CultivatED Early Childhood Conference

Ruth Santosham, BA, B.Ed, ECEA, is the founder of Sprouts Academy, where she has built a school that celebrates every child's unique interests, abilities, and learning styles. Inspired by her family and the guiding principle, "Seek first to understand, then be understood," Ruth is dedicated to understanding each child and fostering their growth. She surrounds students with a talented, diverse team of educators and nurtures a strong school community of families and staff. Ruth treasures witnessing children's joy in play, moments of discovery, and meaningful connections, while extending Sprouts' support to inspiring organizations like Baby Go Round, Music Heals, and Cause We Care.

Nimi Braich, CHRP, ECE, is Managing Director at Sprouts Academy, a strategic leader, and lifelong learner passionate about education and community. She completed graduate studies at SFU Beedie School of Business, holds a CHRP designation, and is a licensed Early Childhood Educator. Nimi brings her expertise in business and human resources to inspire teams and foster learning environments she views through both an educator's and a parent's lens. A working mother of two, she believes working parents can thrive in both professional and family life while being fully present for their children, and she is committed to nurturing environments where children's social, emotional, and cognitive growth flourishes alongside educator development.

Queenie Yeung, B.A., ACC, CPCC, is a leadership and executive coach who helps clients thrive in meaningful careers and flourish at home without losing presence, where it matters most. As a career woman, mother of two young children and daughter to aging parents, she brings lived experience to the challenges her clients face: balancing leadership demands with the realities of family, energy, and time.

Golnaz Mindell & Emily Schach are the Co-Founders of nourishEd, bringing together extensive experience in nutrition, wellness, and family-centered education. Golnaz is a Registered Nutritionist and Wellness Event Planner with a background in Consumer Packaged Goods. A mother of three, her passion for children's nutrition was shaped by both her professional expertise and personal family health journey. Emily has over 15 years of experience in the wellness industry and is a passionate advocate for real, nourishing food. A former co-founder of Glory Juice Company and a mother of two, Emily brings practical, approachable tools that help families thrive through nutrition. Together, they are committed to empowering children and families to build lifelong healthy habits through accessible and joyful nutrition education.

Cindy Ryan is an early childhood professional, educator, and consultant with over 25 years of experience supporting children, families, and child care communities. Her career includes roles as a teacher, director, child care owner, licensing officer for 16 years, and Early Childhood Education instructor. Guided by the belief that when adults are supported, children thrive, Cindy has spent nearly a decade building a soul-led practice rooted in mindfulness, trauma-informed healing, intuition, and conscious life transitions. As a certified divorce coach, she supports individuals and families navigating change with clarity, compassion, and care, always keeping the child at the heart of her work.

Kelly Cannon is an author, speaker, and philanthropist whose advocacy began as a teenager volunteering in pediatric oncology and deepened when her son was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2021. She is the founder of Team Nicky, which provides hands-on advocacy, support, and family resources at BC Children's Hospital, and has raised over $5 million to establish the Team Nicky Chair of Oncology, Hematology, and Bone & Marrow Transplant. Kelly also works internationally with the Driven Project, delivering supercar-therapy experiences that restore joy, confidence, and connection for children facing serious and hard-to-treat illnesses, and is the co-host of the upcoming podcast Cashmere and Cancer, alongside Cindy Ryan.

Shari Linde, M.Sc., RSLP, S-LP(C), is the Founder and Director of Advantage Speech-Language Pathology Ltd. An experienced speech-language pathologist, Shari specializes in helping families, caregivers, and educators to support their children's communication development. Shari's presentation will provide an overview of speech and language milestones, stuttering, voice concerns, multilingual development, and Autism. Shari is passionate about providing practical strategies and guidance on accessing services to support children's speech and language growth.

Ali is an Early Childhood Educator at Sprouts Academy, where she teaches the Nature School program. With a background in Event Marketing, Canadian Studies, and Early Childhood Education from Langara College, she brings a creative and experiential approach to outdoor learning. Ali is passionate about connecting children to nature through hands-on exploration, believing that outdoor environments foster resilience, curiosity, and confidence. She values strong connections between children, families, and the wider community, and finds deep joy in learning alongside children as they experience meaningful moments of discovery in the natural world.

Owen Cameron is a dynamic entrepreneur, investor, and advisor who is passionate about helping organizations grow and succeed. With a proven track record of founding and leading successful ventures, including Engage.In, Owen brings practical, real-world experience, combining strategic insight, disciplined decision-making, capital planning, governance, operational stabilization, and a focus on long-term value creation. Alongside his professional work, Owen is deeply committed to community leadership and philanthropy. He serves on the Board of St. George's School, where he chairs the Strategic Planning & Partnerships Committee and is the immediate Past Chair of the Alumni Board. Owen is also Co-founder and Board Chair of the Plunge for the Cure Foundation and a Board Member of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, where he is a member of the Leaders' Council and Past Chair of the Vitality Gala. He has also contributed to BC Children's Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency through steering committee work focused on improving care for adolescents and young adults (AYA). Outside of his professional and board commitments, Owen enjoys coaching his children's soccer, baseball, rugby, and other sports teams, with a focus on teamwork, resilience, and character.