Meet the Co Authors of Co-Leadership

Maggie Reidy, M.Ed., is a leadership guide, coach, and facilitator with over three decades of experience supporting individuals and groups through growth, transition, and transformation. Trained in Counselling Psychology, her work bridges self-leadership, nervous system awareness, and value-based living.

She is the founder of Ignite Life Coaching and creator of the Lighthouse Circle, where she supports people to lead themselves with clarity, compassion, and integrity. Maggie’s approach is grounded in lived experience, relational presence, and a deep belief that leadership begins with self-leadership — the journey to becoming our own lighthouse.

Her first book, The Great Global Pause, shares Grandmother Turtle’s timeless wisdom on caring for ourselves, each other, and the planet so that Love Always Wins. The book is available on Amazon or directly through Maggie at www.turtletalkwisdom.ca.
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Ashli Komaryk is a globally minded leadership coach, speaker, and university instructor who brings together business insight, cultural curiosity, and a deep belief in human potential. 
With a background spanning luxury hospitality, wine and art history studies completed in Italian, an MBA, and executive coaching, she creates learning experiences that are practical, engaging, and deeply human. Ashli teaches Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, HR, and Tourism & Hospitality at a Vancouver university, coaches professionals across industries, and speaks internationally, including enrichment presentations on cruise ships throughout the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
Known for her encouraging presence and positive energy, Ashli is passionate about helping people build resilience, lead with authenticity, and reconnect with purpose. 

Jeannette Austin is the principal owner of Excello Consulting, specializing in keynote speaking, facilitation, strategic planning, and Natural Design™ coaching. She is also proud to be a business partner with her son, AJ, in an HVAC and plumbing company.
Her background includes 15 years as a non-profit executive director and over 17 years in municipal government in Alberta, serving in roles such as Interim CAO, Director of Operations, and Director of Community Services. She has also held retail management positions in both Alberta and British Columbia. Despite her diverse career, her true passion lies in speaking, facilitating, and teaching through Excello Consulting.
She holds certificates in Local Government Administration (University of Alberta) and Recreation Administration (Mount Royal University) and is a committed lifelong learner.

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Dr. Donna VanSant (EdD, MSc, B.P.E.) is a distinguished educator, facilitator, coach, teacher, and writer known for innovation and start-ups that inspire meaningful change. Her animated, inquisitive style encourages participants to move beyond entrenched patterns and explore new approaches to leadership and collaboration.
During her career in the Surrey School District, she helped nurture initiatives including Dance in High School, the District Research and Evaluation Department, Vision 36/20: Making Tomorrow Work, and the Surrey Wellness Committee. After early retirement, Donna launched Healthy Ventures, designing and implementing a two-year SFU graduate diploma program titled Collaborative Learning Communities: Building Capacity.
She currently serves as President of the African Canadian Continuing Education Foundation (ACCES), whose mission in Kenya is to alleviate poverty through education.
Donna believes leadership is the conscious act of influencing others toward shared purpose with a long-view perspective, grounded in relationship and service.

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Teresa Walker is a Professional Speaker, Workshop Facilitator, Certified Kolbe Consultant, and published author in the collaborative book The Me I Didn’t See (FoundHer Series Volume I).
Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Teresa travels across Canada speaking at workplace safety, health and wellness events, conferences, and professional development programs. Her work focuses on strengths-based leadership, creating healthy workplace environments, and bridging gaps through practical tools and team building.
Through authentically sharing her own experiences of loss and grief, Teresa inspires others to connect with their strengths and the power of community — encouraging people to choose daily how to #MakeTheMostWithYourMoments. A proud prairie woman with deep roots in agriculture and mining communities, she brings grounded wisdom, warmth, and resilience to her audiences.
Her areas of expertise include safety day keynotes, workplace wellness workshops, and leadership development focused on strengths and collaboration.
Learn more at www.teresawalker.com.

Cheri Courtorielle is a Cree Indigenous entrepreneur and business owner who lives and works in northern Alberta. Her understanding of leadership has been shaped by lived experience — from years in the road building industry to serving two terms on municipal council and navigating responsibility in spaces where trust matters.
She believes leadership is less about authority and more about accountability, integrity, and showing up as yourself. Known for being direct, thoughtful, and funny, Cheri values honest conversation and practical leadership over theory. She believes laughter is healing and that everyone deserves to be heard.
This book marks her first experience putting those lessons into writing, sharing perspectives shaped by real-world leadership and community connection.

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Adera Angelucci is the Co-Founder of SPIRO Creative Inc., a storytelling studio devoted to bringing meaningful stories to life and highlighting extraordinary humans and the work they are here to do.
She is also the Founder of the Light Up Membership, a community for purpose-driven leaders and entrepreneurs who are ready to live, lead, and share their work in ways that feel purposeful and aligned. Adera is an award-winning media producer, speaker, and bestselling author.
It has been a profound honour for her to help steward this co-leadership book into the world. Co-leadership has shaped her life in powerful ways, and much of who she is today exists because of the experience of building and leading alongside others.

Meet Our Co-Leadership Facilitators  

​Deborah Janz is a TEC Canada Chair, strategic advisor, and founder of H2H Brand Solutions. She helps business owners and leadership teams lead with greater clarity, courage, and humanity. With more than 30 years of experience in strategy, brand, culture, and change, Deborah is known for creating honest conversations that help leaders cut through noise, challenge assumptions, and make wiser decisions together. She brings a rare mix of sharp insight, warmth, and playful candour to the table, with a deep belief that leadership works best when people feel seen, trusted, and invited into real dialogue.

Esther Sarlo is the founder of Mynd Myself, a thoughtfully curated digital platform connecting individuals with trusted complementary, holistic, and integrative health resources and Practitioners. She created Mynd Myself to bring coherence, clarity, and heart-centred guidance to those navigating their health journeys.
 
As an entrepreneur, facilitator, speaker, writer, and editor, Esther is a passionate advocate for the body’s innate wisdom and the power of integrative perspectives in healing and wholeness. Her work centers on equipping individuals to take ownership of their health decisions—encouraging them to live and speak their most authentic lives.

Christianne Zurowski is a coach and facilitator who helps high-achieving individuals and teams unlock their true potential by reconnecting with the intelligence of their body.

Through her Body Intelligence approach, she guides leaders and professionals to move beyond autopilot, make the unconscious conscious, and create alignment between mind, body, and purpose.

Her work goes beyond awareness and intuition. Christianne helps people translate insight into action by tapping into the body’s wisdom to create meaningful and lasting change.

Monica Hernandez is a keynote speaker, engineer, entrepreneur, and CEO who speaks to shift perspectives, spark courage, and amplify voices that deserve to be heard.
A Colombian immigrant to Canada, she broke barriers in the oil and gas industry by becoming the first Latina woman to found an engineering company in the sector. Through her company, Infinity Growth, she leads with purpose in a field where representation is still rare, demonstrating how authenticity, resilience, and strong leadership can transform industries.​
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She brings a unique blend of technical expertise, global perspective, and a deeply human approach to leadership and communication—leaving audiences inspired to lead with courage and authenticity.

​Katherine Lazaruk is a leadership coach who helps high-achieving women close the gap between who they are and how they show up at the level of identity.
Working primarily with C-suite leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and professional speakers, she supports accomplished women who are ready to move beyond simply being “fine” and step into true alignment between their internal capabilities and external presence.

The result is leaders who show up with clarity, confidence, and authentic authority—commanding rooms, making powerful decisions, and aligning how they lead with who they truly are.

Christie Wengranowski owns Flying Horse Design Studio and works with founder-led companies whose businesses have outpaced their branding. Specializing in companies with teams of 3 to 25, Christie helps organizations clarify their positioning, messaging, and brand presence so their growth is clearly reflected in their communication.

A body-centered practitioner and Health Creation Activator trusted by clients for 30 years, Karen Angelucci helps people make body health simple.

By guiding individuals to create a personal health action plan—developing self-care skills, understanding their health needs, and knowing who to turn to for professional support—she empowers people to care for their body and improve their quality of life at any age.

​Her vision is to help people move beyond fears about their bodies—especially around aging—and invest in their birthright: the physical, emotional, and nutritional health of their body.

​Nicola Harris is a leadership coach and entrepreneur whose passion for leadership began early—earning her the nickname “bossy bum” by the age of three. That early spark evolved into a lifelong commitment to understanding what it truly means to lead ​with responsibility, authenticity, and intention.
Since beginning her entrepreneurial journey at 22, Nicola has worked across both corporate and entrepreneurial environments, helping hundreds of leaders and business owners build teams and organizations rooted in their own definition of success.
She is passionate about creating safe, aligned business environments that foster collaboration, innovation, and the courage to pursue bold visions.

Meghan Simington is a Marketing Strategist and Fractional CMO who helps businesses build marketing that actually converts—and communities that create momentum.
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As the founder of Ready to Launch Consulting and Female Forward Collective, she works at the intersection of revenue strategy and relationship capital, helping founders scale through smarter systems, stronger positioning, and the power of the right network.

Catherine Roscoe Barr is a Neuroscience wellness coach, personal trainer, and founder of The Life Delicious. She is also an accomplished fitness, food, and travel writer whose work has been featured in Montecristo, Canadian Living, The Province, WestJet Magazine, Lululemon, BC Business, Westworld, Real Weddings, and BC Living.
With a background in neuroscience and a passion for helping people live vibrant, balanced lives, Catherine brings science-backed insight and real-world experience to her coaching, retreats, and speaking engagements.