After the fourth full year of Speaker Slam®, it came down to the Grand Slam: 14 of the year's best, ready to go head to head and heart to heart to determine the 2020 Inspirational Speaker of the Year. With the finals held online for the first time, the panel reached beyond Toronto, from Asheville to Ottawa.
See who they chose in the 2020 Grand Slam recap.
Kristen Butler
Founder and CEO of Power of Positivity and Positive Energy+
Kristen enjoys personal development and loves sharing uplifting content with her global community of over 40 million strong. Kristen lives in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina and finds inspiration from nature, spirit and her two sweet girls.
Lisa Kirbie
Founder and CEO of Blackbird Strategies, Political Commentator
Lisa Kirbie’s progressive career has led her from British Columbia where she began as a struggling single mother, to the hallways of power and influence on Parliament Hill, the downtown core of Canada’s largest city, and finally returning to where she feels most at home, Ottawa. After spending close to two decades working in politics and communications, the award-winning public relations professional struck out on her own and founded her own firm, Blackbird Strategies, in late 2019. Lisa's an occasional commentator on various radio and television news programs. She's also a devoted grandma to Harry, which is her favourite role.
Charmaine Hammond
Professional Speaker (CSP), Author, Entrepreneur
Charmaine Hammond, CSP, has been in the business of changing lives and raising dreams for more than 25 years through teaching the principles of collaboration, partnership, and sponsorship. As a Certified Speaking Professional and best-selling author, Charmaine shares her unmatched speaking, sponsorship, and entrepreneurial experiences with business owners, nonprofits, authors, and speakers looking to expand the funding and reach of their projects.
Alex Taylor
Funnels and Marketing Expert, Founder of Funnel Empire
Alex Taylor, Founder at Funnel Empire, has been responsible for helping businesses all around the globe to generate millions of dollars in revenue through the use of Funnels & Paid Advertising. From Local businesses, Coaches, Consultants & E-Commerce, Alex has helped all types of businesses in the past 5 years to develop and create successful marketing strategies to scale online.
Alvin Law
Hall of Fame Speaker, Author, Musician
Alvin Law has been sharing his amazing story with groups since 1981. He's a member of the CAPS Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall in 2018. He is a best selling author, broadcaster, musician and has played a direct role in raising over $200,000,000 for charity. Oh, and he was born without arms!
Dr. Angela Lauria
CEO and Founder of The Author Incubator
Dr. Angela E. Lauria is the founder of The Author Incubator™ and creator of the Difference Process™ for writing a book that matters. The Author Incubator was ranked #275 on the Inc. 500 fastest growing companies and #60 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur 360. She has a B.A. and an M.A. in Journalism and Media Affairs from The George Washington University and a PhD in Communications from The European Graduate School. She is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon bestselling author.
Codi Shewan
Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Consultant
Codi Shewan is a professional speaker, trainer, consultant, and in 2020, became the best selling author of the critically acclaimed, Everyday Legacy: Lessons For Living With Purpose, Right Now. His passion for empowering others to see the best in themselves and to redefine their legacy - from something they leave to something they live, every day - is the driving force behind his work! He's also passionate about giving back and in 2021, he'll take the helm as the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers - Toronto Chapter.