Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a highly accomplished author, speaker, and consultant, serving as Sr. Advisor of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s University. Her national bestselling book, Can You Hear Me Now?, was published by Penguin Random House Canada in February 2021, and is available online and wherever books are sold.
Parliamentary Privilege
Celina Caesar-Chavannes, is a former Member of Parliament (MP) with the Government of Canada, who represented the Town of Whitby, a suburb east of Toronto. Celina is a trailblazer who has made waves both nationally and internationally with her advocacy work for mental health, equity, and justice.
As a Liberal MP, she served as Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from Dec 2015 – Jan 2017, and later as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development et la Francophonie from Jan 2017 to Aug 2018. Her exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication earned her the prestigious Champion of Mental Health Parliamentarian award from the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health in May 2017.
Celina’s outstanding advocacy work has not gone unnoticed. In 2017, she was named one of the Most Influential People of African Descent, Global 100 Under 40, Politics & Governance, and Black Parliamentarian of the Year. She was also featured in the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine in an article entitled, “What would you stand up for?”
Before embarking on her political journey, Celina was a highly successful entrepreneur, launching and growing an award-winning research management consulting firm with a particular focus on neurological conditions. Her hard work and determination earned her the Toronto Board of Trade’s Business Entrepreneur of the Year for 2012 and the 2007 Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur Award.
Celina is an astute academic with a commitment to service. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, an MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix, an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and is a [Deepak] Chopra Certified Health Instructor. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Neurosciences at Queen’s University, exploring the intersection of equity and empathy.
Despite her many accolades, Celina remains committed to giving back to her community. She is a member of the board and director at Lakeridge Health Foundation, a Board member with Elexicon Energy, and a member of the Black Scientists’ Taskforce on Vaccine Equity with the City of Toronto.
Celina is also a past member of the Governing Council of the University of Toronto and the Institutional Advisory Board for the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Addiction, which is part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Award-winning Entrepreneur/ Consultant
Media Appearances
February 25th – CBC News: The National
March 18 – The Brandon Gonez Show
Speaking Out on Parliament Hill
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
In “Can You Hear Me Now?”, Celina Caesar-Chavannes shares her powerful story of overcoming adversity and finding her voice in a world that often tries to silence the marginalized. From her early experiences growing up in Grenada, to her journey as a Black woman in Canadian politics, Celina’s memoir is a testament to resilience, determination, and ultimately, triumph. This bestselling book has captivated readers across the country and is a must-read for anyone looking to make a difference in their own lives and communities.
– TRACY MOORE, host of Cityline
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