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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

Featured On

 
“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.

I love to bike. It’s my main mode of transportation and one of my favourite things to do. But over the last few weeks, I haven’t been able to bike because of an ankle injury. . Due to that injury and chronic issues with my knee, I’ve been walking more. With walking, I slow down and notice more than usual — like noticing all the stairs I have to walk up and down at an inaccessible subway stop or coffee shop. I notice the insecurities I feel when I have to take the elevator, fear that someone will judge me without knowing my injuries and history. . I ended up wandering my neighbourhood today and walked up to the Wallace Pedestrian Bridge. I took my time to slowly move up and down the steps, soaking up the sunshine and city since I had never gone up because of my bike. . Then I found myself at a nearby flower shop and decided to buy myself an orchid just because I wanted to. I had a lovely chat with the owner and practiced my terrible Cantonese with her. I told her I would speak to her in Cantonese the next time I wanted to buy a plant! . I walked down an unfamiliar street and discovered an extravagant Halloween house and then smiled as some kids walked in crunchy leaves — one of my favourite things to do in the fall, even as a big kid. . What are you noticing these days?
I could stare out this window all day absorbing the richness of fall, fuelled to write with a cup of tea, jazz and Swedish Berries. What inspires and fuels you to write and create?
I was travelling in Beijing seven years ago when a woman spoke to me in Mandarin and I responded with my typical confused look. She asked if I spoke Chinese and I said I didn’t, feeling ashamed that I couldn’t say anything back to her. “But you look Chinese,” she replied. . That moment has stayed with me over the years and I’ve had many others like that. My parents were born in Jamaica and don’t speak Chinese, so language was never passed down to us. We’ve always been more connected with our Jamaican roots than our Chinese ones, so I’ve never been able to speak or understand Chinese. . I’ve been talking about wanting to learn Cantonese for years and have finally taken a step. I sat in my first Cantonese class tonight confused, excited and wondering how I would ever be able to speak the language. There are so many different tones! . But then I thought about my Popo and how she had to learn English out of necessity. I thought about how I’ve always wanted to speak with her in her mother tongue, connecting deeper to my Chinese roots. I thought about my fear that as she loses her memory, she’ll resort back to Cantonese and no one in our family will be able to speak with her. . So here I am, taking a step closer to my Chinese roots and open to embracing how confusing, challenging and hilarious this process will be. If you want to help me practice or watch Cantonese movies with me, let me know because I’ll definitely need all the help I can get!
A lovely afternoon with my @maggietomei and this spunky, curious and independent little human!