CAREER DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM
Part of Western Canada Career Development Conference 2025
May 9, 2025 - IN PERSON at SFU HARBOUR CENTRE & STREAMED ONLINE
Breaking Through Limiting Beliefs, Yet Again!
Welcome to the Career Development Symposium 2025, one of Western Canada's premier events for career development professionals, with a rich history of inspiring growth and innovation. Known for bringing together outstanding speakers and thought leaders, this event provides the tools and insights needed to elevate your practice and drive change.
While designed for career development professionals, the symposium is also a great opportunity for anyone seeking inspiration in building their career and life. This year’s theme, "Breaking Through Limiting Beliefs, Yet Again" revisits a timeless yet vital topic. Just like motivation, which requires regular renewal, overcoming self-imposed barriers needs continual reinforcement. Join us to explore fresh perspectives and strategies that will empower both your clients and your personal journey.
Four Inspiring Keynote Presentations
Melanie Mark
Dr. Roslyn Kunin
Efe Fruci
Sonny Wong
Melanie Mark
Paddling Together: Building Resilience and Driving Change in Your Career Journey
Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak, Melanie Mark, is not just a champion for systems change—she's a beacon of career resilience and growth in the face of adversity. With nearly thirty years of advocating for society's most vulnerable, Melanie has paved a path demonstrating the power of persistence, courage, and leadership. As an urban Indigenous matriarch, she has broken barriers, rising from grassroots efforts on the front lines to public service, and eventually becoming an elected official.
In her talk, Melanie will share her incredible journey—a story filled with moments of triumph and struggle that will resonate with anyone seeking to navigate their career development. Through humour and raw honesty, she’ll offer insights into how sports, culture, family, and education have been the cornerstones of her success and how these elements can be harnessed in anyone’s career path.
Her "10 R’s Framework" challenges the audience to think differently about how we approach professional growth and development, inspiring us to become allies and unapologetic agents for change in our fields. Whether you’re just starting out or seeking to make a meaningful shift in your career, Melanie's philosophy of "Paddling Together" serves as a reminder that the rising tide of success lifts all canoes. Join us for an inspiring and transformative session, designed to spark ideas on how we can build our careers while creating conditions for collective success.
Melanie Mark
Melanie Mark (Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak) is a trailblazing Indigenous leader and former politician, known for her deep commitment to social justice and advocacy for the most vulnerable. Of Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree, and Ojibway ancestry, Melanie was raised in East Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, overcoming significant personal hardships, including family struggles with addiction and homelessness. Despite these challenges, she became the first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education, eventually earning a degree in political science and sociology from Simon Fraser University (SFU), as well as an advanced executive certificate from Queen's School of Business.
Early in her career, Melanie co-founded the Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre and worked with organizations such as the Native Courtworkers Association, Covenant House Vancouver, and Save the Children Canada's Sacred Lives project, advocating for marginalized and at-risk populations. She has also been a dedicated volunteer in her community, contributing to organizations such as Big Sisters Youth Custody Centres and the Urban Native Youth Association, where she served as president from 2000 to 2006.
In 2013, Melanie became the Associate Deputy Representative in the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, where she championed the rights of children in provincial care. Her commitment to public service culminated in her historic election in 2016 as the first First Nations woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, representing Vancouver-Mount Pleasant for the New Democratic Party (NDP). She was re-elected in 2017 and went on to serve as Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, and later as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, becoming the first First Nations woman to hold a cabinet position in BC.
Throughout her political career, Melanie was a strong advocate for education, equity, and Indigenous rights. She developed her "10 R’s Framework" for fostering systemic change and is known for her philosophy of "Paddling Together," promoting collaboration and collective progress.
Melanie has been recognized for her leadership and contributions to her community with numerous awards, including the YWCA Vancouver Young Woman of Distinction Award, the Chief Joe Mathias Leadership Award, and the Janusz Korczak Medal for Children's Rights Advocacy. After announcing her resignation from the Legislative Assembly in 2023, Melanie continues to inspire others as a champion for change, resilience, and equity in both her personal and professional journey.
Dr. Roslyn Kunin
Navigating the Future of Work: Economic Insights for Career Development
Dr. Roslyn Kunin, a renowned economist and Order of Canada recipient, brings decades of experience in making economics accessible and relevant to the everyday person. In this thought-provoking session, Dr. Kunin will explore the evolving landscape of the global economy and its profound impact on careers and the workforce. She will provide actionable insights into key economic trends and shifting labor markets, and what these mean for career development professionals, job seekers, and employers.
Drawing from her extensive work with government, academia, and industry, Dr. Kunin will discuss how economic forces are shaping the future of work and offer practical strategies to help individuals and organizations thrive in uncertain times. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to align career strategies with economic realities, making it easier to guide clients through today's rapidly changing world.
Dr. Roslyn Kunin
Dr. Roslyn Kunin is one of those rare economists who can make the often difficult subject of economics understandable and even interesting. She was educated in Quebec and Ontario, finishing her studies with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of British Columbia.
The University of Victoria has granted her the degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws. The Institute of Corporate Directors has granted her the ICD.D designation. Dr. Kunin is chair of the board of the Haida Enterprise Corporation, on the board of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health research and has been a Director of the Business Development Bank of Canada, chair of the Workers Compensation Board of British Columbia and member of the National Statistics Council of Statistics.
She has also served as the Chair of the Vancouver Stock Exchange, Governor of the University of British Columbia, as Chair of the Vancouver Crisis Centre, and as Vice President of the YWCA. In her career, Dr. Kunin has worked in the private sector, taught at several Canadian university (including Simon Fraser University and UBC) and served twenty years as Regional Economist for the federal government in BC and the Yukon. Dr. Kunin has published numerous articles and books.
Recipient on several occasions of the Association of Professional Economists of BC’s Crystal Ball Award for forecasting the Canadian economy, Dr. Kunin is a former director of the Canadian Association of Business Economists. She is a recipient of the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, a Canada 125 Medal for service to Canada, Canadians and the community. Dr Kunin holds the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Victoria and the Order of Canada. She is a senior fellow with the Canada West Foundation and is in private practice as a consulting economist.
Efe Fruci
Unlocking Confidence and Success: Navigating Career Transitions with Purpose
In this engaging session, participants will be empowered to navigate career transitions with confidence and clarity. With over a decade of experience working with diverse populations, including students and top executives across Africa, Europe, and North America, Efe Fruci—a TEDx speaker, career coach, and globally recognized confidence expert, will share how to overcome obstacles and cultivate resilience in professional journeys.
Attendees will learn to leverage positive psychology and practical strategies to build their confidence, define their career paths, and stand out in competitive environments. Drawing on insights from her extensive background in entrepreneurship, coaching, and corporate consulting, Efe will provide actionable tools for embracing change and creating meaningful opportunities.
Whether stepping into a new role, shifting industries, or redefining what success looks like, this keynote is invaluable for anyone looking to unlock their full potential and lead with purpose in today’s dynamic workforce. Participants will leave inspired and equipped to make impactful changes in their careers and lives.
Efe Fruci
Efe Fruci is a TEDx speaker, a globally recognized career and confidence coach with 10+ of experience on a mission to use positive psychology to help women build their confidence and learn the steps needed to live their desired life successfully. Her career and confidence coachwork is guided by one simple fact: an empowered woman today is a leader tomorrow. Efe's clients have included people from all walks of life, from students to top executives in Africa, Europe, and North America. Efe equips and empowers her clients with the tools and knowledge to succeed and thrive forward with greatness.
Efe is a visionary, motivator, mental health activist and great communicator. She is passionate about leveraging her multilingual assets to support newcomers to Canada, business owners, and entrepreneurs to connect with others from a similar community helping to bridge the gap often created due to language barriers. In addition to recently breaking the stigma around fertility in her speech, The Heartbeat of Infertility, on the TEDxTalks stage and being the proud author of Faith Over Fear, she also holds degrees in Biomedical Science and Health Sciences and Nursing/Midwifery from Oxford, which secured her seat at the STEM table and set the bar for other prominent Black women.
Sonny Wong, M.Ed.
How to Activate Clients’ Happiness and Use Their Happy Fuel to Help Them Accomplish Difficult Job Search Interventions
This presentation explores the compelling relationship between happiness and career success, turning the traditional belief that success leads to happiness on its head. Grounded in positive psychology, the session emphasizes the importance of cultivating well-being as a foundation for career achievement.
You’ll refine your approach by learning how to enhance the employment counseling process through targeted coaching techniques designed to foster positivity and resilience in your clients. The presentation will guide you in applying positive psychology interventions that not only boost career well-being but also help clients harness their strengths to navigate the challenges of job searches.
Special attention will be given to strategies for supporting clients facing multi-barrier unemployment or underemployment. By integrating these proven techniques, you'll be better equipped to help clients break through obstacles and create a more fulfilling career path. This session demonstrates how a focus on happiness and well-being can be a transformative force in career development, offering new insights into helping your clients achieve long-term success.
Sonny Wong, M.Ed.
Sonny Wong, M.Ed. in Counselling/Psychology with a focus on Work and Career from the University of Toronto/OISE, is a highly respected Registered Psychotherapist and a member in good standing of the College of Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario. With a unique approach that combines career development theories with psychotherapeutic modalities, Sonny specializes in treating clients' career anxiety and enhancing their overall well-being.
Sonny's expertise lies in utilizing Applied Positive Psychology, Solution-Focused Counseling, and Narrative Counseling to help clients develop a healthy career identity. He is also a Certified Clinical Supervisor for Career Development Practitioners.
Sonny's professional achievements are numerous, including the Leadership Award and the Counsellor of the Year Award from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), and the Jason Kelly Leadership Award for excellence in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy from the University of Toronto. He was also a Top Finalist for the CharityVillage.com Individual with Most Impact in the Community Award and a Finalist for TalentEgg’s Career Educator Award.
With over 20 years of experience in therapy, counseling, training, publications, and keynote speaking, Sonny Wong continues to be a leading figure in the field of career development and psychotherapy.
This inspiring symposium will be followed by a specially curated collection of webinars running every Tuesday and Thursday for several weeks. To see this year's collection, follow the link below.