CONNECTING - MAKE YOUR HEART BEAT IN TUNE WITH OTHERS

In this deeply moving talk, educator and motivational leader Jacqueline Albinati shares how the heartbreaking 2003 British Columbia Avalanche, that took the lives of 7 of her Grade 10 students, shaped the way she approaches teaching today. Through tragedy, Jacqueline brings to light how it is through connection that life becomes meaningful and gives all of us a chance to thrive. Discover how as a human, but most importantly, as an educator, it is the ability to connect that creates the most impactful relationships. With isolation behind us, now, more than ever is the time to show students that you see them. Be inspired to make your heart beat just a little more in tune with others.

BIOGRAPHY

Known by her students and faculty as an influential agent for positive change who leads with confidence and approaches even the most difficult and traumatic challenges with unflagging perseverance and commitment to success, Madame Jacqueline Albinati’s 25-year career in education is a testament to these traits.

She is a distinguished collaborative leader in independent education and administration. With vision and passion, Jacqueline is dedicated to enriching the learning opportunities of senior and middle school education programs, faculty, and students across renowned Canadian institutions. Jacqueline has been at the helm of visionary educational and administrative strategies, transformation, pivotal initiatives, and radical problem-solving, propelling students and faculty to achieve higher levels of success, not only in a digital and global world but also in a world post-Covid 19.

LOOK UP

Luvina reflects on how screens have shaped our lives. She notes how our lives can get frantic and busy but stresses the importance of creating time for yourself away from screens. Just like coffee and energy drinks, she conveys how addictive devices can be and the necessity of not becoming dependent on them. Screens can be great tools, but they can have a negative impact on creativity, body image, motivation, and more. As Ross A. MacInnes wrote, "Only a few people actually look up and see the beauty around them."

BIOGRAPHY

Luvina Franken is a competitive dancer, dirt biker, climber, and more from British Columbia, Canada. She is currently completing her Grade 11 year at Brentwood College School. As a person always looking to help others, Luvina can be found volunteering, such as at the food bank, or often helping others achieve their goals. In the future, she aspires to pursue a career in the sciences, specifically in the medical field.

STEPPING THROUGH FEAR

Fear and anxiety are everywhere in our society and are wreaking havoc on us personally and professionally. As individuals, it impacts relationships, limits us from opportunities, and slows or stalls our careers. Fear in an organization can be incredibly detrimental to innovation, creativity, culture, growth and entrepreneurship.

Through sharing his inspirational story, Merrifield provides practical and insightful advice to business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs, including how to navigate through fear and anxiety one step at time, embrace risk, and spark creative thinking.

BIOGRAPHY

Lane Merrifield is one of Canada’s leading tech entrepreneurs and spent three seasons as a ‘Dragon’ on CBC's Dragons Den. He is the co-founder of Club Penguin, the largest children’s virtual world and online social network, which was acquired by Disney.

Lane is also the founder of Wheelhouse and the Innovation Centre which houses and invests in early-stage tech companies and entrepreneurs offering mentorship, access to capital, and connections to global business networks. Recently, Lane returned to his roots to help design a new virtual world for kids with ClassDojo, one of the largest EdTech companies in North America.

Lane donates his time running his family foundation and serves as a board member of the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation board.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT SUBCONCUSSION BEFORE?

As co-leaders of B.R.A.I.N Brentwood research and innovation in neuroscience, Zander and Laila have dedicated their time to a research study concerning the effects of subconcussive head impacts on cognitive function. The primary purpose of their TEDx talk is to contextualize the findings of the study and similar research. We hope that the audience will leave our talk with a deeper understanding of the potential consequences that playing contact sports can have on the brain health of teens.

BIOGRAPHY

Laila Reed

Laila Reed is a Grade 12 student who has attended Brentwood College School for four years now. She is a proud member of Mackenzie house and loves her Mack family. Laila plans on attending a US University and majoring in neuroscience. She is very passionate about this research and grateful for the opportunity to speak at TedxBrentwood ‘22.

Zander Levenberg

Zander Levenberg is in Grade 12 at Brentwood College School. He is now in his third year as a Brentwood student and a co-researcher for the Brentwood Neuroscience Study. Outside of his academic classes, he enjoys playing soccer, squash, and tennis, engaging in competitive robotics, and is a co-captain of debate. Over the past four years, he has traded a portfolio of public stocks and derivatives in his spare time. Next year, Zander plans to pursue an undergraduate degree that combines his interests in biology, environmental science, math, and computer science. In the future, he hopes to continue finding ways to apply his skills toward conducting research that addresses real world problems.

BICULTURALISM: WHERE THE HECK DO I GO?

Being part of multiple cultures is a fantastic and thrilling experience, but at times it can be hard to find a sense of identity in a world that constantly tries to tell you who you are. There are so many common misconceptions about belonging to different cultures, and this can create a blurred self-image. I've always struggled with seeing my friends and family who all seemed to understand their cultures and where they fit, and I couldn't understand who I am. Am I Indian? Am I Canadian? But eventually, I'm learning to understand, that I am who I make myself to be, I decide what parts of both cultures I want to be. I can be Indian and Canadian and that is something I wish I realized earlier. This is my personal story of learning to know who I am and to be proud of that.

BIOGRAPHY

Angel, is 15 years old and in Gr.10. Both her parents and her brother were born and raised in India, she, however, was born in Nunavut. She enjoys reading mysteries and fiction, writing short stories( especially on her typewriter) and watching crime shows. She can understand Kannada (a language spoken in Karnataka, India) and a little bit of Hindi, and can speak neither as she was made fun of when she was younger as her Canadian accent ruins the pronunciation. Angel loves stress baking and spending time with my friends and friends. In the future, she plans on becoming a criminologist or a neurosurgeon.

THE POWER OF WORDS

How can we utilize the power of words to contribute to a happier and healthier life for ourselves and others? I share a personal story of receiving a diagnosis of Anorexia at the age of 12 and the words said to me that gave me a path forward amidst the confusion and disease.

My longing to understand how to be healthy on all levels led me to travel the world and learn from different cultures about their approaches to wellness. One of the most powerful lessons I have learned is how to utilize communication for well-being and empowerment.

How can you change the way you communicate to impart inspiring words that can bring hope to yourself and those around you? Speaking from qualities like kindness, gratitude, compassion, and humility creates words that inspire and uplift. Learn how to catalyze the change needed today and watch the world around you and within you begin to transform for the better.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Alexina Mehta is inspired by her work each day and is passionate to serve the health and well-being of others. Interestingly, her great grandfather, R.B. Lal Singh Mehta was on a team who discovered the oldest written book ever found of earth so far, called the Diamond Sutras. The book teaches about enlightenment and compassion. These teachings are an important part of Mehta’s life. She began her post-secondary education at Queens University where she studied Life Sciences and ran on the varsity cross country and track and field teams. She continued her undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia and became a fitness expert at a young age. As a varsity cross country runner, she cultivated an attitude of perseverance and resilience which now contributes to her ability to support others in their health.

She holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, Honors training in Ayurveda and is an award-winning doctor who has guided many to peace of mind as well as optimal health. Alexina has also conducted extensive multidisciplinary studies in energy medicine, Yoga, Pilates, Transpersonal Psychology and Pneuma Breathwork. She has a thriving practice in Vancouver with a focus on family health, women’s health, mind-body awareness, and chronic disease. Alexina brings an inspirational, uplifting, refreshing and innovative approach to natural medicine. She hosts retreats around the world and regularly speaks at various events on health and wellness. She has written two books which are currently being published. Her hobbies include adventure travel, hiking and organizing events that cultivate community.

THE CROSSROADS: SOLVING NORTH AMERICA'S WATER CRISIS

In his TEDX talk, Mr. de Gaspé Beaubien will address the fact that water is at the epicenter of climate change impacts as well as the state of our fresh water: a disaster that has leaders in all sectors in turmoil. And a call to arms: our water’s future depends on solutions developed today.

BIOGRAPHY

Mr de Gaspé Beaubien obtained a BA with honours from Haverford College before earning an MBA with distinction at Harvard Business School in 1989. Because of his strong academic performance, he was recruited by the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, one of US’ oldest academic honour societies.

After concluding his studies, François rose up the publishing ranks from publisher of New England Monthly magazine to eventually become President of Telemedia Publishing, Canada’s largest consumer magazine company at the time with titles ranging from TV Guide, Western Living and Elle to Vancouver magazine. He and his team turned the organization from losses to the most profitable publishing group in Canada and he then sold that division in 2000. He and his brother oversaw the expansion of their radio division as co-CEOs to become Canada’s largest radio broadcaster, Telemedia, which they then sold in 2002. In 2003, François acquired Zoom Media, an indoor advertising company. Since he became CEO, the company has experienced tremendous growth, enabling gym owners to digitally entertain and educate their members while empowering advertisers to engage with an active lifestyle audience of over 40 million across all of Canada, the US, and the United Kingdom. He is the sole owner of Zoom.

The businessman is also the co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Hivestack, a software platform operating in 35 countries that allows advertisers to target custom audiences digitally, based on physical world behaviors (combining the engagement of mobile devices with Digital screens Outside of the Home (DOOH), what is now referred to as programmatic DOOH); what UBER is to ride sharing, Hivestack is to digital screens.

François sold Ayuda Media Systems in 2019, a software company utilized across 22 countries for its billboard management systems of which he was the Executive Chairman of the board. He is very involved in the industry and serves as Chairman of the board of the Digital Place Based Advertising Association (DPAA), a worldwide initiative based out of NYC seeking to foster the growth of DOOH media by bringing together market participants (media owners and tech suppliers) and educating marketers.

He received The Lifetime Achievement Merit Award by the Toronto Ad Council in October 2022. He is also the Chairman of AquaAction, his family’s foundation non-profit initiative to find solutions to fresh waters challenges through entrepreneurial tech innovations.

GOALS VERSUS OBJECTIVES

In my talk, I will discuss the difference between setting goals and setting objectives in pursuance of those goals. By reflecting on my athletic career thus far, I will lay out the plan which helped me make my Olympic dream reality. I will do this by outlining four key objectives which were crucial to competing in the 2021 Tokyo Games: (1) Hitting the qualification standard, (2) Building a high competition average and learning to not rely on luck, (3) Proving myself when it counted most and gaining confidence in my abilities, and (4) Believing that I earned and deserved my place to compete with the best in the world. In laying out these four objectives, my aim is to express our need to continue setting big goals but to also recognize that these goals require methodical planning to ensure our utmost success and growth throughout the whole process.

BIOGRAPHY

Camryn Rogers is a track and field athlete from Richmond, BC and has specialized in the women's hammer throw since 2012. Camryn is a World Silver Medalist, Commonwealth Games Champion, Canadian Record Holder and is the youngest ever Olympic Games finalist. She has represented the University of California, Berkeley since 2018, successfully completing her double major in Political Economy and Society & Environment and becoming a Three-Time NCAA Champion and NCAA record holder in the hammer throw with a throw of 77.67 meters. She is currently working toward completing her M.A. in the Cultural Studies of Sport and Education at Berkeley and is preparing for her professional athletic career.