ideaCity | Presenters

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	Mark Abley Mark Abley's Spoken Here: Travels With Threatened Languages was listed as a "book of the year" by The Globe and Mail, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Discover Magazine. He is also a former contributing editor for Saturday Night and Maclean's Magazine, and has been honoured with a National Newspaper Award.
	Carolyn Abraham Whether it's SARS, stem-cell research or the latest strain of the bird flu, Carolyn Abraham has it covered. A best-selling author and The Globe and Mail's award-winning medical reporter, she also first broke the story of how Albert Einstein's brain had come to Canada (the basis of her book, Genius: The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain).
	Mehran Anvari Mehran Anvari established the world's first telerobotic surgical service (he has since performed 22 remote surgeries), and was the chief scientific officer for the recent Neemo7 mission (a joint project between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the Centre for Minimal Access Surgery).
	Adam Bly Adam Bly is the Founder & CEO, Seed Media Group, a new science media and entertainment company. He has been named a "Young Leader of Tomorrow" and a "Media Executive to Watch" for his pioneering vision and leadership.
	Jimmy Bowskill 14-year-old Jimmy Bowskill is celebrated as one of Canada's favourite new musicians. Performing on television and radio, at major festivals and with musical legends, Bowskill is on the road to Blues superstardom.
	June Callwood June Callwood is one of Canada's most respected journalists, and a social activist who has founded or co-founded over 50 organizations (including Casey House, Canada's first AIDS hospice).
	Douglas Cardinal Douglas J. Cardinal is an internationally renowned architect. His works include The Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec; and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.
	Raffi Cavoukian Best known for songs like Baby Beluga, The Wheels on the Bus, and Down By The Bay, Raffi Cavoukian has made a career of educating children (and adults!) through music. His Troubadour Institute acts as a catalyst to move towards a 'child-honouring' society.
	Adam Cohen Montreal-native, Los Angeles-based Adam Cohen is calling on the artistry of his famous father, his bohemian upbringing, and his passion for the craft to create current, vital music, whether it be with his band, Low Millions, or via his critically acclaimed solo efforts.
	Ken Danby Ken Danby is a contemporary realist painter, whose outstanding timeless images have earned him international recognition as one of the world's foremost painters.
	Denise Donlon Denise Donlon is one of the most influential and powerful figures in Canadian music. A two-time Gemini Award winning broadcast executive, producer, and former President of Sony Music Canada, Donlon is also a tireless promoter of Canadian talent.
	Gord Downie Gord Downie, lead singer and driving force behind Canada's The Tragically Hip, is also a solo musician, poet, short film actor, and promoter of such charitable causes as WarChild, Music Without Borders and the WaterKeeper Alliance.
	RP Eddy RP Eddy is the Founder ad Executive Director of the Center for Tactical Counter Terrorism at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on the role of police in the fight against terror. He has served at the United Nations and the White House National Security Council, and is recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow.
	Josh Freed Josh Freed is an award winning Montreal-based filmmaker, journalist and author. His latest documentary, In Search of Sleep: An Insomniac's Journey, follows Freed's quest for a good night sleep.

	Jerome Godboo A vocalist, harmonica virtuoso and front man extraordinaire, Godboo has shared stages with the best, including Prince, The Tragically Hip, Levon Helm, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jeff Healey and Ronnie Hawkins.
	Richard Greenblatt Richard Greenblatt is a writer, actor and director for theatre, as well as an actor for film and television. His credits include the hit production "Two Pianos, Four Hands" and he has been honoured with both the Dora Mavor Moore and Chalmers awards for his work.
	Sam Harris Sam Harris is a philosopher and a doctoral student in neuroscience. He is also the best selling author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason, a book The Los Angeles Times describes as "an unabashed antireligious polemic".
	Evelyn Hart Award-winning ballerina Evelyn Hart is an internationally recognized force in the world of Ballet. Her work with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the National Ballet, and the Royal Ballet in Britain have earned her a place on Canada's Walk of Fame, a Chalmers Award, and the Companion to the Order of Canada.
	Derek Hatfield Skipper Derek Hatfield is one of only 126 sailors in history to finish a single-handed race around the world. After a third place finish and a near-death experience in 2002, he'll be taking on the monumental task again in 2006 when he competes in "5-Oceans" (the new name for around the world yachting's most prestigious Grand Prix series).
	Tomson Highway Tomson Highway is an esteemed playwright and trained classical pianist. His works, including the hit "The Rez Sisters", are performed the world over.
	Alan Hirsch Alan Hirsch is a neurologist and psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of smell and taste loss. His in-depth studies observing the effects of scents on behaviour, mood, and human interaction have produced such books as What Flavor is Your Personality?, Scentsational Weight Loss, and Scentsational Sex.
	Dave Irvine-Halliday Dave Irvine-Halliday's Light Up The World project, bringing low-cost, environmentally friendly, safe and efficient lighting to more than 4000 homes in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Bolivia, the Philippines and the Dominican Republic, has brought him "Hero of the Year" accolades from Reader's Digest, and the 2002 Rolex Laureate $100,000 award.
	Karen Kain As Principal Dancer, Karen Kain has performed every leading role in Ballet's classical repertoire with the National Ballet of Canada, has won countless awards of merit (including induction as Companion to the Order of Canada), and is currently Board Chair for Canada's Council for the Arts.
	Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Resolute defender of the environment, lawyer, author and activist, Bobby Kennedy Jr. is also President of the Waterkeeper Alliance - an umbrella organization for the 124 keeper programs that protect bays, lakes and streams throughout North, Central and South America, England and Australia.
	Craig and Marc Kielburger Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger - respectively - are the founders of Free The Children, an international network of "children helping children" with 100,000 youth involved in 35 countries; and Leaders Today, an organization providing leadership training to over 300,000 young people throughout North America.
	Chris Kilham Chris Kilham is Explorer-in-Residence at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The founder of Medicine Hunter Inc., Kilham conducts research around the world to help develop and popularize traditional plant-based medicinal products.
	Ariel Kwan Twelve-year-old Ariel Kwan is one of Canada's rising stars in the worlds of both piano and violin. A scholarship student at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Kwan is the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra's youngest member.
	Stephanie LaFarge Stephanie LaFarge is Senior Director of Counseling Services at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a sex therapist who developed an innovative curriculum for the reduction of high-risk sexual behaviours, and a bereavement specialist for children with terminal cancer.

	Chris Landreth Chris Landreth's animated short film, Ryan, has been the toast of the 2004 film world, garnering worldwide recognition and dozens of awards (including the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film).
	Dave Lavery Lavery is the Program Executive for Solar System Exploration and the Mars Exploration Program at NASA. He is also the man who sent Rover to Mars. Esquire calls him the "NASA whiz" who "builds robots that can do almost anything."
	Mark Liponis Dr. Mark Liponis is Medical Director of Canyon Ranch Health Resorts. A specialist in holistic preventative and therapeutic health care, Liponis uses natural therapies and lifestyle intervention to promote healthy living.
	Helmut Lipsky A renowned violinist and composer, Helmut Lipsky has written music for film, television, radio and multi-media. His music defies conventional categories and has been labeled in turn as fusion, jazz, world beat and new age.
	Guy Miller Dr. Guy Miller is the Chairman and CEO of San Francisco-based Edison Pharmaceuticals; an expert in biotechnology, medicinal chemistry and critical care medicine; and a Clinical Instructor at Stanford's School of Medicine.
	Terry Mosher - AKA Aislin A perennial favourite on the ideaCity stage, Terry Mosher - otherwise known as Aislin - is the Montreal Gazette's political cartoonist and the cartoon editor of Maclean's. Mosher's work has been syndicated throughout the world and his prolific career has been captured in over 35 books.
	Peter C. Newman Peter C. Newman considers himself the junkyard dog of Can Lit., being neither a lapdog nor a watchdog, but the collector of inside information that makes for fascinating reading. His memoirs, Here Be Dragons, reveal tales that have shaped the course of Canadian history, proving why Newman is the country's most cussed and discussed author.
	Amanda Peet Dr. Amanda Peet is a Theoretical Physicist and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on String Theory - arguably the best theory currently available - providing a unified theoretical framework for all known matter and forces.
	Josef Penninger Penninger is the Director of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. He's also the superstar medical geneticist who uncovered the master gene for osteoporosis in 2001.
	Brad Peyton Newfoundland-born Brad Peyton is the short film director of Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl and Full. His What It's Like Being Alone animated television show is set to air on CBC, and he is in development to write and direct The Spider and the Fly for Tom Hanks' production company, Playtone.
	Quagmyre Quagmyre - one of Canada's most exciting Celtic-inspired bands - fuses traditional music and instruments with contempory rhythms, vocals and harmonies, along side step-dancing. They've shared the stage with Jesse Cook, Michael Burgess, Susan Aglukark, and legendary Irish group, The Chieftains.

	Richard Rohmer Major General Richard Rohmer is a former Chief of Reserves of the Canadian Armed Forces, an established lawyer, as well as a celebrated writer of both fiction and non-fiction. His awards include the Order of Canada and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
	Samba Squad Evoking the Brazilian beats of world drums, vocal and dancing ,Samba Squad is an award-winning 'batacuda', featuring over 35 percussionists, and led by celebrated musician Rick Shadrach Lazar.
	Ken Nateshvar Scott Ken Nateshvar Scott - otherwise known as Tesh - is a pioneer, leader and innovator in the fields of yoga and dance. He has served as a trainer and transformative guide to Donna Karan, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Hillary Clinton, and was named as one of the top ten yoga instructors in the United States by Self magazine.
	Second City Mainstage Cast The mainstage cast for Toronto's Second City comedy troupe is internationally famous for creating and performing topical and political satires. Their productions include "Arma-Get-It-On!" and "Good's Good, Evil's Bad".
	Duo Similia Flautist Nadia and Guitarist Annie Labrie make up the passionate and dynamic Duo Similia. Formed in 1998, these identical twins have studied, performed and received high praise the world over.
	Vaclav Smil Vaclav Smil - the acclaimed author and professor from the University of Manitoba - has given briefings at the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives, the US State Department and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. He is an expert on China, world food production, population, energy and the environment.
	Rick Smolan A former TIME, Life and National Geographic photographer, Rick Smolan co-founded the best-selling "Day in the Life..." photography series. He's also a pioneer in the field of multimedia; in fact, The New York Times declared Smolan's 1995 project, Passages to Vietnam: Through the Eyes of 70 Photographers, to be "the most beautiful CD-ROM ever."
	Harry Stinson Developer Harry Stinson is one of the most dynamic personalities on the Toronto real estate scene. He is currently developing Canada's tallest residential building - a feat that will "trump" Donald Trump's International Hotel and Tower.
	Shiv & Sarita Sud Shiv and Sarita Sud run Toronto's only Laughter Yoga Club, where people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds come together to celebrate that "laughter is the best medicine". The opening of the Toronto Laughter Club has lead to such clubs in many Ontario communities.
	Scott Taylor A war correspondent, military analyst, author and journalist, Taylor recently spent five harrowing days being held captive by Ansar al-Islam mujahadeen in northern Iraq. He is also the publisher/editor of Esprit de Corps magazine.
	Veronica Tennant Veronica Tennant, a Prima Ballerina with The National Ballet of Canada for 25 years, is a Gemini and Emmy award winning filmmaker, director, producer and writer. She is a Companion to the Order of Canada, and is also Canada's National Ambassador for UNICEF.
	Richard Terrile Dr. Rich Terrile is an astronomer and the director of the Centre for Evolutionary Computation and Automated Design at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. A private pilot, SCUBA and ski instructor, rock climber and caver, Terrile has also worked as a Technical Advisor with Academy Awards winners James Cameron and Steven Soderbergh, among other celebrated film directors.
	Gunther von Hagens Gunther von Hagens is the creator of the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, and uses the plastination technique he developed and patented to plastinate human cadavers for the world to view. This approach is being developed into a curriculum to use plastinated specimens in lieu of dissection.
	James Young Dr. James Young, Senior Advisor to Canada's Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness department, has been called in to handle many of the world's emergencies - from the SARS outbreak and the Avian Influenza concerns to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks in 2001, and 2004's South East Asian tsunami disaster.