Michelle Brown is an accomplished leader with an impressive tenure of over 23 years at BGO. In her role as Managing Director, Head of BGO Properties, she expertly oversees the property management and leasing of all BGO Properties asset types throughout Canada.  

Before BGO, Michelle built a solid foundation in property management gaining valuable experience with various firms such as TrizecHahn and Nexacor Realty Management. 

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Michelle is actively involved in various initiatives that demonstrate her commitment to community and professional growth. She is a key member of the EDI Executive Council, serves as the Global Lead for the BGO Women’s Network, and co-chairs Partners in Project Green—an internationally recognized coalition focused on driving environmental action and fostering economic prosperity in the Greater Toronto Area.

She graduated with distinction from the University of Toronto, earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree, and holds several professional designations, including LEED Green Associate, Certified Property Manager (REIC), and RPA (BOMI), further highlighting her dedication to excellence.

Chris is a passionate community builder and civic innovator known
for developing strong collaborations to solve complex
challenges, Chris has had diverse leadership roles in
economic development, arts and culture, stakeholder and
government relations, and environmental sustainability.
These distinct experiences have shaped his unique
perspective and approach to problem-solving. During the pandemic, Chris was recognized as one of Toronto Life’s Most Influential Torontonians for his work in saving and revitalizing Canada’s main streets, having
developed and delivered impactful programs such as Digital
Main Street and My Main Street.

Driven by a deep commitment to positively impacting the
places we live, work, and play, Chris’s passion for urban
planning, economic development, and community-building
has translated into contributions to creating thriving and
sustainable communities across Canada.

As the Executive Director of Stakeholder Relations and Communications at Toronto Pearson, he leads a dedicated team that fosters collaboration among partners and stakeholders to maximize
the economic and community benefits of being home to Canada’s largest and busiest airport.

Neil Ever Osborne’s interdisciplinary projects are a testament to the precarious relationship between people and the planet. More specifically, his work examines the converging social and environmental issues that narrate our times in a changing — and warming — world.

In this pursuit, he focuses on humanity’s enduring spirit and nature’s resiliency.

Osborne is an Explorer with the National Geographic Society, a Contributing Photographer with Smithsonian Magazine, and an Assistant Professor at the Trent University School of the Environment. He also holds long-standing Fellowships with the International League of Conservation Photographers, The Explorer’s Club, and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He is also the Founder of the environmental communications agency Evermaven.

Gaby Polanco Sorto is an executive strategist with close
to 20 years of experience working in multinational
Financial Institutions across Climate Change, ESG,
Community Investment and Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion (DEI).
She has worked in various organizations, including
Scotiabank and Manulife Financial in progressively
senior roles.
Currently, Gaby is the VP & Head of Purpose and
Sustainability at Gore Mutual Insurance. In this capacity,
Gaby is responsible for the enterprise-wide ESG and
Sustainability strategy.
Reporting to the CEO, with dotted line to the Board of
Directors, she is accountable for imbedding ESG into all
areas of our business strategy and for leading the social
impact, community, purpose, inclusion and
sustainability activities across the organization.
As a leader in the Industry, Gaby is the current Chair of
the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Sustainable Finance
Working Group.
She is also active in the academic space, as lecturer for
University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College Corporate
Social Responsibility & Sustainability Graduate Diploma
program.
Originally from El Salvador, she is passionate about
eliminating the barriers faced by immigrants and
refugees. She has held various Board positions with
NGOs focused on supporting immigrants and refugees
in Canada. Gaby is currently on the Boards CUSO
International, Ducks Unlimited Canada and CAMIC.
She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business

Sandeep Persaud is the first Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). In this role, Sandeep developed the first Sustainability (ESG) Plan for OLG and is leading implementation.

Prior to OLG, Sandeep was the first Senior Director of Strategy and ESG at Rogers Communications Inc. At Rogers, Sandeep established the ESG practice, the development of the national ESG strategy, published the first ESG Report, led revamped the Corporate Social Responsibility program and launched the first corporate responsibility brand and national campaign.

Sandeep has been leading transformation and strategy for all of his career. He tackled a range of topics with the Ontario Public Service, including Ontario Place revitalization, creating people-centric community and social services and modernizing government services. In every role he was brought in to lead from vision to implementation and drive change.

Sandeep holds a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business and an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto.

Andrea is a results-driven public affairs professional dedicated to advancing socio-economic progress and systemic change in Ontario and Canada. Known for translating complex policy challenges into compelling solutions, she describes her work as “selling impactful ideas.”

As Senior Manager of Public Affairs at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Andrea leads advocacy, communications, marketing, and design, driving initiatives that shape public policy and business competitiveness.

Passionate about innovation, inclusion, and sustainability, she works through consensus-building, advocacy, and storytelling to foster a more forward-thinking and inclusive society.

Combining academic expertise with extensive professional experience, Wesley leads Works Design’s sustainability practice. He provides guidance in stakeholder engagement, materiality, performance measurement and social purpose, as well as ESG/sustainability communications and reporting. Wesley contributed to the development of the GRI guidelines and served on sector working groups with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). He lectures for the Sustainability Diploma and MScSM program at the University of Toronto. Before joining Works Design, Wesley was a senior sustainability consultant at Stantec and senior advisor at Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR). He holds a Master’s in Sustainable Business from the University of Leeds.

Jonathan is the Dean of Centennial Innovates: Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Centennial College in Toronto. He is responsible for growing Centennial’s portfolio of applied research projects in aerospace, transportation, data analytics, energy and wearable interactive technologies and growing its entrepreneurship activity with students and the east Toronto area.

Prior to joining Centennial College in 2019, Jonathan had an extensive career in the advanced manufacturing sector in both Canada and the US, where he was involved in product development, intellectual property & patent strategies, and strategic technology development portfolios in both the automotive and aerospace sectors.

A professional engineer, Jonathan has been active in serving on Board of Directors positions with the Professional Engineers Foundation for Education, and is a past President and Board Chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Jonathan is currently on the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Society of Professional Engineers, and of the Yves Landry Foundation (YLF), which serves to advance technological education and skills training to address skilled labor shortages currently faced by Canadian industry.

A lifelong innovator, Jonathan is committed to training and providing experiential learning opportunities for the next generation of technical professionals in Canadian industry.

Yas Hassen is dedicated to fostering community engagement and ethical co-creation. With a Master’s in Adult Education and Community Development from OISE, they emphasize collaboration and reciprocity in their work, learning from the land. Yas drives meaningful systems change through innovative public space and place-based learning methods, creating environments where diverse voices are valued in decision-making. They believe in the power of collective leadership and strive to empower everyone to contribute. Certified in Transformative Mediation and Conflict Coaching Skills, Yas is committed to (un)learning, enhancing their ability to facilitate constructive dialogue in conflict situations. They promote empathy and open communication, developing dynamic learning experiences that inspire communities to navigate challenges together.

Jenn Harper is the award-winning founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics, a B Corp Certified brand known for its commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and supporting Indigenous communities. Since launching in 2015, Jenn has grown Cheekbone from a digital startup into a powerhouse featured in Sephora Canada and over 550 JCPenney stores across the U.S.

A passionate social entrepreneur and international speaker, Jenn champions representation, philanthropy, and ethical business practices. Under her leadership, Cheekbone has donated over $250,000 to causes that empower women and youth.

Jenn gained national attention after appearing on Dragon’s Den in 2019, and she continues to inspire as a voice for Indigenous leadership and social impact. Recognized among Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Women of Influence and Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Jenn also holds an honorary doctorate from Brock University for her work in sustainability and community advocacy.

Darryl Gray is the Director of Education and Training at TRCA leading a large and diverse team of highly skilled education, museum and sustainability professionals and practitioners working to build a vital, vibrant and sustainable Greater Toronto Area.

With over 25 years of experience, Darryl leads transformative multi-sectoral partnerships in the areas of education, cultural heritage and sustainability. These partnerships ensure that students and schools have equitable access to nature-based, out-of-classroom learning experiences; that industry professionals are equipped with the leading-edge research and training necessary to tackle complex challenges related to urban sustainability; and that a renewed vision for The Village at Black Creek is realized through community and institutional collaboration, including a modernized funding model.

Darryl provides senior leadership support to TRCA’s Natural Science and Education Committee and Partners in Project Green Executive Management Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University and a Diploma in Municipal Administration.

Jennifer has 15 years of experience working with broad stakeholder groups to achieve common goals. She brings her expertise in project management, governance, strategy development and communications to advance environmental sustainability and economic prosperity in the GTA. Jennifer enjoys anything that gets her out into the great outdoors, especially hiking, and diving into a good book.