Keynote Topic
Managing Risks: Lessons from the Edge

DAVE WILLIAMS, ASTRONAUT, AQUANAUT & BIOTECH / HEALTHCARE LEADER
With a passion for leadership, healthcare and risk management, prior to entering the Canadian Space Agency’s astronaut program, Dr. Dave Williams worked as an emergency physician and later as director of emergency services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Dave joined an exclusive club when he blasted into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, and again on Shuttle Endeavour where he walked out into the great beyond. Having also lived and worked in the world’s only underwater ocean laboratory, he became Canada’s first dual astronaut and aquanaut. The veteran of two space shuttle missions, he has logged more than 687 hours in space, including three spacewalks, the highest number of spacewalks performed by a Canadian astronaut. Between his two space missions he was an executive with NASA when the agency appointed him as director of the Space and Life Sciences Directorate, making Dave the first and only non-American to hold a senior management position.

Today, Dave is the CEO of Leap Biosystems, an innovator in the development of new augmented reality technologies and AI-enhanced diagnostic devices. His commitment to leading change in healthcare has taken him into a number of different leadership positions including Director of the McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southlake Regional Health Centre and Chair of the Ontario Health Innovation Council.

In addition, Dave is a cancer survivor – he lost his pilot’s license and ability to be an astronaut as he struggled through the disease…then he earned it all back and flew for a 2nd time in space after making his recovery.

Dave is the bestselling author of a series of children’s books including one on sustainability:  How Thinking Like an Astronaut Can Help Save the Planet, a memoir, Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe, and his newest book is Leadership Moments from NASA: Achieving the Impossible.  He has unmatched experience with high risk and peak performance environments and knows the importance of creating psychological safety environments, while creating efficient systems, and a culture of innovation.

His insights inspire leaders worldwide and were recently featured in Reebok Founder Joe Foster’s book series, How to Survive & Thrive.

He is a member of the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame and is the recipient of six honourary degrees, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario.

Keynote Topic
Be Future Ready: Ignite Transformative Change

All levels of government are being asked to deliver more – faster – amid rising complexity, uncertainty, and constant change. New technology, policy shifts and pivots, and evolving expectations mean that meeting these moments of change isn’t just about new tools or structures; it starts with how we think, adapt, and lead ourselves through change.

Rather than trying to predict what the future of work will look like, this keynote focuses on becoming future-ready – personally and collectively. Future-ready professionals are equipped to absorb change, make sense of uncertainty, and ignite meaningful transformation when new ideas or innovations emerge.

In this keynote, participants will:

• Develop a discovery mindset that supports curiosity, growth, and personal adaptability;
• Learn how to make the brain work for change instead of resisting it;
• Learn how personal readiness influences how teams receive and act on new ideas;
• Identify ways to take bold, grounded action when outcomes aren’t fully known;
• Build future-ready skills that enable confidence, resilience, and momentum in times of change.

GREGG BROWN, CHANGE STRATEGIST ON BUILDING FUTURE READY CULTURES, LEADERSHIP AND THE FUTURE OF WORK
Gregg Brown is an internationally recognized change expert, best selling author and keynote speaker who combines storytelling, audience engagement and research-based insights to empower teams to be future ready and thrive in the future of work. 

Gregg was just named one of the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders on Change Management.  His ideas are in publications such as Forbes, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and Entrepreneur, amongst others. 

His core message is simple, yet powerful. Instead of solely focusing on the future  of work,  let’s focus on making your leaders and teams even more future-ready, to not only implement new ideas, but to strategically respond to whatever comes up. Gregg works with you to determine how to position and frame this message for your audience so they leave with practical strategies they can immediately use.

Gregg’s high energy keynotes have engaged thousands of individuals on hundreds of stages in some of the world’s leading organizations that tackle some of the biggest issues on the planet ranging from energy, health, to education and housing. 

These audiences include Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, TD Bank, KMPG through to governments, associations and humanitarian organizations worldwide, including the UN, Habitat for Humanity and the CDC – equipping them with the courage and practical tools to dive fearlessly into the never-ending waves of change. 

Gregg’s new book, Spark Action: How to Lead Change That Matters is recommended as one of the top thought-leader books to read in 2024 by Thinkers360 and is an Amazon #1 Bestseller.

With a Master’s of Social Science degree from the University of Leicester in the UK, his Project Management Professional Designation (PMP) and as an associate member of the American Psychological Association, Gregg brings a unique blend of a practical insights and engaging storytelling to his presentations that create actionable takeaways audiences can immediately use. He is currently pursuing a PhD where he researches how AI is reshaping leadership in organizations.