Chelsea Matisz is an award-winning gut-brain scientist and science communicator.

She earned her PhD from the University of Calgary, studying how parasites can change immune responses in inflammatory bowel disease. She then completed several fellowships where she explored how inflammation of the gut affects brain and behaviour. Some of her projects included looking at how cannabinoids and psilocybin might be able to reduce pain and anxiety/depression caused by inflammation.

She is passionate about helping people understand how gut health affects brain health and mental health. Her diverse research background includes evolutionary biology, parasitology, gastrointestinal sciences, inflammatory bowel diseases, immunology, and behavioural neuroscience.

Chelsea believes research is a public good, and should be accessible so that people, institutions, and governments can make evidence-based decisions.

What does the theme of PACE mean for you?

Gayathri Shukla is the founder of Campfire Kinship, a social enterprise that helps organizations build inclusive, trust-based cultures, by starting with one of the most powerful tools we all have: story.

With a background in electrical engineering, an MBA, and now pursuing her PhD in Transdisciplinary Research at the University of Calgary, Gayathri brings a unique mix of rigor, empathy, and lived experience to her work.

After 17 years leading teams in the energy and mining sector, she saw firsthand how innovation stalls when people don’t feel seen or heard. That realization led her to launch Campfire Kinship—where she now works with leaders across industries to move from check-the-box inclusion to real, human connection.

She’s the bestselling author of Landed: Transformative Stories of Canadian Immigrant Women, host of the Hearth 2 Heart podcast, and a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her community work.

What does the theme of PACE mean to you?

See our Online Event Program for details

Our 2025 event, "PACE: Impact Beyond Speed", takes us on a deep journey about this time and place in our human story.

We're in a time of great flux, where the pace of life, the speed of decisions, environmental and political volatility and the rate of technological change conspire to... exhaust? inspire? terrify?

Take your pick!

Our dozen speakers and performers will provoke deep discussions, leading to even more profound connections for participants. They'll be joined by our interactions partners, whose activations will take your thinking even further as you directly experience ideas in action.

Join us on October 25th!

GET TICKETS NOW ON SHOWPASS!

Pace... the concept surrounds us daily, in many forms. How do we explore it?

Our 2025 theme of PACE: Impact Beyond Speed has its origin story in a discussion about what a dominant word was for this time and place in our society. Thanks to an esteemed and wise friend, Carolyn H., the theme of "PACE" was born, and our team added the "Impact Beyond Speed" component to signify that keeping up a fast pace isn't always the best approach, and that pace (or speed) without adequate direction is not effective.