Bruce Miyashita is Lean Sensei at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, where he leads the design and application of Lean principles to the College’s strategies and processes. Previously, he was Head of the Process Centre of Excellence at BMO Financial Group, Vice-President Six Sigma at Maple Leaf Foods Inc., and Director of Strategic Initiatives at Bombardier Inc. He was also a Lean consultant at McKinsey & Company. He has an undergraduate degree from the Arts & Science Program at McMaster University and an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Rika Sawatsky (she/her) is an employment lawyer, workplace investigator, and trainer based in Toronto. Her work helps organizations respond to complex workplace issues, such as human rights, accessibility, and gender-based violence, with practical solutions that last. Rika brings together employment law, behavioural science, and trauma- and violence-informed practice in her work and is known for translating emerging legal and social issues into guidance that leaders can actually use.

Rika runs her own boutique practice, Clausework, supporting employers across Canada.

Dr Sharda (she/her/hers) is a dynamic, equity informed physician and healthcare and medical education leader, known for her engaging and thought-provoking presentation style and her ability to hold multiple truths with bravery and compassion.

She is the inaugural Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences. From 2019 to 2024, she served as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, embedding EDI and anti-racist practices into provincial policies and education.

Dr Sharda has presented and taught on equity, medical education and inclusive leadership at a variety of national and international organizations to a wide range of audiences, including many senior leaders and leadership teams.

She is a trained creative writing coach and narrative medicine facilitator, with deep facilitation experience through the Sustained Dialogue course.

She holds a Master’s and Fellowship in Medical Education, with her scholarship focusing on power, hierarchy, anti-oppression, and identity formation.

Dr. Sharda has received several awards, including the Pauline Alakija Trailblazer Award (2022), the Certificate of Merit Award from the Canadian Association of Medical Education (2024), and the Sibley Award from McMaster University (2025).

An anesthesiologist, she chaired the Canadian Anesthesia Society’s physician wellness committee from 2019 to 2023, integrating wellness and equity into national standards.

Her biggest achievement to date is avoiding being hit by flying soccer balls from the feet of her 9-year-old and 12-year-old sons!

Barrington Walker is Professor of History and Vice Provost of Equity and Inclusion at McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario, Canada. He holds a PhD in Canadian History from the University of Toronto and specializes in the histories of Black Canada, race, the racial state, migration and law. Before coming to McMaster, he held academic and administrative appointments at York University, Queen’s University (Kingston) and Wilfrid Laurier University. He has written and edited 3 books. A new book, Colonizing Nation: Black Canadians, The Racial State and the Historical Present, will be published with Peter Lang as part of its innovative “Reimagining Canada” series. His long-standing interest in the racial state has also evolved into a scholarly interest in EDI and DEI.

He is Chair of the Board of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Co-Chair of the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) Advisory Committee on EDI Policy (ACEDIP) and a member of the Inter- Institutional Steering Committee of the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion.