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Program Highlights
Bookmark and check the highlights page often as more details become available! | BeSpatial'21 overall event theme is ResilienceResilience ( ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s)
Resilience is made up of five pillars: self-awareness, mindfulness, self-care, positive relationships & purpose. |
Biju Misra,
Biju will share his perspective on transformative change, innovation and leadership highlighting the importance of teamwork and building high impact teams, critical to enable resilience as we tackle the challenges and opportunities entering the 2020s!
Insight Statement - Biju Misra
We are living in times of unprecedented disruption changes in the world around us. Innovation coupled with globalization and interconnectedness is fueling disruption which in turn is driving change in how we live, work, and play. The pace of change is much faster than our ability to absorb. The pace of change will only keep increasing.
In this increasingly demanding and changing world, it is easy to become overwhelmed and have varying degrees of personal or professional setbacks. How we cope with setbacks in our lives play a major role in our mind and body well being. Building our resilience muscle is key to cope with setbacks and resilient people are able to leverage their skills to cope and recover.
Everyone reacts differently, however, the key is not to dwell on how far we have fallen but rather how high we can bounce back and be better and stronger than before. Resilient people don't let change or challenge stop their pursuit of their purpose and if anything, they keep going with a belief that tomorrow will be better than today. In many ways resilience is more about letting go and learning to grow. The positive side of all this is that resilience can be learnt through understanding and deliberate practice.
Alex Miller is president and founder of Esri Canada, the leading geographic information system (GIS) company in Canada, founded in 1984.
With more than 400 employees and privately owned, Esri Canada became a Platinum Club winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2019. Mr. Miller is a pioneer in transforming geography and mapping into a 21st century digital tool used by millions around the world. His work has helped people see location as a unifying lens through which land and resources are understood. Having successfully guided a software company for so long, Mr. Miller is constantly in demand from tech startups, helping them address the needs of their future market to ensure their long-term business viability. He has chaired the Geomatics Industry Association of Canada and the Natural Resources Canada Earth Sciences Sector Minister’s Advisory Committee and was a member of the Government of Canada's Open Government Advisory Panel.
Mr. Miller launched The Community Map of Canada, a comprehensive, freely available map, constantly updated and from authoritative community sources. He has donated software and expertise so that maps of the longest trail in the world, Canada’s Great Trail, are easily accessed by everybody. Passionate about using technology to promote environmental sustainability, Mr. Miller is Chairman of the Planet in Focus Foundation, which showcases outstanding films on environmental themes, and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Insight Statement - Alex Miller
“Digital transformation in cities needs a human heart and a digital brain”. Geospatial infrastructure is the core of this brain. Future systems, first and foremost, must serve the needs of the people who live there.
Presenters: Lisa Taylor, President, Challenge Factory
Speaker, Researcher, Consultant & Author of The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work.
Insight Statement - Lisa Taylor
Even before the pandemic, everyone was talking about how to prepare for an uncertain future. From new graduates to executives transitioning to retirement with decades of productivity ahead of them, everyone is searching for what’s next in their work, career, and lives. Surely preparation is needed. When COVID-19 hit, long term preparations were put on hold. Afterall, how can you prepare when even the things you rely on day to day become unpredictable? Can real-time data be a part of the post-pandemic Future of Work equation?
Join Lisa Taylor from Challenge Factory and Anthony Mantione, Senior Economist from LMIC (Labour Market Information Council) as together they explore how to create, craft, and thrive in the world of work – now and in the future.
Anthony Mantione is a senior economist with the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), where he conducts research and analysis primarily related to the skill needs of the Canadian labour market. Some of his work includes, for example, the identification and measurement of labour and skills shortages in Canada, exploring new technologies for skill classification, writing recommendations on best practices for generating and using LMI, and consulting with stakeholders. In addition to studying labour-related issues, Anthony has previous experience in both the health care and education sectors.
Anthony is a member of the Canadian Economic Association. His interests include British comedies, ultimate frisbee, fantasy novels, and crochet.
Kalyan Chakravarthy, Chief Information Officer, Regional Municipality of Durham
The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation in the public sector and increased the digital literacy of residents. Due to the way in which services have been provided during the pandemic, there is an expectation and anticipation, from citizens, that there will be continued digitalization of services in the future. To realize this, technology must be leveraged effectively to meet citizen demand. More than ever, this is the time for local governments to focus on building smart and intelligent cities that will help the residents to gain access to services in a smarter and easier way.How do you assemble world-class teams that are built to meet the increasing pressure and demands of the modern workplace?
Stephen Flower is a Managing Principal with Predictive Success Corporation. He frequently speaks in business and professional circles for Canadian and American Fortune 500 CEOs, small business owners, and for non-profits. As a collaborative keynote speaker, Stephen energizes people by showing them how behavioral science can solve many of the challenges they face. He weaves real-world examples of business success into actionable plans that can be implemented immediately. Stephen practices what he preaches and spends his days helping organizations implement talent programs that am-plify their overall business strategy.
Stephen is invited back repeatedly for his powerful message and his ability to connect deeply with leaders who are on a mission for productivity. When facing ‘people challenges’, leaders will find themselves reflecting on the knowledge imparted and the strategies recommended so that they can improve their achievement and create lasting results.
Presenter: John Houweling, Director, Data, Analytics and Visualization Services, York Region
Abstract: York Region is often described as being progressive and “ahead of the curve” in municipal management. The Data, Analytics and Visualization Services Branch (DAVS) lives its motto of being a “trusted partner.” The DAVS Branch also has a strong culture promoting teamwork, excellence and forward-thinking. Throughout this pandemic the DAVS culture came to life to support the organizations response!
This is NOT a technical presentation. In this presentation John Houweling will show how culture, in the face of crisis, is what matters most! Culture starts at the top, and the Branch’s leadership persona could be described as both “visionary” and “getting it done.” DAVS has established an environment. where opinions and ideas are valued and everyone feels free to provide their own perspective. Staff members know that what they are doing is making a difference. They have the trust and respect of their peers and the support of their management. They focus on the client, work hard to excel in what they do and take pride in their results. And, there’s collaboration and partnership amongst the staff and throughout the organization. Also, the Branch is fostering a data-informed culture within the Region which is a key “pillar” of the Region’s recent Data and Analytics (DnA) Master Plan.
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