KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 

Pamela Barnum, M.P.A., J.D. 
Former Undercover Police Officer & Federal Prosecuting Attorney
Trust Strategist & Nonverbal Communication Expert

Pamela provides actionable strategies to help you negotiate, influence,and build trust through intentional communication and nonverbalcues

Imagine what it would be like to live as a different person with a different name, identity, andbackground.

For months, you live with a false identity, and your success depends on building trustand detecting deception with some of the most dangerous people imaginable.

That’s precisely whatPamela Barnum did for years working undercover in the Drug Enforcement Section.

She learnedreal-world techniques for building trust and interpreting body language.

When Pamela graduated from law school, she left policing and accepted a position as a federal prosecuting attorney.

She spent countless hours in the courtroom, perfecting her proficiency as atrust strategist and body language expert.

Following a successful 20-year career in the criminal justice system, Pamela studied corporatenegotiations in graduate school.

Now, she shares her expertise with others, teaching them how toimprove their communication skills to increase trust inside corporations, associations, and lawenforcement agencies.

She learned quickly how to separate fact from fiction and truth from falsehood.

As a nonverbal communication expert and trust strategist, Pamela delivers techniques once thoughtof as a “secret second language” participants can begin using immediately.Take decades of experience in deep undercover work in narcotics and a successful legal career, andyou get real-world strategies that help attendees crack the code on trust, improve professionalrelationships and increase effectiveness using proven field-tested techniques.

Jeph Maystruck – Marketing Consultant, Speaker, and Strategist

Jeph Maystruck is the co-founder of Strategy Lab, a marketing company dedicated to helping businesses craft authentic stories online while generating powerful word-of-mouth offline. Through personalized strategies and month-by-month collaboration, Jeph empowers businesses to think smarter, connect deeply, and grow effectively.

With nearly a decade of experience as a marketing consultant, Jeph brings a wealth of knowledge on what drives success—and what doesn’t. Known for his dynamic workshops and engaging speaking style, he specializes in social media, online marketing, and building strategies that inspire action.

Beyond consulting and speaking, Jeph is an avid learner, constantly exploring the latest trends through books, blogs, podcasts, and research. His passion for marketing innovation fuels his mission to help businesses stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing world.

If you’re looking for actionable insights and a fresh perspective, Jeph Maystruck is here to help your business thrive.

Michael Kerr
The Workplace Energizer. Humor at Work, The Way Work Ought to Be

Michael Kerr is one of Canada’s most in-demand motivational speakers ‘ combining safe, outrageous humor with relevant, practical workplace ideas. Michael is an award-winning Certified Speaking Professional, the author of six books and a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers’ Hall of Fame. As the president of Humor at Work, Michael helps organizations become more successful by using humor in the workplace to manage stress, boost morale, inspire creativity, improve relationships and teamwork, enhance workplace communication and improve customer service. Michael also talks about the importance of creating truly inspiring workplaces where a positive attitude and a sense of humor are the end result, so Michael talks about those things organizations, leaders and teams need to do to be successful.

As a recovering senior manager, Michael has extensive first-hand experience dealing with the challenges and stresses of the workplace. So his programs are known not just for their great, clean humour, but for their inspiring ideas and relevant content that helps teams move to the next level.

Joan McCusker 
Olympic Gold Medalist, Motivational Speaker, Former Teacher B.Ed., CBC Curling Host

Joan McCusker helps organizations build extraordinary lives using their best resources of ordinary people. An Olympic Gold Medalist and CBC commentator, Joan uses sports examples and humour to get the point across that attitude and teamwork are important to success.

Joan and her six brothers and sisters were raised on the family farm near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan. It was a busy and active family that supported her first successes in school and sport. She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 1987 with a Bachelor of Education.

Joan joined the CBC Sports Curling telecast as a commentator in 2001. She continued to curl competitively with Team Betker who placed fourth in Canada in 2003 and in the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in December 2005.

She volunteers her time to charity and is an active member on the Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation. She resigned her teaching position in 1998 to dedicate more time to being a mom, curler, broadcaster and motivational speaker.

Joan has become a competitive curling coach, a promoter of young women in sport and volunteers her time to charity. She spent 5 years on the founding Board of Directors of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation and is now an Honourary Ambassador.

Sam Goodwin 
Inspirational Speaker | Author of Saving Sam

In 2019, Sam Goodwin was wrongfully accused of espionage and taken hostage in Syria while on a journey to travel to every country in the world. During months of captivity, he endured solitary confinement, blindfolded interrogations, and a sham trial, with both US government and intelligence officials doubting whether he’d ever be seen alive again. Today, Goodwin shares his incredible story to help audiences turn uncertainty into opportunity, equipping them with practical tools to cultivate resilience, embrace challenges, and lead with purpose in the face of the unknown.

Goodwin’s life is a testament to growth through adversity. Between 2010 and 2019, he traveled to all 193 UN sovereign countries, sharing stories of positivity from overlooked and misunderstood places. His career has spanned playing and coaching hockey in India, North Korea, and Turkmenistan and leading humanitarian efforts across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Goodwin also launched a tech startup and NGO in Singapore, focusing on stakeholder engagement and non-profit partnerships.

Goodwin emerged from his extraordinary life experiences with a renewed perspective and powerful framework for Winning Through Uncertainty, which has made him an in-demand thought leader on resilience, leadership, and uncertainty. He credits the mental toughness, critical thinking, and resilience he developed as a former Division 1 athlete as crucial to his survival as a hostage and recounts his gripping story in his memoir, Saving Sam.

Goodwin holds a bachelor’s from Niagara University, a master’s from Washington University, and a Doctorate in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University.

BREAKOUT SPEAKERS

PANELISTS