Dr. Chelsea Matisz, PhD. MSc - Gut-brain Scientist & Science Communicator

Chelsea Matisz is an award-winning gut-brain scientist and science communicator.

She earned her PhD from the University of Calgary, studying how parasites can change immune responses in inflammatory bowel disease. She then completed several fellowships where she explored how inflammation of the gut affects brain and behaviour. Some of her projects included looking at how cannabinoids and psilocybin might be able to reduce pain and anxiety/depression caused by inflammation.

She is passionate about helping people understand how gut health affects brain health and mental health. Her diverse research background includes evolutionary biology, parasitology, gastrointestinal sciences, inflammatory bowel diseases, immunology, and behavioural neuroscience.

Chelsea believes research is a public good, and should be accessible so that people, institutions, and governments can make evidence-based decisions.

What does the theme of PACE mean for you?

Gayathri Shukla - Storyteller

Gayathri Shukla is the founder of Campfire Kinship, a social enterprise that helps organizations build inclusive, trust-based cultures, by starting with one of the most powerful tools we all have: story.

With a background in electrical engineering, an MBA, and now pursuing her PhD in Transdisciplinary Research at the University of Calgary, Gayathri brings a unique mix of rigor, empathy, and lived experience to her work.

After 17 years leading teams in the energy and mining sector, she saw firsthand how innovation stalls when people don’t feel seen or heard. That realization led her to launch Campfire Kinship—where she now works with leaders across industries to move from check-the-box inclusion to real, human connection.

She’s the bestselling author of Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, host of the Hearth 2 Heart podcast, and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her community work.

What does the theme of PACE mean to you?

PACE: Impact Beyond Speed

See our Online Event Program for details

Our 2025 event, "PACE: Impact Beyond Speed", takes us on a deep journey about this time and place in our human story.

We're in a time of great flux, where the pace of life, the speed of decisions, environmental and political volatility and the rate of technological change conspire to... exhaust? inspire? terrify?

Take your pick!

Our dozen speakers and performers will provoke deep discussions, leading to even more profound connections for participants. They'll be joined by our interactions partners, whose activations will take your thinking even further as you directly experience ideas in action.

Join us on October 25th!

GET TICKETS NOW ON SHOWPASS!

PACE: Impact Beyond Speed | An origin story

Pace... the concept surrounds us daily, in many forms. How do we explore it?

Our 2025 theme of PACE: Impact Beyond Speed has its origin story in a discussion about what a dominant word was for this time and place in our society. Thanks to an esteemed and wise friend, Carolyn H., the theme of "PACE" was born, and our team added the "Impact Beyond Speed" component to signify that keeping up a fast pace isn't always the best approach, and that pace (or speed) without adequate direction is not effective.

Origins Salon [2017]

Our Origins Salon in 2017 explored some key concepts on where our thinking comes from, and how it can be advanced in a number of ways.

Andreia Valdes Lozano--Marketing & Communications Director

Andreia is our Brazilian-born superpower, bringing high energy and extensive experience to our marketing and communications portfolio!

Reflections on "FLOW"

As we put the wrap on "FLOW: Connecting the Dots", we have some post-event thoughts to share and celebrate!

First and foremost, a HUGE thank you to everyone who made the event possible. All of our events are a community effort, and we want to recognize each in turn...

Speakers and Performers. We start with our speakers and performers, whose talks are the core of the event. All of them put their best heart and soul efforts into preparing and refining their talks in the months and weeks leading to the event, and they delivered the talks of a lifetime on our stage.

Volunteers. Behind the speakers and the event were the efforts of more than 35 volunteers, who collectively contributed more than 5,000 hours of effort over the course of the year in planning and executing all aspects of the event. We truly are a volunteer-powered effort, and our team this year introduced innovations such as special sensory accommodations for neuro-diverse participants, closed captioning, and a series of local food vendors.

Interactions Partners. In the event itself, we had more than 15 interactions partners who brought intriguing displays and experiences to the event, ranging from finding your poetic voice to live art to print-making to ground water simulators. Also as part of our interactions, we took a different approach to our refreshments by inviting smaller local businesses to provide samples of their amazing wares, including ice cream, honey, Brazilian dishes, locally-produced coffee, and much more!

Our Visionary Partners. Behind all of our efforts were this year's visionary partners. Aspen Properties has been an exceptional supporter of our efforts, providing both the amazing space of The Ampersand venue and facilitating our efforts with their exceptional team (a very special shout-out to Aimsley, who was our main contact this year and handled the event with consumate skill and grace). The University of Calgary was instrumental in bringing together a number of the interactions, and in promoting the event to University alumni and students, and also provided special speakers from the University's Three Minute Thesis Competition within the Faculty of Gradute Studies. We had additional finalists in the event interacting with our participants, and also valued members of the Univerity of Calgary Graduate College available to talk about their research.

The Photo and A/V Team. When we hold an event, the talks are being recorded "live to tape". That means we have to have an exceptional crew of creatives to record, photograph, and edit the talks and all that goes on around them. We recognize our main videographer, Chris Hsiung and Hidden Story Productions, who have been partners for most of the last decade. Alberta Bass was new to our event this year as our A/V supplier, and their efforts were outstanding. Last but certainly not least, our photographers brought their professional skills to immortalizing so many amazing moments throughout the day (see their work on our Flickr site and check out their individual sites at Photographers.TEDxCalgary.ca)

Special Remarks by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, The Honourable Salma Lakhani, AOE B.Sc., LLD (Hon). As this was our 15th Anniversary as an organizing team, it was a very special honour to have the Lieutenant Governor provide opening remarks. Her focus on the valuable role of volunteering and building community was heartening to us, as both of these underpin our ongoing efforts to bring ideas to our local community.

An insight that we had with the event this year is that "flow" doesn't always occur in the ways that we expect. As always, there were highs and lows in the organizing effort, and we surmounted each challenge in turn with the energy and passion of our all-volunteer team.

It was a special time for us to be able to talk about the overall concept of "flow" at a time when we face the prospect of water scarcity this coming summer season. It is all too easy to take our friend and teacher, the Bow River, for granted as it passes serenely through the city and makes its way to Hudson Bay through various connected systems. We hope that all of our participants and you who are reading this take time to celebrate our life-giving river in your own ways this coming year, including joining in the celebrations of our water with RiverFestYYC as they launch their 2024 season.

Keep tuned for the release of the event talks in the coming months, and join our e-news bulletin or social channels for more!

Kristy Drake Photography

Kristy Drake was our lead photographer for 2023's TEDxWomen event, bringing her creavitve eye to capturing the spirit of our event!

RiverFestYYC - Performing in Flow

We're very pleased to be featuring performance elements from three of the amazing artistic talents of RiverFestYYC. Welcome Nicole Korenda-Tritter, Adora Nwofer, and Morag Northey to our speaker and performer line-up.

RiverFestYYC is a vibrant and inclusive cultural festival that recognizes the Bow and Elbow Rivers as a unifying presence and acknowledges their life-giving gift of water. Through extraordinary arts installations and performances, engaging workshops and creative adventures, the festival invites Calgarians of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate our connections with the Rivers. By promoting collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose, RiverFestYYC aims to build a more cohesive city and foster a sense of connection between diverse communities and traditions.

S.K. Wellington - Singer, Songwriter, Musician

S.K. Wellington is led by dynamic singer-songwriter Sarah Kemmers, known for crafting compelling melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. She was joined for our event by performers Talia Beckie and Clayton Dell.

A true aficionado of the creative process, Wellington often finds themselves in a state of “flow” while composing music. This profound state of immersive absorption and deep focus is where Wellington’s songwriting thrives. It is in these moments of flow that the distractions fade away, the overthinking dissolves, time stands still, and S.K’s songs truly come to life.

Kemmers has been writing and performing music for well over a decade with different bands. Her debut solo EP as S.K. Wellington, "Where the Earth Meets the Sea" was released in 2018 and met with positive reviews all the way from her Calgary hometown to the UK. She followed the successful EP with a steady series of singles and is set to finally release her next EP in late 2024. Sitting in the “perfect pocket of folk, pop, indie, and rock”, her music has been described as “Fleetwood Mac meets Deathcab for Cutie”.

S.K.’s songs have made the Regional Top Ten in the CBC Searchlight competition four times, and she was nominated for “folk recording of the year” at the YYC Music Awards in both 2019 and 2020. She’s had the honour of opening for other fantastic singer-songwriters such as Dan Mangan and Donovan Woods.

At TEDxCalgary, S.K. Wellington will not only perform a couple of selections from their repertoire but Sarah Kemmers also shares insights around how entering a flow state can transform the ordinary act of writing music into an extraordinary experience of discovery and wonder.

What does flow mean to you?

Flow to me means complete immersion — a loss of the sense of separateness between the myself and the "task". Just one, flowing activity that typically results in feelings of joy, inspiration and creativity.