Melissa F. Olson

Melissa F. Olson is an author working in the Urban Fantasy genere. She has published ten novels in her Old World series for 47North, three novellas for Tor.com, and a standalone mystery. Her journalism and academic work has been published in The International Journal of Comic Art, The La Crosse Tribune, U-Wire, Women on Writing.com, the compilation Images of the Modern Vampire, Litreactor.com, and Tor.com.

Beth Grixti

Beth Grixti is a volunteer with Muskoka Gift of Life, bringing information about organ donation to the public. She shares her understanding of what it means to donate using her own experience as an anonymous live liver donor.

Erin Dixon

Rising out of the power of Iniskim, Buffalo Mountain and flowing sacred waters, Erin Dixon is faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and works together with leading change makers, life promoters and system transformers through offerings of Truth and Reconciliation through Right Relations and Wise Practices for Indigenous Leaders.

Emma Reynolds

Emma Reynolds is a performer and songwriter.

Risha Yorke

Risha Yorke is a leadership and business development coach. In addition to her business and individual work, she runs a bootcamp for teenage women to help build the potential of the next generation of leaders.

Yvonne Heath

Yvonne Heath is a registered nurse who focuses on transforming our relationship with grief so that we can all live a more fulfilling life.

Nancy Osborne

Nancy Osborne is a former United Nations security advisor, and was one of the first women in a formerly male-only branch of the Canadian Forces. Today, Nancy instructs women on dealing with bullying and harrasment in the workplace and in their personal lives.

Ligaya Byrch

Ligaya Byrch is a Community Innovator and Entrepreneur who is focused on supporting programs and services in the Orillia area. She is one of the authors of the book Queering Social Work Education.

Bob McDonald

The host of Quirks & Quarks is Bob McDonald. One of Canada's best known science journalists, Bob has been presenting the program since 1992. Bob is also a regular science commentator on CBC News Network, and science correspondent for CBC-TV's The National. Before joining Quirks & Quarks, Bob was the host of CBC Television's children's science program Wonderstruck. He is also the author of two books based on the program Wonderstruck I and II.

Bob's latest book is Canadian Spacewalkers was published. It was also shortlisted for CSWA Book Award.

Bob has been personally honoured for his contributions to the public awareness of science with the 2001 Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, from NSERC; the 2002 Sandford Fleming Medal from The Royal Canadian Institute; and in 2005, the McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science from the Royal Society of Canada — completing the 'triple crown' of medals for science communication in Canada. In 2010, Bob was named as an honorary life member of the Sigma Xi Society, the first Canadian to be so honoured by America's oldest scientific body.

And in November, 2011, Bob was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Charles Pachter

One of Canada’s leading contemporary artists, Charles Pachter is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, designer, historian, and lecturer. His iconic pop images of the queen, moose, and maple leaf flag celebrate Canada’s cultural heritage with wit and whimsy.

Pachter’s contributions to Canadian culture have been recognized with honorary doctorates from Brock University, OCAD University, and the University of Toronto. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of Ontario, a Chevalier of France’s Order of Arts and Letters and a recipient of the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals.

Pachter studied at the University of Toronto, the Sorbonne, and at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in the USA. His work has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the McMichael Gallery. He has held solo exhibitions in France, Germany, Japan, the UK, India, and Bangladesh. He is represented in public and private collections around the world.