Shelly Skinner is a social entrepreneur, activist and President and Founder of UPlift Black She speaks truth to power and candidly in hopes to empower and inspire others to join her in anti-oppressive practices with the goal of achieving social justice and true equity for all.

IG: @becomingshellyann

Sanaaj Mirrie is a social entrepreneur, cultural arts ambassador, dancer and founder of Afiwi Groove School in Ajax. Her story started in Jamaica where she was introduced to dance an art form to express, empower and inspire herself from her every day struggles growing up in the "ghetto".

She migrated to Canada at the age of 14 where she was introduced to African dancing and drumming. By 21, Sanaaj was formally trained by renowned artists and performed locally and internationally in Cuba, Haiti, Guyana, Ghana, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Established in 2013, the Afiwi program promotes positive self-esteem, confidence, and an active lifestyle while educating and connecting participants to Arts and culture of the African Diaspora.

IG: @sanaaj_mirrie

A professional event planner, inspirational speaker, community advocate and podcaster, the multi-faceted Nicole Waldron works tirelessly for the advancement, progress, and prosperity of her community.

Nicole hosts the “Victory Speaks” Podcast, which provides listeners with the tools to be Mentally Fit. In addition, she launched the “Victory Speaks Online Show”, where guests Inspire, empower, and equip listeners with the tools to live a life of victory through the “Inspired Conversation” and “Minding our Mind” series. Nicole works for the advancement and prosperity of her community and works to raise awareness on Co-op housing, Mental Health and issues affecting the Black Community.

She serves on the board of The Cooperators and the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada). She serves on committees with the Canadian Mental Health Hospital (CAMH), Stellas Place, Ontario Family Caregivers Advisory Network (OFCAN) and the Ontario Caregivers Association Family Advisors.

Nicole was named one of the 100 Black Accomplished Canadian Women and one of 150 Women in Canada by How She Hustles’ HERstory in Black series. She is the recipient of the 2020 Brian Burch Community Service Award from CHFT, the Outstanding Community Service Award from Dance Caribe. Nicole was also presented with the Social Housing Service Corporation Kathleen Blinkhorn Award for Excellence in Volunteerism.

Instagram |Twitter and YouTube: @VictorySpeaks7

Facebook: VictorySpeaks77

Debbie Mulder holds a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology. She is a registered psychotherapist, speaker and a mental health advocate. Debbie is passionate about equipping individuals and groups with the tools and resources needed to educate and motivate themselves as well as advocate on their own behalf. Her work is guided from an anti-oppressive, healing focused, trauma informed and anti-Black racism lens.  

As a therapist for 15 years, Debbie works to erase the stigma associated with mental health and giving people the tools they need to share their story and recognize that they are not alone on this journey. 

Instagram: @debbie_opoku1

Jael Joseph is a journalist, podcast producer, influencer, emcee and mom to two boys. She is the founder of blackislandgirl.com an online magazine and podcast that profiles prolific Caribbean women of African heritage as well as video cast and podcast Cacoa Tea (Ca-Co) with Jael Joseph currently in its 4th season. Her beats are culture, race and gender and she contributes occasionally to various publications both in Canada and the Caribbean.

Socials: IG/Twitter @jaeljoseph

Facebook @jaeliis 

Website: www.jaeljoseph.com

Aspiring Entrepreneur with a background in EMS, Security Services and Transportation - Brandon P. O'Mara shares his story.

Facebook: Brandon P. O'Mara

IG: @brandonpomara

Trey Anthony is an award-winning writer, motivational speaker, and relationship/life coach. She is the first black woman in Canada to have a television series on a prime time network. Her work includes the plays, 'da Kink in My Hair and How Black Mothers Say I Love You. Trey's life purpose is to empower women to live their best damn lives! Her new book, Black Girl in Love (with herself), published by Hay House, will be available January 2021. She divides her time between Atlanta and Toronto. She is an adoption advocate and the proud momma bear to her son Kai. In her spare time, she enjoys laughing at herself and all her antics and eating cupcakes! Follow Trey on Instagram @blackgirlinlove and visit treyanthony.com to learn more about her.

Socials: @blackgirlinlove

The Blind Stigma podcast is produced by Stacy-Ann Buchanan Productions and @watsuptoronto.

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Dr. Natasha Williams is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and the past Chair of the Board of Directors at Women’s Health in Women’s Hands, a Community Health Centre for black women and women of colour in Toronto. Dr. Williams is a member of the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She was the OPA’s diversity delegate representative at the APA State Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. in 2011 and is the past Chair of the OPA Diversity Task Force whose aim is to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and to promote ongoing efforts to influence social change in the field of psychology practice in Ontario. She is also a past board member of the Ontario Psychological Association. Dr. Williams is a past faculty member with the Bridge Training program for internationally trained mental health professionals and a former trainer for TAPE Educational services which provides professional development programs for clinical teams at healthcare centres and human services organizations. She is also the former lead trainer with the Adler Graduate Professional School in the CBT certificate program. Dr. Williams is a guest facilitator/trainer with CAMH in topics such as culturally adapting cognitive behavioural therapy for the English-speaking Caribbean community and Motivational Interviewing. Dr. Williams is the Clinical Director of Allied Psychological Services and she is the current President of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPSI).

Buchanan's impact, entrepreneurial work ethic and achievements have led her to being selected as one of the 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada, one of the 150 Black Women Making Canada Better, one of the 150 Leading Canadians for Mental Health and landing a TEDx Talk.

The self-directed and self-produced, award winning documentary, The Blind Stigma, made Canadian history when it debuted as the first documentary produced in Canada that takes an in-depth look at how mental health is perceived within the Black community, and cemented Buchanan as a documentary film maker. The film chronicles the testimonies of five individuals (including herself) on their trials and triumphs with mental health by removing the veil of shame that clouds the topic in the Black communities. As a recognized brand, The Blind Stigma has since branched out into a podcast that continues to explore such stigmas, dissect the multiple factors that aid towards mental illness in the Black communities and provides a safe space for stories to be heard. She is also co-donor of the annual - The Buchanan Scholarship. The educational award is granted to a student entering their first year of post-secondary education in the Liberal Arts or the Fine Arts program and is based on a demonstrated financial need and having an excellent academic record. Highlighted as an influential leader within her community, Stacy-Ann’s courageous vulnerability in sharing her past experiences with anxiety and suicidal depression in her have landed her numerous keynote speaking engagements throughout North America and the Caribbean, and appointed her to facilitate multiple workshops on “Changing The Stigma” throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Her body of work has firmly pivoted her career on challenging anti-Black systemic racism by taking holistic approaches to demystify and decolonize how mental health is perceived and addressed within the Black/BIPOC communities. Through raising awareness, directing positive dialogues to fuel resources, and orchestrating safe, constructive spaces for black voices to be amplified, Stacy-Ann Buchanan’s ultimate objective is to take back the Black narrative.