Theme: You Choose!

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Chancellor Day Hall (Moot Court)
3644 Peel Street
Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1W9
Canada

Alina Gutierrez Mejia

Alina Gutierrez is the founder of Visual Versa, and a speaker, creative consultant, and Visual Notes taker. Alina’s collaborations vary from designing creative interventions to being part of the collaborative process to develop community initiatives and digital products. She is pursuing her Doctoral studies at Concordia University and her research explores “The effects of visual tools on facilitation to create behavior change in communities and organizations.”

Flore Deshayes

Hailing from France originally, she has made Canada her home for the past 6 years. A dedicated social worker and mindfulness meditation instructor, her career has encompassed working with indigenous communities and engaging with diverse cultures across continents. Join her at TEDx as she shares insights from her global experiences in promoting well-being and mindfulness, and will talk about the power of silence.

Kira Dolhan

Kira is a master’s student who studies patients in the intensive care unit diagnosed with coma or disorder of consciousness. Her work involves recording electroencephalography (EEG) from these patients and applying various computational neuroscience techniques (e.g., quantifying brain functional connectivity) to the data, with the aim of improving patient diagnosis and prognostication. In addition to her studies, she has volunteered with search and rescue (SAR) organizations for the past three and a half years. She began volunteering for Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue in Victoria (British Columbia), where she was elected as Training Officer, and thus organized the marine SAR curriculum and training for our station. Since moving to Montreal, she has volunteered with the land-based urban and rural Pointe-Claire Volunteer Rescue Unit.

Leila Kosseim

Leila Kosseim is a professor in the Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE) Department at Concordia University in Montreal specialising in the area of Natural Language Processing. She obtained her PhD from the University of Montreal in 1995 on the topic of Natural Language Generation. Between 1995 and 1997, she obtained an NSERC Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship and worked on the development of the Antidote Software at Druide informatique inc. From 1998 to 2001, she served as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Montreal within the RALI group. In 2001, she joined Concordia, and co-founded the CLaC lab (Computational Linguistics @Concordia). Leila had the honor to serve as Vice-President (2017-2019), President (2019-2021) and Past-President (2021-2023) of the Canadian AI Association (CAIAC).

Myra Virgil

As a philanthropy advisor by day, Myra is responsible for building a permanent community asset for Bermuda, seeking social investment opportunities that improve the quality of life for residents and helping individuals, families and businesses establish legacy funds that align with their philanthropic missions. A social worker by profession trained and educated in Canada, she held senior management positions with the Bermuda Government, the Government of Quebec’s Department of Youth Protection and The Atlantic Philanthropies, a global philanthropic foundation. Myra has also served as Board Chair for several nonprofits and as an associate lecturer in Special Care Counseling at Vanier College in Montreal.

Peggy Bell

With over 15 years of experience in the mining industry, Peggy Bell is a renowned leader in communications, business development, and innovation. Her contributions have driven strategic growth and reshaped talent attraction within the sector. Peggy's expertise in leading diverse teams and achieving key performance indicators has been demonstrated through her senior roles in multi-national STEM organizations. As a respected speaker, Peggy has shared her insights on organizational strategies and sustainability at prestigious events. Her volunteer work with STEM-focused organizations further highlights her commitment to the industry's future. Focusing on creating a sector with trusted data-driven communications and focusing on talent advocacy, Peggy Bell is a trusted authority in the mining industry, offering valuable perspectives on its potential for positive transformation.