On November 16th, 100+ rising leaders attended for ELNstudio: Better Leader Bootcamp – a jam packed day of high-intensity workshops and training sessions designed to give your leadership muscles a workout!
Since 2009, ELNstudio has been a flagship event of CivicAction’s Emerging Leaders Network (ELN)—bringing together hundreds of rising leaders from different sectors in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) for a one-day conference to collaborate and tackle the challenges facing our region.
We know this century has already been coloured by new disruptive trends and rapid change. Discourse around diversity and inclusion is on the rise. Trust and confidence in traditional institutions continues to shift. Cities in particular are not just growing at unprecedented rates, but experiencing increasing wealth divides, revolutionary advancements in technology, and the broad impacts of globalization.
It’s clear the world is changing—and the skills needed for effective leadership need to keep pace.
Check out our pictures from the day of using the button below!
Better Leader Bootcamp: Speakers
Morning Sessions (8:30 – 11:45AM)

Sevaun Palvetzian
Chief Executive Officer and Board SecretaryCivicAction & CivicAction Leadership Foundation
Orlando Bowen
Executive Director/FounderOne Voice One Team

Zabeen Hirji
Chair of CivicAction and Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte

Rosie MacLennan
Olympian Trampolinist, Gold Medalist
Afternoon: Skill Building Workshops (12:30 – 4:00PM)
And in the afternoon, it’s time to work it out! Attendees get to select two high impact leadership skill-building workshops. These workshops happen in two blocks, from 12:50PM – 2:20PM and 2:30PM – 4:00PM. To learn more about them view the ELN Bootcamp full agenda.

Camille Dundas
Solutions ConsultantHootsuite

Amira Elghawaby
Award-Winning Journalist & Human Rights Advocate

Marg Van Herk-Paradis
Vice President of Services and Senior ConsultantCredence & Co.

Kofi Hope
Award-Winning Community Advocate, Rhodes Scholar, Senior Policy AdvisorWellesley Institute

Bailey Parnell
Founder & CEOSkillsCamp Soft Skills Training

Mark Sam
2018-2019 ELN Co-Chair; 2014-2015 DiverseCity Fellow; Project LeaderBoston Consulting Group

Lisa Watson
Principal ConsultantStrategies for Social Impact
Closing Remarks (4:10 – 5:00PM)

Jesse Darling
2018-2019 ELN Co-Chair; Organizational Effectiveness ConsultantSlalom

Mrinalini Menon
2018-2019 ELN Co-Chair; 2015-2016 DiverseCity Fellow; Director, Strategic Partnerships & Academic RelationsRBC
It's time to measure up.
We asked Emerging Leaders Network members on why building an inclusive Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area for the 21st century is important, urgent and requires all hands on deck.
Hear what they said