Thank you for a great 2024 - 2025 season!
We’re proud to have wrapped up another inspiring year of the Global Perspectives Speaker Series. Together, we created spaces for meaningful dialogue with leading experts from a wide range of fields—right here in our community.
You can watch the recordings of all our 2024-2025 events and read the recaps below. Our speaker committee is deep in planning for 2025-2026; if you have a topic that you want them to consider, please send it to contact@whistlerinstitute.com.
Sign up for our newsletter to be the first ot know when our season launches – have a great summer everyone!
My Journey to the Invictus Games
Speaker: Lealand Muller
Mother Nature v. Okanagan Wineries: a Climate Conundrum
Speakers: Decoa Harder, Jeff Harder
AI: Ethics, Empathy & Humanizing Technology
Speaker: Kris Krüg
Raising Healthy, High Performance Athletes
Speakers: Dr. Brian Storey, Quinn Storey
Democracy & Science
Speaker: Dr. Kennedy Stewart
Melting Glaciers, Healthy Watersheds & You
Speakers: Dr. Brian Menounos, Dr. Peter Ross, Michael Blackstock
Our Supporters
This season would not have been possible without the support of the following generous individuals, organizations, and businesses:
Event Format
All our speaker events are held at the Maury Young Arts Centre, located at 4335 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC.
Doors open at 5.30pm with the speaker (or panelists) starting at 6.00pm. An audience Q&A follows all presentations.
A cash bar is open in the Gallery from 5.30pm onwards.
Respectful Dialogue Agreement
As part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive and thoughtful space for meaningful dialogue, all attendees of the Global Perspectives Speaker Series are required to accept the Respectful Dialogue Agreement. This agreement reflects our shared responsibility to engage in discussions that strengthen our community and deepen our understanding of the world.
When you join us, we invite you to bring:
- CURIOSITY – Approach discussions with a genuine desire to learn, ask thoughtful questions, and explore new ideas with an open mind.
- INTEGRITY – Engage with honesty, thoughtfulness, and a commitment to truth-seeking, even when perspectives differ.
- COLLABORATION – Recognize that meaningful change and deeper understanding come from exchanging ideas and working together.
- RESILIENCE – Embrace challenging conversations with patience and an open heart, understanding that growth often comes through discomfort.
- RESPECT – Foster a space where all voices are valued, ensuring that dialogue remains considerate and inclusive.
Together, we create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, perspectives are broadened, and ideas inspire action. Thank you for being part of this conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 5.30pm, when doors open. There is a cash bar open at that time, too, serving light refreshments. Speakers begin at 6.00pm.
Topics are selected based on a blend of community input, global conversation trends, and input from our Global Perspectives Speaker Series Committee. If you would like to suggest a future topic, please complete the post-event survey or share suggestions with contact@whistlerinstitute.com.
The 2024-2025 Global Perspectives Speaker Series features six different events from September through to April. Individual events cost $30.00, or you can purchase a Season Pass for $150. If you plan to attend all six events, the Season Pass option means you get one event for free!
Yes, absolutely! Speakers are typically onsite for doors opening; otherwise there is the opportunity to meet speakers post-event (7.30pm).
Yes; please contact Executive Director Mandy Rousseau mandy@whistlerinstitute.com / 604-932-7600 to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities.
The Whistler Institute’s goal with these events is to enhance our understanding of the world, alerting us to change and its impacts, and inspire meaningful action within our community and beyond.
Featuring accomplished international thought leaders, the Global Perspectives Speaker Series features influential leaders who have made a global impact in their field of expertise. Topics are prioritized based on four directions:
1. Topics must be global in nature, but have a local impact;
2. Respected experts are selected based on their effectiveness in presenting and discussing the subject matter;
3. Each event provides a roadmap for action; and
4. Whistler is the stage for speakers to reach a global audience.
Past Speaker Series Events:
- Melting Glaciers, Healthy Watersheds & You (April 2025)
- Democracy & Science: Anecdotes, Positive Notes & a Forward-Thinking Approach (March 2025)
- Raising Healthy, High-Performance Athletes (February 2025)
- AI: Ethics, Empathy & Humanizing Technology (January 2025)
- Mother Nature v. Okanagan Wineries: a Climate Conundrum (November 2024)
- My Journey to the Invictus Games (September 2024)
- Concussions: Advances in prevention, identification and treatment (April 2024)
- The Future of Health Care (March 2024)
- Higher Education: The Next Paradigm (October, 2023)
- Canada, the Asian Century, and what comes next (Sept, 2023)
- A Roof Over Our Heads: Exploring Mountain Resort Housing Possibilities (April, 2023)
- The Role of the Olympic Movement in an Ever-Changing World (April, 2022)
- Climate Emergency – An Action Guide for Citizens (Dec 9, 2021)
- Tourism: Building Back Better (May 14, 2021)
- How Autonomous Vehicles Could Shape Whistler (Sept, 2020)
- Gearing Up for the Electric Vehicle Economy (Nov, 2019)
Stimulating discussion and inspiring action around major issues facing Whistler and beyond.
