Confluence: Where Leaders in International Cooperation Meet

Welcome to Confluence: Where Leaders in International Cooperation Meet

Hosted by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC), Confluence is a leadership program created for executive directors, founders, and senior leaders working in Alberta’s international development sector.

Designed by leaders, for leaders, Confluence is a space where you can connect, reflect, and grow—both individually and collectively.

A Collaborative, Transformative Experience

Confluence offers a highly participatory environment with:

Leaders hold the insights and experience that shape the future of international cooperation.

Structured sessions
Open, honest dialogue
A co-creative process guided by expert facilitators and guest speakers.

Together, participants will explore key issues facing the sector, engage in strategic discussions, and co-develop solutions in response to an increasingly complex world.

What to Expect

At Confluence, leaders will come together to:
Recharge and find inspiration through connection with peers, experts and the space around you.
Address challenges and opportunities within Alberta’s international development sector
Share and apply best practices to strengthen personal and organizational capacity
Build a lasting community or support, learning and collaboration

Ready to join Confluence? Spaces are limited, don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this powerful gathering of leaders.

This year, Confluence will take place on October 15 to 18 at the Juniper Hotel in Banff. Travel and accommodations will be covered for participants.

Speakers/Facilitators

ACGC is proud to partner with the duo consulting of Jennifer Hoffman (Highwatermark Strategy and Communications) and Kathy Arney (KEA Canada).

Building on the co–design process developed with leaders from the 2021 pilot program, Jenn and Kathy have crafted a highly interactive and engaging experience for this year’s Confluence cohort.

Their approach emphasizes structured activities, collaborative group discussions, and shared learning, creating a space where leaders can connect meaningfully, challenge ideas, and co-create solutions.

Jenn Hoffman
Facilitator – Principal at Highwatermark Strategy and Communications

Jenn Hoffman, Facilitator – Principal at Highwatermark Strategy and Communications

Jenn specializes in helping organizations, academia, and government to advance efforts that reduce risk, tackle the impacts of a changing climate, and build resiliency. She has extensive experience as a facilitator, trainer, and program director. Areas of expertise include adult education, capacity building, climate resiliency, and disaster risk reduction, with an emphasis on nature-based solutions (NbS)…
Kathy Arney
Facilitator – Founder & CEO of KEA Canada Ltd.

Kathy Arney, Facilitator – Founder & CEO of KEA Canada Ltd.

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…
Karen Craggs
Guest Speaker – Inclusive Leadership Expert

Karen Craggs, Guest Speaker – Inclusive Leadership Expert

Karen Craggs is a globally recognized Inclusive Leadership Expert and an award-winning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Strategist with over 25 years of experience advancing institutional and system transformation. As a proud Kenyan-born Canadian of mixed-race heritage, she has become a trusted advisor for NGOs, governments, and Fortune 500 companies. Karen’s work has been recognized by President Obama’s administration for her global leadership in advancing gender equality, and she has been featured on major news outlets like CBC and Global News. Her impactful contributions have earned her several awards, including the Obama White House Gender Equality Changemaker in 2016.

As the founder of Conscious Equality, Karen works at the intersection of personal healing, institutional transformation, and systems change. She helps mission-driven organizations build human-first, psychologically safe cultures rooted in compassion and trauma-informed leadership. Blending her lived experience with deep institutional insight, she guides organizations toward transformative and measurable impact. Karen is a passionate and authentic speaker who inspires meaningful action in any setting, from a rural village in Ghana to a boardroom.
Stephen Legault
Guest Speaker – Political Strategist, Author of Taking A Break from Saving the World

Stephen Legault, Guest Speaker – Political Strategist, Author of Taking A Break from Saving the World

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…
Ronna Schneberer
Guest Speaker – Forest Therapy guide, ANFT trainer and mentor

Ronna Schneberer, Guest Speaker – Forest Therapy guide, ANFT trainer and mentor

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…
Trish Tutton
Guest Speaker – Speaker and Mindfulness Teacher

Trish Tutton, Guest Speaker – Speaker and Mindfulness Teacher

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.

Confluence Past Years 2024 / 2022 / 2021

We are proud to have welcomed an incredible range of members, organizations, and guest speakers throughout the past editions of Confluence: Where Leaders in International Cooperation Meet.

Confluence 2024

Held from October 14–18, 2024 at The Juniper Hotel in Banff, Alberta, this edition brought together a dynamic cohort of 18 participants representing 17 organizations from across the province.

Karri-Lynn Paul,
Lead on Indigenous Programs

Veronica Torres,
Program Teaching Staff

Barhet Woldermariam,
Executive Director of Centre for Race and Culture

Surrounded by nature, participants engaged in deep reflection, collaboration, and co-creation, guided by our dedicated facilitators and insightful guest speakers. The week provided a unique space to pause, connect, and generate new ideas for the future of international cooperation.

To learn more about the experience about the participants 2024, check some interviews: https://www.youtube.com/ ACGCNow

Confluence 2022

The second edition of the program took place from June 14 to 17, 2022, at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta. It brought together 19 participants from various sectors, including organizations and universities. The program included outdoor sessions and fostered a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive environment that enriched the overall experience.

Confluence Guest Speakers 2022

Confluence 2021

The first edition of the program was launched during a challenging time, as the pilot had to adapt to the global health crisis caused by COVID-19. Thanks to careful planning, safety measures, and the support of Jenn Hoffman, Kathy Arney, and former director Leah Ettarh, an accessible and impactful program was created. It took place from June 14 to 16, 2021, in Banff.

Confluence Guest Speakers 2021

Jess Tomlin,
Co CEO Equality Fund

Steve Malins,
Cultural Resource Management Advisor, Parks Canada

Krista Hanscomb,
Nujikina’muet, Circle of Abundance Teaching Staff, Coady Institute, St. Francis Xavier University

This inaugural edition laid the foundation for the program, which brings participants together to address opportunities and challenges, collaborate, improve practices, and build community, core objectives that continue to shape Confluence each year. The 2021 retreat welcomed 10 leaders from diverse organizations.

We were also honored to have the facilitator, speakers who have supported the program across its editions, including Ronna, Stephen, Karry Lynn, and Veronica Torres. Their contributions, along with outdoor and interactive sessions, have had a lasting impact on the participant experience. We also extend our sincere thanks to all the participants and staff whose collaboration and commitment have made it possible for the program to continue and grow.

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Confluence: Where Leaders in International Cooperation Meet

Speakers/Facilitators

Jenn Hoffman Facilitator – Principal at Highwatermark Strategy and Communications

Kathy Arney Facilitator – Founder & CEO of KEA Canada Ltd.

Karen Craggs Guest Speaker – Inclusive Leadership Expert

Stephen Legault Guest Speaker – Political Strategist, Author of Taking A Break from Saving the World

Ronna Schneberer Guest Speaker – Forest Therapy guide, ANFT trainer and mentor

Trish Tutton Guest Speaker – Speaker and Mindfulness Teacher

Confluence Past Years 2024 / 2022 / 2021

Jenn Hoffman
Facilitator – Principal at Highwatermark Strategy and Communications

Kathy Arney
Facilitator – Founder & CEO of KEA Canada Ltd.

Karen Craggs
Guest Speaker – Inclusive Leadership Expert

Stephen Legault
Guest Speaker – Political Strategist, Author of Taking A Break from Saving the World

Ronna Schneberer
Guest Speaker – Forest Therapy guide, ANFT trainer and mentor

Trish Tutton
Guest Speaker – Speaker and Mindfulness Teacher