KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

RIAZ MEGHJI, Human Connection & Leadership Expert  (Sponsored by the Municipal Finance Authority of BC)

Long before the era of “quiet quitting”, loneliness was a social pandemic in our society. In an age of polarization, disconnection, and shallow substitutes for real relationships, every leader needs to know how to build and maintain meaningful relationships with our teams and those we serve in our hybrid reality. 

With years of experience interviewing established leaders in business, entertainment, and innovation, audiences will gain the following insights:

• Spark real, authentic conversations to make meaningful connections, personally and professionally.
• Earn trust and build inclusive cultures, as you listen without distraction and make your small talk bigger.
• De-escalate conflict and collaborate effectively by leading with assertive empathy.
• Craft and tell compelling stories that will motivate your audience to take action.
• Explore the questions that create breakthrough moments in any conversation.

This engaging experience is a candid and far-ranging look at how creative conversations can help you reinvent yourself, re-energize your team, and further your success. 

DOUG GRIFFITHS, Community Strategist & Best-Selling Author  

We all know the adage: if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you’re going to go far, go together. We see the value of cooperating, yet we don’t. Instead, we outright refuse to work together because of illogical reasoning and irrational fears. And so we stand alone, we feel safer, and yet our communities shrink, and our economies die. This presentation will utilize humorous stories and blunt truth as it takes you through the myths of cooperation held by the public, administration, and community. In addition, it will show you the best places to start working together, and just how good it can be to collaborate and cooperate.