March 7, 2026
University of Waterloo stratford school
125 St. Patrick Street
Stratford, ON
Early Bird Industry $75
Early Bird UWaterloo Alumni $60
Early Bird Student $25
BLEND workshop presenter speaking with attendees in front of a projectorBLEND group photo in front of large wood letters "MDEI"BLEND 2024 speaker presenting to attendees
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Join us for the best design party around!
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BLEND 2024 speaker presenting to attendeesBLEND attendee writing on table with lots of pink and purple sticky notes.Backview of BLEND attendee audience watching a BLEND presenter
march 7, 2026
stratford, ontario
"This has got to be the most human-centred and in-touch-with-the-world-we-live-in conference I’ve ever attended."

Adaobi, Senior Product Designer
"It was the perfect mix of practical workshops and inspiring keynotes."

Shandi, Service Designer
"The entire event reminded me why I love being in UX- learning, problem-solving, and connecting with people who care about making things better."
‍
Blend Attendee
BLEND is an annual 1-day conference that lives at the intersection of business, design, and humans.

BLEND 2026 is about moving from what is to a hopeful vision of what could be, and finding the courage to make it happen in our community and our careers.

As a community, we've shared challenges and triumphs. We've embraced the unknown with optimism and the courage to ask...

What could be?

2026 Speakers

Gagan Diesh Headshot

Gagan Diesh

(he/him)

LinkedInExpand
Ranee Lee Headshot

Ranee Lee 郭恩琳

(she/her)

LinkedInExpand
Trishala Pillai Headshot

Trishala Pillai

(she/her)

LinkedInExpand
Temi Popo Headshot

Temi Popo

(she/her)

LinkedInExpand
Ellyn Winters-Robinson Headshot

Ellyn Winters-Robinson

(she/her)

LinkedInExpand
Carly Williams Headshot

Carly Williams

(she/her)

LinkedInExpand
Karel Vredenburg Headshot

Karel Vredenburg

(he/him)

LinkedInExpand

2026 Hosts

Markus Grupp Headshot

Markus Grupp

he/him
LinkedIn
Greg McIntyre Headshot

Greg McIntyre

he/him
LinkedIn

Featured Workshops

Samanthi Jayetileke Headshot
Sun Life's Logo

Samanthi Jayetileke

LinkedIn
Karina Limongi Headshot
Sun Life's Logo

Karina Limongi

LinkedIn
Heather Siemens Headshot
Sun Life's Logo

Heather Siemens

LinkedIn
Kristina Miller Headshot
Sun Life's Logo

Kristina Miller

LinkedIn
More workshops to be announced, check this page for updates!

BLEND 2026: Overview

Schedule

Morning (9AM)

Welcoming Keynotes
Morning Workshops

Lunch Break (~12PM)

Afternoon (~1:30PM)

Afternoon Workshops
Closing Keynotes

After Party (Ends ~6PM)

Tickets

Early Bird Prices
Industry
UWaterloo Alumni
Student
‍
‍*Early bird ends February 13, 2026

$75
$60
$25‍
Get your tickets!
March 7, 2026
UWaterloo Stratford Campus
125 St. Patrick Street
Stratford, ON

Karel Vredenburg

(he/him)

Karel has had a long career as a design executive, most recently as the Global Vice President of UX Research at IBM. He serves as an Industry Professor in the McMaster University’s DeGroote Schools of Business and Medicine, is a regular international keynote speaker, and co-hosts the Life Habits Podcast.

Karel has co-founded and led large global projects such as the COVID-19 Design Challenge with the World Design Organization and Design for America and the Future of Design Education Initiative alongside design visionary Don Norman. He recently co-founded and now co-leads the Habits for a Better World project and nonprofit with filmmaker Carly Williams, addressing global challenges like climate change, animal and human suffering, food insecurity, human health, biodiversity loss, and GenAI challenges through research-driven, documentary-inspired behavior change.

At IBM, he developed and introduced User-Centered Design across the company in the middle 1990s, led the company’s designers and researchers, developed a worldwide education program, a design and researcher toolkit, and published the book “User-Centered Design: An Integrated Approach”.

Karel has led design and research teams for some of IBM’s most iconic products including the first large-scale commercially available Artificial Intelligent product, IBM Watson. He also formed and led the team that developed the One UI Design System, IBM’s first developer toolkit that drove consistency in user interfaces across all of the company’s products (the predecessor to the Carbon Design System).

After carrying out research that helped inspire the reboot of the design program in 2013, Karel introduced and taught IBM's Enterprise Design Thinking and Design System to each of the business units of the company globally, software, consulting, sales, and infrastructure, and to hundreds of other companies — often with their c-suites and boards — as well as startup incubators, scale-ups, public organizations, and universities.
He also worked with the top design schools globally resulting in the doubling of IBM’s hiring from those schools contributing to hiring many of the company’s current 3,000 designers and researchers. His work with the services part of IBM led to clients getting products to market twice as fast, a 300% ROI, and 50 percent reduction in design defects.

He founded the Design Executive Team comprised of top managerial design executives in each business unit and led the Design Leadership Board comprised of the technical and managerial design executives responsible for the review and appointment of Design Principals and Distinguished Designers. Karel’s responsibilities included the design profession, designer skill development, and design culture for the 3,000 designers in the company and for external engagement, academic programs, and the social media presence externally.

In addition to publishing the book mentioned above, Karel has also authored over 100 conference and journal publications, and several book chapters. He also blogs regularly to more than 40 thousand readers per year.

Karel has given industry keynotes, workshops, and guest lectures all around the world including in Australia, India, China, South Korea, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the US, and Canada.

He co-developed the Innovation by Design programs for the DeGroote School of Business and Medicine, the Health Leadership Academy, Collaborative Health Governance, and a pan-university course at McMaster University. He currently teaches in the Digital Transformation Executive MBA program, the Directors College, the Collaborative Health Governance program, and the National Health Fellows program.

Karel founded the Life Habits Podcast 18 years ago which has reached millions of listeners and he now co-hosts it with Paige Heron. He shares the knowledge and expertise from his doctoral level training in cognitive science, clinical psychology, and human-computer interaction and from working at IBM as a design and research executive and mentor to thousands of people for more than three decades in his podcast and also in his career and life coaching practice.

He did undergraduate, masters, and doctoral studies, research, and teaching at the University of Toronto initially in cognitive science and clinical psychology which later led to research, specialization, and his life-long passion for, practice in, and leadership of design and research. Karel blogs on karelvredenburg.com and his social media coordinates include @karelvredenburg on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Carly Williams

(she/her)

Bio coming soon!

Ellyn Winters-Robinson

(she/her)

Ellyn Winters is a breast cancer survivor and storyteller who believes in the power of small ripples to create big change. She is the co-creator of AskEllyn.ai the world’s first AI companion for those on the breast cancer journey. Ellyn is an in-demand speaker on Patient Use of AI, and has been featured in People Magazine, CTV News, and Fast Company.

In just two years. AskEllyn has provided empathetic support to individuals in 100+ countries and 50+ languages. She has also been selected as a gold standard for patient navigation by Geneva-based City Cancer Challenge, licensed by leading healthcare and wellness provider Cigna Healthcare, and is now the subject of a national clinical evidence study led by Brock University and funded by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Temi Popo

(she/her)

Temi Popo is an AI Futurist-in-Residence and innovation strategist helping organizations and institutions navigate AI beyond the hype. She holds a Master’s in Digital Experience Innovation from the University of Waterloo and studied Computer Science at Mount Holyoke College. Temi has advised a 175-year-old wealth management firm on long-term strategy, worked with patented deep tech in venture capital, and led Mozilla’s Trustworthy AI strategy. Her work focuses on AI literacy, leadership, and decision-making in moments of rapid change.

Trishala Pillai

(she/her)

Trishala is a product leader at Walmart and a product thought leader who has shared her ideas at conferences around the world. She'll be sharing a keynote that she presented at the 2025 Grace Hopper Celebration earlier this year entitled "How to Craft a Winning Career Narrative That Sticks, Speaks, and Sells in a World of Constant Change." Trishala is also BA'16 and the winner of the Emerging Arts Alumni Award

Ranee Lee 郭恩琳

(she/her)

Ranee Lee 郭恩琳 is an industrial designer and an Associate Professor of Industrial Design at OCAD University. Ranee holds an MA in Education from University of Toronto on participatory design framework. The founder of DESIGNwith, a unique partnership with corporation-academia-community situated inside the CF Toronto Eaton Centre. DESIGNwith is a research innovation lab at the juncture of social innovation and circular economy. Ranee has an ongoing research on alternative economies in marginalized communities while advancing the concept of Form Follows Care.

Gagan Diesh

(he/him)

I’m a designer, strategist, and coach with two decades of experience leading product and design teams. I use what I’ve learned from design thinking, product strategy, and leadership to help people find clarity, build trust, and lead with confidence.


In 2001, I founded DesignStamp, a research and design studio that tackles complex challenges across business, tech, and public health. I have led projects for the Gates Foundation, OECD, and PEPFAR—the world’s largest global health initiative.

I’ve led strategy, research, and design projects across Canada, U.S., France, Mexico, and India. I’ve created UX, design and leadership courses, taught at Vancouver Film School, and delivered keynotes and talks around the world. I’ve spent years mentoring and managing growing teams. As VP of Experience Design at Thinkific, I scaled design and research during a period of rapid growth and helped lead the company to a $1B IPO valuation.

Today, I coach tech professionals and leaders, facilitate strategy workshops, and help people navigate big decisions and moments of change. I specialise in helping people see their strengths clearly, and use them more intentionally.

I live in Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦, and have worked with clients across North America and Europe.

Design + Business Conference

Saturday, march 7, 2026

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
STRATFORD SCHOOL OF INTERACTION DESIGN AND BUSINESS

STRATFORD, ON

unlock early access for tickets

2026 to be announced.
2025 speakers below

Headshot of Huda Idrees

empowering Canadians to easily request, access, and manage their own health information

presented by

Huda Idrees

Founder & CEO,
Dot Health

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Headshot of Huda Idrees

Huda Idrees

Founder & CEO, Dot Health

Huda is the Founder and CEO of Dot Health, a real-time personal health data platform. With a background in engineering from the University of Toronto and a prolific career at some of Toronto's best known startups including Wattpad, Wave, and Wealthsimple. Her latest venture is transforming the way people access and control their own health information for good. Huda's work has been featured in a number of media outlets including Vogue, The Globe and Mail, CBC, Toronto Life, Toronto Star, Metro Morning, The Current, and The Walrus. She has won numerous awards including Excellence Canada's Board of Governors’ Special Recognition of Achievement Award in 2019, YWCA Toronto's Young Woman of Distinction in 2019, Bay Street Bull's 30x30 in 2018, University of Toronto Engineering Early Career Award in 2018, amongst others. Huda has helped advise the Canadian Federal and Provincial Health Ministries on strategy, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for TechGirls Canada and the Sinai Health System.

Headshot of Gagan Diesh

From Chaos to Control; Building a Career Worth Waking Up To

presented by

Gagan Diesh

Founder, DesignStamp
VP, Experience Design
and Research, Thinkific
(he/him)

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Headshot of Gagan Diesh

Gagan Diesh

Founder, DesignStamp
VP, Experience Design
and Research, Thinkific

Driven by an innate curiosity and a passion for crafting engaging experiences, Gagan has been a practitioner, mentor, and educator in the field of design for over 20 years. In 2001, he founded DesignStamp, a studio that became known for its innovative approach to research and user experience. Gagan's unique strength lies in his ability to bridge the gap between customers, businesses, and technologists, helping them understand each other's needs and work together seamlessly.

Throughout his career, Gagan has led user research and experience design initiatives for some of the world’s most influential organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and PEPFAR, the largest global initiative dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS.

Most recently, Gagan served as VP of Experience Design & Research at Thinkific, an online learning platform that achieved unicorn status and went public in 2021. He also co-developed the Digital Design program at Vancouver Film School and has taught courses on branding, user experience, and interactive design. Now based in Toronto, Gagan works as an executive coach, partnering with leaders and individual contributors to accelerate their careers and drive impactful, strategic initiatives.

Dave Parker Headshot

immersive VR Experiences for those in palliative care

presented by

David Parker

Founder & CEO, Wishplay

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Dave Parker Headshot

David Parker

Founder & CEO, Wishplay

bio coming soon!

Karel Vredenburg headshot

the health of our UX discipline: Assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and prescription

presented by

Karel Vredenburg

Co-founder & President, Habits for a Better World
Ex. VP - Global UX Research, IBM
(he/him)

connect on linkedin →
Karel Vredenburg headshot

Karel Vredenburg

Co-founder & President, Habits for a Better World
Ex. VP - Global UX Research, IBM

Karel leads the company's worldwide team of researchers and the insights they provide to product, services, and executive teams. Karel introduced and implemented IBM's new design system, including Enterprise Design Thinking, into software, services, systems and sales business units of IBM globally, as well as hundreds of other companies, typically working with their C-suite level executives and boards.Karel serves as the head of IBM Studios Canada, is the IBM Innovation Corps executive for Canada, and is Industry Professor at McMaster University. He co-founded the Future of Design Education initiative with Don Norman which is developing design curricula for the 21st Century for academic institutions worldwide.

Follow him at karelvredenburg.com

blend hosts

Markus Grupp headshot

Markus Grupp

Design Leader, Educator, Coach, and Mentor
(he/him)

connect on linkedin →
Headshot of Greg McIntyre

Greg McIntyre

Digital Media Manager,
UWaterloo Stratford
(he/him)

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workshops

fixing forms, together:
the power of cross functional teams

presented by

Headshot of Anna Foat

Anna Foat

Director, Design Literacy & Education Strategy
Sun Life Financial

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Headshot of Samanthi Jayetileke

Samanthi Jayetileke

Director, Design Coach
Sun Life Financial

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Kristina Miller headshot

Kristina Miller

Senior Journey Design Researcher
Sun Life Financial

connect on linkedin →

Fixing Forms, Together:
The Power of Cross Functional Teams

presented by

Headshot of Anna Foat

Anna Foat

Director, Design Literacy & Education Strategy,
Sun Life Financial

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‍Anna Foat wants to live in a world where changing the status quo isn’t a wild dream, but an achievable reality. Anna joined RIM (BlackBerry) in 1999 pre-300 employees and grew with the company executing deals with IBM,Visa and Mastercard in her tenure.

In 2011 when BlackBerry had grown to 16,000 employees she left to join IBM as the Worldwide Managing Editor of MobileFirst Platform leading Content and Digital Marketing Strategy. In 2016 she was invited to be the Executive in Residence for the first cohort of the Fierce Founders Accelerator at Communitech.

She earned a BA in English Literature from the University of Waterloo and taught Design Thinking at the University of Western Ontario. She’s a best-selling author on the topic of Design Thinking and was named a Reuters Trailblazer on International Women’s Day 2024. When she’s not researching and conceptualizing new ideas or talking to entrepreneurs you can find her either sipping wine with friends or locked in a hot yoga class trying to find that elusive balance.

Headshot of Samanthi Jayetileke

Samanthi Jayetileke

Director, Design Coach,
Sun Life Financial

connect on linkedin →

With 17 years in UX design, product management, and leadership, Samanthi Jayetileke has crafted digital experiences for some of the world’s most iconic brands – Starbucks, EA, Nike, and BlackBerry to name a few – working across Canada and San Francisco. Now as a Design Coach Director at Sun Life Financial, she brings her expertise to the insurance industry, helping teams leverage design thinking, collaboration, and user insights to build better, more intuitive digital experiences.

As a recognized conference speaker, hackathon judge, mentor, advisor/investor, she’s deeply involved in the UX communities of Ontario and Vancouver, and as a proud Simon Fraser University alum, and a most recent recipient of a Design MBA, she’s been reinforcing her commitment to merging business strategy and creative problem-solving.

When she’s not shaping the future of UX, she’s off exploring the world –travelling to several new countries each year, discovering new cuisines, and making unforgettable memories with her family.

Kristina Miller headshot

Kristina Miller

Senior Journey Design Researcher,
Sun Life Financial

connect on linkedin →

Kristina Miller is a design researcher with almost a decade of industry experience. She focuses on taking the risk out of product and service development and revision by incorporating understanding of the users.

Currently she is a Senior Journey Design Researcher at Sun Life Financial working in the retail wealth and insurance space. Before joining Sun Life, Kristina was a team of 1 researcher at GoodLife Fitness where she helped establish design thinking practices within the organization.Before becoming a design researcher, she spent 8 years in academic health services research specializing in patient and caregiver experience across multiple health care settings. She holds a Master’s in Gerontology from Western University and is a committee member of Ladies that UX London ON.

When she’s not working, you can find her at her local CrossFit throwing up some weight, renovating something in her century home, or looking a new recipes she’ll never get around to making.

Linking Design to Behavioural Science for Change

presented by

Sylvia MacSpadyen

Chief Creative Officer / Designer,
Design Health
(she/her)

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Linking Design to Behavioural Science for Change

This workshop is created for participants who would like to better understand how to design for behaviour change by using a simple evidence based tool (COM-B) in design projects. The interactive learning experience will ensure participants gain knowledge and practical skills for application into their own unique business design challenges.

presented by

Sylvia MacSpadyen

Chief Creative Officer / Designer,
Design Health

connect on linkedin →

As Founder of FOCUSED Communications Inc. and Design Health, Sylvia has over 2 decades of experience in education, service and experience design.  She has a Masters degree in Design; Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD U and has taught at the Design for Health Masters program at OCAD U. She speaks at conferences, and most recently  had her research abstract accepted at the prestigious ATTD, (March 2025) in Amsterdam and also accepted at the Behaviour Change Conference 2025, Health & Sustainability (April 2025) Lisbon, Spain. The research looks at shifting the dynamics of power in health care to the empowerment of people for disruptive innovation.   In her work, she collaborates with healthcare providers, patients and industry partners. Her focus with industry partners  is to help them  adopt design principles to identify deep needs of customers and find the right problems to solve that are desirable, feasible and viable for all interest holders. Conducting foresight workshops for scenario planning enables improved strategy formulation by industry clients.  Central to her work are COM-B and JTBD frameworks.  She is a certified instructional design and learning professional, accredited medical education experience designer and professional facilitator.

Sylvia offers certification in COM-B for those who have an interest in how behavior change models for innovation can be used for assessment, intervention and evaluation in design.

She facilitates over 60 workshops or co-creation each year and approximately 40 training sessions.

Visual Thinking: Empowering Designers to Communicate and Influence

presented by

Ethel Zlotnik

Senior UX Designer,
TD Bank
(she/her)

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Visual Thinking: Empowering Designers to Communicate and Influence

The ability to effectively communicate complex ideas is crucial. This workshop focuses on visual thinking, a powerful skill that transforms abstract concepts into compelling visual narratives. Tailored for both emerging and seasoned designers, this session addresses one of the most significant challenges in the industry: bridging the communication gap between designers and stakeholders.

This workshop is particularly relevant to the BLEND audience, offering both students and professionals the opportunity to elevate their communication skills and stand out in the competitive design landscape.

presented by

Headshot of Ethel Zlotnik

Ethel Zlotnik

Senior UX Designer,
TD Bank

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Ethel is a Senior UX Designer based in Toronto, currently working at TD Bank.

Her expertise lies in user-centered design, strategic thinking, and the art of storytelling. She embraces the world of visual thinking and enjoy mentoring emerging designers.

Her career journey includes crafting digital experiences for finance, education, and retail. Ethel strives for usefulness, meaning, and inclusivity.

Training the Brain for the Reading Experience

presented by

R.J. (BOB)
Huggins

Chair / Entrepreneur in Residence,
Neuralign.org

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Training the Brain for the Reading Experience

1 in 5 people suffering from Reading comprehension issues & Dyslexia. These issues manifest themselves in self esteem, mental health and learning deficits they follow children to adulthood.  Any with an interest in breaking new ground with a technology focus that brings the three elements of Neuroplasticity forward, specifically the visual, the auditory and the vestibular. Visual & auditory design will be key to improving outcomes for children.

presented by

Headshot of RJ (Bob) Huggins

R.J. (Bob) Huggins

Chair / Entrepreneur in Residence,
Neuralign.org

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An Arts Grad UofW 81', Innovator recognized for pioneering digital technology using historical images of Newspapers, sold to Google in 2008. Currently a Children's Advocate, Advisor, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Currently Chair of Neuralign, a neurocognitive therapy for Children with Dyslexia and other reading comprehension issues.

Navigation for Humans: An Object-Oriented strategy

presented by

Deanna Ritchie

Senior Product Designer,
Tulip
(she/her)

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Navigation for Humans: An Object-Oriented strategy

Navigating complex systems can be a daunting challenge for users—and an ongoing struggle for UX designers. When done right, navigation becomes invisible, allowing users to effortlessly find their way. When done wrong, it leads to frustration and confusion.

This workshop will introduce you to object-oriented design (OOD) and explore how this method of thinking can revolutionize navigation design. Participants will learn how to define and map relationships between objects, transforming them into clear, intuitive structures that enhance user experience. You'll gain practical skills for designing navigation systems that not only meet user needs but also improve overall usability.

presented by

Deanna Ritchie Headshot

Deanna Ritchie

Senior Product Designer,
Tulip

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Deanna is a Senior Product Designer with deep expertise in mobile app design and systems thinking. She has modernized apps across industries—including banking, insurance, and retail—creating intuitive experiences that have positively impacted millions of users.

Currently at Tulip, Deanna is focused on leveling up the Clienteling experience for luxury fashion retailers such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ferragamo. She is also building of Tulip’s Design System, ensuring consistency and scalability across the entire product suite.

Deanna is a graduate of a the inaugural Global Business and Digital Arts class at the University of Waterloo.

Fix My Design: Real-World Accessibility Audits

presented by

Andreea Demirgian

Digital Accessibility SME,
CPA Canada
(she/her)

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Fix My Design: Real-World Accessibility Audits

Accessibility is essential for reaching a broader audience, but many designs still fall short. This hands-on workshop empowers participants to identify and resolve accessibility barriers in digital designs. Using real-world examples and practical tools, attendees will conduct audits, brainstorm fixes, and leave with actionable insights they can apply immediately. Perfect for designers, developers, and strategists, this session blends creativity and inclusivity to elevate digital experiences for all users.

presented by

Headshot of Andreea Demirgian

Andreea Demirgian

Digital Accessibility SME,
CPA Canada

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Andreea Demirgian is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) with over eight years of experience advancing digital accessibility. She specializes in creating inclusive digital experiences and educating others on accessibility best practices. Andreea is a passionate advocate for inclusivity, teaching accessibility principles to students in graphic and web design, and guiding organizations toward compliance with accessibility legislation. Her work combines technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and a commitment to fostering equitable access for all users.

Fostering Psychological Safety to Drive Change and Innovation

presented by

Erin Helcl

Managing Director,
New Helio
(she/her)

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Fostering Psychological Safety to Drive Change and Innovation

How do we tackle complex challenges and drive meaningful change in design and innovation? It starts with psychological safety. This workshop will explore why creating an environment where individuals feel safe to share ideas, take risks, and challenge the status quo is essential for driving innovation and addressing today’s most pressing challenges. With BLEND’s focus on fostering community, inclusivity, and designing for everyone, this session highlights how psychological safety can help creative professionals connect, innovate, and build solutions that push boundaries while addressing societal and environmental challenges. Participants will work together to reframe interactions, build psychological safety, and learn how it supports inclusivity, creativity, and advancing impactful solutions.

presented by

Erin Helcl

Managing Director,
New Helio

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Erin Helcl is an award-winning leader with over 25 years of experience in customer and employee experience, organizational transformation, and team development. Known for her ability to create high-performing teams and foster collaboration, Erin helps teams build psychological safety to drive meaningful change. She is the founder of Hello Helio, a consultancy focused on improving customer and employee journeys while helping organizations build stronger, more inclusive cultures.

Speak the Right Language: UX Writing for Digital Health

presented by

Marcelo Halpern

Product Design Lead,
Loblaw Digital
(he/him)

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Megan Cheung

Content Designer,
Loblaw Digital

Jacob
Hanania

Director of Product Design,
Loblaw Digital
(he/him)

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Kim Wright

Senior Product Designer,
Loblaw Digital
(she/her)

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Stacey Jiang

Product Designer,
Loblaw Digital
(she/her)

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Speak the Right Language: UX Writing for Digital Health

As more Canadians turn to digital health—from older adults who need a friendly, supportive touch, to younger, tech-savvy users who want quick and clear information—finding the right tone becomes essential. In this fun, hands-on workshop, we’ll explore key UX writing principles that make online healthcare welcoming, trustworthy, and helpful. We’ll look at real-world scenarios and practice creating content that balances clarity, empathy, and inclusivity, ensuring every user feels heard and cared for.

What to Expect
• Essential UX Writing Principles: Tailor language, tone, and style to diverse patient needs.
• Scenario Exploration: Design and write for interfaces, flows, and SMS messages that resonate with users of all ages.
• Testing & Validation: Learn practical strategies for user testing, ensuring your messaging is both compelling and easy to understand.

presented by

Loblaw Digital - We’re the Digital Health team at Loblaw Digital, powering the online healthcare experience at Shoppers Drug Mart, PC Health, and Pharmaprix—some of Canada’s most well-known pharmacies. Our work helps millions of Canadians find the care they need, make healthier choices, and manage their well-being more effectively. With years of design expertise, we’re all about creating seamless, user-centered experiences that provide people with convenient health tools and personalized guidance. We’re proud to be part of Canada’s design community, championing the healthcare needs of Canadians across a multitude of digital touchpoints.

Headshot of Marcelo Halpern

Marcelo Halpern

Product Design Lead,
Loblaw Digital

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Logo of Loblaw Digital

Megan Cheung

Content Designer,
Loblaw Digital

Headshot of Jacob Hanania

Jacob Hanania

Director of Product Design,
Loblaw Digital

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Headshot of Kimberly Wright

Kim Wright

Senior Product Designer,
Loblaw Digital

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Headshot of Kimberly Wright

Stacey Jiang

Product Designer,
Loblaw Digital

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Your Career is a Product: What Are You Hiring It to Do?

presented by

Mojgan Fay

Director of Product Design,
RBC
(she/her)

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Valerie Gelinas

Director of Experience Design,
RBC
(she/her)

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Kareen Sarhane

Senior Manager, Workforce Engagement & Enablement,
RBC
‍

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Your career is a product: what're you hiring it to do?

Participants will learn to think like a designer when it comes to their career. They'll learn in practice why and how this can be transformative for their work and life by:

• Leveraging empathy and simple user research methods for themselves
• Applying product and experience design frameworks -- like Jobs to Be Done -- to their career
• Identifying what they'd like their career to do for themThey'll leave the session with actionable next steps on how to continue their career design journey.

They'll leave the session with actionable next steps on how to continue their career design journey.

presented by

Headshot of Mojgan Fay

Mojgan Fay

Director of Product Design,
RBC

connect on linkedin →
Headshot of Valerie Gelinas

Valerie Gelinas

Director of Experience Design,
RBC

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Headshot of Kareen Sarhane

Kareen Sarhane

Senior Manager, Workforce Engagement & Enablement,
RBC

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Stakeholder Symphony: Designing Solutions When You Have Multiple Voices

presented by

Jeff Towers

Experience Design Lead
M&T Bank

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Chris Borth

Senior Partner,
MedTech Group

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Stakeholder Symphony: Designing Solutions When You Have Multiple Voices

In this workshop, we'll provide participants with tools and methods they can use in situations where they need to design solutions for multiple stakeholders.

Participants will learn how to determine who your stakeholders are (stakeholder mapping), and how to engage different types of stakeholders.

presented by

Jeff Towers headshot

Jeff Towers

Designer,
MedTech Group

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Jeff has led innovation and design programs in the insurance and healthcare industry. He is a GBDA alum and has an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier, he is currently based in New York City.

Headshot of Chris Borth

Chris Borth

Senior Partner,
MedTech Group

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Chris is an MD with 20 years' experience as a medical/surgical specialist, peer assessor, lecturer, and researcher. He partners with MedTech companies to help them navigate the healthcare ecosystem and scale more quickly.

What are you waiting for? Take ideas to action

presented by

Krysta Traianovski

Associate Director, Founder Development
Velocity, University of Waterloo

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Val Maloney

Manager, Programs and Events
Velocity, University of Waterloo

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What are you waiting for? Take ideas to action

This workshop focuses on the six key "founder development" innovation skills that Velocity has discovered (bias to action, customer obsession, resilience, resourcefulness, strong communication and ambition) and takes participants through a self-assessment to identify their areas for growth as well as practical exercises. The learnings from the entrepreneurship and education world can support anyone who wants to increase their personal effectiveness and who want to develop the fortitude to bring new products, services and ideas to life. These skills are fundamental to navigating an uncertain future, and can inspire people to work together in collaborative and hopeful ways.

presented by

Headshot of Krysta Traianovski

Krysta Traianovski

Associate Director, Founder Development
Velocity, University of Waterloo

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Krysta is a former founder who now specializes in transforming people from "dreamers" to "doers" without losing their passion and imagination. Her mission at Velocity, the University of Waterloo's incubator, is to develop students into founders by designing engaging programs and opportunities that move founders further, faster. Her team helps early-stage startups with practical business advice, product development expertise, space to build, and funding. She brings her perspective from entrepreneurship, coaching and the tech world to create unique experiences for self-development.

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Val Maloney

Manager, Programs and Events
Velocity, University of Waterloo

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Brainstorming the Right Way

presented by

Luke Brodie

Client Innovation Services Lead,
Accenture
(he/him)

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Brainstorming the Right Way

Group brainstorms sometimes get a bad rap but when led effectively and used in the right context they can help generate creative ideas and get project teams further faster. Structure and skilled facilitation are key. Luke Brodie from Accenture's Canada Innovation Hub has led hundreds of brainstorms, made plenty of mistakes along the way, and he will share learnings and tips as he guides a group through an ideation session on a meaningful topic. Expect to laugh in this session.

presented by

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Luke Brodie

Client Innovation Services Lead,
Accenture

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Luke is a dynamic facilitator who has led innovation experiences with leaders of Fortune 500 companies on four continents and lectured on design thinking and organizational change at some of the world’s leading business schools including Rotman, ESADE, and Harvard. Luke has also worked internationally in a variety of professional roles including airline management and as a professional musician. Luke is passionate about innovation, organizational culture, employee experience, yoga, and cooking, speak English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese (and pride myself on having memorized hilarious phrases in countless other languages).

Luke is passionate about innovation, organizational culture, employee experience, yoga, and cooking, speaks English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese (and prides himself on having memorized hilarious phrases in countless other languages).

The Hybrid Work Paradox: Why It Fails, Why We Stay, and How to Work with It

presented by

Kim De Laat

Assistant Professor,
University of Waterloo, Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

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The Hybrid Work Paradox: Why It Fails, Why We Stay, and How to Work with It

presented by

Headshot of Luke Brodie

Kim De Laat

Assistant Professor,
University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

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Kim de Laat is an Assistant Professor of Organization and Human Behaviour at the University of Waterloo's Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. She received her PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto.

As a sociologist of work and culture, Kim is interested in how culture and work design shape inequality and uncertainty in organizational and mass media contexts. Her current research examines the unintended consequences of formal and informal social policies aimed at reducing workplace inequalities. Her work appears in such outlets as Cultural Sociology, ILR Review, Poetics, Socio-Economic Review, and Work and Occupations, among others, as well as in op-eds for the Globe & Mail, and Policy Options.

Entrepreneurship Surfing with Interdisciplinary Teams and Grand Challenges

presented by

Wayne Chang

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream,
Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, University of Waterloo

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Adanna Amechi

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Student,
University of Waterloo

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Sarah Cestnick

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Student,
University of Waterloo

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Entrepreneurship Surfing with Interdisciplinary Teams and Grand Challenges

The focus will be on developing entrepreneurial mindset with specific frameworks and process design tools for design teams to explore interdisciplinary approaches to researching problem spaces from worked examples of grand challenges and UN SDG's.  Workshop attendees will be in divergent creativity environment and apply different processes and design tools to navigate solution sets to specific problem spaces.

presented by

Headshot of Luke Brodie

Wayne Chang

Associate Professor, Teaching Stream,
Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business,
University of Waterloo

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Wayne has been teaching at Conrad for undergraduate course on Venture Creation and co-op workterm program called Enterprise Co-op each term Winter, Spring and Fall over 12 years for students developing their own business or not-for-profit ideas.  His students learn to develop entrepreneurial mindset by researching and analyzing impactful problem spaces and creating new solutions for user/customer testing in process-driven environment by leveraging many entrepreneurship centres at UW and outside campus.  He's currently Faculty representative in the UW Teaching Innovation Incubator (TII) BETA 3 year project - 2023 start for experiential learning called SLICC (student-led individually created course). Wayne received the UW Distinguished Teacher Award in 2018, and the Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award in 2017.

Headshot of Luke Brodie

Adanna Amechi

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Student,
Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business,
University of Waterloo

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Headshot of Luke Brodie

Sarah Cestnick

Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) Student,
Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business,
University of Waterloo

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featured artist

Headshot of Anna Foat

Saphera Peters

Illustrator & Content Creator, BGBDA '20

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Headshot of Anna Foat

Saphera Peters

Illustrator & Content Creator, BGBDA '20

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schedule:
Saturday, March 1, 2025
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
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7:30 AM

Bus Departure from University Waterloo - Hagey Hall

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For those coming from Kitchener-Waterloo, the buses will be departing from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo Campus at 7:30 AM to arrive at the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business for 8:30 AM.

8:30 AM

Registration

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Welcome! Upon arriving to the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, pick-up your name tag at the front desk. Free parking is available behind the campus building.

9:00 AM

Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:10 AM

Morning Workshops 1: Select one to participate in! Registration required

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  • Fixing Forms Together - The Power of Cross-functional Teams - Samanthi Jayetileke, Anna Foat, Kristina Miller - Rm. 2022
  • Brainstorming the Right Way - Luke Brodie - Rm. 2024
  • Speak the Right Language: UX Writing for Digital Health - Marcelo Halpern, Kim Wright, Jacob Hanania, Megan Cheung, Stacey Jiang - Rm. 2129
  • What Are You Waiting For? Take Ideas to Action - Krysta Traianovski, Val Maloney - Rm. 3022
  • Entrepreneurship Surfing with Interdisciplinary Teams and Grand Challenges - Wayne Chang, Adanna Amechi, Sarah Cestnick - Rm. 3024
  • Your Career is a Product: What Are You Hiring It to Do? - Mojgan Fay, Valerie Gelinas, Kareen Sarhane - Rm. 3129
  • Navigation for Humans: An Object-Oriented Approach - Deanna Ritchie - Rm. 1004


10:20 AM

Morning Workshops 2: Select one to participate in!

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  • Fixing Forms Together - The Power of Cross-functional Teams - Samanthi Jayetileke, Anna Foat, Kristina Miller - Rm. 2022
  • Fix My Design: Real-World Accessibility Audits - Andreea Demirgian - Rm. 2024
  • Stakeholder Symphony: Designing Solutions When You Have Multiple Voices - Jeff Towers, Christopher Borth - Rm. 2129
  • The Hybrid Work Paradox: Why It Fails, Why We Stay, and How to Work with It - Dr. Kim de Laat - Rm. 3022
  • Entrepreneurship Surfing with Interdisciplinary Teams and Grand Challenges - Wayne Chang, Adanna Amechi, Sarah Cestnick - Rm. 3024
  • Training the Brain for the Reading Experience - R.J. (Bob) Huggins - Rm. 3129


11:30 AM

Morning Workshops 3: Select one to participate in!

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  • Visual Thinking: Empowering Designers to Communicate and Influence - Ethel Zlotnik - Rm. 2022
  • Fostering Psychological Safety to Drive Change and Innovation - Erin Helcl - Rm. 2024
  • Speak the Right Language: UX Writing for Digital Health - Marcelo Halpern, Kim Wright, Jacob Hanania, Megan Cheung, Stacey Jiang - Rm. 2129
  • Linking Design to Behavioral Science for Change - Sylvia MacSpadyen - Rm. 3022
  • Entrepreneurship Surfing with Interdisciplinary Teams and Grand Challenges - Wayne Chang, Adanna Amechi, Sarah Cestnick - Rm. 3024
  • Your Career is a Product: What Are You Hiring It to Do? - Mojgan Fay, Valerie Gelinas, Kareen Sarhane - Rm. 3129

12:30 PM

Lunch

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Your brain needs energy, eat some food! Enjoy a catered lunch at the Stratford School

1:45 PM

Welcome and intro to Keynotes (Studio Theatre - Stratford Festival)

2:00 PM

Huda Idrees - Keynote (Studio Theatre)

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Huda Idrees
Founder & CEO,
Dot Health

2:30 PM

Gagan Diesh - Keynote (Studio Theatre)

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Gagan Diesh
Founder, DesignStamp
VP, Experience Design
and Research, Thinkific

3:15 PM

David Parker - Keynote (Studio Theatre)

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David Parker
Founder & CEO, Wishplay

3:45 PM

Karel Vredenberg - Keynote (Studio Theatre)

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Karel Vredenberg
Co-founder & President, Habits for a Better World
Ex. VP - UX Research, IBM

4:15 PM

Closing Remarks (Studio Theatre)

4:30 PM

The After Party - Networking and Social Hour

6:00 PM

Bus Departure from Stratford

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Bus departs the University of Waterloo Stratford School to return to the University of Waterloo, Waterloo Campus at Hagey Hall. Buses expected to arrive at approximately 6:45 PM at Waterloo campus.

All Rights Reserved. BLEND 2026
If you need any accommodations or have questions contact greg.mcintyre@uwaterloo.ca