Confluence: Where Leaders in International Cooperation Meet

Jenn specializes in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and nature-based solutions (NbS), working at the intersection of humanitarian response, sustainable development, and environmental resilience. With over 25 years of experience, she brings a strong foundation in adult education, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder coordination across global and domestic contexts.

Jenn supports governments, NGOs, and international agencies to design and implement climate- and environment-related programs. Her work includes developing policy frameworks, facilitating stakeholder consultations, and delivering training. She has authored climate guidance in humanitarian action and regularly supports cross-sectoral partnerships that link environmental protection with climate risk reduction.

Recent appointments include with Canadian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent and Global Affairs Canada as  Capacity Development Expert. Jenn is also Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University instructing on facilitation and coordination in multi-stakeholder environments. She has held senior leadership roles in both national and international conservation organizations.

She holds Master’s degrees in Disaster and Emergency Management and in Science Education, along with a Professional Certificate in the IUCN Global Standard for NbS. She currently serves on GAC’s Steering committee for the global community of practice focused on NbS for climate and biodiversity. See Highwatermark.ca for more details.

Kathy has spent her career growing organizational capacity, improving results and enabling people to reach their full potential.   

Kathy’s business degree and CPA designation combined with her executive background and two decades of working in philanthropy support her work helping clients strengthen their organizations and improve their impact. Through KEA Canada, her team provides services in a variety of areas including resource development, capacity-building, strategic planning, board development, campaign planning and management, coaching and interim leadership.  

Kathy held senior positions at Queen’s University, Carleton University, University of Saskatchewan and Banff Centre and has consulted with other leading universities, arts organizations, community and social service organizations on advancement restructuring, strategic and operational 

planning, and campaigns.  She has presented at regional, national and international conferences and currently sits on the Board for the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP). 

Karen Craggs is a globally recognized Inclusive Leadership Expert, award-winning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Strategist, and Human Connection Speaker with over 25 years of experience advancing institutional and system transformation.

A proud Kenyan-born Canadian of mixed race heritage, she is a trusted go-to advisor for NGOs, governments, global institutions, and Fortune 500 companies, having supported United Nations initiatives and been recognized by President Obama’s Administration for her global leadership in advancing gender equality.

As the founder of Conscious Equality and former VP of ESG and Head of Anti-Racism Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at ThoughtExchange, Karen lives and works at the intersection of personal healing, institutional transformation and systems change, helping mission-driven organizations build human-first, psychologically safe cultures rooted in compassion, trauma-informed leadership, and conscious inclusion strategy.

Karen has worked in various capacities with 150+ organizations across multiple countries, blending lived experience with deep institutional insight to guide transformative, measurable impact. An experienced Thought Leader and advocate for change, Karen has been featured on Breakfast Television, CBC, CTV, CHCH News, Global News, The Globe & Mail, The Star, and The Huffington Post.

Her impact and contributions have been acknowledged with several awards, including Obama White House Gender Equality Changemaker (2016), Global Goodwill Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals (2018), LinkedIn Global Superhero (2020), Top 100 Canadian Professional (2020), and Business Insider’s Top 25 HR Innovators Award(2022).

Whether it is under a tree in rural Ghana or in a boardroom filled with C-Suite Executives, Karen is at home in front of any audience. Her passion is authentic, uplifting and inspires meaningful action. 

Stephen Legault is an award-winning and best-selling author, photographer, writing and photography instructor, political strategist, and outdoor enthusiast who lives in Canmore, Alberta. He is the author of sixteen books, including Taking a Break from Saving the World, a book about how to recognize the signs and symptoms of burnout, and how to prevent, manage and recover from them.

A talented public speaker, Stephen is eager to share his enthusiasm for leadership, writing, photography, and nature with in-person and online audiences. Stephen has dedicated much of his life to conservation, particularly the protection and connection of large landscapes in the Canadian Rockies and the American Southwest. He is active in Canadian progressive politics, has managed federal and provincial election campaigns, and volunteered on many more.

Stephen is currently Senior Manager, Alberta Energy Transition for Environmental Defence Canada. He also teaches memoir and novel writing, travel and nature photography and creativity at Canmore’s artsPlace.

Stephen and his wife Jenn have raised their two grown boys in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Forest Wellness walks are inspired by Shinrin Yoku or Forest Bathing, which is used extensively in the Japanese wellness system. Research shows that time in nature helps reduce stress, anxiety, overwhelm and will increase focus, creativity, and overall wellbeing. This gentle model is ideal for all types of people and abilities. 

Ronna has been a professional guide and naturalist in Banff National Park for over 30 years. She became a forest therapy guide in 2016 and is now a Trainer with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Currently, she is the Chair of Nature and Forest Therapy of Canada. For the past 15 years she has been faculty with Leadership Development at the Banff Centre where she delivered leadership development experiences in nature, which proved to be a powerful combination. Today, she works with leaders combining executive coaching with nature immersion to re-calibrate, recharge, and tap into the gifts they bring to the world.

Trish Tutton spent years working in cultures where stress and burnout were seemingly the only way to success. After suffering a shocking loss, she realized: stress is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to dictate our lives. Trish has spent over 15 years studying with world-class teachers, practicing mindfulness and learning about the science of well-being.

As a speaker and mindfulness teacher, Trish has taught the skills to become UNSHAKABLE and THRIVE amidst change and challenge to over 15,000 people across North America. She is passionate about helping folks become more resilient and less stressed with simple but impactful mindfulness techniques.

You can find her as a teacher on the #1 free meditation app in the world, Insight Timer, and she is the author of the Mindful Mornings Journal.