cicely@cicelyblainconsulting.com
www.cicelyblainconsulting.com
(604) 245-0772

Cicely Belle Blain is a diversity and inclusion consultant, activist and writer; they are one of Vancouver’s fifty most influential people of 2018, as awarded by Vancouver Magazine, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter – Vancouver, one of CBC’s 150 Black Womxn Making Change in Canada and BC Business 30 Under 30 2019 and has served as a member of the Canadian Youth Delegation to the United Nations. Cicely Belle runs Cicely Blain Consulting – a social-justice informed diversity and inclusion consulting company with over 50 clients across North America, Europe and Asia.  Their work is informed by their professional and academic background at the University of British Columbia, their lived experience as a Black, queer artist, a community builder, an intersectional feminist and a Black liberation activist. Cicely Belle is also an instructor in Executive Leadership at Simon Fraser University and their first book debuts in 2020.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: Caribbean, African
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Languages: English

karintischler@emilyspath.ca
www.emilyspath.ca
(604) 838-3135

Karin Tischler received an M.Phil in Economics from the University of Oxford, and has gained research expertise throughout her professional life. She worked first as a management consultant in England, Germany, and the USA on various projects ranging from airport management to retail (3 years). As the head of the Competitive Intelligence Department for a Fortune 500 company, she provided research and data information for investor calls as well as senior executives and board of director meetings (5 years). After experiencing being a stay-at-home mom for 11 years, Karin has used her research skills for the past 14 months to conduct international best practice research about professionals trying to return to paid work. She has interviewed and met best practice leaders in Europe as well as North America, and was invited to the largest North American returner conference by its founder. She also received a bursary to attend the Women Deliver 2019 conference further learning and advocating about professionals returning back to paid work. Karin has been a guest on podcasts, Facebook live chat, published a blog, presented and organized an event to raise further awareness about this often forgotten but very important part of the workforce. She is very well connected (10k LinkedIn connections) in the flexible job/ job sharing/ returners/ gender equality community in Europe, North America and the rest of the world. Karin’s mother tongue is German and thus she is aware of the latest European industry trends very early.

Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: European
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: German, English

Jennifer@peak-resilience.com
www.peak-resilience.com
(604) 833-6140

Jennifer Hollinshead (BSc, MA) is the Founder and Clinical Director of Peak Resilience, which she created with a vision to provide easy-to-navigate, high quality, trauma-informed services for clients motivated to feel better and live their best lives. Outside of her client work, Jennifer provides consultation, support and supervision to the team at Peak Resilience and can’t believe how lucky she is to be surrounded by such strong, compassionate, and authentic women.

In her practice, Jennifer brings over twenty years of combined counselling experience and education. She likes to uncover how clients have changed and been resilient in the past, and what motivates them to be resilient and inspired in the present. Jennifer also practices from an intersectional feminist approach, meaning she is curious about how living in a patriarchal, capitalist and colonialist society can impact mental health.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: European
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: English

lawreform@westcoastleaf.org
(778) 682-3522
(604) 684-8772 ext 112

Elba Bendo (BA, JD, LLM) comes to West Coast LEAF following years of work with communities directly impacted by systemic inequality. Prior to joining West Coast LEAF, Elba practiced labour, employment and human rights law at a Toronto-based social justice firm and volunteered with the Worker’s Action Centre where she assisted workers in situations of precarious employment in enforcing their rights. Through this work, Elba saw first-hand the challenges the most marginalized communities face in accessing the law. In 2016, she returned to school to receive an LLM from SOAS, University of London during which she researched how transnational coalition building can facilitate feminist law reform efforts. Following her LLM, Elba led a public legal education program at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law for newcomer youth. Most recently, she acted as a legal advisor to a number of women-led grassroots community organizations working on indigenous land rights in Myanmar. Elba loves traveling, reading (particularly post-modern fiction) and trying out new fitness classes.

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: European
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: English, Albanian

chastityontheweb@gmail.com
www.chastitydavis.com
(778) 251-0444

Chastity Davis (MA, BA, DiplT) is a mixed heritage woman of First Nations and European descent. She is a proud member of the Tla’amin Nation, located off the Sunshine Coast of BC. Chastity is an entrepreneur, advocate, and yoga teacher. She bases her work in Indigenous Knowledge, Academic studies, and Yoga.

Location: Vancouver/Williams Lake, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: North American Indigenous
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: English

lrupert@ywcavan.org
www.ywcavan.org
(604) 734-5722

Lisa Rupert is VP of Housing Services and Violence Prevention with the YWCA and Chair of the Board of Directors of the BC Society of Transition Houses. With 25 years of frontline experience, Lisa has created programs, influenced policies and been a vocal spokesperson on violence prevention.

Location: Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: European
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: English

(250) 592-6073

Gisela Ruebsaat (BA, LL.B.) is an independent legal analyst, writer and scholar. She has played a lead role in key justice reform initiatives throughout her career. As an analyst for EVA BC, Gisela worked with police, corrections and community advocates to design and implement provincial anti-violence programs to improve access to justice for marginalized women. Many of these BC-born initiatives are now being adopted by other Canadian provinces and territories. Gisela also worked at the Ontario Ministries of Attorney General, and Citizenship and Culture, developing race relations, human rights and multiculturalism policies. Gisela received the Silver Medal Award from the Ontario government and the BC Building a Safer Future Award for her anti-violence work. In 2006 Gisela co-authored the groundbreaking unfounded study which documented police misclassification of sexual assault cases, ultimately leading to a national review of police practices. Gisela is an accomplished poet and scholar whose work has appeared in both literary and academic journals. Her writing investigates the role of legal and literary language: how it can help us unearth memories and histories associated with social injustice. Her debut poetry collection, Heart Mechanic, was published in 2016. Gisela is Associate Editor of the Canadian Review of Art Education.

Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Ethnic Origin: European
Languages: English, German