Carole is a long time resident and volunteer of Oakville, wife, mother of three grown children and grandchildren.  She has spoken to hundreds of thousands of North Americans during her 35 + year career as a professional speaker. Although her topic range is varied, her style remains consistent. She delivers important and usable life lessons in an entertaining manner through the creative use of props, sharing anecdotes and high energy. Regardless of the message, Carole sprinkles each with a taste of her humorous perspective.  As a speaker, she has been described as motivational, inspirational, entertaining and fun thus describing herself as ‘Moodivational.’ You can’t help but ‘get the message’ while you are enjoying yourself … the learning is painless. Her goal is for you to leave her session feeling better than you did when you walked in … invigorated, enthused and excited to glean the upbeat and uplifting elements of life. Carole is equally excited about being a part of our big event … with the added bonus of being able to enjoy her favourite Film.ca popcorn ~!!~

Mathangi is a versatile artist whose passion for music, dance, and performance transcends boundaries. With a foundation rooted in the Indian classical dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Kathak, and an extensive repertoire spanning Ballroom & Latin, Salsa, and Hip Hop, Mathangi embodies a fusion of tradition and modernity. Hailing from a family of musicians, Mathangi is also a trained singer bridging the East and West through Indian classical and contemporary styles, alongside English pop. Her artistry is further enriched by her training in acting, adding depth and emotion to every performance. Having honed her craft in the vibrant cultural scene of London, UK, Mathangi now calls Oakville home. With over 20 years of dance experience, a portfolio of collaborative music releases, and acting credits in TV, film, and theatre, she continues to explore and share her multifaceted talents with the Oakville and Greater Toronto communities.

Toronto based violinist Valerie Gordon is an avid performer and teacher. She currently has her own private studio in Oakville, ON. As a teacher, Valerie strives to instill a sense of wonder in her students. She believes that learning is best done through a positive and nurturing environment, surrounded by tools and information to support a child’s musical development. Valerie has taught on the faculties of the Kingsway Conservatory of Music and the String Academy at Laurier University in Waterloo. Valerie is a Suzuki certified teacher, and has taken pedagogy courses with Brenda Brenner and Mimi Zweig during her time at Indiana University.
Valerie has adjudicated for Toronto’s Kiwanis festival and has been part of the adjudicating team for the Ontario Music Festival Association Provincial Finals.
Recent activities include performances and recordings with Tafelmusik, Handel and Haydn Society (Boston), Opera Atelier, Holland Baroque Society (The Netherlands), Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Bourbon Baroque, and concerts with Elixir Baroque Ensemble- of which she is a founding member.
Valerie has completed a Bachelor’s Degree from McGill University in Montreal, an Artist’s Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto, and a Master’s Degree in Early Music from Indiana University.

 Lucy Ellis is a composer and singer-songwriter based in Toronto. She grew up playing classical piano and jazz standards in retirement homes. After finding a supportive audience on Youtube for her original songs (and a grant from FACTOR), she released her debut EP “Come of Age” produced by SOCAN and CSA award winning composer Ari Posner. She now has 8 million combined streams on her releases, a placement in the HBO show “Made for Love,” and has performed in Toronto venues such as Lee’s Palace, Reids Distillery, and The Baby G. She is now writing and arranging new originals to be recorded for a debut album.

Cydnee Abbott is an award-winning 12 year old performance artist with specialties in classical and contemporary dance, acrobatics and contortion and acting. She has appeared in national TV campaigns for brands including MasterCard and Cirque du Soleil.  Cydnee is best known for her appearance on Canada’s Got Talent 2023 which has garnered over 100M views globally across multiple platforms making her one of the most viewed  l’kcontestants on CGT to date.   Cydnee secured her place in the Guinness World Record books for “The Most full body revolutions in a backbend position in one minute” back in January 2024 in Milan Italy.
In February Cydnee will be starting her Professional career with the largest repertory classical theatre company in North America (Stratford) in the role of Pepper in the Musical Production Annie   She will appear in over 100 shows in the 2025 Stratford Festival season. Cydnee is a popular social media influencer (@cyd.our.kid ) in the Dance Community and a dance wear brand Ambassador for Tiger Friday Dancewear. Cydnee travels to many States throughout the USA and Provinces across Canada.

Robin Pacquing embraced the unique lifestyle of a Great Lakes surfer in 2005, and has since then become obsessed with finding waves in places near and far from home. 

Robin’s credentials span a lifetime of local knowledge of Southern Ontario’s dynamic shorelines. Her accomplishments include co-finding Lake Surfistas in 2014, Paddle Canada Advanced SUP Instructor Certification, International Surf Association (ISA) Level-1 Surf Judge, Surf Ontario’s first employee, the first Filipina-Canadian member of the Wyldewood Surf Club, and she has achieved her incredible goal of surfing a fresh water lake every month for 120 months (10 years). Robin has been a pioneer in bringing female and Asian-representation to the Southern Ontario surf scene.

Robin and Lake Surfistas are regularly featured in media, print, and short film documentaries. She currently lives in Oshawa with her husband and two stepsons.

For more information, check out Taga Lawa or her instagram @robinsue.