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Breaking silences, one story at a time.

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Speaking

I give customized and engaging talks to help your organization explore identity, diversity and inclusion, and self-expression. Through storytelling, spoken word and facilitation, I invite audiences to see and embrace their multi-layered stories.

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Conference Storytelling

I weave together key conference themes and write a summative spoken word piece that is performed at your conference finale. This is a powerful way to unite participants in a common vision and end with a strong call to action.

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Workshops

I offer writing and spoken word workshops exploring diversity, self-expression and telling your personal story. I hold challenging conversations with care, and provide helpful tools to empower you to find your voice through storytelling.

 

Latest Talks and Interviews

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“It’s rare that a speaker can connect with audiences on multiple levels, but Jenna did exactly that. She will not disappoint.”
— David Leonard, The Walrus Foundation
“Passionate. Engaging. Inspired. This is how I’d describe Jenna’s contributions to the inaugural CKX Summit. ”
— Lee Rose, Community Knowledge Exchange (CKX)
“Jenna’s ability to cultivate environments where people can access their own story, in their many dimensions, is a powerful tool in the journey of reconciliation with self and others.”
— Wendy Gritter, Generous Space Ministries
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I want to help you tell your conference story.

Follow me on Instagram.

Look what @revellieee and I made at the @gardinermuseum! She rocked this head (a.k.a. Adam) and I tried my hand at the wheel again. . It was fun being at the wheel to see what I could create with a block of clay. Watching my hands mould and shape as the clay went round and round in often unsteady rhythms (it was only my second time). How the clay would move higher, wider, deeper, depending on the pressure of my fingers or the speed of the wheel. It takes time to find the right rhythm. . Sometimes the shape started looking the way I wanted, like this cup. But most of the time, each attempt at a cup or bowl or something in-between didn't go as planned. At times, it was frustrating — especially seeing other people who have been doing it longer — but I gave myself permission to explore and see what could happen. I wanted to be in the moment and enjoy the process of using my hands and creating. . It reminded me of a conversation I had with one of my coaching clients. When we first met, they had a very specific way of what their writing should look like. Over time, they've been letting that go and their writing process has been more flexible and fluid. With that little shift, they're having fun writing and seeing whatever comes out! . I'm trying to create more art and do things I find challenging (there are many!), showing up in the messy, lopsided and random — wait until you see my drawings! . What are you creating these days? Have you tried pottery before? Any tips for a beginner?
Back to school with MBA students from @schulichschool in these little chairs for little humans! . Had a blast facilitating workshops on diversity, inclusion and equity with more than 100 first-year business students. There was a lot of great dialogue, storytelling, learning and unlearning. . I hope they continue to think about their unconscious biases, who’s in the room and who isn’t. I hope they actively work towards making equitable and inclusive spaces in the corporate world and beyond because this work is so needed.
Did you know how much the Catholic church and school boards did to silence LGBTQ2S+ voices in Catholic schools? A LOT. . I had the opportunity of interviewing Kevin Welbes-Godin, a retired teacher who was instrumental in facilitating workshops on LGBTQ2S+ inclusion with thousands of Catholic school teachers and admin across the country. As you can imagine, it wasn't an easy road that many queer and trans students and teachers still experience (hello Alberta). . In this interview, Kevin shares about secret meetings in the 1980s where queer Catholic school teachers and allies met for two years. He also faced silence for three years from every board director across Ontario when he invited them to do training to support queer and trans students and teachers. . It was disheartening and fascinating to hear all the ways the Catholic church and school boards put up barriers that actively prevented teachers and students from getting the support they needed. And yet, there has been so much power and resiliency by LGBTQ2S+ students, teachers and allies, with students being at the forefront of the change. There's so much more to this story I couldn't fit into the interview, which I hope to share more of with Kevin one day. . "I hope that student voices continue to be strong and that LGBTQ2 inclusion will one day be the norm, creating a lasting effect on the system. I dream that the arms of churches will fully embrace their LGBTQ2 members and that the church will come to see its own fragility." -Kevin Welbes-Godin . Click on the link in my bio for my latest interview.
One of our favourite spots to explore in Chicago was Bronzeville, a predominantly black neighbourhood in the south side of the city. In the early 20th century, Bronzeville was known as the "Black Metropolis," one of the U.S.' largest concentrations of African-American businesses. It was a place of black culture like the Harlem Renaissance in New York, filled with artists, writers, musicians, intellectuals and activists. Some of these include Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Mahalia Jackson, Ida B. Wells, Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks. . It became a hub during the Great Migration when black Americans left the oppressive and racist south with the promise of better jobs, education and basic freedoms. The reality, however, fell short as black folks were still forced to live in racially segregated, overcrowded areas of the south side of the city. They faced violence and discrimination, were denied loans and half of Chicago's neighbourhoods were off-limits to blacks by the 1940s. . An important place for arts and culture in Bronzeville was the @southsidecommunityartcenter, the first black art museum in the U.S. The centre, founded in 1940, was the place where artists like photographer Gordon Parks and poet Gwendolyn Brooks developed and shared their gifts with the community. For most of the artists, it was the first or only space that would exhibit their work because they were black. Langston Hughes and Nat King Cole would write and perform here, too (you can see the piano Nat played in the second photo!) . If you find yourself in Chicago, check out the south side of the city. There's so much incredible arts, culture, food and history to see and appreciate here.