Ahren Belisle
Ahren Belisle has catapulted to some of the biggest stages in comedy in the short two years he’s been doing stand-up. Television audiences fell in love with him on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT as he became a Top 10 Finalist in the most recent season. And he made an unforgettable debut on one of the world’s biggest podcasts, Kill Tony with Tony Hinchcliffe, which he has returned to multiple times to roast celebrities such as Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and the roast master himself Jeff Ross.
Belisle is a software engineer and mental health advocate turned comedian. Born in Northern Ontario with cerebral palsy, Ahren is a mute comedian who uses his phone to deliver jokes. With his affable charm and razor sharp wit, this comedian who can’t speak has been given a license by audiences to get away with saying whatever he wants.
Ahren has over a million followers and uses his platform to spread positive messages and comedy.
AGT First Performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lyJVYSj_BI
Dr. Jonathan Lai
Dr Jonathan Lai is the Executive Director at Autism Alliance of Canada. He also holds an Adjunct Faculty position in Health Services Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. At Autism Alliance of Canada, Jonathan's work involves responding to emerging national policy gaps in the autism and disability sector. Through his career, he has experience working at the interface of research, community and policy to affect systems change in the health and social services sector across Canada and internationally.
Paige Layle
Paige Layle was born in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario. From an early age, Paige exhibited a deep passion for the arts, engaging in singing, acting, and dancing. In 2015 at age 15, Paige was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which changed her life for the better as she began to learn how to live life authentically. Paige's Autism advocacy career began in 2020 when she created video content on TikTok and YouTube. With over 3 million followers across her platforms, Paige has become a prominent voice in the Autism advocacy community. Her content not only educates but also provides comfort and support to countless individuals and families navigating Autism. In March 2024, Paige's memoir, But Everyone Feels This Way: How an Autism Diagnosis Saved My Life, was published by Hachette Go, and instantly became a best-seller. Additionally, Paige speaks to companies and schools across Canada to educate on Autism and how others can accommodate Autistic people in school, in the workplace and at home. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a devoted pet owner, with two dogs and two cats. Paige also loves to journal and crochet in her spare time.
Stephanie Dixon
Stephanie Dixon (she/them) is a white disabled settler who spent the last decade living and working in the territory of the traditional territories of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, commonly known as Whitehorse, Yukon. She engages as a researcher, facilitator, and advocate within collaborative projects that imagine and create spaces where more of us can feel welcome, valued, and included in meaningful ways.
Kim Wheatley
Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother Kim Wheatley is Ojibway, Potawatomi and Caribbean in ancestry. She is a band member of Shawanaga First Nation located on the shores of Georgian Bay on Robinson Huron Treaty Territories and is Turtle Clan. She carries the Spirit name “Head or Leader of the Fireflower” and has worked for three decades with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities across Canada.
As a multi award winning speaker for over three decades Kim has appeared locally, nationally and internationally in books, magazines, television, radio and numerous news articles and podcasts. Her work is viewed as dynamic, motivational and powerful while always inclusive. She is a published author, hand drummer, singer, water walker, artist, columnist, ceremonial practitioner and ancestral knowledge keeper. Kim is committed to forging good relationships aligned with reconciliation that honour the past, connect the present and contribute to the future.