Nakiema Palmer, MSc, is the Director of Early Years and Child Care Services, Region of Peel. She has worked in the Peel Early Years and Child Care system for the last 15yrs supporting the Region’s role as the Service System Manager. Nakiema leads the team that plans for, oversees, funds and manages a wide range of services intended to help families access safe, affordable, inclusive, accessible and high-quality child care and early years services.

Nakiema also lives in Peel Region with her three young daughters and husband. She has a deep passion for the early years and is hugely grateful for the privilege of contributing to the evolution of a system that serves her own family.

Nathalie James boasts nine years of diverse experience in early childhood education, spanning roles as an educator, supervisor, and director in both for-profit and nonprofit settings. As an Early Years Supervisor for EarlyON centers, she's conducted valuable parenting and development workshops. Nathalie's career highlights include managing sites with large capacities and leading sizable teams. Currently, she focuses on providing leadership and workshops centred on early development and social skills for families with young children. Her enduring passion for ECE is driven by the joy of working with children and witnessing their appreciation for life's simplicity. She remains dedicated to advocating for early childhood educators and the sector, using her extensive experience to educate and collaborate with fellow educators.

Christina Spencer, a distinguished educator from Columbus, Ohio, is the visionary force behind ABSee Me—an educational resource company committed to inclusive learning. With a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and extensive experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and curriculum specialist in both the US and UAE, Christina founded ABSee Me in February 2022 to address the lack of diversity in educational materials. Her innovative company creates early childhood resources that incorporate the experiences and cultural identities of Black and Brown learners, making learning culturally relevant, fun, and inclusive. ABSee Me's unique collection of educational games, puzzles, and classroom tools aims to create an educational landscape where every child feels seen, valued, and celebrated. Outside of her work with ABSee Me, Christina enjoys exploring new countries, dining at restaurants, and cherishing quality time with her family.

Dr. Anita Ewan, based in Toronto, brings over 15 years of dedicated experience to the human services sector, with a specific focus on early childhood education, social work, and community development. She holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Studies, an M.Ed. in Adult Education and Community Development, and a Ph.D. in social work. Her career includes diverse roles such as an early childhood educator for the City of Toronto, a parent-child worker for teenage mothers, a special needs support worker, and a program facilitator. Additionally, Anita is a registered social worker, early childhood educator, doula, and childbirth educator. She is currently engaged in postdoctoral research at the University of Alberta's School of Public Health, focusing on perinatal mental health. In November 2023, Anita and her husband Gamachu Ibrahim assumed leadership of Helping Hands Home Support Services Ltd., now Helping Hands-Red Deer, reflecting their deep commitment to family and community well-being.

Nicole Cummings-Morgan, an educational leader with over two decades of experience in Early Childhood Education and the founder of W1derus Educational Workshops Inc., is dedicated to a holistic approach to supporting families and individuals across all life stages. Through her model, Remember, Reflect, Change and Maintain©, she addresses gaps in education, family dynamics, and workplace skills, yielding quantifiable positive outcomes. Nicole's creative thinking, utilizing stories, poems, and songs to convey serious messages with humour, is complemented by her strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, fostering an innovative learning environment. She envisions a future where children, adults, and families thrive, businesses contribute significantly to communities, and 'it takes a village' becomes a lived reality, inviting like-minded individuals and businesses to collaborate in making this vision a reality.