Recorded on September 12th, 2022.

Farkhunda Muhtaj

Farkhunda Muhtaj is an Afghan-Canadian professional footballer and social activist. She is the Captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team and plays for Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch Eredevisie. In 2021, she played an instrumental role in the evacuation of 300 + Afghans including the Afghanistan Youth National Team to Portugal after the Taliban regime came into power in August. She continues to be heavily involved in their academic and athletic pursuits and hopes that they will be positive role models for other young women and girls globally.

Muhtaj earned two degrees from York University; a BSc degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences (2019) and a B.Ed degree in Science and Physical Education (2021). She captained York University’s Women’s Soccer Team and later joined the York Lions as an Assistant coach after spending 5 seasons as a player. She has won many academic and athletic accolades each year. Most recently Muhtaj was recognized as a Top 30 York Alumni Under 30 for her active dedication toward social justice.

Muhtaj was one of thirty female leaders in football invited by FIFA – UEFA to participate in the 2022 Women in Football Leadership Development Programme in Switzerland. Muhtaj is committed to developing and implementing sustainable humanitarian and sport projects locally and globally to help advance equitable and diverse opportunities for refugees and newcomers, women and girls, and underserved communities to feel empowered and become impactful leaders.

She is the co-founder and director of Scarborough Simbas, a non-profit organization that uses sport to help ease the settlement journey of refugees and newcomers to Canada. She also serves as a humanitarian ambassador for Penny Appeal Canada. Where she helps spread awareness on humanitarian issues globally.

Muhtaj is an active member of Common Goal’s Anti-racism project, a reputable organization committed to tackling social challenges through football. She hopes to use her platform in sport to help work toward the United Nations social development goals. She also serves on the board of Common Goal’s Quality Seal Committee.

She is also an Ashoka Fellow and INKey List Global Changemaker and Impact Fund leader. She is currently working on searching, selecting and supporting impact projects that will create positive change around the world. Specifically, she is committed to supporting innovative projects globally to help advance equitable and diverse opportunities for refugees and newcomers, women and girls, and underserved communities to feel empowered and become impactful leaders.

Muhtaj recently joined Respect Group as the Director of Conscience and Culture. Her goal is to ensure that our environments are safe from bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination and that everyone can truly thrive in while embracing their unique self.

She has been invited to many notable international conferences to speak on topics including, women peace and security, global active citizenship, solutions to social justice issues and women’s football. She had the incredible opportunity of being the Canadian Ambassador for a Day under Canadian Ambassador Lisa Rice Madan at the Canadian Embassy in Portugal.

Muhtaj is an OCT certified teacher and was teaching Science and Physical Education at a high school in Newcastle, ON prior to relocating to Portugal in 2021 to support the Afghan refugees with their settlement.

Recorded on July 13th, 2022.

Dina Bell-Laroche

Dina Bell-Laroche, BJ, MA, Integral Master Coach, joined Sport Law in 2009, merging her communications consulting firm with the organization to better support sport leaders. Dina has worked for a number of sport organizations since 1991 including the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the True Sport Foundation, and Equestrian Canada.

Dina specializes in Integral Coaching®, strategic planning, communications, risk management, change management, loss and grief, and leadership development. As a certified professional coach with the International Coach Federation, Dina’s passion is in supporting sport leaders looking to explore various ways to develop, learn, grow, and thrive. As an expert in facilitation and strategic communications, Dina has worked in a variety of leadership roles at over a dozen major Games over the past two decades. She considers working as the Canadian Press Chief at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and being one of the early founders of the True Sport Movement as her career highlights.

Dina graduated from the Carleton School of Journalism and completed a Master’s degree in Applied Health Sciences (Sport Management) at Brock University. Her research investigated how National Sport Organizations’ values can be leveraged more intentionally to optimize effectiveness and increase performance. Her research was published in two sport management journals and she has written a handbook on the topic, which is available here. Dina is currently enrolled in a Thanatology Certificate Program at the University of Western Ontario’s King’s College.

When she is not working to contribute to the betterment of sport, Dina volunteers with SchoolBOX, her local community centre, and the Bereaved Families of Ontario.

Dina’s favourite quote: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” – Helen Keller

Recorded on April 29th, 2022.

Tyler Smith

Tyler Smith currently resides in Calgary but spent most of his time growing up in Leduc, Alberta where he was fortunate to play hockey, lacrosse, and golf through the years thanks to his wonderful parents.

He is a survivor of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash and is now passionate about mental health advocacy and public speaking.

Society’s complexion and perspective on mental health has shifted since the pandemic, and being able to hopefully shine a light on mental health awareness — and the conversations that he hopes to inspire people to have — is what it’s all about.

Recorded on April 25th, 2022.

Jennifer J. Williams-  BSc(H), MD, FRCPC

Jennifer is a compassionate and trauma-informed gastroenterologist and leader who is committed to creating healthy work environments which support individuals to thrive while improving the quality of healthcare, enhancing patient experience and outcomes and achieving system sustainability.  Understanding and leveraging the interplay between leadership, psychosocial health and safety, and sense of belonging is a particular passion.

Jennifer graduated from Memorial University Medical School and has been practicing gastroenterology for almost 15 years.  She is Chief Wellness Officer certified from Stanford Well MD and has been a leader in advocacy and building highly functioning teams- Director, Alberta medical association board where she was integral in the development of the AMA healthy work environments framework, Founding member of the AMA Specialty Care Alliance, Well Doc Alberta Collaborator developing the link between leadership and wellness, Deputy Chair (clinical,) department of medicine and Alberta Health services co-chair Psychological safety committee and Lead South Sector- provincial medical affairs Diversity, Wellness and Leadership Development.

Jennifer is passionate about system transformation through the lens of the experience of the workforce.  Patients cannot be first in a system where the employees/physicians come last. She believes that creating healthcare teams characterized by safety, trust, connection, voice, empowerment, and compassion that we can transform the system, together.

Recorded on January 26th, 2022.

Mark Jones

Mark’s passion for working with kids was fulfilled through his 36 years in the education world, as both a teacher and an administrator. He received his education from University of Calgary and completed his Masters at the University of Oregon.

Mark has always believed in putting children and youth first. This philosophy has brought many students back with stories and memories, which Mark holds close to his heart.

One of the highlights of his career was the opportunity to open a brand new elementary school, Mattie McCullough, and build a culture based on fun, respect and understanding. This experience was enriching and has been used to build the foundation of the team dynamic here at the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre.

In his spare time, Mark loves to spend time with his wife, Nicole, and four children.

Recorded on January 24th, 2022.

Bryant McBride

Bryant McBride builds businesses at the intersection of sports, technology and media. Bryant’s entrepreneurial track record over 20 years is 5-1-1 netting investors 8X cumulatively on invested capital, with one more investment, Burst, where he is CEO, still in play.

Bryant served as Vice President, New Business Development at the NHL – the first black executive in NHL history, where he oversaw the creation of international events and broadcasting, the initial NHL Diversity Task Force, rink development, and early digital initiatives.

In 2019, he produced the critically acclaimed film “Willie”, about the NHL’s first black player and now works with the US State Department and Global Affairs Canada to promote the social and emotional learning messages in the film to schools across North America and around the world.

He has served on the Boards of the New York Roadrunners, The Armory Track and Field Center in New York City, The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in Boston, and is C-Chair of the Carnegie Initiative, an organization that works to make the sport of hockey more accessible, accepting and inclusive.

He enjoys mentoring smart, relentless business builders and social entrepreneurs, has been a leader on social justice initiatives for decades, is an avid youth hockey administrator, and has started 26 Marathons – and completed them all.

Recorded on September 22nd, 2021.

Kyle Shewfelt

A lifelong devotee of gymnastics since learning how to do a cartwheel as a young boy, three-time Olympian Kyle Shewfelt made history by winning gold on the floor exercise at the 2004 Athens Games, the first and only medal for a Canadian in artistic gymnastics.

After retiring in 2009, Kyle has remained involved in the community as a mentor, broadcaster, business owner and author. In 2013, he opened Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics in Calgary which offers recreational gymnastics programming to thousands of participants each year.

He is a member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, a proud champion for Special Olympics and he released his autobiography ‘Make It Happen’ in 2021.

Recorded on June 21st, 2021.

Kaitlyn Weaver

Empathetic communication—through sport, dance, public speaking, or charity—is Kaitlyn’s passion and gift. As an athlete, she reached the highest honour of figure skating and competed for Canada at the Olympic Games, and thrice stood on the World podium with her long-time ice dance partner, Andrew Poje. Kaitlyn remains active in the professional skating world and uses her platform for advocacy while dividing her time between New York, NY and Toronto, ON.

Post-competitive life finds this ambitious creative engaging in her skating community, participating in and initiating global fundraisers, and part-time coaching and choreography.

In June 2021, Weaver publicly came out as a queer woman, making her the second female Olympic figure skater in history to do so.

Recorded on May 26th, 2021.

Jeff Hamilton

Jeff Hamilton is an award-winning investigative journalist with the Winnipeg Free Press. He was most recently nominated for two national journalism awards, including the Michener Award and the CJF Jackman Award.

Hamilton also covers the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He’s the president of the Football Reporters of Canada and a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. When he’s not digging into a story, you can find him picking through garage sales looking for his next big find.

Recorded on April 29th, 2021.

Gretchen Kerr, Ph.D

Gretchen Kerr, Ph.D is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto and a co-Director of the Canadian Gender Equity in Sport Research Hub.

She has devoted her career to researching maltreatment and promoting safe, equitable sport opportunities for all. Gretchen’s recent work includes a prevalence study of maltreatment among national team members, and contributions to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment, a policy mandated by Sport Canada.

For 30 years, she has served as an athlete welfare officer, investigating complaints of athlete maltreatment.