Janis is a communications specialist with extensive experience as a strategic analyst, concept developer, writer, producer, and creative director. She has introduced several generations of children to the wonders of the world around them through her award-winning learning materials, museum exhibits, live events, websites, half-a-dozen television series (CBC, CTV, YTV, TVO, WETV), two syndicated newspaper columns (Ottawa Citizen, Edmonton Journal), a stage play, and a number of books. In addition to her role as Founding Editor of Chickadee magazine, career highlights include orchestrating interviews of three prime ministers by preschoolers and pre-teens; co-authoring a bestseller (The Canadian Inventions Book); and long-term stints as a radio and television broadcaster (CBO Morning, CBC Ottawa; News at Noon, CTV Ottawa). Janis has been a member of the board of directors of several charitable organizations, and for 10 years was Chair of the Lowertown Youth Centre serving kids in one of Ottawa’s most vulnerable communities. Honoured with a number of awards for her volunteer work, her name has been added to the Wall of Inspiration at Ottawa’s City Hall in recognition of her efforts on behalf of children and youth.

Currently, Janis heads up Bibliovideo, the YouTube channel all about Canadian books for kids and teens, and the Accessible Books for Young Readers project for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Dr. David Nostbakken is a renowned strategist and entrepreneur specializing in communications and education. His innovative approaches have shaped government policies, mobilized social change, and brought into being a number of ground-breaking enterprises, including: Vision TV, Canada’s first interfaith television network; WETV International, an Ottawa-based south-north broadcast consortium on sustainable development; Power of Peace Network, a UNESCO-based global experiment in using media technology for reducing conflict and supporting peace; Ecology Global Network, (formerly the green channel) a joint Canada-US multimedia platform on the environment; and China Green Channel, the first environmental television network in China.

In his former role as Director of Communications with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), he led initiatives utilizing ICTs for development in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. David was also a pioneer in worldwide efforts relating to smoking and health through his decade-long work with Canadian and international health agencies and was awarded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Gold Medal in recognition of his service.

David has a Ph.D. in educational theory from the University of Toronto, where he was teaching assistant to Marshall McLuhan. His research and teaching since have focused on effective uses of new technologies for public education and social change. He was a longstanding lecturer at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information where he was a McLuhan Centenary Fellow.

David is founder of The McLuhan Foundation for Media Literacy, where he is currently President and CEO.