristin Marshall

Kristin has worked in private practice, representing immigrants and refugees in detention work with the Refugee Law Office, and she has taught a variety of people over the years – refugee lawyers, law students, community workers, and immigration consultants.

She developed legal information with Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) d for refugees and survivors of intimate partner violence and completed an M. Ed. at OISE in Social Justice Education.

She is one of the staff lawyers with the Canada-US Border Rights Clinic, funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario and the McLachlin Foundation to provide summary legal advice to migrants seeking protection at the border and legal information for advocates working with them. The clinic also offers limited representation in some situations involving wrongful ineligibility findings at the border.

Speaker at:
Challenging the Safe Third Country Agreement: Rethinking Advocacy and Mobilization - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Laura Cameron

Laura Cameron is a researcher, organizer, and strategist working for climate justice on Treaty 1 territory. She is the Director of the non-profit Climate Action Team Manitoba and a long time volunteer organizer with the Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition.

Speaker at:
Challenging the Safe Third Country Agreement: Rethinking Advocacy and Mobilization - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Dr. Nisrin Elamin

Nisrin Elamin is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Toronto. She is currently writing a book tentatively titled: Stratified Enclosures: Land, Capital and Empire-making in central Sudan which focuses on large-scale domestic and foreign land enclosures and community resistance to land dispossession in the Gezira region of central Sudan.

In addition to scholarly articles, Nisrin has published and co-written articles for Al Jazeera, The Washington Post, OkayAfrica, Hammer and Hope, Transition and The Egypt Independent. Nisrin is also a member of the Sudan Solidarity Collective which has been supporting local emergency response rooms and unions at the forefront of relief efforts in the face of a largely absent international aid community and functional state in Sudan.

Speaker at:
Nafeer: Root Causes of Displacement in Sudan - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Dr. Ahmed El Bashir

Details to come

Speaker at:
Nafeer: Root Causes of Displacement in Sudan - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Huda Bukhari

Huda Bukhari serves as the Manager of Settlement Programs at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT). With over 20 years of experience in the settlement sector, she is deeply committed to holistic, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches. Huda is a strong advocate for equal opportunities, fostering meaningful connections, and promoting inclusive communities.

Her advocacy for survivors of torture goes beyond professional responsibilities—she actively challenges stereotypes, raises awareness, and works to ensure the well-being and integration of those she supports. Grounded in empathy and a commitment to lasting impact, Huda’s work is centered on empowering individuals to share their experiences and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

In addition to her role at CCVT, Huda has been closely involved with the Sudanese community—particularly with youth—since the outbreak of the civil war. For the past two years, she has dedicated her personal time to supporting fundraising efforts, providing referrals to services, and contributing to community governance. Through CCVT’s Sponsorship Agreement Program, she has also actively advocated for the inclusion of sponsorship spots for Sudanese refugees.

Speaker at:
Nafeer: Root Causes of Displacement in Sudan - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Dania Majid

Details to come

Speaker at:
No Refuge from Racism: Exposing Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada’s Communities, Policies and Refugee System - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Corey Balsam

Corey Balsam is a founding member of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) and has served as its National Coordinator since 2017. Balsam has played a central role in IJV’s efforts to challenge anti-Palestinian racism, notably in relation to baseless accusations of antisemitism.

He previously spent nearly four years in the occupied Palestinian territory, where he worked with Oxfam and the Birzeit University Institute of Community and Public Health. He holds a Master’s in Sociology and Equity Studies in Education from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor’s in Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University.

Speaker at:
No Refuge from Racism: Exposing Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada’s Communities, Policies and Refugee System - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Lara Dyer

Lara Dyer is Chief Solutions Officer (Americas) at Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), the first organization in the world to focus on refugee labour mobility as a complementary pathway to humanitarian refugee resettlement.

Lara leads the organization’s strategy to expand labour mobility to, from and within the Americas region. Leveraging her previous experience as TBB's Canada Director, she enables global companies and governments to integrate refugee talent into their talent attraction strategies, helping displaced individuals migrate for work and rebuild their lives with dignity.

Before joining TBB, Lara was an executive in the Government of Canada where she led the development of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) and the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

Speaker at:
Breaking Down Silos: Enhancing Collaboration Across Sectors - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm
Beyond the Broken System: Reimagining Protection Pathways in Canada - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Emily Halldorson

Emily has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over 10 years, primarily in organizations serving newcomer and Indigenous communities in Winnipeg.

She is currently on maternity leave from her role as Provincial Coordinator at the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO), where she led coordination efforts to welcome refugee claimants to Manitoba over the past 2 years. She has also supported the newcomer sector in responding to the needs of Ukrainian newcomers, in her previous role as Ukraine Response Coordinator.

She holds degrees in political science and city planning.

Speaker at:
Breaking Down Silos: Enhancing Collaboration Across Sectors - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Daniela Ruiz

Daniela Ruiz is the Provincial Coordinator at the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO), where she builds and strengthens partnerships across provincial newcomer services, leads and supports sector-wide committees and working groups, and fosters collaboration to address emerging newcomer needs across Manitoba.

With a Master’s degree in Social Management and a Diploma in Community Development, she brings expertise in program coordination, research and policy collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and partnerships that improve equitable access to services for newcomers and refugee claimants.

Speaker at:
Breaking Down Silos: Enhancing Collaboration Across Sectors - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Mark Stewart

Details to come

Speaker at:
Breaking Down Silos: Enhancing Collaboration Across Sectors - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Alina Murad

With a background in Political Science and Immigration Studies, Alina Murad is dedicated to advancing intersectional advocacy and justice. Over the past four years, she has worked to promote meaningful and lasting policy change that uplifts marginalized and newcomer communities.

Speaker at:
Beyond the Bill: Youth Allyship Against Anti-Migrant Laws - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Louis-Philippe Jannard

Louis-Philippe has been interested in migration issues and defending the rights of migrants and refugees for nearly 20 years.

He has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Montreal and Costa Rica) and the Montreal Holocaust Museum, where he organized several workshops and public events on these issues. In January 2023, he defended his doctoral thesis in law at the University of Quebec in Montreal on the detention of migrants in Canada.

Speaker at:
Beyond the Bill: Youth Allyship Against Anti-Migrant Laws - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Tatenda Mandenga

Tatenda currently leads an initiative, alongside a small group of collaborators, to welcome LGBTQ+ newcomers to the Montreal area. This project was made possible through funding from a group of donors committed to fostering inclusive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals within faith communities.

In addition to this work, Tatenda is a student of Computer Science and Cybersecurity at the Montreal College of Information and Technology. His professional background includes experience in IT support, hospitality, and education. Tatenda is also a dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, with a particular focus on supporting individuals from Africa as they navigate the challenges of migration, integration, and identity.

Speaker at:
Resisting Erasure: LGBTQIA+ Rights, Border Bills, and the Fight for Free Movement - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Aleks Dughman-Manzur

Aleks Selim Dughman Manzur (J.D., LL.M.) (They/Them) is a transgender Palestinian born and raised primarily in Santiago, Chile. As a Chilean lawyer, Aleks specializes in human rights, reproductive and sexual health law, LGBTQI+ rights, and refugee advocacy. With an LL.M. from the University of Toronto, they currently serve as the Co-Executive Director of Rainbow Refugee.

Aleks previously led as President of the Canadian Council for Refugees and now contributes as an Executive Committee member. They are also the co-chair of From Borders to Belonging, a nationwide coalition of organizations in solidarity with LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers.

Aleks’s work is focused on creating inclusive migration pathways for refugee protection and fostering communities of belonging for people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). They design tailored programs and services for LGBTQI+ asylum seekers, refugee claimants, and refugees, advocating for their rights at various government levels locally and globally. Aleks also provides expert advisory services, represents Canada in international refugee protection forums, and conducts educational webinars and workshops for local and international organizations.

Speaker at:
Resisting Erasure: LGBTQIA+ Rights, Border Bills, and the Fight for Free Movement - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Deepa Mattoo

Deepa Mattoo is a dedicated lawyer and intersectional feminist recognized for her commitment to advancing equity, anti-oppression, and anti-racism. Her extensive career spans various legal and leadership roles.

Since 2019, Deepa has served as the Executive Director of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, overseeing multiple departments and directing the Clinic’s intervention and advocacy efforts. She has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, Parliamentary committees, and UN civil society meetings, advocating on a broad spectrum of social justice and human rights issues. In 2023, Deepa was appointed to the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC). Deepa has trained thousands of service providers to support forced marriage survivors, racialized non-status women, and clients navigating immigration law.

Since 2017, she has shared her expertise as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School through numerous speaking engagements and interviews. Deepa's contributions have been recognized with several awards. In 2024, Deepa was honoured with an Honorary Degree from Humber College in recognition of her contributions to social justice and equity. In May 2025, she received the Victim Services Award of Distinction from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

Speaker at:
Resisting Erasure: LGBTQIA+ Rights, Border Bills, and the Fight for Free Movement - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Abdikheir Ahmed

Abdikheir (Abdi) Ahmed is the Executive Director of Resilia Community Wellness Centre in Winnipeg. He has previously served in a number of capacities including as Director of Policy at the Office of Canada’s Minister for Families, Children and Social Development.

Arriving in Canada as a refugee in 2003, he has become a catalyst for change, advancing inclusive policies that empower immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities. Among others, he helped shape Canada’s National Childcare Policy, championed sustainable funding for ethnocultural organizations, built bridges with Indigenous communities, and advanced Winnipeg’s first Newcomer Welcome and Inclusion Policy. His leadership continues to spark collective action, fostering belonging and equity across Manitoba.

Speaker at:
Ripple Effects: How U.S. Political Changes Influence Canada’s Asylum and Resettlement Landscape - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm
Building Federal – Provincial Cooperation to ensure Asylum with Dignity for Refugee Claimants - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Kathryn LeBlanc

Kathryn is a social impact communications expert and the CEO & Principal Consultant and founder of LeBlanc (& co.) Communications. Before starting her business, Kathryn led communications for several organizations, staffed political campaigns, and worked in media relations on Canada’s Parliament hill.

Now, Kathryn and her team serve clients on local, national, and international levels — exclusively in values-aligned fields such as gender justice, 2SLGBTQI rights, the settlement sector, social services, philanthropy, and more.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Kathryn now lives in Winnipeg, after previously living in Ottawa for over 10 years.

Speaker at:
‘We’re Better Together’ Training: How to Use the Messaging and Campaign - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Kari McCluskey

Kari McCluskey is the coordinator of the Vicarious Trauma and Resilience Initiative at Resilia Community Wellness Centre, a program providing training, consultation and peer support for service providers impacted by secondary trauma.

She advocates for integrated workplace wellness that helps sustain the many passionate people and teams in their work of caring, supporting and advocating others. Kari holds several certificates in trauma response including Harvard Medical School’s Global Mental Health: Trauma & Recovery; and a MA in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba.

Speaker at:
Collective Repair: Exercise for Sustainable Hope - Wednesday, November 19, 11am to 12:30pm

Kathleen Hadekel

Kathleen Hadekel is a Staff Lawyer at the Canada-US Border Rights Clinic, where she provides legal services to migrants in the United States interesting in seeking refugee protection at the Canadian border.

Her work focuses on assessing eligibility to make a claim at the border – including under the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) – and representing individuals who are denied entry to Canada under the STCA. Before joining the Border Rights Clinic in April 2025, Kathleen spent over a decade working as a refugee and immigration lawyer in private practice. She is a member of the Barreau du Québec and a non-practicing member of the New York State Bar.

Speaker at:
Ripple Effects: How U.S. Political Changes Influence Canada’s Asylum and Resettlement Landscape - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Kelly Ryan

Kelly Ryan is President of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. She is an experienced diplomat, attorney, and policymaker with 30 years of experience in refugee and asylum law, migration management, and human rights law and policy.

She is a two-time U.S. Presidential appointee under Presidents Bush and Obama who has also worked extensively with faith-based and other civil society organizations, international organizations and regional dialogues.

Kelly spent seven years as the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the State Department Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), three years as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Immigration & Border Security at Homeland Security, and six years as Director of the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Refugees and Asylum. She has a BA from Tulane University, a law degree from Georgetown University, and an LL.M. from Queens’ College, Cambridge University.

Speaker at:
Ripple Effects: How U.S. Political Changes Influence Canada’s Asylum and Resettlement Landscape - Tuesday, November 18, 1:30pm to 3pm

Michael Casasola

Michael Cassasola is a Senior Resettlement Officer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ottawa. He has been working with UNHCR since 2002 and prior was the Director of the R.C. Diocese of London - Refugee Office for eleven years.

He has written a number of articles on Canadian resettlement including “The Indochinese Refugee Movement and the Subsequent Evolution of UNHCR and Canadian Resettlement Selection Policies and Practices” in Refuge and co-authored “Canada's private sponsorship of refugees program: A practitioner’s perspective of its past and future” in the Journal of International Migration and Integration.

Speaker at:
Beyond the Broken System: Reimagining Protection Pathways in Canada - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Rachelle Anctil

Rachelle is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at World University Service of Canada (WUSC), where she is responsible for the organization’s Complementary Pathways for refugees work, including the flagship Student Refugee Program.

She has been a key member of the WUSC team since 2013, holding diverse roles across global program design and implementation. Rachelle's career is rooted in extensive international development experience, having worked and studied in Morocco, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, and Haiti. She also brings a background in Canadian public policy from her time at the Parliament of Canada and the Canadian International Development Agency. Rachelle holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in International Development and Political Science.

Speaker at:
Beyond the Broken System: Reimagining Protection Pathways in Canada - Wednesday, November 19, 9am to 10:30am

Karmel Chartrand

Details to come

Speaker at:
Building Federal – Provincial Cooperation to ensure Asylum with Dignity for Refugee Claimants - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Korey McKinnon

Korey McKinnon is acting Director General of the Temporary Workers Branch at Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, responsible for leading policy and program administration on the International Mobility Program, as well as co-leading the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) together with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Korey also holds deep expertise supporting regional immigration and labour market priorities across Canada. Prior to this role, Korey was Director of Regional Economic Policy and Programs, where he led program policy on the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), as well as launching innovative pilots such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) and the Rural and Norther Immigration Pilot (RNIP). Before joining IRCC, he held various positions across the Government of Canada, including at ESDC, where he led the development of the Global Talent Stream of the TFWP, Transport Canada and Public Safety.

Korey holds an undergraduate in Political Science from the University of Ottawa, as well as a Master's in Public Administration from Carleton University.

Speaker at:
Building Federal – Provincial Cooperation to ensure Asylum with Dignity for Refugee Claimants - Tuesday, November 18, 3:30pm to 5pm

Moderators

Susan Falodun

Details to come