Obsidi by BPTN - Launch Event

A passionate advocate for organizational change and lasting progress, Lekan Olawoye is a leader who is equally comfortable offering high-level business advice as he is passionately speaking about how to be an effective ally. His organization, the Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN), is the largest of its kind in Canada and the third largest in the US with an organization spanning over 10,000 members. Olawoye’s cross-sector experience gives him the skills to foster transformational change and provide critical guidance on harnessing the power of meaningful diversity. Olawoye honed his expertise across roles spanning from local non-profit organizations to government advisory boards to executive boardrooms. As lead executive, Talent Development at the MaRS District, Olawoye helped ensure workers had the skills and adaptability needed to thrive in modern work environments. Throughout these roles, Olawoye has earned a reputation for effective leadership and peerless vision, resulting in industry awards and accolades. With his proven insight and tireless dedication to inclusivity, Olawoye’s perspective is sought by people across many fields. He’s been published in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and TechCrunch, and the annual BPTN summit is the largest virtual Black tech summit globally, with thousands of attendees in person and online.

Diavin is an innovative people leader with 20+ years of experience leading teams in telecom and financial services. He is passionate about finding ways to improve the customer experience as a foundation for profitable growth. He has led teams in the B2B and B2C spaces in functions such as project management, project delivery, operations management, and frontline sales execution. Diavin is currently the Head of Customer Success with the Black Professionals in Tech Network where he leads the DEI consulting, recruitment and events teams. In this role, he works closely with BPTN’s corporate partners to help them attract, hire, retain and promote Black tech talent. Diavin is also the coordinating chair and OHTN primary investigator for the Black Gay Men's Network of Ontario. He is also the board vice-chair and a volunteer mentor with Stepstones for Youth and has previously served as the co-chair of the Rogers LGBTQ+ ERG.

Cher Jones is a Corporate Social Media Trainer & Personal Branding Coach with the love of technology hardwired into her personality. As the founder of Socially Active Training, she leverages over 20 years of PR, marketing and broadcasting experience to help professionals, leaders and consultants develop a credible and strategic online presence while teaching them how to use social media at work for work. Her passion, knowledge and expertise have many referring to her as one of North America's leading experts in online personal branding for professionals. She has worked internationally with a wide variety of organizations including Rogers, Hong Kong Police, PokerStars, BlackBerry, Industrial Alliance, The City of Toronto, MPI, The UK Trade and Investment, The Ontario Ministry of Education and CBC to name a few. Cher is also the host of a weekly LinkedIn livestream called #JustAskCher LIVE where she offers tips and advice to help you develop a powerful and professional brand online! Linkedin profile- www.linkedin.com/in/itscherjones