Ability to Rise: Celebrating Leaders in Disability Inclusion

Angela Simmonds - A TEAM Consulting

Angela Simmonds is a community mobilizer with 20 years of career experience across law, education, politics, policy, and cultural competency development. As the Founder and CEO of family business, A TEAM Consulting, Angela partners with organizations to develop and meet their equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility goals. Angela combines her lived experience, education, and backgrounds in law and politics to train organizations and non-for-profits on issues of discrimination, anti-black racism, sexual harassment, and biases. She is also a lawyer with the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute and has received national attention for her work with the Land Titles Clarification Act. Angela has also been recognized as one of the top 100 most accomplished Black women in Canada. 

Sherry Costa-Lorenz - NSLEO

Sherry Costa-Lorenz is the Executive Director for the Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities, NSLEO, an equity and inclusive nonprofit organization championing first voice using a disability lens and a human rights-based approach to address the systemic challenges that impact persons with disabilities. Provincially, she serves on the Disability Partnership Advisory committee, the provincial Employment Support Income Assistance committee, the Community Society to End Poverty – Nova Scotia, and the Community Housing Action Group. She is a founding member of the Disability Rights Coalition and was recently elected to its inaugural board. Sherry is also the Chair for the Partnership for Access Awareness Nova Scotia (PAANS), the committee that has planned and delivered Access Awareness Week in Nova Scotia since 1987. In addition to representing NSLEO as a member of the Nova Scotia Nonprofit Housing Association, she also collaborates with community partners in bringing communities and government together in planning and delivering Nova Scotia’s annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Nationally, Sherry serves on the Canadian Accessibility Network’s Communities of Practice Policy Committee, the Research, Design and Innovation Committee, the Accessible Housing Network and Disability without Poverty. She was honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 recognizing her work in the community. 

Marcus Jamieson - TEAM Work Cooperative

Marcus is the Executive Director for TEAM Work Cooperative in beautiful Halifax, Nova Scotia. Coming from a small town in Bear River, Marcus has always had a connection to community and the people living and working within it. His family’s community driven mindset has translated into a lifelong career helping and advocating for people from marginalized groups to overcome barriers to employment, skills, and personal growth.  As an active member of his community as a leader, advocate and mentor; Marcus has spent the last three decades collaborating with government, business leaders, and community organizations to provide meaningful opportunities to the individuals they serve. He has over 25+ years of experience supporting under-represented groups, with a strong focus on the disability community in developing life and career plans. He values a strong diverse and caring workplace, where employees can feel safe and work in an environment that fosters creativity and openness. His passion for helping people stems from his core values of kindness, joy, and love in being intentional in all that he does in the workplace and in his own life.   

Will Brewer - Town Crier

Well-known Will Brewer is no stranger to making change, advocating, and leading. He made history on July 1, 2018, when he officially became the first town crier with Down syndrome in Canada. He now leads as Advocacy President for the Halifax Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society (HNSDSS) advocates committee. This year EY and the CGLCC team award Will Brewer, of PLANET*21 first-of-its-kind Social Impact Entrepreneur Award. He also became the CANADIAN CHOICE AWARD WINNER 2024 - ENTERTAINMENT & EVENT PLANNING HALIFAX . On February 11, 2023, Will Brewer launched his business, Planet*21, a pop-up theater events, and event planning business that puts social change and Down syndrome at the core of its business. Its business model includes hiring employees and volunteers with Down syndrome who will serve customers, and perform live theater. A driving factor for this business model is based on Will’s insight, “we need to focus on business as a way to support ourselves” and we can do this and put social change and Down syndrome at the heart of the business.” With the support of his peers, TEAM Work Cooperative, and the HNSDSS, Will feels unstoppable. Proceeds from Planet*21 events go directly into the Team Possibles art program. 

Cathie O’Toole - Halifax Regional Municipality

Cathie O’Toole, is Chief Administrative Officer of Halifax Regional Municipality. HRM is home to almost half a million residents and is the economic, financial, educational, social and cultural centre for the Maritime region and is made up of more than 200 diverse communities over nine regions.  Halifax is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and a large regional municipality. Cathie has three decades of leadership and public sector experience and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA) of Nova Scotia. She also has a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian University, a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors serving on several Boards.  

Amelia Edwards - Disability Partnership

Amelia Edwards is a passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, diversity, accessibility and wellness. Holding a Bachelor of Arts with High Honours in Women’s and Gender Studies from Carleton University, her academic focus included Critical Race, Disability, and Sexuality Studies. Amelia identifies as female, is a proud member of the LGBTQIAS+ community, and consistently promotes intersectionality in her work and personal life. She brings personal experience with the foster care system, domestic violence, mental health, and traumatic brain injury to her advocacy. Amelia's role as an advocate is rooted in her lived experience as a Crown Ward in Ontario, where she served as a Youth Advisor to the Board of Directors in her jurisdiction and as a Youth Board Member for the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. In 2010, she and her fellow Youth Board Members successfully championed the “I Am Your Children’s Aid” campaign, leading to legislative amendments that extended the Age of Exit for youth in post-secondary programs to 25. Her 12-year career spans roles with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, Elections Canada, Elections Ontario, Elections Nova Scotia, Shelter Nova Scotia, Phoenix Youth Programs, and currently as Coordinator for the Disability Partnership. Amelia is dedicated to removing visible and invisible barriers and challenging stereotypes surrounding diverse abilities and identities. A lifelong learner, practitioner of appreciative inquiry, and advocate for human rights, Amelia is also a devoted dog-mom to Merle. They live in Dartmouth, where they've explored every beach and trail in Halifax County and beyond, and where Amelia continues to apply her creativity and critical thinking to tackle complex community challenges in her present role. 

Prasanna Ranganathan

Prasanna (he/him) is a documentary producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) consultant, accessibility advisor, speaker, writer, and arts columnist/correspondent. Prasanna leads his own DEIB consultancy Prasanna Ranganathan Consulting and previously served as the Head of Diversity and Belonging at Shopify and as a human rights lawyer with the Government of Canada, the United Nations, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, and the Independent Street Checks Review. Prasanna is a Consulting Producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (NBC Peacock, Crave) and a seasoned speaker on DEIB and disability, having spoken at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Industry Conference on disability inclusion and representation and having served as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling. Most recently, Prasanna worked as a screentime columnist on CBC Radio reviewing the best in film, TV and streaming content and previously served as a social media correspondent for eTalk at the 2019 Academy Awards. Proudly claiming his identity as a racialized, LGBTQ2+ person with a disability (blindness), Prasanna is a founding board member of the Disability Screen Office and a past board member of Inside Out. 

Dee Dee Austin

Dee Dee Austin is an 18-year-old Indigenous singer/songwriter whose infectious energy, dynamic stage presence and authentic song writing is creating fans across Atlantic Canada and beyond. The busy young artist has already been nominated for and won numerous awards, including Music Nova Scotia’s Indigenous Artist of the Year for 2023 and a nomination for Dance Recording of the Year at the 2023 ECMA’s. She was recently named Outstanding Indigenous Artist in CBC’s national Searchlight Competition. Her second EP, Stay Dancin’, was released in November as a follow-up to her 2021 award-winning release, Stepping Stones. Five of the six original tracks on Stay Dancin’ (Listen HERE) were produced, mixed and mastered by Corey LeRue (Neon Dreams). The other track, Natural Born Original (Listen HERE) was produced by Chris Kirby, mixed by Cory Tetford and mastered by John Macleggan (Parachute Mastering).  Her latest single, Tell Me (Why am I so Different)) was released Friday June 21 DeeDee was the featured act at the 2023 Canada Games closing Ceremony in Charlottetown; performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax, Wildfire Recovery Concert at Scotiabank Centre Halifax (alongside Matt Mays, Classified, Neon Dreams among others); National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation concert in MIssissauga; Stan Rogers Fest; Riverfront Fest, New Glasgow (where she joined Classified on-stage to perform his hit Good News ) Canada Day concert in Charlottetown; CFL Touchdown concert; Granville Green, Cape Breton and Juno welcome event in Halifax among many more. She was a featured performer in CBC’s Concert Series – Road to the Junos – this February in Halifax. 

“My goal is to touch the hearts of all my listeners through my authentic lyrics. I pour my heart into everything that I sing and play!” 

Other honours include the Chief Noel Doucette Youth Achievement Award; Women in Music Canada Honours 2023; and The Young Canadian SOCAN Songwriter of the Year 2022. 

Mary Beshai - MentorAbility Canada

Mary is the director of MentorAbility Canada at the Canadian Association for Supported Employment. She is an experienced leader and program manager who has lead teams in Canada and globally in the public, private, not-for-profit, and academic sectors. Mary is passionate about collaborations and innovations that lead to social change and inclusion.  

Bradley Daye - Placemaking 4G

Bradley Daye was born and raised in Halifax NS, he is a community leader, coach and member of the African Nova Scotian community with a deeply rooted history in NS. As the 2024 business leader of the year he is guided by the values of Reciprocity, Community and Love. As the Grandson of Delmore Buddy Daye, community development is always top of mind, he is an empathetic leader with a successful background in professional sports having played and coached football at both the university and professional level. Bradley Daye is a Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Placemaking 4G (2023 Small business of the year), and a founding member of ACCE non-profit. Knocking down silos and “Uniting Communities Through A Practice of Belonging” is his purpose in life, which closely aligns with the businesses he manages. P4G is a social enterprise focused on equitable recruiting and education. Belonging and wellbeing are a motivating force in Bradley’s life this is highlighted in his recent TedX talk titled “Making Belonging a Practice” and his appointment as the newest member of the board of directors for the “Black Wellness Collective”.

Mary Ellen Makhlouf - Forward Creative

Mary Ellen Makhlouf, PMP is an impact-driven entrepreneur dedicated to innovation and committed to making a positive impact in communities. Her career has focused on empowering businesses and non-profits through strategic and business planning, branding, and digital transformation. She launched her first venture at the age of 20, an international distribution business focusing on healthy food options for children. This experience sharpened her marketing and digital business process skills, ultimately leading her to begin working in the agency space. In January 2020, Mary Ellen founded Forward Creative, a company born from a desire to redefine the digital landscape and support Atlantic Canadian organizations. Forward Creative’s mission is to drive sustainable growth and innovation through digital transformation, with a vision to make a lasting impact on the businesses and communities it serves. Mary Ellen believes in the power of business as a force for good, particularly in rural areas. She employs a diverse workforce providing employment opportunities primarily to people living with disabilities and other equity-deserving groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led her first impact campaign, helping local businesses transition online for free, ensuring their operations remained sustainable and connected with customers. In 2023, she developed a technological solution aimed at addressing the housing crisis, showcasing her commitment to solving real-world challenges through innovative solutions. In 2024, she was selected to lead the Sobey Foundation Community Prosperity Compass+ program at Pictou County Partnership, a 1.2 million dollar investment in helping charities and non-profits start up social enterprises in Pictou County. Mary Ellen is an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Atlantic Regional Finalist, CEO of the Year for Marketing Strategy Winner, and RBC Women+ in Business Nominee. She takes pride in the impact Forward Creative has made and looks forward to expanding its reach, supporting more entrepreneurs and non-profits, and contributing to the economic and social well-being of communities. 

Emily Towns - Forward Creative

Emily is a web developer for creative marketing agency Forward Creative and a mother of four. She worked as a registered nurse for over a decade before learning that she was on the autism spectrum and needed to make changes to her life and career. A life-long passion for technology lead Emily to retrain in that field, completing IBM’s Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, followed by a Software and Web Development Diploma. Emily has numerous other certifications, including University of Alberta’s Software Product Management Specialization and Google UX Design. She is a proud member of the Nova Scotia Information and Communication Standard Development Committee, whose mandate is to provide recommendations for the information and communication accessibility standard as part of the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Emily is a strong advocate of creating equity and accessibility using technology for all ages, genders, races, and abilities. 

Ann Divine - Ashanti Leadership

Ann Divine, CEO and founder of Ashanti Leadership and Professional Development Services Inc., and co-founder of Ashanti Leadership Academy. Her education includes University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership graduate. A Master’s in Human Resource Management, BA in Sociology with Honours, Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work from London UK. The Instructional Skills Workshop Certificate, and the Federation of Coaching Certificate. These are some her qualifications. Ann is an accomplished businesswoman, known and respected for her professionalism and willingness to support, coach and mentor others. Her business provides extensive strategic guidance, and influence in cultural and organizational change and social justice issues. Her work has impacted individuals, private and public sectors at national and international levels. Prior to emigrating to Canada, in 2004, Ann held several senior leadership positions in government in London, UK, and in 2014, she retired as a leader from the government of Nova Scotia, to start her journey to entrepreneurship. Ann’s work is strongly influenced by her values in human rights and people management. Her unique style combined with adult education principles has brought her recognition in her skills in leadership development, change management, board governance, diversity and inclusion, women in leadership and unconscious bias, inclusive  leadership, neurodiversity, and trauma informed practice. As a thought leader, Ann benefits from her circle of subject matter experts who brings first voices to these critical factors in the physical and virtual workspaces. Ann is a strategic thinker, and her goal is to support the business environment, government, public and private sectors, and their employees to bring their authentic self to work. Ann is making a difference in the boardrooms not only in Nova Scotia but across the country. Her influence is such that in 2020, she was recognized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a Halifax Businesswoman and in March 2022, Ann was recognized by the Atlantic Business Magazine as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Atlantic Canada. Recently, Ann was awarded the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne by the House of Commons, Canada. Ann is a strong advocate for women’s leadership, she founded the Black and Immigrant Women’s Network to elevate  the voices of women of colour as well as striving to bring about change in her community and nationally by participating on various boards such as the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, the United Way Centraide Canada and the Team Work Cooperative to name a few. Ann is a wife and mother of three adult children and when not working, she devotes her time to being with her nine grandchildren (one of whom she delivered), in Canada and UK. 

David Divine

Professor David Divine is a renowned social justice advocate, author, change agent, academic, consultant, researcher, columnist, world traveller, and speaker. Divine has a background in social work, affordable and safe housing, tertiary- education and public service management. David is the Managing Director of www.daviddivine.com, a business working to amplify the voices of the unacknowledged and equity seeking individuals and communities. Currently acting as a principal consultant with Ashanti Leadership & Professional Development Services Inc. and working with IWK Health on their strategy and implementation plan relating to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Accessibility (EDIRA). As well, in the last three years I have worked with HRM, WCB and Irving on Strategic Planning and Implementation. September 2022-November 2023, appointed by Nova Scotia Health authority as a senior consultant in Inclusive Leadership to lead on the authority’s vision on addressing and redressing inequities in health outcomes affecting specific communities identified by the Provincial Government in its Health Equity Framework document published in July 2023. In February 2022 a major piece of research headed by Professor Divine, was published by Halifax Chamber of Commerce, undertaken in conjunction with My East Coast Experience, Ashanti Leadership and Professional Development Services, Footprint life Coaching and Halifax Chamber of Commerce, on how the local business community in the region of Halifax and surrounding areas, understands the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce and general population, and how it is adapting management styles as a result. The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Restorative Inquiry has a mandate to examine the experience of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children (NSHCC) as part of the history and legacy of systemic and institutionalized anti-Black racism, both historic and current, in Nova Scotia. Its mandate is also to inquire into how the history and legacy of the NSHCC has affected not only African Nova Scotian communities but all peoples in Nova Scotia and consider how to address this part of the harmful legacy.

Lill Missy Searl

Lill Missy Searl, is the Provincial Coordinator of the Nurturing Strong African Nova Scotian Families (NSANSF) parenting program, boasts a rich and impactful journey in various roles. Missy's commitment to community development extends beyond NSANSF. Her tenure at CEED included roles such as the Client Navigator, Manager of the Second Chance Entrepreneurship Program, and Training Coordinator. During this time, she authored training curricula, facilitated workshops, and collaborated with subject matter experts. Her leadership journey continued with an interim role as the Executive Director at Cecilia Concerts and her role as the creator and Manager of the Membership Program for a seniors' "staying in home program" at Oceanview Continuing Care Centre. She ventured into the small business training world as the Operations Manager with the Association of Workplace Educators of Nova Scotia (AWENS). Here, she designed and led workshops for organizations and business owners, both locally and abroad, even working with the Jamaica Teacher’s Association, delivering virtual training. Missy's global reach in adult education led her to collaborate with Civitas Global Education System, facilitating workshops at the University of Cienfuegos in 2018 and 2019. During the pandemic, she maintained connections for Informational Interview training. Further expanding her horizons, Missy contributed her expertise to Cinesoft, a Cuban Information Technology and Audiovisual Media company, working on educational software hosted on Canadian platforms. In 2020, inspired by her mentors, she embarked on her passion for small business consulting, and L Searl Virtual Consulting Services was born. For four years, she has authored DEIA curriculum, presentations, and brochures, alongside creating small business programming for Ashanti Leadership & PDS Inc. and Blk Women in Excellence entrepreneurship program. Missy is not only a community leader but also a vital contributor as a Loan Review Committee Member with Rise, supporting individuals with mental health and addiction challenges in entrepreneurship. She serves as the Chair of Bridgeway Academy, represents the community on the Southeastern Community Health Board, Ocean View Continuing Care Centre Board, the African Descent Advisory Committee with HRM and is a founding Committee Member of the IDEA Committee of the HFX Wanderers FC. Missy's journey reflects a remarkable dedication to community empowerment, entrepreneurship, and education. But none of that is as important as her husband Stuart of 36 years, her sons Chris and Daniel and their families.

Keith Gelhorn

Keith Gelhorn is the Founder and CEO of ADDvocacy.  

Our coaches work with neurodivergent youth and adults who live with ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety and co-occurring mental health challenges that impact executive functioning. We coach students in high school through PhD as well as adults struggling in their careers and as entrepreneurs.

We also facilitate peer-led professional development training for educators, employers, and front-line workers on creating neuro-inclusive workplaces.

What makes ADDvocacy unique is that we are a 100% neurodivergent-owned and operated company, meaning we are no strangers to the challenges and paradoxical ADDvantages these diagnoses can have on one's life.