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Shelly Khushal (Moderator)

Shelly Khushal is a PhD Candidate in Educational Leadership & Policy at ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø.

She is also a Human Rights Officer in an Ontario school board, providing education and training on human rights, unconscious bias, discrimination and harassment.

Shelly has held various leadership roles at the University of Toronto, including former Vice President, Academic Affairs in the LHAE DSA, providing platforms for critical conversations around race, identity, human rights and social justice.
Shelly received the Outstanding Service Award from her school board for creating a Human Rights Ambassador Award for high school students. She is also the recipient of the 2024 Ludwik & Estelle Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize for her scholarship and dedication to human rights, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Kien Nam Luu (Panel)

Dr. Kien Nam Luu is a proud teacher of Chinese heritage. He has taught across three panels - elementary, secondary and post-secondary; and contributed to Ontario schools where he served as a teacher, vice principal, principal, university instructor and superintendent of education.

He is committed to educational inclusivity and conducts scholarly research in instructional coaching. He finds joy in learning and sharing of lived experiences and journeys that inspire and propel inclusionary practices in educational environments.

Currently, Kien Nam is a Superintendent of Education at the York Region District School Board. In this capacity he strives to nurture collaborative professionalism with educators, district partners and community members to build solidarity in dismantling systematic and colonial structures that prevent marginalized students and educators from achieving representation, voice and success.

Paul Nalli (Panel)

Dr. Paul Nalli, Ed.D., M.A., OCT, brings over 20 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and researcher, dedicating his career to fostering equitable leadership and innovation. He holds undergraduate degrees from York University, a graduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a doctorate from Arizona State University. His work focuses on humanizing leadership through a five-senses approach, using a pragmatic, non-evaluative, dialogic, and reflective tool designed to scale up excellence in transformational leadership across various sectors. This tool is guided by the principles of R.A.I.S.E.—Representation, Amplification, Inspiration, Support, and Empowerment.

Alethia O'Hara-Stephenson (Panel)

Alethia O'Hara-Stephenson, CIP, BA, MBA, is an accomplished speaker, author, TV host, and community advocate, renowned for her dedication to leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion. As the founder and president of the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association, Alethia champions the advancement of Black communities, fostering equity and opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Stephanie Ellis (Panel)

Stephanie Ellis is an occupational therapist and leader, dedicated to working in allyship with disabled and neurodiverse children and young adults. With over 27 years of clinical and leadership experience across health, social services, and education sectors, Stephanie has built a career focused on empowering and centering voice, choice, and agency.

Her commitment extends beyond clinical practice to championing equity, diversity, and disability justice in broad practice and system change. Stephanie is passionate about supporting professionals to adopt reflexive praxis—a dynamic approach that acknowledges the transformative power of collaborative relationship-based practice. Rooted in the principles of disability justice, her approach serves as a catalyst for systemic change informing practices, policies, and processes.

Marvin Zuker (Panel)

Marvin Zuker retired as a Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice in 2016 after 38 years. He is presently a Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto where he has taught Education Law since 1982. He is the author and co-author of many books and publications including The Law Is (Not) for Kids (with Ned Lecic), The Law Is Not for Women (with June Callwood), Education Law, and Children’s Law Handbook.