Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation

Author Talk with Celina Caesar-Chavannes of Can You Hear Me Now?

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In Can You Hear Me Now?, Celina Caesar-Chavannes digs deep into her childhood and her life as a young Black woman entrepreneur and politician, and shows us that effective and humane leaders grow as much from their mistakes and vulnerabilities as from their strengths.

Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a business consultant, coach and international speaker, who  currently serves part time as the Sr. Advisor, EDI Initiatives and Adjunct Lecturer at Queen’s  University. Her new memoir, “Can You Hear Me Now?” was published by Random House  Canada, in February 2021 and was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Shaughnessy Cohen prize  for political writing and a book award finalist for the Speaker of Ontario Legislature. Her new  leadership development app, MaximizingU, is available on Google Play and the App Store.  

Celina was the former Member of Parliament for Whitby, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime  Minister Justin Trudeau and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development. During her  term as a Member of Parliament, Celina was awarded several distinctions including a feature in  the April 2018 edition of O (Oprah Winfrey) Magazine entitled, “What would you stand up for  and named Chatelaine Magazine’s Woman of the Year (2019).  

She has a Bachelor of Science, an MBA in Healthcare Management, an Executive MBA from the  Rotman School of Management, and is currently enrolled in a neuroscience PhD program at  Queen’s University exploring the intersection of empathy, leadership and equity. Celina is also a  [Deepak] Chopra Certified Health and Meditation Instructor, and bases much of her work on  Ayurvedic principles, as well as self-awareness and development. 

Prior to politics, Celina founded Resolve Research Solutions, Inc. - a research management  consulting firm with the aim to provide research, consulting and education services to  organizations seeking equity and advancing progress for those with multiple intersecting  identities.  

She can be followed on all social media platforms @iamcelinacc. You can learn more about her at www.celinacc.ca