A long-time senior leader from the province of Quebec with vision and versatile experience in both the clinical domain and academic affairs, Ms. Starnino has held multiple leadership positions in integrated health and social service centers within Quebec in the areas of home care, university affairs, quality and performance, multidisciplinary services and hospital services where she developed a dynamic academic and learning environment with the goal of delivering the highest quality of services for the population.

She has been active in the co-development of cutting-edge services in the areas of caregiving, services for seniors, as well as intervention regarding the mistreatment of the elderly. In addition, Ms. Starnino has been active on several boards of directors and strategic committees both at the federal and provincial levels, where she advanced the quality of services for seniors and caregivers in Quebec and in Canada.

Currently, Cindy Starnino is director of the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving, representing the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. The Observatory is a unique knowledge hub bringing together caregivers, researchers, practitioners, decision-makers, non-profit organizations and the general public around the topic of caregiving and has a mission to provide reliable, objective information on caregiving through observation, monitoring, analysis and knowledge sharing.

Brad Saunders was appointed chief executive officer of Community Living Toronto (CLTO) in November of 2015, after joining the organization in September 2011 as a regional executive director.

Community Living Toronto is a non-profit charitable organization that supports more than 3,600 individuals with an intellectual disability each year through the work and dedication of over 1,300 staff, 180 volunteers, and 1,000 members.  Brad brings a commitment to community and inclusion, as well as a passion for trying new ideas to create meaningful change.

Brad started his journey in social services when he got a BA in Psychology from York University.  Prior to joining CLTO, Brad worked with the Ontario Public Service with the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Bob Rumball Association for the Deaf.  Brad was a foster parent for Deaf adolescents for 7 years.

Emily leads on Carers UK policy and media work and was responsible for Carers UK’s Advice and Information services for 15 years. She has worked on numerous pieces of legislation, securing carers’ rights as well as protecting them and has undertaken over 40 pieces of research with carers, leading to change. Having led the campaign to win essential rights for carers at the point of hospital discharge, she is currently leading Carer’s UK’s campaign around the Carer’s Leave Bill. She’s a member of the International Alliance of Carer Organisations Committee, on the Eurocarers Board and a Co-Chair of the Care and Support Alliance. She has been part of the COVID-19 response in the UK, including co-chairing the Carers Advisory Group for the Government’s Adult Social Care COVID-19 Taskforce and worked on vaccine roll-out for carers.  Emily has been at Carers UK since 1996 and was awarded an OBE by the HM The Queen in 2015 for services to carers.

The Honourable Lisa Raitt joined CIBC Capital Markets in January 2020, having previously worked in both the public and private sectors. Ms. Raitt’s current focus is on senior client coverage and business development with clients in the energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors, which align closely with her deep expertise.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Raitt was the president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority. She was elected into the House of Commons in 2008, where she went on to hold three senior portfolios serving as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Labour, and Minister of Transport. Most recently, Ms. Raitt was the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada.

Ms. Raitt holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis Xavier University and a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Guelph. She possesses an LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the Ontario bar in 1998. In 2020 Ms. Raitt was named a Woodrow Wilson Center Global Fellow of the Canada Institute.

Holly has lived her life as the sibling of a sister, Amy Mathers, with a chronic illness. Being aware of the impact of Amy’s illness on her and their entire family, contributed to her decision to become a psychotherapist and then to focus on working to address gaps in services, resources, and support for families dealing with illness.

Holly is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and a member of the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association. She has an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from York University and a Master of Theological Studies in Counselling from Wilfrid Laurier University.

As a psychotherapist, she has experience working with teens, young adults, couples and families in Waterloo Region in Ontario. Holly has facilitated groups for young adults who had a family member or friend with cancer, as well as caregiver and bereavement support groups. For six years, Holly was the chairperson of the Young Carers Project of Waterloo Region, a community collaborative working to increase awareness, research, resources, and support for young people living with a family member with exceptional needs.

Previously, Holly hosted a radio show where she discussed a variety of topics pertaining to illness and other life issues. Amy and Holly co-wrote and taught a course for Conestoga College entitled Assisting Families Dealing with Chronic Illness for professionals with health care related jobs. They also co-developed an organizer resource called The Phoenix Pages for people dealing with illness to help them manage their illnesses and live their lives.

Sheila is a founding member of the Basic Income Canada Network, its chair since 2014 and co-author, with Chandra Pasma, of Basic Income: Some Policy Options for Canada (2019). She is a former Executive Director of the National Council of Welfare, which published reports on solutions to poverty and inequality, the position from which she retired after a 3-decade federal public service career that spanned front-line work, policy development, and international, federal/provincial/territorial and non-governmental relations. Her policy expertise includes income security, taxation, child benefits, pensions, and social assistance. Much of her career focused on the measurement, valuation and public policy implications of caregiving and other essential non-market work in the household and community. She is a mother and grandmother.

Dedicated to individual, family, organizational and community well-being, Nora Spinks applies the latest evidence to policy development, implementation and evaluation – across the country and around the world. She is the CEO of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises, an international research and consulting firm.

Nora sits on several boards and councils advising Ministers and senior government officials on family policy, aging and well-being. She is an author, speaker, facilitator, thought leader and collaborator on several research projects with multiple universities. Nora’s most recent projects include optimizing women’s brain health, facilitating strategic planning, supporting employees to balance care and work and identifying and eliminating systemic barriers in the innovation economy.

Katie is a lived-experience caregiver who has been working over the last 5 years to connect with and support other caregivers. She is a facilitator and peer mentor with Siblings Canada. She also shares her sibling perspective as a board member with Partners for Planning. Most recently she has joined the Working Caregiving Project team where she has undertaken a deep exploration of the challenges and impacts of being a caregiver during the early years of one’s career. She is grateful to the project participants whose experiences have informed this work and granted her the opportunity to share their stories.

Claire Laureta is a registered practical nurse (RPN) and a certified personal support worker (PSW). She graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Philippines but chose to pursue more lucrative opportunities outside of healthcare after graduation.

In 2019, Claire re-ignited her passion for healthcare and came to Canada as an international student where she earned her PSW certificate from Seneca College and made the President’s honors list for Outstanding Academic Achievement.

Claire began her post graduate career as a PSW at Amica Bayview Village where she is currently employed. She has acquired her Permanent Resident status in Canada and successfully completed the RPN exam. She also recently obtained eligibility for the NCLEX-RN exam which she intends to pursue.

Apart from her responsibilities as a PSW, Claire also enjoys playing piano, watching movies and road trips and plans on opening her own homecare agency one day.

Chenny Xia is a serial entrepreneur and advocate for health and gender equity. As the CEO of Gotcare, she is transforming how healthcare in the home is delivered regardless of your postal code – including service to over 100 remote communities across the country. Chenny has been recognized for her leadership by organizations like The Globe and Mail and was a member of Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy. She also plays several advisory roles – standardizing care economy impact metrics through 2X Global, and advancing women and non-binary led entrepreneurship through Coralus (formerly SheEO).