BEAP SYMPOSIUM 2026
Intersections:
People, Place & Practice
SPEAKER INFORMATION
Thursday’s 7:00pm KEYNOTE:
“Towards a Feminist City” with Leslie Kern
About the Keynote: Leslie Kern, PhD, is the author of three books about cities, including Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies and Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World. Her work provokes new ways of thinking about and creating cities that are more just, equitable, caring, and sustainable. Leslie was an associate professor of geography and environment and women’s and gender studies at Mount Allison University from 2009-2024. Today she is a public speaker, writer, and career coach for authors and academics.
​​Friday's EMCEE:
Mimi Locher
Mimi Locher is an educator, author, and practicing architect. She serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba and is a registered architect in Manitoba and the U.S. Her academic interests span the disciplines of interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design with a common theme: connecting contemporary design practices to traditional culture through a deep understanding of nature, place, and time-honored design and construction methods and materials. Her research includes the areas of design practices and processes, community engagement through architectural design, and Japanese architecture, gardens, and design.
Friday's 9:00am PANEL:
"Owning the Table: Shaping Leadership in City-Building Professions"
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The panel will explore representation, equity in leadership, personal perspectives that have shaped practice and work in the built city.
About the Panel:​
Mark Bauche, HTFC Planning & Design
​Mark Bauche is a Senior Associate and landscape architect at HTFC Planning & Design, contributing to civic and community projects across the Prairies, including Indigenous-led gathering spaces and Place of Pride, Canada’s first queer-focused campus. As a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, he is interested in how identity shapes both the spaces we create and the rooms where decisions are made, and in how leadership within design professions has the opportunity to shift who holds space at the table. His work is grounded in the belief that public space, like professional space, should invite people to show up fully as themselves.
LeeAnn Croft, 1080 Architecture Planning + Interiors
​LeeAnn is a founding partner of 1080 Architecture in Regina, Saskatchewan, leading a team grounded in community-focused, intentional design that is crafted with curiosity and centered on the human experience. Her work includes award-winning projects across Western Canada, recognized through honours including MASI, Prairie Design, and Premier’s Design Awards. LeeAnn's portfolio spans healthcare, education, and community-serving spaces, shaped through inclusive engagement and people-first design thinking.
Faith Campos-Pelletier, Treaty One Nations
​Faith Campos-Pelletier is an Afro-Indigenous woman from Sakimay First Nation on Treaty 4 territory and a Design and Development Planner with Treaty One Nations’ Department of Property Planning. Now in her fourth year with Treaty One, she focuses on site and landscape planning for the long-term, community driven development of Naawi Oodena (formerly Kapyong Barracks). Faith holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture from the University of Manitoba (2021) and brings a strong commitment to Indigenous Knowledge, community engagement, and learning from Knowledge Keepers. She is proud to support development that is culturally grounded, respectful, and reflective of Indigenous values and vision.
Kate Sjoberg, RaY (Resource Assistance for Youth)
Kate is an uninvited guest living on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew, Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate peoples and the homelands of the Metis nation. One of the commitments she takes on as a settler of white anglo saxon and Swedish lineages particularly active in the nonprofit sector is challenging the storying of ‘helper-helped’, ‘expert-recipient’, and ‘donor- receiver’ that propels the sector and is rooted in colonial imperatives. Kate designs her work to bring us into better relationship with ourselves and one another. She has led, advised, and participated on boards of nonprofit organisations working on gender equality, poverty, active transportation, environment, community economic development, incarceration and recidivism, and housing and homelessness. These include Spence Neighbourhood Association, North Point Douglas Women's Centre, the WRENCH, The Social Enterprise Centre, Main Street Project, John Howard Society, West Central Women's Resource Centre, The Resource Assistance for Youth and more. Kate has designed and led media strategies, led political campaigns, worked in government, and taught courses at the University of Winnipeg including “Intro to Advocacy”, “Women and the Inner City”, and “Intro to Urban and Inner City Studies”. She is also 10-year community-based meditation teacher and has been offering free programs to build settler accountability for over five years. Kate’s pronouns are she/her.
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Moderator: Kerry Feeney, Number TEN Architectural Group
Kerry is a University of Waterloo graduate and now partner and architect at Number TEN Architectural Group, with over 20 years of experience. She has dedicated herself to designing spaces that have the power to make an incredible difference in peoples’ lives. She believes that well-designed spaces are powerful tools for social change. Her expertise includes projects with high-security and public safety requirements, approached through a trauma-informed lens. Notably, she recently integrated trauma-informed design principles into the new TOBA Centre for Children and Youth, a child advocacy centre for testimony and law enforcement partnership. She is dedicated to promoting awareness and sensitivity in community and cultural spaces. Kerry champions accessibility and strives to design beautiful, inclusive, and meaningful places that benefit not only building users but also the broader community. She prioritizes people in all her projects, is a passionate advocate for vulnerable communities and a source of empathy within the design community.
​​Friday's 10:15am WORKSHOP:
"Designing Equitable Prairie Cities: A Collaborative Mapping Workshop"
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A hands‑on workshop where participants work in teams to map barriers and develop solutions for more equitable, accessible, and caring Prairie cities—through lenses of care, mobility, accessibility, Indigenous relations, anti‑displacement, and safety.
About the Co-Facilitators:
Leslie Kern
​​​See Bio Above, under Keynote Speaker
Candace Karhut, f-BLOK architecture
​​​Candace Karhut is a principal architect of f-BLOK architecture, a Winnipeg-based architecture and interior design firm, known for its commitment to inclusive design, cultural sensitivity, and resilient building envelopes. As a principal of f-BLOK, Candace guides the firm’s strategic direction and oversees all aspects of its operations, finance, and business and team development. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration and a belief that architecture can be a powerful tool for reconciliation and social change. With a keen interest in business, Candace is actively exploring innovative models for leadership and ownership to support long-term sustainability in architectural practice.
​Friday's 1:00pm SPEAKERS:
"Lessons from the Digital Media Sector: Inclusion, Innovation, and the Future of City-Building"
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​Drawing on insights from New Media Manitoba and the broader tech sector, this session examines what city-building professions can learn from digital media. It highlights practical strategies for workforce development and organizational culture, with a focus on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. The session will also explore how emerging tools such as LiDAR, immersive visualization, and VR are reshaping construction and city-building and how inclusive workplaces and new technologies can evolve together to support more resilient, future-ready professions.
About the Speakers:
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Teena Lee, New Media Manitoba
As a kid, I was captivated by how a simple jingle could create instant connection. That curiosity still drives my work today.
I bring together sociology, design, marketing, and operations to build digital experiences that align business goals with real human needs. I have partnered with organizations from startups to multinationals, always grounding bold ideas in research and data to create clarity, growth, and impact.
I am deeply committed to authentic relationships and inclusive communities. As an advocate for diversity and the 2SLGBTQI+ community, I believe innovation thrives when more voices are welcomed to the table.
At my core, I build community, lead creatively, and help teams see what is possible. I am inspired by collaboration and always ready to explore what comes next.
Jonathan Lê, New Media Manitoba
Jonathan Lê is a technology leader, educator, and creative producer working at the intersection of storytelling and emerging technology. As Senior Manager of New Media Manitoba’s StudioLab xR he leads workforce development initiatives that help creators, students, and industry professionals adopt new tools and workflows.
Jonathan oversees StudioLab xR, a 6,000-square-foot training and production facility dedicated to preparing Manitoba’s creative workforce for the future of media and interactive technology. Under his leadership, the lab has become a hub for hands-on learning, industry collaboration, and experimentation in areas such as LED-volume filmmaking, motion capture, LiDAR scanning, and AI-driven content creation.
Friday's 2:15pm
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
5x10x10 PRESENTATIONS:
“Give to Gain” Women Leading Change in City-Building
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How giving time, expertise and opportunity amplifies women’s collective advancement in the city-building professions.
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About the Presenters:​​​
Gail Little, pico ARCHITECTURE
​​Gail began her architectural education at the University of Manitoba, after completing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Saskatchewan, and has worked in the architectural field since graduation. As an original founding partner of the firm, and now the sole owner of pico ARCHITECTURE inc., Gail is a seasoned architect with over 25 years of award winning professional experience managing a diverse portfolio of commercial, educational, and health care clients. Gail served as the President of the Manitoba Association of Architects, and currently sits on MAA Council.
Marcia Friesen, Price Faculty of Engineering, University of Manitoba
Marcia Friesen is Dean of the Price Faculty of Engineering and Professor in Engineering Education at the University of Manitoba. Her leadership work has resulted in new programs including a qualifications recognition program for internationally-educated engineers, a first-in-Canada Department of Engineering Education, engineering articulation agreements with RRC Polytech, and advancing a culture of equity, inclusion and Truth & Reconciliation in the Price Faculty of Engineering. Her own research has been in engineering practice, culture and identity and in the design of agent-based software models of infection spread and mHealth apps. She is highly engaged in the practice community including past-president of Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba, past board director of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada, current board director with several industry sector groups, and chair of the EDI committee of Engineering Deans Canada.
Naomi Ratte, NVision Insight Group
​​Naomi Ratte (NuALA, CSLA) is an interdisciplinary designer whose work spans landscape architecture, public art, beadwork, and other creative explorations. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Naomi completed her Bachelor of Environmental Design and Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Manitoba. The connection between people and place is what drew her to the profession. Naomi began her career with projects in Nunavut in 2017 with NVision Insight Group Inc. Her work focuses on interpretive planning & design, community engagement, and Territorial Park master & management planning. Today, she continues to collaborate on special projects in Nunavut, Ontario, and Manitoba, bridging innovative design with cultural and environmental stewardship. As a proud member of Peguis First Nation with Pakistani heritage, Naomi uses her art and practice to explore the intersections of her culture in her design approach.
Destiny Seymour, Indigo Arrows
Destiny Seymour is an interior designer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba with over 20 years of experience in commercial design. She is a proud member of the Peguis First Nation. In 2016, Destiny created Indigo Arrows, an interior design studio focused on designing projects and fabrics that reflect the culture and history of local Indigenous peoples. Her design mission is to respectfully reflect culture and identity within architectural forms, interior spaces, furniture, and textiles. The Indigo Arrows studio follows a design process that acknowledges community engagement, inclusiveness, and collaboration when creating new works.
Lisa Kehler, Interface
​​Former curator, and art gallery owner, Lisa Kehler is now the Account Executive for Interface, nora and FLOR for Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and NW Ontario.
Having worked in the arts for over 15 years, curating over 50 exhibitions while developing relationships with individual and corporate collectors, Lisa brings her passion for building connections and creating community to a new industry. Embracing the steep learning curve, she loves the moments with clients when she can meld her art knowledge with design. Lisa served on the Board with Urban Shaman Gallery for 3 years, has been published multiple times (Canadian Art, Akimbo, Kolaj), and created a course for NSCAD focusing on how to enter the ‘real world’ after school. She is a member of the Manitoba Women in Construction, currently on temporary hiatus from the Events Committee.