On Friday, April 26 the conference committee is pleased to announce a key note speaker.
Mark Wafer is the former President and CEO of Abilities Canada.
Abilities Canada is a fully inclusive sports complex and inclusion incubator. Until recently he was the owner of 14 successful Tim Hortons Restaurants in Toronto.
Mark is an internationally recognized expert on the economics of inclusion. He is an advisor to both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario; he is responsible for Canada’s national disability employment strategy as well as the reform of basic income for Canada’s disabled. He is also an Honorary Canadian Citizenship officiant.
Mark and his wife Valarie are best known for their restaurant’s hiring practices with almost 250 workers with disabilities employed for over 25 years.
Mark is a member of the Rotary club of Burlington Lakeshore and the co-founder of the Rotary at Work initiative.
Mark has received many awards and recognition for his work, most notably from her majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of fame in 2014.
A prolific connector of people, Mark has raised over $100 Million in the disability and broader non-profit sector.
He is also a race car driver and a 2008 Canadian historic sports car champion.