Speakers $5000 and Under

Sami Jo Small grew up on the outdoor hockey rinks of Winnipeg, MB. Her passion for the game was honed in the boys’ minor hockey system. As the only girl she was forced each and every day to prove that she belonged through hard work and determination. She dreamt, like her teammates, of someday playing in the NHL, but also dreamt of someday stepping on to the podium at the Olympic Games.

Known as the ‘voice of curling’ in Canada, Vic Rauter has anchored TSN’s curling coverage for 20 years. Off the ice, Rauter has been a key player in TSN’s soccer coverage since 1986, providing commentary for the Canadian Olympic and World Cup qualifying bids, Toronto Blizzard and TSN’s coverage of the 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cup.

Stephen Bauld is a public speaker on the international stage and co-author of The Municipal Procurement Handbook (two editions) and Leadership, Or The Lack Thereof.

Shaunna’s passion for the mountains has led her to become the second Canadian woman in history to summit Mount Everest. This success on May 30th 2005 was the culmination of a very distinguished climbing and academic career. Some of her climbing highlights include a successful ascent of Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak, and the difficult traverse of Mount Blanc from Italy to France. In the fall of 2003, Shaunna climbed Everest to 26,000 feet as part of her research related to what motivates Everest climbers. In 2004, she was a main character in The Discovery Channel documentary mini-series that was filmed on Mt. Everest titled “Ultimate Survival: Everest” and continued to make history by conducting her research while on the upper reaches of the mountain. This body of work that was continued during her successful bid in 2005 has become widely known as “Sport Psychology: Science in the Death Zone.” What separates Shaunna from other academics and/or climbers was her ability to be “in Situ” or “in the moment” collecting her data while she and the other athletes were participating. This is cutting edge science and further opens the window into a greater understanding of the psyche of sport.

Sharon Hampson is a Member of the Order of Canada, and the recipient of many awards, including the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award, the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and The Alliance for Children and Television Lifetime Achievement Award. She has been an Ambassador for UNICEF and was Founding President of Willow Breast Cancer Support Canada and is the recipient of a Doctor of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Scott Russell is a Gemini-Award winning broadcaster and acclaimed author, originally from Oshawa. He holds a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, and is known across the nation for his coverage of amateur sports.

Scott Campbell is a highly successful speaker, consultant, and author. Over the last twenty years, he has consulted with and coached leaders from FedEx, Nike, GE, Toyota, Bayer, Kraft, Pepsi, Ceridian, P&G, and Spectra Energy. He is a former instructor in the Schulich School of Business Executive Education Centre.

Sara Orlesky joined the SportsCentre broadcast team in January 2008 as a reporter for the Toronto bureau, filing reports on major sports stories including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays and Argonauts, as well as national and international sporting events.

Sally Armstrong has the gift of touching the emotions of her audience through her stories based on her travel to many remote parts of the globe. Her stories combine humour, and the challenge of a deeper message revealed by an event or a set of circumstances. International audiences know her as one of the most compelling speakers on the platform today. Taking her message from corporations to conventions to classrooms, she is at home with people of all ages and all walks of life.

Rona Maynard was Editor of Chatelaine through a decade of growth and innovation in which she proved to a new generation of readers that “my mother’s magazine” was now their magazine too. In the face of relentless competition from American niche magazines, she met every bottom-line benchmark as she made Chatelaine the meeting place where women could inspire one another, whether they were just starting out in their careers or embarking on mid-life reinventions.

Resides in Burlington with wife Marie. Has 3 sons Steve, Dave and Ronnie. Over the last 10 months, Ron has been featured in the New York Times, CBC, ESPN, the History Channel, he’s had an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and was named Burlington, Ontario Citizen of the Year.

Celebrated hockey legend Ron Ellis combined skill and sporting play throughout his 15 year NHL career. Playing his entire professional career for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ellis has become one of the most respected individuals to ever wear the “blue and white’. Ellis totalled 350 regular season and playoff goals and was a key member of the Leafs’ 1966-1967 Stanley Cup winning squad.