Here’s the list of excellent people who attended the Toronto Networking Potluck hosted by Tad Hargrave on September 14th, 2016 at Temple 23 in Liberty Village. You can use this page to find one another!

Your Host:

Tad Hargrave is a hippy who developed a knack for marketing (and then learned how to be a hippy again.) For almost a decade, he has been touring his marketing workshops around Canada, bringing refreshing and unorthodox ideas to conscious entrepreneurs and green businesses that help them grow their organizations and businesses (without selling their souls).

Tad does improv comedy semi-professionally, co-runs Edmonton’s progressive community building network TheLocalGood.ca, founded streetcarshows.com, indigodrinks.ca, socialyogiyeg.com, and the Jams program of yesworld.org. He speaks Scottish Gaelic and helps to run www.novascotiagaelsjam.com and is also a huge Doctor Who nerd.

Tad currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta (traditionally known, in the local indigenous language of the Cree, as Amiskwaciy (Beaver Hill) and later Amiskwaciwaskihegan (Beaver Hill House)) and his ancestors come primarily from Scotland with some from the Ukraine as well. He is drawn to conversations around politics, history, ancestry, healing and how those all intersect.

You can learn more about Tad and his work at marketingforhippies.com and nichingspiral.com

 

Attendees:

Allison Greenbaum

I’m a free spirit who loves to learn, travel and dance. I take clients on a healing journey incorporating various tools and techniques that presence, balance and restore the mind and body on physical and energetic levels. My designations include Holistic Health Practitioner specializing in massage (Honours), Integrative Nutrition Health/Life Coach (Honours), Reiki Master, MPS Pain Therapy Practitioner, Axiatonal Alignment Practitioner and Social Worker.

Interwebs: www.MassageAndEnergyHealer.com

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Angela Allain

Angela Allain is a graduate of ICT Northumberland College (2009), with training in various massage styles and techniques, including: Therapeutic/Deep Tissue; Myofascial; Trigger Point Release; Hot Stone; Relaxation; Thai Yoga; Suikodo; and Manual Lymph Drainage. Additionally, she has studied Peripheral Joint Mobilizations, stretching, and strengthening techniques. Angela’s interest in holistic therapies began at a young age. She was repeatedly told from the age of 12 onward that she had a natural inclination towards massage and was encouraged to pursue massage therapy as her career. As she worked toward that goal, she began to take additional training in the health field, including becoming a Reiki practitioner (completed in 2002), working her way up to Reiki Master/Teacher, (2010), as well as becoming a Certified Ear Candler (2007) and, most recently, a certified Iridologist (2016). Angela walks the talk, living a healthy lifestyle by eating organic and raw foods, practicing Yoga, Belly Dancing, swimming, biking, Kung Fu, and going to the gym regularly. She worked in health food stores for over 4 years, receiving on-the-job training in nutrition as well as attending industry conferences, and now facilitates holistic healing workshops on the following topics: Intro. to the Healing Arts; Raw Food and Nutrition; How helping heal the planet helps to heal you; Meditation, Deep breathing; and Yoga; Belly Dancing Basics; Reiki and Vibrational Medicine; and Massage therapy. For other holistic health practitioners, she also teaches Networking Ninja: The Art of Meeting People. She plans to continue to expand her education by adding the following modalities to her offerings: Cranial Sacral therapy, Colour and Sound therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs), as well as going deeper into massage training with specializations in Myofascial, Thai Yoga massages and Trigger Point Release. She is currently enrolled in studies for Iridology. Why choose Angela? She treats the individual, not the symptoms or the condition. She wants to give YOU the best treatment for YOUR best interest and healing.

Interwebs: www.keepintouchtoronto.com

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Anna James

I’m an entrepreneur living in Toronto. I’m currently working with partners to launch a conscious services marketplace called Elixir.
Interwebs: www.elixirservices.ca

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Anna P

My background is in the social services, then psychotherapy. I am currently planning to change direction a bit, and start a practice offering Reiki Sessions and Intuitive Readings. I will initially be offering free sessions, so let me know if you’re interested, and please don’t judge too harshly ; ) All I will need back from you is your honest feedback : ) I’m dreaming of learning how to build my own log cabin, and am excited to see everyone on the 14th.

Interwebs:

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Annie Bowker

I am a yogi and life coach and have just started a masters degree in psychology! My vision is to serve the Oakville community and develop a family of peeps who can join events, workshops and retreats to help them feel more connected to themselves to the greater community and to the planet. I am also an expert at writing run-on sentences.

Interwebs: www.annieforlife.com

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Ayan Mukherjee

Ayan Mukherjee is a holistic psychotherapist and life coach, living and practicing out of Toronto, Canada. He is passionate about eradicating the stigma surrounding mental and emotional health, especially amongst men. He also labels himself as a data analyst, writer, grounded spiritualist, amateur musician and a connoisseur of new, life-affirming experiences.

Interwebs: www.ayanrp.com, www.facebook.com/ayanmukherjeeRP

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Brenda MacIntyre

Interwebs: www.MedicineSongWoman.com

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Caro Cloutier

I am heart -based entrepreneur that works with people who struggle with feelings of anxiety, grief, unhappiness. I help them dissolve the blocks and discover calmness, hope and happiness. My background as an expressive arts therapist, Brain Breath Training, Energy Psychology and Shamanic Practitioner fuels body based, experiential group gatherings. My monthly Full Moon Chocolate Reading Activations & Fire Ceremonies are fun-filled, energy boosting, heart opening and community bonding experiences. I am launching a training in Energy Practices that includes the transmission of Munay-Ki Rites. These Peruvian-based Rites transform and upgrade your luminous energy field, heal past-karmic & genetic wounds or programs and false beliefs you inherited. They give you more awareness and more options than the karmic loops people get stuck into.

Interwebs: www.ReclaimingFeminineFire.com

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Chris Assaad

Hey friends! I’m a singer/songwriter from Toronto, Canada. I would also describe myself as a storyteller, a soul adventurer, creative firestarter and dream catcher. I left a promising career in law several years ago to follow my heART and pursue a career in music. Since then, I’ve been on a crazy amazing rollercoaster ride and adventure. I’ve traveled the globe sharing my music and I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a new album that I can’t wait to bring to the world! I also have a passion for supporting others on their creative and spiritual paths. As a facilitator, I work one on one with clients, offering my services as a champion and guide, as well as in group settings designed with a focus on helping participants FREE their voices and find their authentic self-expression in any medium. I love Tad’s gatherings and look forward to meeting you all and to bringing my amazing partner, Emily into the mix. See you soon!

Interwebs: www.chrisassaad.com

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Danielle Binns

Danielle Binns is a Certified Nutritionist & Picky Eating Expert. More importantly, she’s a mom who gets it. Motherhood is difficult in its own right. Yet, when your child doesn’t eat well, mom’s naturally worry. Danielle’s first daughter was an extremely picky eater and mealtimes were a constant stress. Today her daughter is thriving and one of the most adventurous kids at the dinner table.With qualifications in Holistic Nutrition and Children’s Feeding, Danielle knows firsthand how to transform picky eaters into healthy eaters. Her evidence-based strategies and “Picky Eater Protocol” changed mealtimes forever for many families, including her own. Danielle also has a special place in her heart for ‘little ones’ who are underweight – like her daughter – and offers programs to help them thrive. Understanding the stress that comes with raising a picky eater, she is equally committed to helping moms achieve health and happiness. So they too can start seeing motherhood in a bright and colourful way.

Interwebs: www.daniellebinns.com

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David Jurasek

Deeply fulfilled and a bit overfull with three great passions over the last decade: 1. Helping kids with LD/MH (Learning Disabilities and Mental Health issues) to master their moods and learn life skills through a therapeutic martial arts program (Integra Young Warriors). 2. Leading an theatre community (Inspired Playback Theatre) which teaches empathic improv and plays back the real-life stories of people who are often unrecognized (seniors, activists, sex offenders, at-risk youth). 3. Helping men to evolve in their most intimate relationships (called “Powerful And Loving”) through knowledge, skills, community, and healing of their own relational wounds.

Interwebs: www.davidjurasek.com

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Emily Cleland

Hey All! My name is Emily and I’m very happy to be joining you next week for an amazing potluck! I’ve been on my personal journey back to Self for the last 11 years, learning, exploring, transforming, healing etc. Over that time I’ve studied different modalities in the Healing Arts and now have formed my own unique brand of work that is still in the moulding process now after a heavy year of transformation. I do Intuitive Guidance and Akashic Records work with clients and I like to share my journey by writing blog articles that I post on my website (currently being updated). I have a strong connection to Gaia although I’ve always known I’m not from here (if ya know what I mean 😉 My passion is helping people feel Seen and Loved exactly as they are and being a guiding Light back to Source. I have a deep thirst for knowledge and am always looking forward to interesting conversations with fellow Truth Seekers and passionate Justice upholders. All people interest me. I’m committed to living a life of constant evolution, unconditional Love, Peacefulness, Grace & Inner Authority. One of my favourite things in life is listening to really powerful, uplifting and inspiring music. Lucky for me! I met the Love of my Life (Chris Assaad) who happens to be an amazing musician (and Man) and embodies all of these qualities (+more) … woot woot! Okay, see you next week!

Interwebs: www.ignitespirit.ca

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Emma Rohmann

I’m a green living and corporate sustainability consultant. (Cue the “WTF is that?!”) Through my business Green at Home, I help families create healthier, greener homes, simply. I share fact-based information and create strategies that fit with my clients’ lifestyle and goals – free from judgement and shame. I’m also an environmental engineer and do some freelancing with corporate real estate clients on their green building and sustainability strategies. Since leaving the corporate world, I’ve found my tribe and now co-lead a networking and support group for fellow mom entrepreneurs, Mamas & Co. I’ve got two spunky kids that keep me focused on creating a better world. I am excited to meet everyone!

Interwebs: www.greenathome.ca, www.mamasandco.ca

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Erica Ross

Interwebs: www.EricaRoss.com

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Erin Griffin

Art Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist in Toronto and Burlington. Trying to figure it all out and having fun doing it (also falling flat on my face from time to time). Spreading the good word of self-compassion, curiosity, courage, self-understanding and authenticity.

Interwebs: www.arterie.ca

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Gisela McKay
Interwebs: www.naturalhealthcare.ca

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Gregory Bonser

I’ve been working on improving the built environment (minimizing it’s impact on the natural environment) since the late 1990s. I’m currently running a data driven energy management firm that reduces energy and water use in commercial buildings. I also like to play music and dance!

Interwebs: 

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Helen Pach Goldstien

I am a serial entrepreneur and proud of it…From real estate agent to yoga and meditation teacher, to owner of The Yoga Studio, to teaching wellness in the workplace, to an on line course teaching wellness practitioners how to teach in the workplace, to BuddhaGroove (parties for people like us) to I Make My Day: a series of very short videos which I hope will make our world a better place (launching soon). Please check in for updates. I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do when I grow up.

Interwebs: www.peace-core.com

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Ïariel d’Harmony

Hello conscious community kooks and sacred creators, I’m Ïariel (iâr-iell), a Mindful Interior Design Consultant, healer and Principal of Sage Palette Design. I make your space workable by writing with you a transformational guide to use while you sway into your personal or business space with peace amidst chaos come clean. Imagine the simplicity of your favourite tea in hand the moment you walk in, ample room in the foyer to drop into warrior pose to start your day, the power of negative ions that snake plant provides, placed where two rooms meet, cutting the chip on your shoulder like a noble sword. This is how my business cares for you. I’m looking to reach spaces that have a set budget, know what they want and can follow through on professional advice provided using Feng Shui, Vastu and even permaculture principles. As an Advisory member with the Inner Arts Collective, I help run the building by physically and energetically contributing. I pay rent and advise on crucial needs so we can enroll more members in this community dream. I am now taking more care to tend to my own business and nurture it the way I have been doing so for Inner Arts Collective. Sage Palette Design will ask: Do you want to Create the new Earth by using renewable source energy? Want to ignite your dream come true through effective patterns and routine? Ready to Upcycle that old oak dresser from your great grandfather Harold? Will you keep your space in balance with the elements to prevent leaks, fires etc? Need beautiful expertly chosen paint colours? Do you need physical and energetic space clearing and am I catching you wanting healing on your way through this transformation? I’m also an avid cyclist and I like making kombucha, sometimes singing to my scobies.

Interwebs: www.sagepalettedesign.com

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Ingrid Cryns

I do a few things that I have synthesized into a body work called ‘earth soul’ (www.earthsoul.ca). earth soul inspires and empowers people to live healthier and soul-filled lives in alignment with a conscious and thriving Earth.  I am a passionate advocate of how to integrate Self-sufficient living, Natural Building and Body Mind Soul Healing. I offer workshops, Mentorship programs, Earth Living Coaching, Earth Soul integration Sessions, Architectural Design & permit drawings as well as Body Soul Psychotherapy.
The primary branch of work that I’m focused on, within the ‘earth soul’ tree at the moment is my ‘Building Soul’ work (www.buildingsoul.ca). This is my body-oriented psychotherapy practice where I work quite deeply with the relationship between the body, mind & soul. I help people who are lost, confused, stressed, stuck, in despair or feel hopeless to heal and get more connected with their authentic self. I am a Clinical Member of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists (OSP) and a Certified Bioenergetic Therapist (CBT), and I have insurance coverage with most benefit plans and have office space in downtown Toronto, Newmarket as well as in my home north east of Newmarket.  I work with the body and mind in a way that includes teaching you how to listen to your body’s innate wisdom as well as how to enhance your own intuition and authentic soul-self connection. I have a specialty in trauma work, affect regulation, attachment & relationship issues, spiritual emergencies and so much more!  I work with women, men and couples. People gain greater self-acceptance, grow a deeper understanding of themselves, learn how to resolve their core issues and create more satisfying relationships. I use Bioenergetic Analysis and body-based trauma work, Self, Relational & Object-Relations psychodynamic theories, Psychodrama, Gestalt, Jungian dream & archetypal work, sound, energy work, dowsing and more. I also do webinars, presentations and workshops.
The secondary branch of my work is as an Eco-Architect (www.somaearth.com) doing design & permit drawings as well as teach people how to build with natural materials (straw bale, clay plasters, etc.) or live more self-sufficiently in a series of workshops.
Recently single again, I do all of this at my hobby farm. in a hamlet called Zephyr, north east of Newmarket, called ‘Soma Soul Eco Farm‘, where I have 6 beehives, a large number of meat & lay chickens, a huge vegetable garden, a large greenhouse full of tomato plants, a young fruit & nut orchard, a lavender crop, mushroom logs, 2 large ponds, forest, fields and gorgeous perennial flower gardens. Here I teach workshops, through the earthsoul.caportal, on Homesteading, Tiny House Building, Eco-conscious Living, Natural Building Design, Community Living & Design, Healing and Soul Evolution, The World Beyond the Physical, etc.  The farm and property is a real sanctuary and I am currently renovating the coach house to be a 1 bedroom apartment for rent in a few months from now. Please contact me for more information at ingrid@buildingsoul.ca or 866-888-7662
Interwebs: www.earthsoul.ca, www.buildingsoul.ca, www.somaearth.com

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Jackie Shawn
Interwebs: 

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Jean Robertson

Specializing in systems thinking, community development, and group facilitation, I am a self-described freelance person. Pasr projects include The Waterloo Mayor’s Forum Series on Building Resilient Communities (2011), The Democracy Cafe for FairVote Canada and Transition KW (2011), and organizational facilitation and mentoring for Queen St. Yoga in Kitchener, Ontario (2012). By the time I’m 90: I’m expecting to have participated in a global-scale cultural transition to a new way of working, living, and thriving together. Current work is happening in The Upstart Collaboratory for Collaborative Culture Designing and the Grassroots Zen Centre for Organizational and Community Awakening.

Interwebs: www.upstartcollaboratory.org

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Jeffery McLean

Hello to all you bright and beautiful people, My name is Jeffrey David, JD for short. I live, work and play in the GTA as a therapist specializing in both family and individual therapy. I am also completing a Masters in Divinity and counseling. I have been running a small company for the past 30 years where I currently work part time as a general contractor. I facilitate a group based on a course in miracles and co-facilitate a men’s group. I love improv and hope to continue my training in that later this year. I am also working on getting my private pilots license. Look forward to meeting all your wonderful people soon!

Interwebs: 

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Joyanne Howell

Social business builder. I’m creating a social business that teaches technology to women and children.

Interwebs: www.upstartcollaboratory.org

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Julie Hwang

Hi I’m Julie and I help practitioners work together in an effective, efficient and equitable manner to help their patients achieve their best possible health outcomes. Through building robust communities and creative business models, we are changing access and delivery of health care towards a patient-centred, integrative, trauma-informed and sustainable model. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I have a private practice in downtown Toronto and have started a collaborative group of practitioners focused on developing trauma-informed model of health care. I’m also starting a dispensary for practitioners. As the Executive Director of the Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN), we envision a world where environmental health is integral and one and the same as personal health. Our organization does connects people to vital tools and information on environmental links to personal health. As an research advocate, I sit on the leadership team of the Institute of Green and Open Sciences, a non-profit focused on “green” science practices. I’ve done clinical research on epilepsy, and shared some presentations on naturopathic medicine and neurological conditions internationally. I’m looking to keep this up. Through previous work in web marketing and corporate wellness in the corporate sector, I’ve been able to witness first hand the incredible passion and resolve of entrepreneurs. I’m working on how to apply some best practices from that world to the benefit my fellow independent holistic health practitioners.

Interwebs: www.juliehwang.ca

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Kathryn Meisner

Hey there, I’m Kathryn – a career and salary negotiation coach. I help people find and land the job that’s right for them without relying on resumes and gross networking. I do this through online courses and one-on-one services. My secret mission is to help people get more of what they want in their careers and to help them GET PAID.

Interwebs: www.kathrynmeisner.com

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Lauren Stein 

Trained as an Expressive Arts Therapist at EGS and in Toronto, this fall I will begin working at ADHD Interruppted in Guelph, seeing adults and couples with ADHD and/or Asperger’s. My specialty is improvisational theatre and I love helping people express themselves, gain new insights, and develop social skills. As an artist, I perform improv, theatre, clowning, story-telling, and public speaking. I also teach all of these skills at corporations and in public through Laurentina’s Improv Club. Recently I’ve begun training as a Hebrew Priestess.

Interwebs: www.improvtherapist.wordpress.com

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Laurie Burdon

I run my own practice doing reiki, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching, and Grief Recovery Method for people recovering from loss, particularly of companion animals. I’m interested in helping people through transitional periods in their lives using all of these tools, as well as others which I’m learning and developing (relational clearing and animal communication.) I’m also an artist, and am developing my ceramic sculpture practice, and I also consult in the fields of program evaluation and planning.

Interwebs: www.facebook.com/heartsforward/

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Lee Ann Mallett

I work with people who want to kick themselves into action to get moving on a beautiful project or to address a challenge that has been waiting in the wings. As an activist and a coach, I have a superpower of being able to inspire my clients to take action while feeling really great about themselves. My clients include entrepreneurs setting up new businesses or re-orienting their current businesses, people in life transitions and mission-driven leaders who want to increase their impact while continuing to feel inspired by their work. I am also a good dancer, a midlife mom and am quite funny. And I also love public speaking, writing and capturing images of the beauty of everyday life.

Interwebs: www.leaannmallett.com, leaannmallett.exposure.co

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Liane Daiter

My name is Liane – Occupational Therapist by day, greeting card artist by night. I value kindness and I am passionate about mental health. I started With Love Compassion Cards in an effort to normalize conversations about mental health and encourage people to reach out to one another.

Interwebs: www.facebook.com/withlovecompassioncards/

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Malcolm Ocean

Malcolm is working on upgrading people to be more effective at tackling humanity’s greatest challenges over the coming century. The main projects he’s working on towards that at the moment are Complice, which is a web app that helps people actualize their goals, and the Upstart Collaboratory, a project based in Waterloo which is working on understanding what core mindset shifts are necessary for producing reliable trust and collaboration. This huge project requires fundamental changes in the way that we think about ourselves, each other, our decisions, and our thinking itself.

Interwebs: www.malcolmocean.com

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Marianne Beacon

Hello All, I have been studying (and practicing) for so long in a few modalities, but I think I have been caught in the spiral of ‘perpetual student’. My areas are Herbalism, Bowen therapy, Reiki and I did 3 years in Transpersonal Psychotherapy (but I won’t be a registered psychotherapist.) So, this is my year to come out of hiding, and really offer my gifts and skills to my community. I am excited to use what I learned from Tad’s workshop, and looking forward to meeting (and re-meeting) you all on the 14th.

Interwebs: www.mariannebeacon.ca

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Melanie-Dawn Ollenberg

I’m a down-to-earth change agent who, like all of you, is trying to make a difference. A Scorpio in 7 planets, my sandbox is in challenging and creating structures, exploring psycho-spiritual / metaphysics in healing, or building train tracks with my 3 yr old (I think I enjoy building them more than he does!) When I look at what brought me here, I’d say my counterculture roots were catalyzed by my Health Science degree, propelling me into 20 years of client-driven system improvement work across Canada: Community healing & development; program design; and human rights advocacy. Over time though, I became a bit jaded (*surprise) by working within the health system, and compelled to move more deeply into my palmistry and healing practice – especially after becoming a mother. Continuing my commitment to work outside the box, I owned my gifts as a reader & healer, and worked on applying what I learned within the health system to strengthen non-traditional healing communities. I now have one foot grounded in my private practice as a Palmist & Reiki Master (Owner of Kore Changes), and the other foot in creating collaborative spaces and structures for the healing arts (Managing Partner of pwyc studio Yoga Village & Co-Founder of Inner Arts Collective, a coworking space for wellness practitioners). A perpetual optimist, I am really excited by the idea of intentional, socially minded individuals collaborating across disciplines to create a better future – and look forward to meeting you!

Interwebs: www.innerartscollective.com

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Montina Hussey

A Toronto Visual Artist, Montina is a powerful emotional interpreter and is completely unabashed about revealing the gore of feelings. She is unafraid to search every dark corner within her and then vocalize an empathic discovery to her audience. Her painted knotted forms are the politics of repression being coddled and loved. This symbolizes the relationship one must have with their unvented sorrow. She asks the viewer to surrender to the full play of what is ordinarily called the terror of the unknown. When you face these esoteric corners, the self splinters, and an ecstatic sense of freedom erupts. Her art practice is the stage between the unveiling and the freedom. She holds the belief that we can call up the past and direct it into a healing experience and painting can act as an antenna to transport these energies into reality. We can reach our potential of being self-actualized figures of light by facing our ancient darkness and regressed past life weight, in hope to create a pure platform for the future generations. Her goal is to invite extraordinary heuristic and transformative evolutionary potential for the individual.

Interwebs: www.montinahussey.com

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Nathalie Delorme

I am an aspiring entrepreneur working on creating my own business offering healing services. Currently I am a Reiki level 1 practitioner, and am completing a Spiritual Coach Training course, though these are only the first of many modalities I will add to my repertoire. I’m passionate about healing, health and wellness, personal growth, and consciousness. I’m constantly seeking to push my boundaries, walk my own healing path, and live as closely as possible in alignment with my higher self. I’m also seeking like-minded people to connect and network with (and I’m sure this event will deliver!)

Interwebs: letsgobeyond.wordpress.com

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Ramona Ng

I’m a Certified CranioSacral Therapist and I partner with people who are on a committed journey towards health. Many of my clients show up desperate, having “tried everything.” CranioSacral Therapy works in such a different paradigm of transformation that they are often surprised to achieve results quickly. Together, we work together with their tissues to encourage and support permanent healing.

Interwebs: www.maitrihealing.com

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Rebecca Tracey

This summer I’ve mostly been rock climbing, hiking, and roadtripping with my dog Rhubarb… but when I am working, I work with solopreneur, service-based businesses (think life coaches, nutritionists etc) who want to be able to work solely from the comfort of their laptop with no pants on, as all workdays should be.

Interwebs: www.TheUncagedLife.com

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Rene Suarez

Rene is an autodidactic polymath who spent half-a-decade re-skilling himself while living in off-grid forest communities, eco-villages and other intentional communities in faraway continents. For a glimpse of his journey, picture living in a simple forest hut without electricity or plumbing for 3 years, cooking by firewood every day, growing food, building their home out of local materials, making soap, and learning other ways of living in harmony with nature. Since 2014, Rene and his wife Richa returned to Ontario to share their knowledge and skills of sustainable, holistic livelihood through their nonprofit organization, Skillseed. “Seeding skills for social change” encapsulates their mission of supporting DIY-based activities, organizations and products that share life-sustaining skills to improve grassroots community capacity, ecological stewardship, and health empowerment. Skillseed’s main project is Make it Natural, which is a growing collective of DIY personal care enthusiasts who share the vision of “Soap Sovereignty” – in other words, the decommodification of personal care products. They envision a Toronto where every neighborhood has a soapmaker, where people teach their children their family toothpaste recipe, and children grow with intimate relationships with the plants in their environment that help create recipes like shampoo, laundry detergent, or cosmetics. To this end, they have invented Soap Gardens. Soap Gardens are developed at their prototype Soap Farm at York University. Soap Gardens are ornamental groupings of plants that attract pollinators, improve native biodiversity, heal poor soils, and yield ingredients for personal care recipes. Soap Gardens may one day be commonplace in South Ontario, and will serve as a critical component of their broader mission of helping reduce people’s dependence on toxic products from globally-destructive industries, to help reconnect people with their environments, to improve urban/suburban/rural ecosystems, and to develop resilience in local communities. They are currently pioneering a homestead community and permaculture forest near Orangeville in collaboration with Bee City Canada, to create a pollinator habitat and pollinator education center. The project also serves as broad-skill DIY training for 3 dedicated volunteers. Their off-grid adventure is broadcasted live on snapchat (user code: rethinkdirty).

Interwebs: www.rethinkdirty.com

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Russel Scott

Russell Scott is one of the new generations of “no dogma spiritual teachers” and is the author of the acclaimed book: “Awakening the Guru in You”. He is a former radio talk show host for A2Zen Radio and has led hundreds of retreats internationally for the past 30 years. As a successful director of the Ecology Retreat Centre in Ontario, Canada he pioneered highly popular programs in green building, sustainable living and spiritual awakening. In his one-to-one and group programs, he’s helped 1000’s of people who have lost their hearts in life break through past limitations so that they can walk in the beauty, authenticity and magnificence of their true selves. He gets great joy watching participants on his retreats fall off their chairs and ass-ending in paroxysms of laughter when they experience who they really are.

Interwebs: www.awakentheguruinyou.com

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Sarah Downing

I created and run The Village Healing Centre on Roncesvalles. It is home to 40 plus practitioners in the health and wellness industry. I also created and run Yoga Village, which is in the same building on Roncy. We are Toronto’s only pay-what-you-choose studio and we have a beautiful large space with bright windows and wood floors. We have a full schedule of amazing teachers offering yoga as well as Groove and Qi Gong. I teach DBT skills to parents of children with BPD/emotion dis-regulation. I have three grown daughters and a little trailer out in the countryside. My newest project and love is roadkill taxidermy!

Interwebs: www.yogavillage.ca

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Shannon Lee Simmons

Shannon is a Certified Financial Planner and founder of the New School of Finance^. Simmons is widely recognized as a trailblazer in the Canadian financial planning industry and an expert in Millennial personal finances and money in the digital world. She was named one of Canada’s Top 30 Under 30,  the 2014 Notable Award for Best In Finance and New School of Finance recently won the 2016 Wealth Professional Award for Digital Innovation. She is a regular financial expert in the media and has a monthly column for Globe and Mail personal finance section.

Interwebs:www.newschooloffinance.com

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Shayla Garland

I am a Naturopathic Doctor, passionately practising in both Toronto and Uxbridge. I got into Naturopathic Medicine because, at 15 years old, I discovered the art and instantly resonated with everything about it, most of all the goal to address root cause of illness (as opposed to symptom palliation). I also love to cook and paint, and have travelled extensively. Meeting lovely new people brings me great joy!

Interwebs: www.shaylagarlandND.com

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Sonja Seiler

I’m Sonja – founder of Nurture: A Retreat, a nourishing weekend self care & creativity retreat for women who are creative &/or holistic entrepreneurs that find themselves on the bottom of their own priority lists and want to change that. It’s a weekend of reflection, inspiration, creativity, fellowship with like-minded women and really good food. Food is one of my favourite creative languages – there is nothing I love more than feeding people who are building something (be it a house, a business or themselves). Gathering around a harvest table laden with hearty, organic, local seasonal abundance, cooked with love and talking about the important things in life is what lights my heart up. Oh, and butter. You can also get to my heart via butter. I eat it like cheese.

Interwebs: www.nurtureretreats.com

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Stacy Chang-Christoforou

I call myself a Conscious Lifestyle Coach and my goal is to assist others in getting to know themselves better (self awareness, personal goals, blockages, etc) in order to live more a fulfilling life. I recently completed my life coaching program in, Toronto, through The Centre of Applied Neuroscience. I also facilitate guided group mindfulness meditations. I am currently still working my corporate government job but am making the transition to work with others one on one and host retreats full time, upon my return from my upcoming trip to India this fall.

Interwebs: www.iriesoul.com

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Susheela Ramachandran 

My name is Susheela Ramachandran and my main practice is being an intuitive guide and healer. My mission is to help people wake up to their wholeness and gifts so they can live as their divine expression and reconnect them to the Earth to inspire environmental stewardship. I currently run an intuitive practice where I offer readings, coaching and energy healing. I am in the process of creating and offering workshops and gatherings to further my mission and am looking to work with more children. I have a very “mama” feminine goddess-y energy about me and love to sing, write, dance, practice yoga and spend time with amazing people. I am obsessed with food, all forms of art, my dog and beauty. I have travelled across the world and have a special connection with India and Greece.

Interwebs: www.intuitiveaccess.org

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Suzanne Sherkin

I started my company, Highborn Communications, to help people in workplaces create more harmonious, productive spaces. I do this by giving people skills and strategies in communication and conflict resolution. And now that one of my adult children is transgender, I bring this insight and understanding to the workplace too, to support gender diverse safe spaces. I’m a Qualified Mediator, Facilitator and Public Speaker.

Interwebs: www.highborncommunications.com

 

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Tanya Dunn

Hello Tribe! I’m happy to re-connect. I have been a little busy this year with 3 moves in 3 months. Newly settling into life with my fiance in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood is wonderful for me after helping my son and aunt settle into their new apartments. In my spare time when I was not seeing clients for Aromatherapy Lymphatic Drainage Massages at Anarres Natural Health Apothecary, I was purging, packing, unpacking, organizing, cleaning…ah, you get the picture! Currently, I am further exercising my artisan and mad scientist skills as an Aromatherapist and Natural Health Practitioner. You will find me outdoors harvesting crab apples for preserving and herbs for tincturing to use this winter. Indoors in the lab, I am honing formulas and making all natural bath, beauty and body products. My ever growing product line is launching in November 2016 at local community sales in Riverdale. Pssst…let me know if you want to know where the best crab apples are to pick! And you can certainly borrow my food mill! Happy Harvest to all! Tanya

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Tracey TieF

Tracey TieF is a Certified Natural Health Practitioner who operates Anarres Natural Health Apothecary at Dovercourt & Bloor in downtown Toronto, Ontario. She carries on a family tradition in the healing arts and has an extensive background in physical and botanical therapies.Tracey has a passion for natural oils, butters, herbs and essences, and mission for teaching people how to use these to take care of themselves and the planet. Tracey also offers hypnotherapy for health and guided meditation in her health practice and through the Dance Our Way Home women’s dance practice.

Interwebs: www.AnarresHealth.ca

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Twyla Kowalenko

Fostering personal growth and interpersonal connection (for myself and others!) underlies all the various things I do – from PhD and running a non-profit and daycare coop to facilitating dance/movement, shamanic training, foraging, creating and mothering. Life feels full but I have a lot of gratitude to be able to do the work I do and have the amazing opportunities to keep growing and learning. I love having deep and meaningful connections and conversations and being real, authentic and honest is critical for me.

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