Schedule of Events

Please Note: Program and speakers are subject to change.


2026 Aspire To Lead®

Chinese Canadian Leaders’ Summit

“Chinese Canadian Leadership, Belonging, and the Future We Shape”

May 15 – 17, 2026
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

Day 1
15 May 2026
08:00

Breakfast

Territorial Acknowledgment, Opening Remarks

Hon. Teresa Woo-Paw Executive Council of Alberta

Learning and Relationships

Indigenous Teaching
Elder Myeengun Henry

Fireside Chat – Pathways to Leadership

What does it mean to lead when you may be the only one like you in the room? Navigating belonging, visibility, and intersecting identities while exercising authority
Dr. Cindy Gouveia

Presentations – Context Setting

Presentations on issues and trends 2023 – 2028 by Dr. Paul Holley, Association of Canadian Studies Presentation on current state of Chinese Canadian leadership by CPAC (Chinese Professionals Association of...
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Andi Shi
Dr. Paul Holley
Sabrina Sullivan
10:25 - 10:40

Break

Panel: Respond to Context Setting – What is this moment asking of us?

Moderator: Leslie Yip Panelists: Patti Pon, Maggie Chi, Sammy Lau, Cindy Gouveia Examining underrepresentation of Chinese Canadian leadership – what prevents full access and participation? How are leaders identified and...
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Patti Pon
Dr. Cindy Gouveia
Maggie Chi
Leslie Yip
Sammy Lau

Table Discussion

Share knowledge, lived experiences, insights on pathways to leadership Discuss specific issues and factors on underrepresentation of Chinese Canadian in leadership / civic leadership roles and perspectives for change at...
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12:10 - 13:15

Lunch

Panel: Pathways to Leadership

Moderator: Sammy Lau Panelists: Ben Hum, William Wei, Johnnie Tu Vu, Lavonne Louie Understanding how leaders are identified and advanced – and what may quietly hold talented Chinese Canadians back....
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Johnnie Tu Vu
Levonne Louie
Ben Hum
Sammy Lau
William Wei

GLOCAL

About GLOCAL
Faye Ying
14:25 - 14:40

Break

Panel: Chinese Canadians’ leadership issues and opportunities

Moderator: Patti Pon Panelists: Isabella Chan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada and Canada’s Special Envoy for the Critical Minerals Production Alliance Beili Wong, Comptroller General of the Province...
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Beili Wong
Patti Pon
Isabella Chan
Nathan Ip

Table Discussion

Identify and validate existing resources and opportunities Identify gaps and ideas to address this issue
Day 2
16 May 2026
08:00 - 09:00

Breakfast

Keynote

First Nations and Chinese Canadians, our shared journeys, relations and cultural beliefs Keynote by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Abusgubaabe writer, editor, and activist and professor at the University of Manitoba
Niigaan Sinclair

Panel Discussion

Moderator: Lili Liu Panelists: Daniel Quan-Watson Elder Myeengun Henry Niiganwewidam James Sinclair First Nations and Chinese Canadians: Our shared journeys, relations and cultural beliefs Corner stones for truth, reconciliation and...
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Elder Myeengun Henry
Niigaan Sinclair
Dr. Lili Liu
Daniel Quan-Watson
10:15-10:30

Break

Presentations – Belonging and Leadership

Presenters: Dr. Timothy Stanley, Dr. Xiaobei Chen Collective journey Social identity, marginalization, and Belonging Identity, resilience, esteem, and self-actualization
Xiaobei Chen
Timothy Stanley

Panel Discussion – What belonging looks like for Chinese Canadians

Moderator: Patti Pon Panelists: Arthur Lam Hubert Tong Keren Tang Navigating belonging, visibility, and intersecting identities
Hubert Tong
Patti Pon
Keren Tang
Arthur Lam

Table Discussion

Identity Power Change Impact

Interactive Lunch

National Chinese organizations with opportunities to briefly showcase their organizations, including: ACCT Foundation FACL ACCE ASCEND CCNC-AAR Strategy CC100 NCCC NAAAP
12:00-13:15

Lunch

Panel Discussion – Chineseness as an asset in leadership in Canada

Moderator: Teresa Woo-Paw Panelists: Nathan Ip Dr. Xiaobei Chen George Tai Play clip from Eric Liu’s “A Chinaman’s Chance” Panelists respond to the clip, integrating insights on: The unique gifts...
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Hon. Teresa Woo-Paw Executive Council of Alberta
George Tai
Xiaobei Chen
Nathan Ip

Whole Group Sharing

Participants share ways they take formal and informal civic actions and/or what gifts they bring as a Chinese Canadian leader.

Action Lab 1 – Leadership challenge: Increase Chinese Canadian Civic Leadership by 2030

Presenters and Facilitators: Teresa Woo Paw Daniel Quan-Watson
Hon. Teresa Woo-Paw Executive Council of Alberta
Daniel Quan-Watson
14:45-15:00

Break

Action Lab 2 and Report Back (4 rounds at 15 minutes each)

The challenge to increase Chinese Canadian civic leadership by 2030 Mapping Ideas – Prototype Identify collaborators at the regional level Promote recognition for Chinese Canadians Sustain the conversations and connections...
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Panel – Chinese Canadian Women Leading Entrepreneurship

Moderator: Dr. William Wei Panel: Yang Yang, Grace Yu, Tina Deng
William Wei
Tina Deng
Grace Yu
Yang Yang
Day 3
17 May 2026
08:00-09:00

Breakfast

Fireside Chat – Courageous Conversations

“Saying the quiet part out loud – an authentic conversation for these times”
Jenny Chen
Daniel Quan-Watson
Albert Wong

Changing the numbers by 2028 and 2030

Presenters on board appointments: Teresa Woo Paw Lavonne Louie Presenters on formal and informal civic actions: Johnnie Tu Vu Brian Pang Stephen Tsang Wiliam Chu Kit Poon (Mint Health) Cordelia...
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Hon. Teresa Woo-Paw Executive Council of Alberta
Cordelia Yip
William Chu
Stephen Tsang
Kit Poon
Johnnie Tu Vu
Levonne Louie
Brian Pang
10:30-11:00

Break

Whole Group Conversation – Leaders to Leaders

All participants can share their insights to the prompt: Questions I didn’t know to ask earlier in my career. Facilitators: Sammy Lau Patti Pon Lianne Lee
Lianne Lee
Patti Pon
Sammy Lau
12:00-13:30

Lunch, Commitments/Actions, and Closing

Aspired to Lead?

Check out our 2026 Summit details to learn more about this exciting event!

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