1. SOAR Student Leadership Conference
  2. What is SOAR?
  3. Keynote Speaker
    1. Accessibility
  4. More Information

SOAR Student Leadership Conference

Saturday, January 28, 2023
9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Location: Richcraft Hall

Carleton University’s 9th annual SOAR Student Leadership Conference will be held in person on Saturday, January 28th, 2023.

Each year, this one-day conference at Carleton includes a keynote speaker, expert speakers, student leaders, and panel presentations. This year’s programming will be held in person with influential presentations and interactive opportunities to help students grow their leadership skills. Tickets for this year’s conference are available for purchase for $10 + tax.

SOAR 2023 is now SOLD OUT!

What is SOAR?

The SOAR Student Leadership Conference is an annual conference for student leaders at Carleton University. At SOAR, attendees are challenged and inspired to develop their leadership skills through informative and interactive workshops and presentations. New this year, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a Networking Lunch where they will learn more about leadership opportunities in the Ottawa and Carleton community.

SOAR provides delegates with many unique opportunities. Participants in the conference will be able to:

  • Challenge themselves in new and meaningful ways outside of the classroom
  • Learn how to be an effective leader
  • Understand foundations and theories about leadership and their potential as a leader
  • Enhance their personal philosophy of leadership
  • Attend workshops on a variety of trends and topics, delivered by engaging speakers
  • Engage with a well-known keynote speaker
  • Receive a free headshot
  • Gain valuable experience that can be added to students’ Co-Curricular Record

Keynote Speaker

We are pleased to share that our keynote speaker for SOAR 2023 will be Sarain Fox.

Sarain Fox is a Canadian Anishinaabe activist, broadcaster, and filmmaker. A storyteller at heart, Sarain combines various mediums to amplify the voices of her people in hopes of creating meaningful dialogue between Indigenous and settler communities. Sarain has built her career at the cross-section of activism and media. Her mother and great-aunt are the oral record keepers of the family. They have passed down ancient teachings from generations of knowledge-keepers and have raised her to be proud of her Indigenous roots. As a result, Sarain has become a powerful and vibrant voice for the Indigenous community.

In 2020 she founded Land Back Studios a production company focused on authentic storytelling in new media, television, and film. She is most noted for her 2020 documentary film Inendi, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Host or Interviewer in a News or Information Program, and currently runs on CBC GEM.

You’ve seen Sarain in the larger-than-life billboards & videos for Sephora’s ‘We Belong to Something Beautiful’ initiative, or as the host for APTN’s Future History & Viceland’s RISE. As an Indigenous Entrepreneur, AMEX Canada partnered with Sarain for the launch of their Blueprint campaign to support BIPOC Businesses. As a brand ambassador, Sarain uses her platform to celebrate the immense knowledge and talent of Indigenous people, designers, and brands. She has lent her voice to international brands such as Sephora, Canada Goose, Nike N7, and Manitobah Mukluks. Sarain sees each partnership and campaign as an opportunity to highlight her culture in the mainstream, share the stage with up-and-coming Indigenous talent and change the world for her people.

Sarain is also an ambassador for TreadRight Foundation (a non-profit focused on sustainable travel and cultural preservation) and sits on the board of directors of the Center for Biological Diversity.

image of keynote speaker Sarain Fox with SOAR logo

Past keynote speakers for the conference have included:

  • Andre De Grasse
  • Martin Luther King III
  • Tessa Virtue
  • Spencer West
  • Col. Chris Hadfield
  • Arlene Dickinson
  • Craig Kielburger
  • Neil Pasricha

Accessibility

Icon indicating food and drink providedIcon indicating there are costs less than $20Icon indicating engagement expectationsIcon indicating large crowdsIcon indicating Live Questions and AnswersIcon indicating wheelchair accessible

The accessibility icon toolkit was created in partnership and consultation with the Paul Menton Centre to provide indicators to allow students to navigate events more effectively.

More Information

For more information regarding the SOAR Student Leadership Conference, please e-mail Dan Vrbanac at  leadership@carleton.ca