Meet our speakers!

Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell is the Nominated Principal Investigator for DIVERT Mental Health, a Full Professor of Psychology at York University, Tier 1 York Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health, and Honorary Professor at University College London (UK). Her innovative program of research has provided foundational norms for the development of infant pain responses within the context of the caregiver. Her newest program of research takes an innovative step forward in the exploration of using artificial intelligence to move the practice of infant pain assessment forward in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. She is an award-winning mentor passionate about nurturing the next generation of pain researchers and mental health professionals. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College and a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Dr. Ruth Green is a Co-Principal Investigator of DIVERT Mental Health. Dr. Green is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at York University. She has served as the co-chair of the Indigenous Council at York University and the Special Advisor to the President on Indigenous Initiatives. Green identifies as an urban Indigenous person and is a citizen of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is from the Mohawk Nation and is a member of the Turtle Clan. She was born a Canadian but was 1/2 disenfranchised when she was 10 years old. By the time she was 34.5 years old she was completely disenfranchised. She acknowledges the privileges she gets in a world of identity politics to be governed by legislation that is 100 years older than she is! She also acknowledges her paternal Celtic heritage Green likes to think about Indigenous education and social issues that impact Indigenous communities

Laureen (Blu) Waters: Istchii Nikamoon: Earth Song, Wolf clan. Cree/Metis/Micmac, Blu is a member of the Metis Nation of Ontario. Blu’s family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve and Bra’dor Lake, Eskasoni First Nations, Cape Breton Nova Scotia, and the Red River. They grew up with their grandmother and learned about traditional medicines, learning healing methods, and care for the sick. Their grandmother also shared her knowledge of the great teachings. Blu is currently working at Seneca College as an Elder on campus providing traditional teachings and one-to-one counseling. Blu spent 2.5 years working for the National Inquiry for Murdered and Missing Women as a Grandmother to Commissioner Brian Eyelfson and sits on the Grandmother Circle. They sits on the Thunder Women Healing Lodge as a Director of the Board. Blu also sits as the Ontario representative for Metis people with 2 Spirits In Motion Board. Blu also provides ceremony, teaching, and counseling for 2 Spirit People of the First Nations, in Toronto. and was the national caucus representative for the Toronto Urban Aboriginal strategies for five years working with the community of Toronto and the government. They are also a graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology receiving their business software micro-computer architecture and A+ certification. Blu’s gifts include: Traditional teachings, giving traditional spirit names, hand drumming, songwriter, creative writings, and full moon conductor. Pipe ceremonies and sweat lodge ceremonies and traditional counseling. Blu is a 2 spirit person, a mother of 3, a grandmother of 3, a sun dancer, and a pipe carrier.

Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych., is Anishinawbe (Ojibway), and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation). He is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University, and NOSMU, Clinical Psychologist at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is also Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research. Dr. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, with expertise in interventions for mental health and addiction in First Nations children, adolescents, and adults.

Prof. Rita Orji is a Canada Research Chair in Persuasive Technology and a Computer Science Professor at Dalhousie University, Canada where she directs the Persuasive Computing Lab. Her research at the intersection of technology and human behaviour focuses on designing interactive technologies to empower people, improve lives, and contribute to solving many societal problems. Specifically, technologies that integrate into people’s daily lives and support them to achieve various self-improvement goals. She applies her work to tackle real-life problems in various domains including improving a wide range of health and wellness objectives such as mental health, healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, sexual and other health risk behaviours. She is a recognized STEM diversity ambassador who is passionate about inspiring the next generation of youths and female tech leaders, promoting research excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM. Prof. Orji also consults and serves as a board member for many agencies.

Dr. Steven Stein is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, international best-selling author and sought-after speaker, and founder and Executive Chair of Multi-Health Systems (MHS), a publisher of scientifically validated assessments for over 40 years, which has been named a three-time winner of Profit 100 (fastest growing companies in Canada), one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2013, and Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures (2016, Waterstone).

A leading expert on psychological assessment and emotional intelligence, he has consulted with military and government agencies, including the Canadian Forces, U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, special units of the Pentagon, FBI Academy, as well as corporate organizations, including American Express, Air Canada, Canyon Ranch, Coca-Cola (Mexico), and professional sports teams.

Dr. Stein co-authored Hardiness: Making Stress Work for You to Achieve Your Life Goals and is the author of The EQ Leader and Emotional Intelligence for Dummies. He also co-authored the international best-seller The EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Success and wrote Make Your Workplace Great: The 7 Keys to an Emotionally Intelligent Organization.

Dr. Stein currently teaches at the Directors College, an Executive Program from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, Canada. He is a past Chairperson of the Psychology Foundation of Canada. He is a former assistant professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Toronto and a former adjunct professor of psychology at York University in Toronto. He is a past President of the Ontario Psychological Association and a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Dr. Ryan Todd is both a practicing psychiatrist and an entrepreneur. While passionate about psychiatry, Ryan was disheartened by the system’s backlog and the barriers to accessing mental health care. This led him to the tech industry, where he founded headversity with the goal of eliminating these barriers. The platform combines the knowledge of mental health professionals with the innovation of Ed Tech specialists, positioning headversity as a groundbreaking solution that sets new standards for mental health in the workplace.

Beyond his professional achievements, Ryan has earned accolades for his research and thought leadership in the field. However, he most cherishes his titles as World Bunnock Champion, self-appointed Beer-League Hockey MVP, and, above all, a devoted dad to two wonderful children.

Kwe! Annie Pullen Sansfacon yiatsih. Wendat endi’.

I hold a PhD in Ethics and Social Work (De Montfort University, UK, 2007) and have been interested in anti-oppressive approaches and ethics since the very beginning of my career. Based on these themes, I have developed a line of research aimed at better understanding the experiences of oppression and resistance of trans children and young people and their families, and I am working to develop best practices to support them. I’m involved in a number of national and international research projects, and I’m co-founder of Transgender Children Canada. Finally, I am a research associate at the School of Social Work at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Wren Ariel Gould is a 3rd year PhD student at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. They leverage critical theory, critical political economy, and queer theory/trans studies in considering LGBT mental health, with their research addressing this vital intersection (i.e. trans mental healthcare, anti-trans health legislation) from a critical psychiatry lens. Their research is informed by 9 years as a mental health service provider, having additionally served as a clinical social worker from 2012-2021 in psychiatric settings (i.e. residential, forensic, and traditional out-patient) in San Francisco, CA and Philadelphia, PA, usually drawing from models empowering mental health service users (i.e. Recovery Model, trauma-informed practices) and implementing blended psychotherapeutic approaches (i.e. person-centred, DBT, CBT).

Sue McWilliam (she/her) PhD completed her doctoral and postdoctoral work at Dalhousie University in the Interdisciplinary Health Program (Health Administration, Health Promotion and Sociology). Sue is the Research and Evaluation Lead for Trauma Informed and Integrated Care and Trauma-Specific Treatment at IWK Health. Her work and research focus on building and evaluating trauma informed and integrated care-based organizations, program and resource development, trauma specific treatment, substance use, advocating for first voice and community-led research, whole person care, and the social determinants of health. Outside of work, Sue loves her family, their dogs, yoga, art, baking, and reading.

Tonya Grant (she/her) MSW, RSW, PhD[c] has 28 years of experience working in mental health and addictions (MHA) and child welfare. After completing her MSW at the Dalhousie School of Social Work (DSSW), she worked as a Clinical Social Worker in the areas of community MHA, family therapy, inpatient MHA, complex case, and clinical leadership. Tonya is the IWK Provincial Clinical Lead for Trauma-Informed Care for Child/Youth MHA and she has trained over 2,000 professionals in trauma-informed practice. She teaches as a part time instructor at the DSSW and she is completing her PhD in Health at Dalhousie focusing on adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed/specific practice.

Dan is s Strategic Foresight expert, UX Designer, Teacher and Writer who works across a variety of industries building unique products from a human-centered perspective. Dan has a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University, his thesis was on developing a human-centered framework for AI. He is also a member of York University’s design faculty, teaching a variety of courses including Designing for Future Systems and Unpacking the Interface. At IBM, he utilizes his design and foresight experience to future-proof his clients products.

Manisha is a Conversational UX Designer and a Product Designer with 10+ years of experience across healthcare, financial services and customer service voice and chat solutions. She graduated in Product Design from National Institute of Design, India and worked on health-monitoring wearables and consumer products. There after, she moved to Toronto and specialized in voice user interfaces during her masters in Digital Futures at OCAD University. At IBM, her practice includes designing UX and AI-enabled enterprise solutions.

A recently graduate from the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto, Nicole specializes in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Her passion for innovation and technology led her to IBM, where she currently works as a Software Developer for IBM Concert. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she is actively involved in a robotics group that leverages AI to showcase new technologies and inspire the next generation of students to pursue careers in STEM

Emilee Ann is an eleven-year-old Jingle Dress/Fancy Shawl/Hoop Dancer. Emilee Ann is Pottawatomi and from the Thunderbird Clan. She is originally from the Wiikwemikoong Unceded Territory located on Manitoulin Island (Miidoo Miising). Emilee Ann loves dancing, arts, traveling, loves being with family, attending ceremonies (Sweat Lodge, Sunrise ceremonies and others), and loves her pets (2 guinea pigs and 2 birds). Emilee Ann began dancing at 3 years old and shortly after her regalia was created her Auntie Peggy and mom, Sara coordinated her Coming Out Ceremony in 2016. She has traveled across Ontario to participate and compete at different pow wows. She was a Champion Fancy Shawl dancer at the age of 4 years old, and a year later she found her love for hoop dancing after asking her mom to buy her first set of hoops at a pow wow. In 2024, Emilee Ann was gifted a jingle dress from Mariette Sutherland, who recognized her strengths as a pow wow dancer and knew she could continue to bring healing to her family and community as a Jingle Dress Dancer. Emilee Ann is represented by a Vancouver based talent agency, Ignite Artists. Her work in the film and television industry is starting to blossom as she auditions on a continuous basis

Sara Pitawanakwat is originally from the Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island (Midoo Miising). She is from the Thunderbird clan. Sara is a mother to two children, Alwyn, and Emilee Ann.

Sara walks a life where ceremonies are a part of her family’s everyday good living (Mino Biimadazawin). Sara has a deep connection to her Indigenous way of life that was instilled in her by her mother Charlottebaa, grandmother Leona, sister Peggy and countless Elders over many decades. Her cultural and identity were almost lost after Sara and her siblings were placed in non-Indigenous foster parents at the height of the Sixties Scoop.

Today, Sara is dedicated to learning ceremonies, protocols, teachings and medicines from various Elders that she is a “helper” too. Learning the Anishinabemowin language is also an everyday task, as it is a goal of hers to one day be a fluent speaker like her parents.

Sara has been employed with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) since 2008, where she manages and supports numerous provincial programs. The programs she supports are grounded in cultural and health supports for Indigenous peoples in urban settings across Ontario. Sara enjoys her position at OFIFC as it allows her to stay connected to the workers and the Friendship Centres. Sara is an alumni of the Indigenous Studies program at Laurentian University and holds a diploma from Canadore College.  Sara loves making her daughters regalia, worldwide traveling, cheering on the Blue Jays and Raptors, spending time with her family and watching a good movie with her children.