Claudette Commanda

Chancellor, University of Ottawa

Claudette Commanda is an Algonquin Anishinabe from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation located in the province of Quebec. An alumna of the University of Ottawa faculties of Law and Arts, Claudette has dedicated the last 35 years promoting First Nations people, history, culture and rights in various capacities as a University of Ottawa student, professor, member and chair of the Aboriginal education council, and via public speaking events.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres, a national organization that protects and promotes First Nations culture, languages and traditional knowledge. She is also the CEO of Maclean Day Schools Settlement Corporation. Ms. Commanda has taught at the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Women’s Studies, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law and the Indigenous Studies Program, teaching courses on First Nations Women, Native Education, First Nations People and History, Indigenous Traditions and Decolonization. She was inducted into the Common Law Honour Society, served two terms on the Board of Governors for the First Nations University of Canada and three terms on the Kitigan Zibi band council.

In 2017, Claudette was the first appointed First Nation Elder in Residence for the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, and the first person of a First Nation heritage to be complete a full term on the Board of Governors for the University of Ottawa. She was also the Special Adviser on Reconciliation, for the Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean, Faculty of Law (Common Law Section). Claudette is a proud mother of four and a grandmother of 10.

In March 2020, Claudette received the 2020 Indspire Award for culture, heritage, and spirituality.

Erin Bonokoski

Partner, Crestview Strategy

Erin brings more than a decade of senior strategic communications, campaign and public affairs experience in both the public and private sectors. She provides critical insight working across all government departments to influence decision makers and implement results-driven campaigns.

Erin was most recently the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Health Standards Organization and Accreditation Canada, two global not-for-profit healthcare organizations dedicated to quality and safety in 38 countries.

Previously, Erin served as Director of Strategic Communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper overseeing all proactive government communications including events, announcements, legislation, and policies. Erin was also the Manager of Operations for the 2015 election Leader’s tour.

Erin holds certifications in Strategic Communications and Change from the University of Ottawa and from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2). She earned degrees in Political Studies (Honours) and History (Honours) from Trent University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations and Communications from Humber College.

David Coletto

CEO, Abacus Data

David Coletto is Founder, Chair & CEO of Abacus Data, a full-service market research and strategy firm based in Ottawa and Toronto. With twenty years of experience, David founded Abacus 14 years ago. Since then, David has become one of Canada’s most respected pollsters, sought after to provide analysis on politics, the labour market and consumer behaviour.  

He earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2010 and is an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He is the host and producer of inFocus with David Coletto, a podcast that explores the intersection of public opinion, politics, public policy and consumer behaviour. In January 2024, the Hill Times newspaper named David one of Canada’s top 100 most influential people in Canadian politics.

Karim Bardeesy

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Elected in April 2025, Karim Bardeesy is the Member of Parliament for Taiaiako’n-Parkdale-High Park, representing the Liberal Party. He has also been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, where he works to advance innovation, economic growth and opportunity for Canadians.

A lifelong public servant, Karim has dedicated his career to building a more inclusive and prosperous Canada. He co-founded and led the Dais, a national public policy and leadership institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, focused on forward-thinking work in technology, education and democratic renewal.

Previously, Karim served as Deputy Principal Secretary to Premier Kathleen Wynne and Executive Director of Policy under Premiers Wynne and Dalton McGuinty, leading transformative policy initiatives on infrastructure, student support and pensions. He ran as the Ontario Liberal candidate in Parkdale—High Park in 2022.

Karim began his career in journalism, working as a columnist for The Toronto Star and as an editorial writer and business reporter at The Globe and Mail and Slate in New York.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School, and has taught leadership at the University of Toronto’s School of Public Policy and Governance.

Karim lives in Roncesvalles Village with his wife and two children. The son of immigrants from Egypt and England, he was raised in Bathurst, New Brunswick.

The Honourable Patty Hajdu

Minister of Jobs and Families

The Honourable Patty Hajdu was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North in 2015. Since her election, she has served as Minister of Status of Women, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Minister of Health, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, and is currently the Minister for Jobs and Families, and Minister responsible for FedNor.

Highlights of her ministerial work include launching the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls; establishing a National Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence; creating legislation to protect federal workers from harassment and violence in the workplace; modernizing the Federal Labour Code; establishing pay equity legislation for federal workers; leading Canada’s efforts through the COVID-19 pandemic; and supporting Indigenous Peoples of Canada as they work to heal their communities from the impacts of colonialism. She has also led efforts to ensure an independent and well-funded FedNor and championed the success of many regional projects through federal funding approvals, including housing, arts and culture and major infrastructure.

Before entering politics, Patty served as the Executive Director of Shelter House Thunder Bay, launching the SOS Street Outreach Service. Her previous roles focused on public health, drug policy, youth development and homelessness. Her core values centre around compassion, equity and the conviction that Canada is stronger when everyone has a fair chance to succeed.

Known for her honest and direct advocacy on behalf of her constituents and stakeholders, Patty focuses on improving opportunities, strengthening relationships and healing systemic issues at a grassroots level. She believes that each and every one of us has the power to make our communities stronger, fairer and kinder.

Catherine Clark

Co-Founder, The Honest Talk

Catherine Clark is a nationally respected broadcaster, emcee, and Co-Founder of The Honest Talk, an online platform which includes a popular podcast featuring conversations with some of Canada’s most remarkable women. 

Catherine is also the President of Catherine Clark Communications and Special Advisor to Syntax Strategic, providing communications counsel to individuals and corporations. 

Deeply committed to community service, Catherine has served on numerous boards of directors and currently sits on the Board of Governors of The Ottawa Hospital and the Board of Directors of Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. 

Darrell Bricker

CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs

Prior to joining Ipsos in 1990, Dr. Bricker was Director of Research in the office of Canada’s Prime Minister. He was also a research consultant with firms in Ottawa and Toronto. 

Dr. Bricker holds a PhD in Political Science from Carleton University and a BA and MA from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by Wilfrid Laurier University, which named him one of their top 100 graduates in the last 100 years. Darrell is also a Senior Research Fellow with the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo, Ontario.  

Darrell has written several national bestselling books. Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline (with John Ibbitson) was a finalist for the Donner Prize. It has been published in multiple countries and translated into ten languages. His last book, Next (Harper Collins, March 2020), was nominated as Canada’s Business Book of the Year. 

His other books are:  Searching for Certainty: Inside the New Canadian Mindset (with Ed Greenspon – Doubleday, 2002), What Canadians Think About Almost Everything (with John Wright – Doubleday, 2005), We Know What You’re Thinking (with John Wright – Harper Collins, 2009), Canuckology (with John Wright – Harper Collins, 2011) and The Big Shift (with John Ibbitson – Harper Collins, 2013).

John Ibbitson

Writer-at-Large, Ottawa Bureau, The Globe and Mail

John Ibbitson is Writer-at-Large for the Globe and Mail, having also served as Chief Political Writer, Political Affairs Columnist and Bureau Chief in Washington and Ottawa. His previous political books include the national number-one bestselling The Big Shift (with Darrell Bricker), The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream and Open and Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper. A winner of the Governor General’s Award, Ibbitson has been shortlisted for the Donner Prize, the National Newspaper Award, the Trillium Award and the City of Toronto Book Award. Ibbitson was a finalist for the B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-fiction and won the 2015 Writer’s Trust of Canada Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. 

Nathalie Laporte

Executive Director, Canadian Association of Business Officers (CAUBO)

Nathalie Laporte is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in higher education administration. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), she currently serves as Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), where she leads the development and execution of national strategies, programs and services that directly support senior administrators across Canada’s universities. Under her leadership, CAUBO has grown into a collaborative hub for evidence-based decision-making, sector benchmarking and strategic capacity building, working in partnership with national and regional associations and academic leaders.

Nathalie leads a national team of 16 and coordinates a network of over 100 volunteers to deliver high-impact data, research and professional development tailored to the evolving needs of the sector. She has played a critical role in positioning CAUBO as a key resource on financial sustainability and institutional effectiveness — issues that are increasingly central to universities’ strategic planning efforts. She currently serves on the Board of Governors of Carleton University, where she sits on the Finance, Audit and Risk, and Building Program Committees and is also a member of Senate. In addition, she sits on the Advisory Board of CURIE (Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange), a key player in institutional risk management.

To support her governance contributions, Nathalie recently completed a micro-certificate in Governance in Canadian Universities from the University of Manitoba and is currently pursuing the Corporate Director designation at Université Laval to further her expertise in public sector board governance. Deeply committed to the long-term vitality of Canada’s higher education institutions, Nathalie brings a cross-sector perspective and practical insight into how institutions can adapt, collaborate and thrive in an era of constrained resources and rising expectations. 

Benjamin Bergen

President, Council of Canadian Innovators

Benjamin Bergen is the President of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a national, non-partisan business council for the 21^st century economy, led by over 150 CEOs of Canada’s fastest growing homegrown technology scale-ups. CCI is focused on optimizing the growth of Canada’s innovation-based sector and Benjamin leads the execution of its ambitious economic development agenda.  

Cathy McCallion

Director, Stakeholder & Community Relations, Ross Video

Cathy is the Director of Stakeholder & Community Relations at Ross Video, where she serves as a connector between the company and its broader ecosystem of partners, governments, academic institutions and economic development associations. In this role, Cathy leads strategic initiatives that highlight Ross’s proudly Canadian-made innovation, strengthen its global reputation as an employer of choice and foster meaningful relationships that drive long-term growth. 

With over 20 years of experience in the recruitment industry, Cathy co-owned a local technical consulting firm until it was sold in 2014. Over the course of her career, she has collaborated with a wide range of Ottawa’s technology companies — from start-ups to established players — as well as crown corporations and federal government departments. 

Cathy’s passion lies in forging meaningful partnerships between educators, community leaders and industry, helping to create opportunities for collaboration, talent development, and inclusive growth. 

Carol Christ

Chancellor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley

Carol Christ began her term as the 11th Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley on July 1, 2017 and retired as Chancellor Emerita on June 28, 2024. A celebrated scholar of Victorian literature, Christ is also well known as an advocate for quality, accessible public higher education, a proponent of the value of a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences and a champion of women’s issues and diversity on college campuses.

Christ spent more than three decades as a professor and administrator at UC Berkeley before serving as President of Smith College from 2002-2013.  On her return to Berkeley, she served as Director of the Center for Studies in Higher Education and then as Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost before being appointed as Chancellor.  She received her BA from Douglass College and her PhD from Yale University.  She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.