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Rowan Jetté Knox is an award-winning Canadian writer, author of a #1 bestseller love lives here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family, and newly released One Sunny Afternoon: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing, that instantly became a bestselling book in Canada, upon release the week of September 20, 2023, and a human rights advocate. Rowan is passionate about embracing change, leading with love, and living our most authentic lives.

Rowan shares his family’s story about the power of acceptance, understanding, vulnerability and unconditional love, in the hopes of normalizing the existence of LGBTQ2+ families. Having confronted a series of personal challenges and a major mental health crisis, Rowan also brings to life the necessity of facing mental illness without stigma.

Rowan’s work has been featured by several national and international media outlets, including CBC, BBC, The Independent UK, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and O Magazine.

Rowan was humbled to be inducted into the 2021 Order of Ottawa for his advocacy of transgender, gender-creative, and non-binary youth along with his work helping others with mental health issues. He is a 2019 Chatelaine Woman of the Year and 2020 Top 25 Women of Influence.

Rowan lives in Toronto, Canada with his loved ones and a coffee maker that never quits.

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Presentations

  • Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family

    In his signature talk, based on his bestselling book by the same name, Rowan shares the personal story of his family’s journey through three transitions and demonstrates how everyone can make a difference by overcoming fear and embracing change.

    In 2014, Rowan’s 11-year-old child came out to the family as a transgender. The following year, his spouse of nearly two decades came out as a transgender woman. Despite growing up not wanting to ‘rock the boat,’ Rowan felt compelled to speak out and make the world safer for the people he loves, discovering something deeply personal he had been hiding from himself in the process.

    This compelling story explores our own deeply held biases, the power of unconditional love, and ways we can all make a difference at work, at home and in our communities.

  • Digging Deep: Finding Hope After a Mental Health Crisis

    If we don’t learn to embrace challenges, we don’t grow. In this talk, award-winning author, speaker, and human rights advocate Rowan Jetté Knox brings to life the necessity of facing mental illness without stigma. Having confronted a series of personal challenges and a major mental health crisis, Rowan is no stranger to cultivating resilience during times of major upheaval. This talk will help audiences understand how even the biggest challenges and unexpected changes can be important building blocks to a better life; we just need to lean into them with courage, self-awareness, and compassion.

  • Reaching Across the Divide: How to bring people together using social media

    In this age of increasing conflict and division, how can we work to bring people together in meaningful conversation? In this powerful talk, Rowan combines years of professional social media experience and his struggles with online conflict to begin answering these questions.

    In early 2020, a flood of online attacks led Rowan to a mental health breakdown, which required hospital treatment and weeks of intense trauma therapy. Now on the other side with many lessons learned, he has had to rethink and restructure how he operates both personally and professionally in online spaces.

    With lessons in authenticity, messaging, boundary-setting and resilience, this talk is sure to teach social media users and businesses how to grow their audiences while remembering to safeguard their own wellbeing and that of others.

  • Change: Scary, Uncomfortable, and Terribly Necessary

    If we stay comfortable, we don’t grow. In this talk, Rowan brings to life the necessity of stepping outside our comfort zone to become better people and stronger leaders. Having faced major change in both his personal and professional life, Rowan is no stranger to resilience and reinvention. This talk will help audiences understand how both intentional and sudden change are important building blocks to a better life.

  • Redefine Perfection, Learning to Love Ourselves and Others in the Age of Perfection

    In a world of Instagram filters, curated Facebook posts, flawless family photos, and polished business profiles, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up. But what, exactly are we trying to measure up to and why do we need the measuring stick anyway? In this honest talk, Rowan describes his journey to prioritizing self-care, learning to love his battle-scarred mind and body, and embracing the changes in his atypical family as he redefines perfection.

  • Creating Safe Spaces at Work, Home, and Beyond

    Safe spaces are vital for members of the LGBTQ2+ community. But what do they look like, where are they needed and what are the roadblocks associated with creating them? In this talk, Rowan explains what a safe space looks like in today’s world, and how to create one that is friendly, inclusive and visible to those who need it most.

Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family

In his signature talk, based on his bestselling book by the same name, Rowan shares the personal story of his family’s journey through three transitions and demonstrates how everyone can make a difference by overcoming fear and embracing change.

In 2014, Rowan’s 11-year-old child came out to the family as a transgender. The following year, his spouse of nearly two decades came out as a transgender woman. Despite growing up not wanting to ‘rock the boat,’ Rowan felt compelled to speak out and make the world safer for the people he loves, discovering something deeply personal he had been hiding from himself in the process.

This compelling story explores our own deeply held biases, the power of unconditional love, and ways we can all make a difference at work, at home and in our communities.

Digging Deep: Finding Hope After a Mental Health Crisis

If we don’t learn to embrace challenges, we don’t grow. In this talk, award-winning author, speaker, and human rights advocate Rowan Jetté Knox brings to life the necessity of facing mental illness without stigma. Having confronted a series of personal challenges and a major mental health crisis, Rowan is no stranger to cultivating resilience during times of major upheaval. This talk will help audiences understand how even the biggest challenges and unexpected changes can be important building blocks to a better life; we just need to lean into them with courage, self-awareness, and compassion.

Reaching Across the Divide: How to bring people together using social media

In this age of increasing conflict and division, how can we work to bring people together in meaningful conversation? In this powerful talk, Rowan combines years of professional social media experience and his struggles with online conflict to begin answering these questions.

In early 2020, a flood of online attacks led Rowan to a mental health breakdown, which required hospital treatment and weeks of intense trauma therapy. Now on the other side with many lessons learned, he has had to rethink and restructure how he operates both personally and professionally in online spaces.

With lessons in authenticity, messaging, boundary-setting and resilience, this talk is sure to teach social media users and businesses how to grow their audiences while remembering to safeguard their own wellbeing and that of others.

Change: Scary, Uncomfortable, and Terribly Necessary

If we stay comfortable, we don’t grow. In this talk, Rowan brings to life the necessity of stepping outside our comfort zone to become better people and stronger leaders. Having faced major change in both his personal and professional life, Rowan is no stranger to resilience and reinvention. This talk will help audiences understand how both intentional and sudden change are important building blocks to a better life.

Redefine Perfection, Learning to Love Ourselves and Others in the Age of Perfection

In a world of Instagram filters, curated Facebook posts, flawless family photos, and polished business profiles, it’s easy to feel like we don’t measure up. But what, exactly are we trying to measure up to and why do we need the measuring stick anyway? In this honest talk, Rowan describes his journey to prioritizing self-care, learning to love his battle-scarred mind and body, and embracing the changes in his atypical family as he redefines perfection.

Creating Safe Spaces at Work, Home, and Beyond

Safe spaces are vital for members of the LGBTQ2+ community. But what do they look like, where are they needed and what are the roadblocks associated with creating them? In this talk, Rowan explains what a safe space looks like in today’s world, and how to create one that is friendly, inclusive and visible to those who need it most.

Testimonials

  • "[Rowan] gave a terrific presentation – it was comprehensive, intersectional, feminist and deeply moving. We are lucky to have [him] as a member of our intellectual, feminist and queer communities."

    Rowan Jetté Knox, He/Him Shoshana Magnet, Associate Professor Institute of Feminist & Gender Studies, University of Ottawa
  • "[Rowan] Jette Knox's presentation wove vulnerability, humour, courage and candor into a compelling story of [his] lived experience that truly moved our audience. The feedback from our guests was overwhelmingly that [Rowan] left a profound, lasting impression. Thank you [Rowan]!"

    Rowan Jetté Knox, He/Him Carla Snow, Manager of Marketing and Communications, YWCA, Banff
  • "When [Rowan] speaks you are first drawn in to [his] comfortable aura, [his] easy way with words, [his] delightful smiling self. [Rowan] Jette Knox is one of those rare speakers who is so honest [he] connects with every member of [his] audience at their own level. [His] speech is less scripted than it is chatted with [his] audience over coffee. Truth is, [he's] a rhetorician and [he] doesn't even try to be. Amazing speaker. I would have [him] back for Media Action's Ask Women Anything program in a heartbeat."

    Rowan Jetté Knox, He/Him Amanda Parriag, President, Media Action Media

Books

  • one sunny afternoon
  • love lives here, A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family

JR LaRose

Grey Cup Champion, Proud First Nations Member, Royal Canadian Geographical Society Speaker

Rowan Jetté Knox and Zoë Knox

Gender Diversity and Allyship

Ingrid Palmer

Powerful & Acclaimed Visually Impaired Storyteller, DEI Thought Leader, Human Rights Advocate, Author

Wali Shah

Messenger, Speaker, Poet, Changemaker

Chantal Petitclerc

Paralympic Champion. World Record Holder.

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