I’ve spoken internationally about everything from civic engagement to foreign policy, with a focus on putting people at the centre.

Public Speaking Highlights

  • GovTech Brasil

    I spoke at the inaugural GovTech Brasil in São Paolo, Brazil. Sharing my experiences and learnings from co-founding Civic Tech Toronto and building a community around civic technology, I shared how policymakers and organizations might think about civic engagement in the digital age.

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  • Wonks and War Rooms logo

    Wonks and War Rooms: Citizenship and the Digital Context

    I chatted with Elizabeth Dubois about the idea of citizenship. We talked about legal and cultural definitions of citizenship then jump into a discussion of what counts as a citizen in a digital era.

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  • Anowa Quarcoo speaks at the Massey Dialogues

    Massey Dialogues: A Conversation with Rosemary McCarney and Margaret Biggs

    I sat on a panel talking about COVID-19’s implications for foreign and domestic policy. In addition to talking about what COVID-19 might mean for the public and private sectors I also talked about the future or work.

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  • Anowa Quarcoo speaks at the launch of St. Michael's Hospital Foundations HUMANCARE campaign

    HUMANCARE Launch Event

    Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation invited me to share my story at the launch of HUMANCARE, a fundraising campaign that will help the hospital provide modern, people-focused care in Toronto and beyond.

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Some of my other speaking engagements

  • Hack the Valley 5 (2021)

    Building a career in tech

    On this panel I talked about what it takes to be a woman in tech. I shared what I’ve learned over the course of my career, and shared tips about breaking into the industry.

  • Reach Symposium 2020

    "How to Reach" Synthesis Panel

    I talked about what it takes to reach the last mile. In addition to talking about what I learned in my field research on Tanzania’s medical supply chain, I talked about the importance of public private partnerships and African autonomy in development.

  • Move the Dial (2019)

    Career Pivots

    I was one of seven women who shared how they pivoted careers into or within the tech sector. I shared personal stories, including trials and triumphs of transitioning into tech, what sparked the switch and the benefits of having diverse career backgrounds.

  • RightsCon 2018 (Panelist)

    Exploring the future of civic tech as part of government and global civil society

    On this panel I talked about what I’d learned from engaging in Toronto’s civic technology space and the important role it does and will play in civil society.

  • RightsCon 2018 (Speaker)

    Civic Tech vs. Civic Accountability: Where ICT and Governments Intersect

    In this lightning talk I shared key learnings from the Toronto civic technology space, about how technology enables better governance, policymaking and stakeholder engagement.

  • CAMSS 2017

    The Millennial Mindset

    I sat on a keynote panel talking about the millennial mindset, what it means for the future of work and how leaders might think about recruiting, engaging and retaining millennial talent in the technology space.

  • Nonprofit Driven 2016

    Hackathons for Policy & Systems Change

    In this keynote, I shared how non-profits might use hackathons to engage their stakeholders, unearth insights and meaningful drive policy and systems change.