The Box of Crayons Team
Hello from the people who love to create workplace learning that transforms individuals and strengthen organizations!
Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder of Box of Crayons. He’s the author of various books, including the best-selling book on coaching this century (The Coaching Habit) and his latest, The Advice Trap. He left Australia to be a Rhodes Scholar, married a Canadian, and now lives in Toronto. He can be found at MBS.works.
During the last number of years, Vivian has worked for several industry leaders in analytical services, supply chain and logistics and manufacturing. Her versatility, attention to detail and organization have guided her to continually enhance and develop processes with a focus on improving efficiency. Vivian is motivated by ensuring a smooth and consistent process for both internal and external customers.
Throughout his 25-plus-year career, Alex has worked in a variety of companies, all of which have experienced exponential growth in size and revenue, extending their reach both locally and abroad. This growth provided ample opportunity for Alex to utilize his fascination with technology, numbers and art to approach and tackle the challenges and complex situations that naturally occur with progress and development.
His knack for analysis, and his creativity, ease and finesse around numbers, make him a natural at finding solutions that work and bring improvement every step of the way.
Hi, I’m Sameet, and I’ve loved stories since I was a kid growing up in Providence, Rhode Island. I pursued my love of writing and reading at Boston College, where I studied English, and later at Brooklyn College, where I received my MFA in Creative Writing. I spent a couple of years teaching English in Ningbo, China and returned looking for a job that would allow me to write and learn new things daily. Enter content writing.
For over 4 years, I’ve worked as a marketing content writer and manager in Toronto, crafting compelling stories for small brands to draw in their target audiences and inspire them to take action. I think we’re all constantly drafting our narratives and looking to find them reflected in the world around us (and it’s part of my job to make that happen).
When I’m not writing content, you can find me chipping away at fiction projects, reading, biking, or planning the next trip with my husband.
Phae has a passion for supporting people and teams in their quest for a successful outcome, no matter what the challenge. With a career focused on supporting others, Phae is motivated by the human aspect of her work — putting a face to the name, connecting with clients and celebrating their successes. Phae is committed to lifelong learning and building high-performance cultures.
Margo brings to Box of Crayons a decade of experience in the B2B training industry, with particular expertise in developing and bringing to market innovative leadership development solutions. In addition to her roles in product strategy and leadership, Margo has designed and facilitated leadership training for leaders at all levels around the globe, including deliveries in Canada, the US, China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Israel, Palestine, England, and Mexico. She holds a PhD in English from York University and still sees herself as equal parts teacher and learner, above all.
To say Lori is passionate about music and pop culture is an understatement … it just might be a borderline obsession. It’s not surprising that she found herself working at MuchMusic, the heart of music, pop culture and the growing Canadian music scene for two decades. Following her 20 years there, she transitioned into live event planning and logistics, where she combined her passions with her focus on the overall experience, not just for the attendees, but for the artists, the volunteers and the vendors as well. As Lori shifted into a new career in leadership and development training with the GROW program, she continued to be focused on the client and participant experience. She led and coordinated all aspects of the Supervisory Training Program both as facilitator and coach. Lori is thrilled to bring her experience, passion and focus to Box of Crayons as the Clients Program Manager.
Kris began working at Box of Crayons in 2017 after spending several years managing “Programs” at home. She enjoys working with a great team and helping deliver valuable experiences to clients.
She thrives by keeping active with family and friends in the great outdoors of British Columbia.
Farzad Kajouii is an experienced entrepreneur, operator, and leader with a passion for technology and people, most recently serving as the CEO of Juno College of Technology, a 2022 Most Admired Corporate Culture winner. Prior to his role at Juno, he held positions as a partner advisor at Elemental Ventures and as a founding Vice President at Imperus Technologies, where he successfully led global teams and oversaw the growth and development of product portfolios, including several acquisitions and a public listing on the TSX.V.
Farzad holds a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from McMaster University and actively contributes to the community as a Hand Up Mentor at OneEleven and a Volunteer Advisor at MaRS Discovery District.
Farzad is the co-founder of Students for Education, Empowerment, and Development, which built and operates the S.E.E.D. Junior Academy in Kibera, Kenya, and lives in Toronto with his partner, Leah, and their daughter, Isla.
Shannon’s career began in academia, a pursuit driven by her desire to be a part of conversations she thinks are important. In 2016, she embarked on a new path, starting a career in corporate learning and development. She brings to her role more than a decade of experience in education and in practising incisive investigation. She encourages in her team an enthusiastic discernment that brings a depth of thinking to bear on everything Box of Crayons does.
She completed her PhD in English in 2019, and while literature and literary criticism persist as her favourite hobby, she is delighted to have found a new set of professional interlocutors.
Angela has built her career by understanding her clients’ needs and motivations. A dedicated problem solver and listener, Angela spent over 20 years supplying all the bits and bobs that make our cars. Working with OEM automotive teams tuned her ability to combine vision, creativity, and strong business acumen with well-developed project management and leadership qualities. By facing issues head-on Angela achieves the desired results, turning challenges into success stories.
Jowi’s career includes a decade as a multiple award-winning radio broadcast host, writer and producer at CBC, plus a decade in Toronto community radio and a stint at a station in Bangkok, Thailand. He’s the recipient of a Peabody Award, multiple Prix Italia, New York Festivals Medals and Deutsche Welle Prizes, among others. For his independent multimedia project, Six String Nation, he was awarded Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal, and his book about the project is a Canadian bestseller.
Jowi continues to develop projects that connect people and inspire them to see the world more inclusively.
The thread holding Chantal’s professional experiences together is a passion for facilitating individual and organizational growth. In 2007, she completed her PhD in applied social psychology with a love of learning, discourse, dialogue and research. Her 20-plus-year career trajectory spans various industries, including ed tech, health care and academia, with opportunities in the fields of organizational development, learning and leadership development, facilitation and coaching.
Chantal’s North Star in both her personal and professional endeavours is the making of every interaction safe enough to allow authentic and rooted “truth” to emerge. Working at Box of Crayons — where we understand so deeply the importance of curiosity — is a perfect fit.
Program Leaders
Meet the phenomenal accredited facilitators who bring coach-like curiosity to life for learners around the world.