Speakers 2022 - Canadian EdTech LeaderShip Summit

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Dr. Tracey Burns

Chief Research Officer, Senior Analyst, OECD (Seconded) , National Center on Education and the Economy

Philip Cutler is a teacher turned mission-driven entrepreneur. As a teacher, Phil saw firsthand the many inequities in our education system. Students from affluent families were more likely to receive the additional help needed to succeed. In contrast, students from marginalized and at-risk communities lacked the necessary resources and support, which created lifelong learning and achievement gaps.

Determined to help democratize education, Phil left the classroom to start Paper, a virtual Educational Support System which features on-demand tutoring, essay and writing review, college and career support, after-school learning programs, and other tools and resources. Paper provides unlimited, on-demand student support by hiring thousands of highly-qualified tutors who offer multilingual support in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

Paper’s mission is to help close the achievement and opportunities gaps by helping all students succeed academically and gain confidence for life.

As of June 2022, Paper partners with over 400 schools across North America, supporting over 2.5 million students. Paper works with school districts and state governments to provide its best-in-class virtual classroom at no cost to students or their families. In addition to its 2,000+ tutors, Paper currently has more than 500 full-time corporate team members.

In February of 2022, Paper closed a $270 million round of investment led by Saphhire and Softbank, which valued the company at nearly $1.5 billion. Phil and Paper have received countless awards from McGill University, the Globe and Mail, EdTech Digest, EdTech Awards, Tech Edvocate, Tech & Learning, the Stevie Awards, Great Places to Work, SIIA CODiE, and many more.

Phil’s entrepreneurial spirit predates Paper. He became the youngest ever elected City Councillor in Westmount, Quebec. He held that position for eight years before deciding not to run for reelection in 2021. Before starting Paper, Phil also founded Laurus Educational Services and Laurus Summer Camp.

Dr. Peter Balyta

President, Worldwide Education Business, corporate vice president of academic engagement and president of the Education Technology business, Texas Instruments

Dr. Peter Balyta

President, Worldwide Education Business, corporate vice president of academic engagement and president of the Education Technology business, Texas Instruments

Peter Balyta, Ph.D., is corporate vice president of academic engagement and president of the Education Technology business at Texas Instruments. He is responsible for leading teams that focus on the mission of improving the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. This includes several groups and programs that span TI, all of which aim to help students develop a strong educational foundation, setting them up for future success in a workforce that increasingly demands STEM skills:

Education Technology, a global business that delivers market-leading science and math learning products, teacher professional development and classroom resources for the K–12 market.
The university program, which works with university engineering faculty and students to facilitate the inclusion of TI technology in the learning experience.
Collaboration with university engineering research faculty to work on life-improving research projects.

Before starting his career at TI in 2000, Balyta was a mathematics educator, math and science district supervisor and a Teachers Teaching with Technology™ (T³™) instructor. In his roles at TI, he has brought his enthusiasm and experience from the classroom to support and drive TI’s education vision of equipping and inspiring future generations of leaders and engineers.

Balyta holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and technology education from McGill University; a master of science in mathematics education from Concordia University; and a master of business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. He remains an educator at heart and is passionate about engaging today’s students in STEM subjects to build the problem-solving and critical thinking skills needed for tomorrow’s workforce.

Dr. Susanne Lajoie

Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University

Dr. Susanne Lajoie

Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University

SUSANNE LAJOIE MA, Ph.D., is an Educational Psychologist, a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and an Associate Member of the Institute of Health Sciences Education. She received her Doctorate from Stanford University in 1986 and is a Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Advanced Technologies for Learning in Authentic Settings in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Psychological Association as well as the American Educational Research Association (AERA). She received the ACFAS Thérèse Gouin-Décarie Prize for Social Sciences along with the AERA-TICL Outstanding International Research Collaboration Award. Dr. Lajoie directs the Learning Environments Across Disciplines partnership grant funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in Canada. She explores how theories of learning and affect can be used to guide the design of advanced technology rich learning environments in different domains, i.e. medicine, mathematics, history, etc. She uses a cognitive approach to identify learning trajectories that help novice learners become more skilled in the areas of science, statistics, and medicine. She presented her research worldwide including Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Mexico, the UK and the Ukraine. She has numerous publications including two volumes on Computers as Cognitive tools published by Erlbaum. These volumes have highlighted the necessity for theory-driven design of technologies for education and training.

Dr. Fabrice Labeau

Joint Acting Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), McGill University

Kathy Hurley

President, Kathy Hurley Consulting LLC, Co-Founder, Girls Thinking Global & Former EVP Pearson Foundation and Industry Consultant

Lisa Schmucki

Founder & CEO, edWeb.net

Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan

Public/Private Company Board Director, C-Suite Executive, Audit, CEO, Author

Dr. Barbara “Bobbi” Kurshan

Public/Private Company Board Director, C-Suite Executive, Audit, CEO, Author

As a business-centric c-suite executive, innovator, and board Member, I lead disruptive transformation through 30+ years in the development and commercialization of digital learning products for wide-ranging audiences. I bring a career of leadership roles across EdTech companies, for-profits, non-profits, PE firms, and educational institutions. Board governance and advisory roles include two public companies, 35+ private companies, and five non-profits that include charitable organizations and higher education institutions.

I’m pursuing a public or larger private company board seeking to develop, expand, or acquire innovative digital learning as part of their digital product strategy, and advise through deep insight honed from the intersection of technology, learning products, and innovation. I bring deep connections as well as experience in CEO and board succession planning, M&A, strategy and product evaluation. Leadership achievements:

• Commercialized 8 innovative, digital learning products across software, platforms, open/shared education resources websites, and online modules for Curriki.org, MSFT, McGraw-Hill Inc., TENET, Claris Inc., and others.

• Partnered with Microsoft to develop MSFT’s first children’s software product, Creative Writer and Fine Artist. Led as Executive Director of Curriki, and delivered one of the most innovative, robust global open source education communities with Sun Microsystems with +250K members and +40K resources in the first 4 years.

• Envision strategic M&A synergy of how two companies will increase stakeholder value. Acquired and sold Swiss culinary school; acquired MediaSeek, Homework Central, and Get a Clue; served as Interim President of Edunetics Ltd after acquisition, growing successfully.

• Invested in 35+ start-ups through PE and leadership at Penn in programs to train entrepreneurs including a Masters in Entrepreneurship in Education and EDSi, an educational technology. Invested $45M in through Core Learning Group.

Doug Currie

VP Corporate Services, Strategic Development and Stakeholder Relations, Holland College

Rahmatullah Arman

Founder & President, Teach For Afghanistan

Rahmatullah Arman

Founder & President, Teach For Afghanistan

Rahmatullah Arman is leading Afghanistan’s largest youth led organization Teach For Afghanistan as its Founder & President.

Mr. Arman has completed his Masters education in International Human Resources Management from the ISM, India and Bachelor’s degree in Politics - International Relations and Economics from AISC, India, he has also completed his secondary school studies in Kabul, Afghanistan.

At Pune University, Mr. Arman was among the highest ranked national and international students from 2007-2011, and earned several national and international awards at debates and conferences.

Mr. Arman has served in leading positions within government and private sector organizations
in a variety of fields.

Mr. Arman is also a Global Youth Ambassador, Malala Fund Education Champion & Global Steering Committee Member, HOD university teacher, Emerging Leaders Advisory Council Senior Member, International Youth Council member and Board Director of PRDO Organization.

Mr. Arman is also an inspiring speaker who gives lectures and seminars on Positive thinking, Educational Management and Leadership in universities and institutes, inside and outside Afghanistan.

Mr. Arman’s work for women rights, children rights, education rights, youth activism have been
praised by many high level government officials, UN agencies, International & national organizations and international & local media outlets.

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Maxim Jean-Louis

Chief Executive Officer of Contact North | Contact Nord

Maxim Jean-Louis

Chief Executive Officer of Contact North | Contact Nord

Maxim Jean-Louis is President – Chief Executive Officer of Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education and Training Network, headquartered in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Maxim worked in senior management roles for over 15 years at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada’s open university.
He is also a member of the Comité consultatif en matière d’éducation postsecondaire en langue française dans les régions du Centre et du Sud-ouest.
Maxim is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the World University Service of Canada and of the Optical Regional Advanced Network of Ontario, as well as a past member of Ontario’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board, and he served as a member of the Canadian Advisory Mission to support the implementation of the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) by the South African Qualifications Authority. He also served as President of Collège des Grands Lacs, one of Ontario’s three French-language community colleges.
In 2011, Maxim was appointed Special Advisor to Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities for an Ontario Online Institute, producing a 125-page report and recommendations to the Minister on opportunities for online learning in the province.

Karen Yamada

Chief Learning Office & CFO, C21 Canada

Dr. Adam Dubé

Associate Professor and Director of the Technology Learning and Cognition Lab, McGill University

Dr. Mario Chiasson

Director of Research, Innovations and Change Management at District scolaire francophone Sud

Dr. Mario Chiasson

Director of Research, Innovations and Change Management at District scolaire francophone Sud

Dr. Mario Chiasson is known for his practical insights on learning innovation. He is experienced and equipped to make big things happen. As the founder of My Learning My Space, Mario has helped countless organizations and institutions (schools, districts, ministries, colleges, universities, business and communities) to navigate through disruptive change, develop innovation capabilities and drive continuous improvement. From startups and small projects to educational and community reform.
Mario is a researcher that focuses on the design of spaces that influence the learning and the teaching process of new skills aligned with the innovative society. He holds a Bachelors degree in Physical Education with two concentration (Math and Science), a Masters in school administration with a focus on ICT and a Ph.D in Education at Université de Moncton, New-Brunswick, Canada. He is a Microsoft Innovative Teacher, a Cisco IT Essential Teacher, an Apple Distinguished Educator, an Apple Certified Trainer.

Artur Rodrigues

Cloud Innovation Center Tech Lead, AWS

Geoff Edwards

Superintendent of Learning Technologies Ottawa Catholic School Board

Geoff Edwards

Superintendent of Learning Technologies Ottawa Catholic School Board

Geoff Edwards was appointed as the Superintendent of Learning Technologies since 2019. Previously, he served as a teacher at St. Mark and St. Mother Teresa, as a Vice-Principal at St. Paul and Sacred Heart and as a Principal at St. Paul and at St. Mother Teresa.

Geoff has been a facilitator for the Eastern Ontario Staff Development Network (EOSDN) Leadership Academy and he has taught the Principal Qualification Program (PQP) with the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario. (CPCO) Through CPCO, Geoff has also written a curriculum for the Technology Enabled Leading Learning Mentorship component of the PQP. He is currently on the board of the Education Collaborative Network of Ontario, known as ECNO.

Geoff has been the recipient of the Director’s Commendation award for his work in improving numeracy practice and for enhancing his schools’ protocols for tracking and planning for at-risk students. Geoff has his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Memorial University.

Geoff is married to Rebecca; a gifted Contemporary Studies teacher at Holy Trinity High School, and he has two wonderful daughters, Sophie and Hillary.

Geoff has been coaching various sports for over 30 years which has made him passionate about the role of extracurriculars in adolescent development. He is equally passionate about the role of technology to accelerate academic growth and to increase engagement. For students with learning challenges, learning technologies can be the vehicle through which these students can equitably access the curriculum and thus thrive as students.

He is also passionate about his work in leading and coordinating support for students in low socio-economic status situations. This work has been a cornerstone of his career and shapes his education worldview.

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Peter Singh

Executive Officer – IT Services, TDSB

Dr. Dilson Rassier

Co-Chair, Dean of the Faculty of Education, McGill University

Sophia Mendoza

Director, Instructional Technology Initiative L.A. Unified & International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) Board Member

Amanda Rose

Educator | Tomken Road Middle School - Peel District School Board

Shawn Young

CEO and co-founder, Classcraft, President, Edteq

Steve Brown

President & Chief Executive Officer, NELSON

Steve Brown

President & Chief Executive Officer, NELSON

Steve Brown has made his mark in Canada and Internationally by leading organizations through digital transformation. His career spans a diverse mix of industry and technology experience from multi-media entertainment, logistics services, automotive, and now to learning solutions.
Since joining NELSON in September 2016, Steve has transformed the vision for this 104-year-old company by reimagining the role and purpose of a publisher in 2017 and beyond. Introducing a matrix driven view to the management culture, and unifying a K20 student-centric business division is at the core of this shift to a cohesive customer focused structure. He has reframed the organization’s digital competency by instituting a technology department comprised of some the world’s best and brightest talent based in Silicon Beach California. Additionally, over the past 12 months the company has engaged in various M&A activities, including the acquisition of one of its largest competitors, as well as signing numerous agency and partnership deals to ensure NELSON offers a world class portfolio of learning solution and for all its markets.
Steve’s passion and commitment to transforming education, and the student learning experience, continues to fuel the innovation pipeline at NELSON.

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Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning)

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