2023 Speakers

Main Stage Speakers

Jo Saxton

Author, Ready to Rise and Founder, Ezra Collective

Jo Saxton is an author, speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneurial coach. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, Jo brings a multicultural and international perspective to her leadership training for women. A sought-after speaker, Jo has a diverse calendar addressing universities, churches, national conferences, nonprofits, and corporations, including Q, Catalyst, Evereve, NoonDay Collection, LakeShore Media, and internationally in the U.K. and Australia.
She is co-host of the podcast Lead Stories and also equips women in leadership through her Leadership Coaching. Jo is the author of four books, including her most recent, Ready To Rise.

Katherine Wolf

Author, Suffer Strong and Founder, Hope Heals

Katherine Wolf is a communicator and advocate. Married to Jay, they moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers in law and the entertainment industry. Their son, James was born in 2007, and six months later Katherine’s life nearly ended with a catastrophic stroke. Miraculously, she survived and continues her recovery to this day, including having a miracle baby, John in 2015. Katherine has shared her journey of steadfast hope through her books, Hope Heals and Suffer Strong, and at speaking events both live and online before millions. She founded Hope Heals camp, a community for families with disabilities like them. Katherine, Jay and their two sons live in the Atlanta area.

Nathan Weselake

Lead Pastor, Prairie Alliance Church

Nathan Weselake is popular with conference organisers as a keynote speaker, particularly when more sought-after speakers have cancelled at the last moment. Nathan Weselake can come on short notice. Nathan Weselake is a fantastic consolation prize. Author of The UpSideDown Life, a book designed to help new Christians in their faith, he also holds a Master’s degree from Regent College and has twenty years pastoral experience. Eighteen of those years have been spent leading the Prairie Alliance family of churches in Manitoba and Ontario. His church has an airplane – but he wants you to know he is not that kind of pastor. He and his wife Tamara live with their three teenage sons in Portage, Manitoba. They also have a twenty year old daughter who would be upset if she wasn’t included in this bio and who would want you to know she had no input in Nathan’s choice of clothing for this event.

Vijay Krishnan

Lead Pastor, The Well

Vijay Krishnan is the Lead Pastor of The Well in Vaughan, Ontario. After studying business at Queen’s University, Vijay worked in the Toronto business community for 10 years doing CPG and Retail marketing. During that time, he helped launch The Well (formerly Upper Room Community Church), and in 2009 transitioned into the Lead Pastor role. Serving in a city marked by continuous growth and affluence, along with religious and ethnic diversity, presents significant challenges and unique opportunities.

The Well is committed to being used by God to authentically represent Jesus Christ through a Deep Faith, and a Wide Embrace. Vijay, his wife Jenn and their three boys are thrilled to be in ministry in the local church.

Lab Speakers

Chris Vacher

Chris Vacher

Chris Vacher is a pastor, leadership coach, and certified Enneagram practitioner. Chris has spent the last 20 years focused on developing leaders marked by high character and high skill, including learning more about themselves through Enneagram assessments. He holds a Master’s degree in Leadership from Trinity Western University where his research was focused on transformational servant leadership behaviours for church leaders in 21st century Canada. He now works with churches to help them realize their mission- and vision-driven objectives.

Cheryl Nembhard

Cheryl Nembhard

Cheryl Nembhard is a dynamic international speaker, author, podcast/tv host & social justice advocate who also uses her artistic talents in film & theatre to tackle some of the toughest societal topics. Her dedication to Community Service includes working with at-risk youth, former gang members, sexual assault victims & teenage mothers. Her Not for Profit Educational Theatre Company, EMG Education has performed special assemblies on topics such as Mental Health, Anti-Black Racism, and Bullying in over 190 High Schools across Ontario, impacting over 85,000 students and counting. CBC Canada has recognized her as one of 150 Black Women who are making Canada a better place. Among her many awards, she is also the 2017 recipient of the Harry Jerome award for Social Advocacy. Cheryl is Co Host of ‘See, Hear, Love’, a nationally televised Women’s talk show on YES TV. She recently became a published author of an interactive journal for girls ages 12 – 18 entitled “Brave: This is Us”. Cheryl hosts a weekly inspirational podcast entitled ‘On The Path’, available on all platforms. Cheryl is an active Board Member with Brave Canada, a catalytic movement for at risk girls, and also sits on the national steering committee for “Power of Her” a World Vision initiative for marginalized women and girls globally.
Anu George

Anu George

Anu has 11 years of leadership experience with International Justice Mission (IJM). In South Asia, she served as the Director of Operations and the Director of National Interventions, and in Chennai, India she served as the Director of Legal. During her time with IJM, Anu worked extensively to impact the justice system by collaborating with state and local governments in India. Anu initiated and led IJM’s first ever Partnership Program and oversaw the training of more than 17,000 police officers, government officials, and NGOs on the rescue and rehabilitation of individuals trapped in slavery and bringing criminals to justice. As a result of Anu’s leadership, 10,000 individuals have been rescued from forced labour slavery. Anu holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Edith Cowan University, Australia and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University.

She successfully completed her B.A., B.L. from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College in Chennai and acquired a special diploma in Intellectual Property Law at the Indian Law Institute in Pune. Anu has used her creative communications skills to bring social issues to the public’s attention by writing and producing radio dramas and street theatre with social messages. Her dedication to the empowerment of the underprivileged, her vision for social change, and knowledge about international issues, have all led to Anu being awarded several honours, one of which was being recognized as a Sauvé Scholar by the Canadian Government. She represented India as a Youth Ambassador to Dhaka in 2003 through the National Cadet Corps, with the status of a Diplomat as a Cultural and Military Attaché.

Alyssa Esparaz

Alyssa Esparaz

Alyssa Esparaz is a communicator and advocate. She brings her passions for youth, justice and Jesus to her role as Content and Public Relations Manager at Compassion Canada. Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she studied International Development. Some of her favourite things in the world are Raptors basketball, going on airplanes and eating way too much ice cream. Find her on Twitter and Instagram: @_godsgal4ever
Karmyn Bokma

Karmyn Bokma

Karmyn Bokma is the lead pastor at the Meeting House, Oakville. She is passionate about helping people discover, and understand more deeply their identity in Christ, and nothing energizes her more than leading teams of people as they work and serve out of who God has made them to be. Karmyn is married to Ben and is a proud Mama to three little Bokmas.
Mike Gordon

Mike Gordon

During his last year of high school, Mike gave his life to Christ on a mission trip in what was considered the most dangerous city in the world at that time. Years before that decision, his parents broke up, and he was kicked out of his house when he was 14. He spent years walking the broad road until he was invited to a church event which is deeply connected to everything he does today in ministry. Over the years, Mike has done everything from skydiving in Dubai, serving in California, stand-up comedy at Yuk-Yuks, mountain climbing in China, celebrating with the Stanley cup, white water rafting in the central American jungles, climbing the Monty Python castle in Scotland, getting baptized in Israel, snorkelling in the ocean and being selected for fear factor in the US.

Chris Tompkins

Chris Tompkins

Chris is the Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of Muskoka Woods. He holds a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Guelph, a Teacher’s college degree at the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University. He has co-authored two books on youth culture and is on the faculty of the Leadership Studio at Muskoka Woods. His experience leading in local community, school, church and camp settings has spanned almost 20 years. His current role and expertise generates a demand for him to speak with teens and consult on youth and organizational leadership.
Jung-Sil (Janet) Kim

Janet Kim

Jung-Sil (Janet) Kim is a Korean-Canadian teacher, speaker, Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Marriage and Family Therapist running a private practice in Toronto. As a pastor’s kid raised in an immigrant home, Janet has known poverty and privilege, and she believes a person’s relationship with God does not exist in isolation but is significantly influenced by their family of origin, their circumstances, and their physical, mental, emotional, and social experiences. Janet loves being in conversation with people and supporting them to know God, themselves, and others deeply. With experiences serving local churches in both Canada and the United States, local community agencies, and Tyndale Seminary, Janet is committed to culturally responsive practice and to facilitating connection between a devoted life with God and emotional, relational abundance.

At Outpour, you’re going to find:

A Christian community that understands where you are in your faith journey and accepts you for you.

It can be easy to look around at other Christians and assume everyone is deep and committed in their faith, but that’s simply not true. You may be excited and on fire for God or you may be wondering if Christianity is actually for you. Outpour has a speaker, a breakout, an artist or a song that will speak to you.

Great speakers, music and artists.

Outpour conference features several keynote speakers, multiple breakout sessions, a top-rated worship time and talented artists throughout the conference. All of this is designed to create an atmosphere where you have the ability to reflect and be open to God’s message for you.

A volunteer team that cares about you.

You have been to an event where the staff clearly have to be there and probably wish they were somewhere else. That’s not the case at Outpour. From the management team organizing the logistics through the people welcoming you at the front door - we’re all volunteers who have one goal: to make your Outpour experience what’s right for you.

Space for reflection

Your faith is personal. It’s yours and it’s part of who you are. At Outpour, there’s space for reflection, both physically and metaphorically. After listening to a compelling speaker, you may need quiet time where you can reflect on your own so we’ve created spaces where you can go and pray or spend time in your own thoughts away from the crowd.