January 23, 2024 Toronto
Far From Home
Adventurous ladies roam. Our theme invites our storytellers to recall a time they were far from home. This might be literal distance from home base — an overseas vacation, year abroad, the experience of moving for school or their first job. Or this might be a metaphorical distance — getting far from the person they really are, losing sight of their values and sense of self. Maybe they’ll dive deep or maybe they’ll just make us laugh. Whatever they choose to share, humorous or heartfelt, we know it’s going to inspire and delight.
Team 20s - Sarah Hart is a devoted Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher & Holistic Counselor with 7 years of personal practice and almost 5 years as a 500 RYT instructor. Her aim is to make the healing journey more relatable and lighthearted while still providing a deeply impactful transformative healing experience. She specializes in incorporating breathwork and her trauma-informed background for a holistic approach to mental well-being & trauma recovery. Sarah's journey into yoga and breathwork began after a spiritual awakening, seeking an alternative to conventional mental health support. Her own healing from trauma inspired her to help others facing various challenges such as anxiety, depression, emotional overwhelm and PTSD caused by overcoming adversity. In her offerings, Sarah fosters a safe space for self-discovery, guiding students to find calmness and resilience. Join her transformative journey of breathwork and holistic counselling to embrace your inner power and heal from within.
Team 30s - Sunta Sem is throwing spaghetti and seeing what sticks. Sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally. After 10+ years helping other businesses go from 0 to their first million, she’s pursuing what it would mean to do that for herself doing what she loves most - anything to do with food! Her company Little Cambodian Mom Inc. is a tribute to her parents who were the first people to show her that even though life takes hard work and resilience, you can always enjoy delicious moments in between. Webstore
Team 40s - Iva Grbesic is a Cityline Style expert, Fashion/Lifestyle Blogger - “Falling in Style”. She describes herself as a brave/crazy mom of 4 who is 6' tall and believes that fashion doesn't end at age 35. Website Instagram
Team 50s - Shawna Akerman identifies as Neurodiverse and is a dedicated advocate for the neurodiverse community, driven by her passion to support families and facilitate enriching social experiences for children while prioritizing emotional regulation. As the CEO and founder of Karma Cares Community and Karma Country Camp, Shawna brings a wealth of experience to her roles. She holds credentials as a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Counsellor and is a proud mother of two thriving neurodiverse deaf adults. Shawna's professional journey began in the field of Early Childhood Education and Special Education, where she honed her skills as a Certified Special Education Teacher, Fitness Instructor, and accessibility expert. She is passionate about creating community and brings people together in every facet of her life. Facebook Atypical KarmaCamp KarmaCares LinkedIn
Team 60s - Deborah Kimmett Whether on the page or on the stage, Deborah Kimmett is known as one funny lady. She's a hilarious comic, author, playwright, and performer for the past 40 years. She has been a regular on CBC’s Winnipeg Comedy Festival and has been on CBC’s The Debaters for the past 17 years. Kimmett was nominated twice for the National Magazine Award for Humour and was shortlisted for the Governor General Award for her play Miracle Mother. She has three books of comedy: Reality is Overrated, Outrunning Crazy and That Which Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Funnier. Her comedy album Downward Facing Broad is #5 on iTunes in Canada. And now been adapted into a podcast featuring dynamic and powerful Canadian women. The architect of the Seven Minute Writer Toolkit she teaches online memoir workshops that attract people from across the world wanting to tell their stories. YouTube Facebook Instagram
Team 70s - Ann Merriam For more than three decades Ann Merriam has focused on storytelling and community building through Arts Education, Performance and Mentorship. With a rare gift for spotting pure potential, she founded and led the Musical Theatre Department at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in Scarborough, where she created a program that recognized and fostered talented young people who have gone on to big careers on stage and in film and television. As a director and producer, her work has been seen at Theatre Passé Muraille, Roy Thompson Hall, the National Arts Centre and the Edinburgh and Toronto Fringe Festivals. Her choir, the Wexford Gleeks was the subject of Global TV’s 6x9: The Real Glee, and the TVO documentary Unsung: Behind the Glee directed by award- winning director Moze Mossanen. Currently Ann coaches emerging actors and produces projects under “Edge of The Sky” in Toronto and New York, fuelled by her belief in the transformative power of theatre and music. Ann is currently producing for the fourth time the annual Holiday Variety Show “Jingle Babz & Friends”, which features some of the top musical theatre/comedic talent in the country and will be presented at the legendary Heliconian Club in the heart of Toronto. Jingle Babz Tickets