Saturday Speakers Bios:

10:30 - 11:15 am

Experiential Learning: Nurturing Resilient Learners Through Real-World Engagement

Anne Bissonnette, PhD, Professor

Dr. Anne Bissonnette is a dress historian, a museum curator and a designer. Her work is rooted in the fields of material culture studies, more specifically in dress and textile history. Her research explores clothing and textiles from the late eighteenth century to the present day, the cut and construction of garments, how the body and clothes interact, and the convergence between art, fashion and science. She is a Professor in Material Culture and Curatorship and the Curator of the Anne Lambert Clothing and Textiles Collection in the Department of Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. Since 2025, she also serves as Director of Experiential Learning (Graduate) for the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.

11:15 - 12:00 pm

From Awareness to Architecture: Building Trauma-Responsive Ecosystems 

Amanda Cook, Trauma-informed counselor, Grief Recovery Method Specialist and MindBody therapy practitioner

Amanda Cook is a trauma-informed counselor, Grief Recovery Method Specialist and MindBody therapy practitioner with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals and communities through healing and transformation. Beginning her career in Child and Youth Work and developmental psychology, she spent many years working with at-risk youth across community and education systems before expanding into holistic wellness and trauma recovery.

Her work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual exploitation profoundly shaped her approach, deepening her understanding of how trauma, conditioning, and systemic barriers influence the ways people disconnect from themselves. Today, Amanda works across multiple systems - supporting women in private practice, working in Service Management at Lives in Transition where she helps design and deliver programming that supports women rebuilding their lives after violence, and acting as Wellness Director for the Wild Roses Festival, the largest women’s festival of its kind in Canada.

Known for her grounded, direct approach, Amanda creates spaces where women reconnect with themselves, rebuild self-trust, and move beyond narratives that keep them small. Her work centers on helping women reclaim their wholeness, cultivate resilience, and learn how to care for themselves in ways they may never have received.

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Money, Mental Health & Dignity: The Hidden Ecology of Financial Stress

Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, MSc., CEPF, CFC™, Money Mentors CEO

Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy is a seasoned leader in the non-profit credit counseling sector, serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Money Mentors. With a robust career spanning nearly decades, Stacy previously led Credit Counselling Canada and held various director-level positions at another non-profit credit counselling agency.

Stacy is a Certified Financial Counsellor, a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, as well as a certified professional coach. Her academic background includes a Master of Science in Family Ecology as well as a Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology. She has further enriched her skills with certifications in Mental Health Leadership, and Human Resources Leadership, among others.

Dedicated to community service, she contributes to various non-profit organizations through volunteer board and committee work. In her spare time, Stacy works with stained glass, and likes to hang out with friends and family, and her husband, Brad and her dog, Dexter.

2:30 - 3:30 pm

Title TBC

Suzanne Lewis

Bio to come

3:30 - 4:30 pm

Title TBC

Connie Kobylko

Bio to come