THRIVE 2023

Saylesh Wesley is a Two-Spirit educator and knowledge keeper who is of Coast Salish and Tsimshian decent. She currently works as an Indigenous Enhancement Teacher for the Chilliwack School District and also continues to present at a wide variety of events as it relates to her Two-Spirit and Indigenous teachings.

Beck Bailey is the global lead of Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture, responsible for helping their 710,000 people feel a sense of inclusion and belonging at work. Beck leads the team that sets the firm’s I&D strategy and enables stakeholders to drive inclusive and equitable practices across their global footprint, allowing all their people an equal opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive.

Prior to Accenture, Beck was director of the Workplace Equality Program at the Human Rights Campaign where he worked with Fortune-ranked firms to increase the adoption of policies, practices, and benefits critical to LGBTIQ+ inclusion. A recognized expert in LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion, Beck has been interviewed by NPR, CNN, BBC, the New York Times and more.

A longtime advocate and out transgender man, Beck is passionate about driving greater inclusion and belonging for all people at work. He co-chairs the steering committee for the Partnership for Global LGBTIQ+ Equality (PGLE), a coalition of companies and civil society organizations in collaboration with the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, committed to leveraging their individual and collective advocacy to accelerate LGBTIQ+ equality and inclusion in the workplace and in the broader communities in which they operate.

Beck has a BS in Management from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner Margaux, three cats, and a yellow lab named Ziggy.

Cicely Belle Blain is a Black/mixed, queer non-binary femme from London, UK now living on the lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. Their ancestry is a mix of Gambian (Wolof), Jamaican and English. Cicely Belle spent their formative years between London, the Netherlands and a small Catholic village in France—each home presenting a pivotal opportunity for awakening and growth. Cicely Belle is descended from a long line of feminist educators and developed a passion for justice from a young age.

Cicely Belle is noted for founding Black Lives Matter Vancouver and subsequently being listed as one of Vancouver’s 50 most powerful people by Vancouver Magazine twice, BC Business 30 under 30 and one of Refinery29’s Powerhouses of 2020.

Keith Smith joined the Department of Justice in August 2021 as the Director General of the United Nations Declaration Act Implementation Secretariat. He served most recently at the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) as the Director General of the Policy and Communications.

From 2016 to 2018, Keith worked for the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada as the Director of Policy and Acting Chief of Staff. During this time, he dealt with a wide range of important justice files, including a framework for the recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights, criminal justice system reform, amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act to include gender identity or expression as a prohibited ground of discrimination, and international human rights.

Prior to his time in the Minister’s Office, Keith was the Director of Policy, Research and International at the CHRC from 2013 to 2016 and, before that, held various positions within Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, including as Director of Intergovernmental and International Relations.

Keith is originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and is a member of the Thessalon First Nation, a nearby Ojibway community that is signatory to the Robinson Huron Treaty.

Tiana is an enthusiastic mental health advocate with a passion for turning systems knowledge into real world change. She is currently working as a senior program manager at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, where she supports employers in building workplace mental health strategies that align with
the National Standard of Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. Her former experience includes six years serving on the Alberta Mental Health Review Panel where she gained extensive experience with in both mental health and judicial systems. She was also previously self-employed as an independent Mental Health First Aid instructor and conflict management consultant with a focus on community development.

Tiana holds a degree in Human Services, along with certifications in Psychological Health and Safety, Mediation, Communication and Conflict Resolution as well as Workplace Fairness Restoration. She is currently in the midst of completing a master’s degree in Transdisciplinary Leadership.

Paul Taylor is a long-time activist, non-profit leader, educator and media commentator.
He is also the co-founder and principal consultant of Evenings & Weekends Consulting. For the last several years, he has also taught in the areas of organizational leadership, people resources and fundraising at Simon Fraser University.

From 2017 to 2023, Paul served as the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, Canada’s largest food justice organization. At FoodShare his leadership was consistently recognized for inspiring adoption of equity-focused people policies and practices in organizations well beyond FoodShare.

Paul’s experience includes Executive Director roles at Gordon Neighbourhood House and the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House. He has also chaired the British Columbia Poverty Reduction Coalition, served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and as Vice-Chair of Food Secure Canada.

He has written several op-eds on leadership, the non-profit sector and various social issues. In 2020, Paul was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40, one of Toronto Life’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians and voted as Best Activist by Now Magazine readers.

When not at work, Paul is almost always found in the kitchen, on his bike, in a good book or at a local protest.

When you purchase a ticket to attend THRIVE 2023 starting in February 2023 you will get access to:

• 5 group sessions featuring top Two-Spirit, queer, and trans leaders on topics like authenticity in leadership, the impact of inclusion and communication
• Opportunities to connect with your peers in 4 study group sessions
• An exclusive virtual speed networking event at the end of the program
• Access to the THRIVE Alumni LinkedIn Group to connect with previous, current, and future cohorts of THRIVE
• Access to Pride at Work Canada’s Member Webinars and Events during the course of the program

All of the programming at THRIVE 2023 will focus on making change within your current employment environment; whether that’s through being a better manager, employee volunteerism or working with an employee resource group (ERG)*. Attendees who have been in the workforce for at least five years, are currently working and have some responsibility around managing staff will likely get the most out of the program. If you don’t have a job right now or if you’re still in school you are more than welcome. You just might not get as much immediate benefit from the speakers and content as other attendees.

If you’re a jobseeker you may want to consider attending one of our upcoming ProPride events taking place from May to August. These events are free and open to the public. Maybe we’ll see you at THRIVE 2024 after you’ve landed that dream job!

* Please note we use Employee Resource Group as a catch all term which is inclusive of Business Resource Groups, Affinity Networks, and other similar employee led groups focused on equity-deserving groups.

Everyone is welcome at THRIVE 2023! The goal of the event is to energize and enable Two-Spirit, queer, and trans talent. So most of the speakers will be 2SLGBTQIA+ and the content will focus on the experience of being 2SLGBTQIA+. All of the event learning outcomes are about how to succeed in the workplace as an out leader. If you don’t identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ but think you could get something out of that experience we want you with us.

At Pride at Work Canada we hear the same thing over and over from 2SLGBTQIA+ professionals: “Everyone at work expects me to be an expert on the community just because I’m insert identity here!” So don’t worry, we don’t expect you to come to THRIVE 2023 with encyclopedic knowledge of queer and trans communities. Hopefully you’ll learn more about the community from the conference content and your fellow attendees. We’ll share some Community Guidelines before the event to make sure you have positive interactions with other attendees, regardless of your experience.

If you want to brush up on your vocabulary, learn about the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ rights in Canada or just feel more prepared for the event, try completing some of Pride at Work Canada’s elearning courses in preparation for THRIVE 2023.