2026 Events

Dr. Brenda Lau is a dual-fellowship anesthesiologist, pain specialist, and hypnotherapist who has spent over 25 years helping people heal when medicine alone isn’t enough. A pioneer in Pain Medicine in Canada and the founder of Changepain — the country’s largest accredited interdisciplinary pain and rehab clinic — she and her team have guided more than 65,000 people toward recovery.

A recognized leader in pain-care standards, system advocacy, and education, Dr. Lau’s mission began in childhood, watching her parents endure poverty and pain in silence and realizing, “There is more to them than what I see.” Decades later, as both physician and patient navigating cancer, osteoporosis, and menopause, she transformed adversity into frameworks for healing that unite science, mind mastery, compassion, and lived experience.

Witnessing how words shape biology and results, she invites everyone to ignite the largest global health transformation — beginning with women and empowering all to age strong together.

Darren is a purpose-driven leader, strategy and business transformation specialist who helps organizations build strategic agility for a fast-moving world. Beginning his career as a lawyer in the U.K., he has spent the past two decades as a management consultant leading large-scale transformation programs across multiple industries. A published author, accredited trainer, and university professor, Darren has also served on boards for over a decade and is a former TEC Canada CEO Chair.

Passionate about the rise of emerging technologies and specifically Artificial Intelligence, Darren offers an optimistic yet grounded view of their potential. He challenges today’s leaders to look beyond traditional thinking and consider how these tools can be harnessed to amplify – rather than replace – human potential.

When not transforming organizations or inspiring students, you can find him practicing handstands or Animal Flow, learning cello or spending time with his wife and four children.

Hargun is an award-winning University of British Columbia student, community health advocate, and founder of Age Strong Unity Wellness Society—the world’s first youth-led, culturally tailored fitness nonprofit for seniors.

What began with a few dumbbells in a Surrey park now empowers hundreds of South Asian elders each week through free exercise classes that foster belonging, movement, and joy. His work—now expanding across Canada—redefines inclusion by centering those most often overlooked.

Hargun has also co-founded youth mentorship and global health projects, established medical clinics in rural India, and contributed to research on culturally relevant physical activity for immigrant women. With over 7,600+ volunteer hours and national recognition for leadership, he continues to champion empathy-driven, community-rooted solutions that prove lasting change starts with inclusion by design.

A recent graduate of Fraser Heights Secondary, Jerry isn’t afraid to say that he’s a “proud mandarin orange.” Once pressured to give up piano because of stereotypes, Jerry has realized that strength doesn’t come from rejecting labels but from redefining and embracing them for their personal significance.

Since reconciling with his stereotypes, Jerry has performed with the Coquitlam Youth Orchestra and Ambleside Orchestra, competed in international piano competitions, and received the RCM National Gold Medal for the best Associate Diploma performance in Canada.

Jerry believes that true self-worth comes from community. He founded the Grace Notes Initiative, a student music society that connects volunteer performers with senior care homes and wellness societies. Outside of music, Jerry channels the same passion into high school debate and contest mathematics, fostering inclusive and confident club communities while coaching his students to success at national-level competitions.

Jessi is the #1 best-selling author of How To Heal: A Practical Guide to Nine Integrative Therapies That Can Help Release Trauma. She is a crisis mental health clinician with two law enforcement agencies and three fire departments in Washington and a negotiator with the Region 1 SWAT team.

Named a 2020 “Young Entrepreneur to Watch” by IdeaMensch, Jessi has spoken on suicide prevention and peer support to thousands of people around the world and has been featured in over 200 media outlets. She holds master’s degrees in critical psychology and human services from Prescott College and in military psychology and terrorism from Adler University.

Jessi believes that polarization kills human connection and that the best solutions are reached by combining opposite perspectives to foster creativity and empathy. Outside of her professional life, she is a competitive obstacle course racer and proud dog mom to her pup, Phoebe.

Karina is a fitness and nutrition coach, author of five books, and vegan of 23 years. She and her team lead award-winning online coaching programs that help vegans worldwide build strength and health habits they’ll still hold at the age of 103.

Karina hosts The No-B.S. Vegan podcast, ranked in the global top 1% and syndicated on radio, sharing evidence-based conversations that debunk myths and celebrate the power of vegan living. She has also been profiled by CNBC, HuffPost, Healthline, Livestrong and Bustle. She holds a Master’s degree in gerontology, specializing in health and aging.

Karina’s work reframes veganism as abundance: a creative, joyful way to live in alignment with our values and care for a thriving planet. She believes that plant-based eating isn’t about restriction, but about creativity, connection, and compassion. Outside of coaching and podcasting, Karina performs and teaches accordion, didgeridoo, and piano. 

Kim Foster is a former family physician turned entrepreneur, author, and identity-based wellness expert. After two decades in medicine, she recognized that true transformation doesn’t come from another prescription or habit — it comes from changing the story you tell yourself about who you are.

Today, she leads a global online academy, hosts a YouTube channel with more than 170,000 subscribers, and helps people around the world reinvent their lives from the inside out. Through her work, Kim bridges science, psychology, and lived experience to empower people to upgrade their inner blueprint for change.

Her mission is to shift the global conversation about personal growth and wellness — away from habits and hacks, and toward identity and self-concept — because when you change who you believe you are, you change everything.

Laura is a preeminent human rights attorney whose three decades of landmark free speech victories have become an urgent call to action. As partner and head of Haynes Boone’s media law group, she’s forged protections that matter—leading coalitions to enact anti-SLAPP protections and shaping global safeguards against abusive lawsuits. Her accolades include the American Lawyer’s inaugural Tony Mauro Media Lawyer Award and a top national ranking in Chambers USA.

But when her personal and professional worlds collided, everything crystallized. Laura discovered that free speech doesn’t just vanish through dramatic censorship—it erodes through subtle, daily threats we all face.

Now, this 2022 Fulbright Scholar and board-certified appellate specialist offers more than legal expertise. She brings a message of hope, providing a roadmap for resilience and revealing how ordinary people can recognize emerging dangers and act decisively to protect both individual voices and democracy itself—before it’s too late.

From Wall Street to the world’s tallest peaks, Lei Wang has learned that greatness isn’t forged in moments of thrill—it’s built through steady, intentional pursuit.

A Wharton-trained former finance professional turned leadership strategist, Lei became the first Asian woman to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam—climbing the highest peak on every continent and skiing to both the North and South Poles.

Her journey taught her that true transformation happens not when we achieve big goals, but in who we become along the way. Today, she helps leaders and organizations achieve their own “seemingly impossible” by turning challenge into growth and ambition into purpose.

Matt is a mindset mentor and certified coach who has been helping hundreds of individuals unlock their potential since 2014. Named one of the Top 20 Life Coaches by The New York Journal, Matthew is known for his action-oriented approach and his ability to help people transform stress, self-doubt, and inconsistency into confidence, clarity, and intentional living.

As the creator of transformational programs such as UNSTUCK, Momentum Mastermind, Success Principles, and The Modern Man Project, Matthew combines timeless philosophy with proven strategies that are grounded in scientific research. His approach makes personal growth practical, sustainable, and results driven.

As a young man, Matthew experienced the profound impact of a mentor-mentee relationship and now champions mentorship as a vital tool to help young men find confidence, purpose, direction, and meaning.

Matthew lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with his wife and two young sons, where he continues to inspire others to live with purpose, power, and momentum.

Meghan is an award-winning nonprofit leader, storyteller, and systems thinker, redefining how dignity and equity influence social infrastructure in our communities.

With over 20 years in the charitable sector, her work blends lived experience with strategic vision, turning adversity into advocacy and impact. Her efforts range from policy reform to picture books, always rooted in the belief that support networks should reflect the people they serve.

Through personal loss and professional milestones, Meghan’s evolving purpose has shaped not only her own healing, but the spaces and systems she’s worked to improve. She invites others to challenge the idea that life’s purpose must not be fixed – and instead, embrace its evolution through life’s seasons

Dr. Vanessa Lapointe is a mom, parenting educator, best-selling author, international speaker, and a regularly invited media guest. She holds a doctoral degree in psychology, and practiced as a psychologist for nearly 20 years, before devoting her full-time energy to connecting with parents and other “big people” around the globe in 2023.

Founder of The North Star Developmental Clinic, Dr. Vanessa has long been supporting families and children in her developmental clinic alongside her team and has previous experience in community mental health and the school system.

Dr. Vanessa is known for bringing a sense of nurturing understanding and humanity to all of her work. Her passion is in walking alongside parents, teachers, care providers, and other big people to really see the world through the child’s eyes. She believes that if we can do this, we are beautifully positioned to grow up our children in the best possible way.

MARKETING MANAGER

Meet Tracy, our Marketing Manager, who joined the Leadership Team in 2023. With 20 years in Software Support and a knack for diverse creative roles, from web design to photography, Tracy’s journey is a blend of skills. As her son Richard affectionately puts it, she’s a “Jack of all trades, Master of whatever she puts her mind to.” Tracy enjoys being part of TEDxSurrey’s professional and collaborative environment. Her varied talents make her a valuable asset to our team.