speaker-photo

Maggie Chi

MP for Don Valley North
Elected in 2025 as the Member of Parliament for Don Valley North, Ontario, MP Chi brings more than 12 years of public service experience at Toronto City Hall. She previously served as a Policy and Project Advisor in the City’s Parks & Recreation Division and as a Senior Advisor to City Councillors in Don Valley North and Scarborough, where she built a strong reputation for delivering results that matter to residents.
She also knows firsthand what it takes to run for office, bringing a lived understanding of the challenges candidates face on the campaign trail. With deep knowledge of the needs and priorities of Toronto’s diverse communities, MP Chi has earned the trust of local leaders and constituents alike through her collaborative, solutions-driven approach to public service.
11:05 AM - 12:05 PM

Thursday Jan 15th, 2026

(Breakout Session by Equal Voice) Ask Her (or Them) to Run: How One Conversation Can Change Canadian Politics

Political careers don’t only start with ambition. They start with being asked. This interactive Equal Voice session will be a mix of sharing how:
  • Women want to be invited into political life. There isn’t one approach or linear career approach. We will explore key factors like different life stages, cultural and communities’ backgrounds, and lived experiences.
  • Why encouragement from personal connections matters, and
  • How campaigns and parties can find and engage these everyday leaders.
After a short presentation of the research, candid feedback and trend analysis, three political party insiders will explore why “the ask” still matters, pull back the curtain on how parties build their candidate pipelines and what we can all do to help recruit more women, in all their diversity, to consider running for public office.