Tina Garnett
Tina Garnett empowers leaders to build equitable systems through EDI strategy, lived experience, and transformative leadership
Why you should book Tina Garnett for your next event
- Nearly 30 years of experience advancing equity, supporting marginalized communities, and designing impactful, inclusive services.
- Recognized for building EDI strategies at institutional level, including award-noted work in healthcare and youth empowerment.
- Engaging speaker who creates safe spaces for honest dialogue and equips leaders with tools for meaningful, lasting change.
Non-binding request for Tina Garnett
EDI leader and advocate for equitable systems and empowered communities
Tina Garnett brings nearly three decades of experience working at the intersection of equity, leadership, and community impact. With deep personal roots and a career shaped by advocacy, she guides organizations toward meaningful, measurable change. Her work spans healthcare, youth empowerment, and system-level transformation, always grounded in compassion and clarity. Tina speaks with both authority and warmth, creating space for honest conversations while equipping leaders with practical tools to build safer, more inclusive environments.
Who is Tina Garnett
Tina Garnett is a seasoned leader, advocate, and speaker dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion across systems and communities. As a 7th generation Black Canadian and descendant of Charlotte and James Handy from the historic Priceville and Grey County Oro-Medonte Road Black settlement, her work is deeply rooted in both lived experience and generational legacy. This connection fuels her commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and creating more accessible, equitable structures for marginalized communities.
With close to 30 years of professional experience, Tina has built a reputation as a trusted voice in equity-driven leadership. Her approach blends strategic insight with human-centered understanding, making her a compelling and impactful speaker for organizations seeking real change.
Leadership and impact
In her role as Executive Director of the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, Tina plays a key role in shaping programs and partnerships that directly improve the lives of young women and girls. Her leadership focuses on creating tangible outcomes while ensuring that services remain inclusive, accessible, and responsive to community needs.
Previously, as the inaugural EDI Executive Lead and Strategic Advisor at The Children’s Hospital, Tina led the development of the hospital’s first Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy and scorecard. This work marked a significant milestone in institutional transformation and received recognition from Senator Sabi Mahwar in the Canadian Senate as well as acknowledgment in Forbes Magazine.
Her career reflects a consistent ability to move organizations from intention to action, building frameworks that translate equity into measurable progress.
Expertise in EDI and change management
Tina Garnett’s expertise lies in decolonized change management and the development of metrics that hold organizations accountable. She challenges traditional systems while offering practical pathways forward, ensuring that equity efforts are not performative but embedded into everyday operations.
Her work includes:
- Designing EDI strategies that align with organizational goals
- Creating measurable scorecards to track progress and accountability
- Facilitating leadership development with a focus on equity and inclusion
- Supporting institutions in navigating complex cultural and systemic change
Tina’s approach is both strategic and deeply human. She understands that lasting change requires more than policies—it demands shifts in mindset, behavior, and leadership.
Speaking style and approach
As a speaker, Tina is known for her openness, warmth, and ability to create psychologically safe environments. She invites audiences into conversations that may feel unfamiliar or challenging, guiding them with clarity and care.
Her sessions often include psycho-educational cognitive support, helping leaders better understand their role in fostering inclusive workplaces. Rather than overwhelming audiences, she equips them with practical tools and frameworks they can apply immediately.
Tina’s presence is engaging and grounded. She speaks with authenticity, drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, making her message resonate across diverse audiences.
Education and continuous learning
A lifelong learner, Tina has pursued multiple college diplomas and professional certifications throughout her career. She also holds a specialized master’s degree focused on creating accessible social systems, reinforcing her commitment to structural change.
Most recently, she completed the Excellence in Executive Leadership Certificate from the Rotman School of Business, further strengthening her leadership and strategic capabilities.
Her continuous investment in learning ensures that her work remains relevant, informed, and impactful in an ever-evolving landscape.
Beyond the stage
Outside of her professional work, Tina Garnett brings the same sense of balance and intention to her personal life. She is a certified yoga teacher, a practice that influences her grounded and mindful approach to leadership and communication.
She enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with her growing family—elements that contribute to her holistic perspective on well-being and community.
Book Tina Garnett for your event
Tina Garnett is an invaluable voice for organizations ready to move beyond conversation and into action. Her combination of lived experience, executive leadership, and strategic expertise makes her a powerful catalyst for change.
Whether addressing leadership teams, public institutions, or community organizations, Tina delivers insights that inspire reflection and drive progress. She leaves audiences with clarity, motivation, and the tools needed to build more equitable and inclusive environments.
Booking Tina Garnett means bringing in a speaker who understands both the complexity of systemic change and the human side of transformation—and who knows how to bridge the two in a way that creates lasting impact.
Keynotes
Keynote by Tina Garnett:
From Identity to Impact – Leading Change That Lasts
What does it take to lead with clarity when the systems around you weren’t built with you in mind?
In this powerful keynote, Tina Garnett explores how lived experience and cultural grounding shape courageous, transformative leadership. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience across healthcare, community impact, and executive leadership, she connects identity to influence—and influence to measurable change.
Tina moves beyond theory and into practice. She shares concrete strategies for building equitable and accountable institutions that serve with intention, not assumption. From redesigning systems to strengthening governance, she challenges leaders to rethink how success is defined—and who it includes.
The keynote also speaks to moments of transition. Whether personal or organizational, Tina offers tools to navigate reinvention with purpose while sustaining impact over time. Her insights on resilience, visibility, and legacy-building bring a necessary lens to leadership spaces where representation still matters.
Audiences will leave with a clearer understanding of how to:
- Lead with identity as a strength, not a barrier
- Design programs and systems grounded in dignity, belonging, and community wisdom
- Strengthen board–executive relationships with equity at the core
- Build workplaces that drive both inclusion and long-term performance
This keynote creates space for reflection, but it also drives action—equipping leaders to step forward with intention, accountability, and the courage to lead differently.
Black History Month 2018 celebration — Tina Garnett
Watch Tina Garnett in action
5 Questions with Tee Garnett, The Hospital for Sick Children
Watch Tina Garnett in action
