The Power of Creative Thinking
On November 3, 2016, in Toronto, we celebrated the unique and creative contributions UBC’s law and business grads have made to the world around them through a series of Pecha Kucha-style presentations where alumni from the Peter A. Allard School of Law and the UBC Sauder School of Business shared their unique experiences and explored the power of creative thinking.
Presenters
Sahil Dhingra, JD’10 (Lawyer & Community Engagement Specialist)
Sahil Dhingra facilitates experiential programs to help professionals and students tap into their creativity, build self-awareness, and collaborate with others to achieve goals. He is a passionate community builder at heart, and believes in doing great things that leave a legacy beyond our lifetime. He has spoken internationally at over 100 events since 2013. In addition to running his own law practice, Sahil hosts a retreat called Supernacular weekend to connect local changemakers to do New Year’s reflections and goal setting together.
Jessica Laham, JD’14 (Lawyer & Youth Leader)
Jessica Laham is an associate in the McCarthy Tétrault Litigation Group in Toronto. Jessica received her JD from the University of British Columbia in 2014, where she was the recipient of a number of awards and prizes for academic achievement. Prior to attending law school, she worked in the advertising industry, managing campaigns for some of Canada and the world’s most recognized brands. In her spare time, Jessica is a volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada.
Ellen Schlesinger, JD’02 (Personal & Career Counsellor)
Ellen Schlesinger specializes in working with lawyers and law students who are experiencing burnout, depression, or anxiety. She encourages clients to harness their unique talents with their authentic selves to make valuable contributions to legal practice, or transition careers. Prior to completing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Ellen worked in the legal profession for eight years. In addition to her private practice, she is an embedded counsellor within Osgoode Hall law school. Ellen has served diverse communities through her past work in public mental health care, supporting low income clients at the intersections of law, trauma, and addictions.
Callum Ng, BA’08, MM’09 (Sport Content Producer)
Callum Ng is all over your favourite sport as a digital content producer. He has covered two Olympic Games with team experience for @TeamCanada and most recently with @CBCOlympics. When it gets cold Callum also works as a radio play-by-play broadcaster in the OHL. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @CallumNg.
Tiana Leonty, BCom’03 (Actor)
While she graduated with a BCom in 2003, Tiana chose to embrace her creative passion and pursue….ACTING. She now calls herself an actor- dancer-singer-athlete, and is a member of both ACTRA and CAEA, having graduated from the MFA in Acting program at York University, and the Musical Theatre diploma from Grant MacEwan University. In the performance world, she has worked as an actor, teacher, dancer, director, producer, writer and choreographer.
Some career highlights include touring La Maleta (The Suitcase) in the U.S. and Southern Ontario, performing in multiple professional and independent theatre productions (including pieces she’s written), and playing lead in various short films, one of which (Supermoms) was selected to screen at the 2016 Toronto Independent Film Festival. She has produced four Fringe Festival plays (Edmonton and Toronto), performing in three and directing one of them, and currently she is teaching acting at York University. She has appeared in commercials for Interac Debit, Investors Group, CHUM FM, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, VW, Hyundai, and WWF. A versatile actress, she commands classical text, drama, comedy, and physical theatre.
Prior to working in theatre, Tiana grew up in Penticton, BC, lived and studied in Barcelona, and worked and danced at Club Med in the Dominican Republic.
Amanda Levey, BCom’89, MArch’97 (Architect)
Amanda Levey is an architect based in Toronto. She grew up on the west coast and graduated with a BCom from UBC. As a child she was fascinated by math and art. While working in the business world she took art, design and photography courses in the evening. She then took the plunge to go back to school (M.Arch from UBC) to study architecture, which she has always had a passion for. Amanda has worked for architecture firms in Vancouver, San Francisco and Toronto on a diverse range of projects including residential, institutional and civic buildings. She is a registered architect in California and Ontario, and a LEED@AP. Her goal is to create beautiful, functional and sustainable architecture.
This event took place November 3, 2016, at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto.