Keynote Profiles

We are thrilled to announce that Simon Brascoupé, Frank Cappadocia, and Kerry K. Taylor (Squawkfox) will be Keynotes for this year’s conference.

Kerry K. Taylor

Session Topic:
Money Sense Isn't Common Sense

Kerry K. Taylor is recognized as one of the top personal finance voices in Canada. Her unique blend of humour, financial wisdom, and science shows her audience how to overcome the everyday money mistakes that make us human.

Kerry is a financial journalist, bestselling author, and creator of the award-winning website Squawkfox.com - named the “gold standard for personal finance” by Chatelaine Magazine. She is the host of The Cash and Kerry Podcast, featuring industry thought-leaders.

She is an expert guest on lifestyle programs The Marilyn Denis Show and CTV’s Your Morning, and is all business on CBC’s The National, On The Money, and BNN. Kerry has Written columns and special features for The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, MoneySense Magazine, and numerous international publications.

Both on stage and in writing, her wit and storytelling inspire audiences to make smarter money decisions and build wealth, health, and happiness.

Frank Cappadocia

Session Topic: 
Teamwork, Followership and Co-Creation: The roadmap to a better team always begins with you.

A leader ‘of firsts’ Frank Cappadocia enjoys the thrill and challenges of new ventures. Frank was the inaugural GM and COO of the Ontario College Student Alliance, representing more than 110,000 college students at 16 Ontario Colleges. From CSA, Frank moved to York University becoming its first Director of the Centre for Student Community and Leadership Development (SCLD) where he was directly engaged in its central relocation and in reconfiguring its relationship with York’s 19 student unions and 392 student clubs. From York, Frank went on Lakehead University’s Orillia Campus becoming its 13th employee and first Associate Dean of Student Affairs. He ended his 12 years at Lakehead Orillia as its first Associate Vice-President of Administration and Community Engagement having launched its Athletics, Wellness, Lifelong-Learning, and Indigenous Initiatives offices.

In his current position as Dean of Humber College’s new Division of Continuous Professional Learning (CPL), Frank’s taken on his sixth inaugural role. Tasked with building Humber’s CPL Division Frank’s engaged with all of Humber’s Senior Deans, CPL Associate-Deans, and dozens of external partners to deliver the 400+ professional courses CPL offers each term. Known to be a solutions-focused, mission-driven leader, Frank’s spent the last 30 years trying to improve the quality of full-time, part-time, and continuing education student, staff, and faculty life. Having outlined some of the 12 executive positions he’s held at Ryerson, York, Lakehead and now Humber, Frank has one of the widest sets of professional lenses in the sector.

Known for his quick wit, humour and approachability, Frank continues to maximize opportunities wherever he can find them. He is absorbed and obsessed with everything leadership which is both his personal and professional passion. Frank is the recipient of several provincial and three national level awards recognizing his educational program design successes. He is routinely sought out as a leadership consultant and presenter and has spoken to more than 50,000 learners over the course of his career. Frank holds a Master of Arts in Community Leadership from Regis University and is completing his MBA in Educational Leadership with the University of Cumbria.

Bridge-builder, co-creator and occasional troublemaker, Frank is proud of his humble beginnings and remains strongly committed to several community-based organizations like Victim Services, World Vision, and the Terry Fox Foundation.

Simon Brascoupé

Session Topic: 
Behavioral insights from an Indigenous perspective. 

Simon Brascoupe, Anishinabeg/Haudenausanee – Bear Clan is an accomplished artist, professor, and leader in the field of traditional knowledge and financial literacy. He has a BA and MA from State University in Buffalo and is a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator. He has served in many important roles such as CEO of the National Aboriginal Health Organization, a Director within Health Canada, Co-Chair of the Indigenous people’s working group at the FCAC, and as Director of the Aboriginal Affairs Branch of Environment Canada. Simon has also served as a professor at both Trent and Carlton Universities.

Simon’s interest and knowledge in land based healing, traditional medicine and traditional knowledge positions him to help us as service professionals. Understanding more deeply some perspectives surrounding money can help us to provide a more relevant, culturally safe financial aid experience for our students.