Who We Are

Summit Schedule


7:30am - 8:30amSummit Begins! (Hall C)

Check-in, smudge, coffee & light breakfast, exhibitors and networking


8:30am - 10:30amSummit Opening & Keynote Speaker

Summit Opening & Keynote Presentation with Juno Award Winning Powerhouse, Crystal Shawanda
Opening Panel 'Why We Are Here' to immediately follow keynote


10:45am - NoonBreakout Sessions (Salon Level)

Discussions on key themes: transforming governance systems, how we support our people, how we tell community stories and how we organize for impact.


Noon - 1:30pmLunch Break

Buffet lunch served in Hall C, exhibitor booths open, announcements from EMCEE and special video presentation and fireside chat


1:45pm - 2:45pmBreakout Sessions (Salon Level)

Discussions on key themes: transforming governance systems, how we support our people, how we tell community stories and how we organize for impact.


3:00pm - 4:00pmBreakout Sessions (Salon Level)

Discussions on key themes: transforming governance systems, how we support our people, how we tell community stories and how we organize for impact.


4:00pm - 6:30pmClosing Ceremony & Reception

Summit closing ceremony and performance followed by networking reception, light food and cash bar.


Summit Venue

Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC)

The ECC downtown (9797 Jasper Avenue) will be our host for the Beyond The Status Quo Summit on Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.

PARKING: Day parking is available in the Canada Place parkade, surface lots, Grierson Hill lot and meter parking along Jasper Avenue

LRT: Take the train to the Summit! Central or Churchill station are only 1.5 blocks away from the ECC

Summit runs from 7:30am - 6:30pm in Hall C (2 levels down from Jasper Avenue) with breakout sessions on the Salon level


Meet The Opening Keynote Speaker

Crystal Shawanda Juno Award Winning Powerhouse

Crystal is a celebrated Canadian blues and country music artist, born in Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She began performing at the age of six and her rise to fame has been documented by CMT in a six-part series Crystal: Living the Dream in 2008. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2007, her debut single "You Can Let Go" became the fastest climbing single on the Canadian Country Singles Chart since 2000, reaching the Top 10 in just five weeks. It also reached #2 on the American Mediabase chart.

Crystal made history as an Indigenous woman appearing in the Top 20 on the American Billboard Country Chart, selling over 300,000 records, and performing at the Grand Ole Opry. She was the first Indigenous woman to win the CCMA for Female Artist of the Year in 2009, a Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year in 2020, and to appear in the Top 10 of the American Billboard Blues chart in 2022.

Known for her powerful storytelling and engaging speaking style, Crystal speaks about challenging the status quo, creating her own path to success, staying true to oneself, and embracing new experiences. Through her music and storytelling, she addresses issues like racism, highlights the importance of bringing the Indigenous voice into the music industry and business world, and emphasizes the value of building relationships. As a musician and speaker, she weaves together song alongside spoken word into her keynotes, making her presentations both inspiring and memorable.


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Non-Profit Sponsorship Opportunities 

By sponsoring Beyond the Status Quo Summit, you will be a driving force for change in Edmonton. As an active partner, your sponsorship will reshape how the human services sector collaborates and moves our shared vision into action. To become a Summit sponsor, simply select the level you'd like to participate in under the registration options on the next page OR contact the ECVO office directly at 780-428-5487 or [email protected] 

Thank you to our confirmed sponsors to date:

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