Olympic Medalist & Curling Champion, Entrepreneur

Brad Gushue is an Olympic champion and one of the most accomplished skips in Canadian curling history. Hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, he captured Olympic gold in 2006 and bronze in 2022 while representing Canada. He is a six-time Brier champion skip, ending a 41-year drought for his home province with his 2017 victory before adding titles in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Gushue also led his team to the 2017 World Men’s Curling Championship and a silver medal in 2018, solidifying his reputation on the international stage. With 15 Grand Slam titles, including a career Grand Slam, and record-setting performances at the Brier, his career reflects more than two decades of consistency, leadership, and excellence in the sport.

Chief Science Communications Officer

Bethany Downer, of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, specializes in science and technology communication for the space industry. She is the Chief Science Communications Officer for the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes for the European Space Agency. Bethany is a member of the IAF Space Education and Outreach Committee and the Workforce Development-Young Professionals Programme Committee. She has also conducted space science outreach to over 10,000 Canadian students and is actively supporting students and young professionals in Atlantic Canada who want to pursue careers in the space domain. Bethany has twice been named one of Canada’s Top 30 under 30, and is a recipient of the Canadian Sovereign’s Medal from the country’s Governor General. 

Executive Director & Founder, Young Adult Cancer Canada

Geoff is a two-time cancer survivor and the founder and Executive Director of Young Adult Cancer Canada. He has first-hand experience attending support groups with people who are closer in age to his grandparents than to him. Geoff is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization and his own experiences help him ensure YACC’s vision remains focused on the well-being of the young adults dealing with cancer in Canada. Geoff is currently serving on the Newfoundland and Labrador Cancer Control Advisory Committee, has participated on numerous cancer related boards and working groups and is on temporary sabbatical from coaching minor hockey. He spends personal time riding his motorcycle with his wife, Karen; playing “jungle-gym Daddy” with daughters, Adia and Mira and son Kane; staying healthy with weight training and hockey; and chasing that sometimes elusive state of “balance.”