On behalf of Shades of Influence we'd like to take this time to thank our panelist and participants for a successful event. 

Thank you for participating in exploring these topics with us:

1. In 2017, are Men still expected to be the ones to bring home More bacon?
2. With dating, is it okay for Women to make the first move?  Should a woman ever have to pay for the first date?
3. Is the "glass ceiling" still a concern for Women in the workforce?  Is hiring someone based on his or her gender okay?
4. Can Men and Women be friends at work?  Does gender complicate things?
5. Can you overlook external appearances for inner depth?

Click here to view pictures from the event.

Our panelist from left to right...

Dr. Stacy Thomas:

Dr. Stacy is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience with specific expertise in the area of health psychology.  She obtained her PHD in Clinical Psychology in 2000 from the University of Waterloo and since that time, she has continued to develop her skills through specialized training in trauma therapy, hypnosis, sport and performance psychology and infertility counseling. 

We met Dr. Stacy on November 12th at the Black Business Awards where she and Michelle Gittens were honoured as 2017 Role Models as presented by the Diversity Advancement Network.   

Maurice Kondell

Maurice is a great example of someone who has run up the corporate ladder because of his perseverance and personal branding.  He is a Director of Program Readiness and Change at Rogers Communications and has been with Rogers for over 10 years.  Maurice is also an accredited certified coach and uses his skills constantly to help others to improve themselves and their own brand.  There is no doubt that you will agree that once you meet him, he leaves a lasting impression.   

Uma Maharaj

Uma appreciates diversity in all forms and tries to form strong collaborative relationships with others to achieve positive outcomes for all.  She has worked at two major financial institutions, OCAD University’s Strategic Innovation Lab and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada doing research, technology, diversity and human resources roles.  She currently works at NewSolve Corporation – her own family business and at INTEGRIS Pension Management Corp.

Stacey Unira

Stacey is a dynamic professional who understands the importance of unifying a community. She holds the role of Community Recreation Programmer at Regent Park Community Centre and through her numerous years of leadership experience has had to navigate through the millennial and baby boomer gender dynamics, to ensure a cohesive collaboration within all of her teams and all of her clients.