Alex Buchel
Associate Professor, University of Western Ontario
Alex Buchel got his PhD from Cornell University (1999). He went on to do research at Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (University of California Santa Barbara) and Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics (University of Michigan) prior to joining Western University and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in 2003. His research efforts focus on understanding quantum properties of black holes and the origin of our Universe, as described by String Theory. Additionally, he is involved in developing analytical tools in String Theory that could shed new light on strong interactions of subatomic particles.
Ben Bolt-Martin
Principal Cello with London Symphonia, Musician, and Conductor.
Ben Bolt-Martin, Principal Cello with London Symphonia, is a founding member of INNERchamber, a chamber music series in Stratford. He has performed 20 seasons with the Stratford Festival of Canada, playing live and recording incidental music. Ben is a soloist with a special interest in new music, featured on the Juno-nominated recording Notes Towards. He arranges music for various artists including Ron Sexsmith and Dayna Manning, and teaches cello and chamber music at the University of Waterloo while conducting the London Youth Symphony.
Eric Janssen
Lecturer, Ivey Business School; Ivey New Venture Project Executive Director
Eric is an award-winning professor renowned for his sales expertise and entrepreneurial ventures in Canada and abroad. Eric has held multiple leadership and board positions at venture-backed, high-growth companies, including most recently as the CRO of Intellitix. He continues to shape the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a direct investor and advisor to multiple startups and as a limited partner at Stage 2 Capital. Eric's expertise and ventures have been featured on BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and The Ivey Business Journal
Ewan Raine
Astrophotographer - Medway High School
Ewan is an astrophotographer based in Arva, Ontario. For the past 2 years, he has integrated his love for the universe with his passion of photography to display the pure and awe-inspiring beauty of the cosmos. Ewan remains fascinated by the way in which we observe not only skies above, but the world around us. He will explore the ways in which photographic technology serves as an advanced extension of our own eyes, and the limitations of human perception.
Hafsa Choudhary
Poet, Portrait Photographer - London Central Secondary School
Hafsa is a high school senior who often uses her life experiences as inspiration to create poetry. Many of her works are inspired by her friends and how they influence her as a person. She is also extremely fond of photography and spends much of her time taking photos of friends and family. Hafsa will discuss the importance of harmony in friendships and how one's life experiences can shape the kinds of bonds they create with others.
Zoe Kinias
Associate Professor, Ivey Business School; John F. Wood Chair
Dr. Kinias is a distinguished, award-winning professor who has taught and held leadership positions at premier institutions worldwide, including INSEAD, Kellogg, and Ivey. Her research focuses on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), how it connects with identities, and interventions to enable everyone's success. Her research and expertise have been featured across renowned media outlets, including Forbes, the New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Harvard Business Review, and the Huffington Post.