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Anthony McLean
Diversity l Anti-Racism l Mental Health l Education

With a background in theatre, Anthony McLean delivers lively presentations on Diversity & Inclusion, Mental Health, and Education. He has delivered hundreds of inspiring talks around the world, rocking the stage for conferences, colleges, and Fortune 500 companies. His first book, ALL FIRED UP, launches in January 2024.

Anthony works actively in the Film and TV industry. He is a Screenwriter currently in development on two feature films. He hosted the CBC Television show The X and was featured in the documentary films Colour Me, SOAR, and Rising Above.

McLean also has a passion for inspiring educators and administrators. He says it was teachers who made the biggest difference in his life and inspired him to be his best. Anthony lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and their two kids.

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Presentations

  • Wellness in the Workplace: Embracing a Gentle Approach to Mental Health

    In this timely and compassionate presentation, Anthony delves into the pressing need for a gentler approach to mental health in the workplace amidst the current climate of uncertainty and turmoil.

    Drawing from personal insights, practical strategies, and evidence-based research, he offers participants valuable tools to cultivate resilience, foster self-compassion, and embrace a sustainable work-life balance. Through engaging discussions and actionable takeaways, Anthony empowers attendees to prioritize their mental well-being and create a supportive workplace culture grounded in kindness, connection, and understanding.

    Learning Outcomes:

    >Explore practical strategies for practicing self-care and mindfulness in the workplace to enhance overall well-being and productivity.

    >Understand the importance of fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and supports employee resilience and work-life balance.

    >Learn how to cultivate compassion, connection, and self-compassion in the workplace, promoting a sense of belonging and emotional well-being among team members.

  • Diversity: The Secret Power Behind High Performing Teams

    Diverse teams are two times more likely to meet financial targets, three times more likely to be high-performing, and six times more likely to be innovative and agile. Diversity is a competitive advantage! But barriers to career advancement have limited underrepresented communities in significant ways.

    In this lively and interactive presentation, Anthony McLean challenges participants to think critically about unconscious bias, microaggressions, and other hindrances to creating an inclusive workplace culture. Finally, he offers actionable strategies to hire, promote, and protect under-represented people groups within our organizations.

    Learning Outcomes:
    •Learn how to move from being “non-racist” to becoming “anti-racist”
    •Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
    •Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

  • Belonging: The Intersection of Mental Health and DEI

    Many folks in the BIPOC community felt their emotional capacity overwhelmed after the murder of George Floyd. For Anthony, who works in both mental health and anti-racism, it was a collision of his worlds. Now, he loves to explore the overlap between mental wellness and racial equity. He contends that empathy is at the heart of both DEI work and mental health awareness. Psychological safety and creating a sense of belonging are central to both pursuits.

    This interactive presentation helps participants bring more empathy to the work of anti-racism and mental wellness.

    Learning Outcomes:
    •Learn how to approach mental health and DEI through the lens of empathy
    •Understand the impact systemic racism has on mental health
    •See how microaggressions are the “death by a thousand paper-cuts” to a sense of belonging
    •Learn practical self-care strategies for sustainable well being

  • Fire Up Your Mental Health

    Low energy, quiet quitting, burnout… It seems everyone is struggling these days. How can we regain our enthusiasm, recapture our joy, and get the pep back in our step at work and at home? Many people assume mental health is a topic of interest only for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, or mental illness. But your energy levels, your mood, your ability to think clearly and pursue goals – these are all a reflection of your mental health.

    In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony McLean offers actionable tools to optimize energy levels, stimulate creative thinking, and approach every day with enthusiasm and joy.

    Learning Outcomes:
    •Understand the difference between everyday ups and downs, temporary mental health problems, and mental illnesses.
    •Learn healthy coping skills to deal with stress and anxiety
    •See the role exercise, sleep, hydration, and nutrition play in overall wellness
    •Adopt a supportive mental health routine

  • Black History: Then and Now

    The past few years have put the reality of anti-black racism on full display. People everywhere are asking how they can be allies in dismantling racism. In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony celebrates the struggles, adversity, and contributions of people of African descent and reflects on how far we’ve come as a society. He leaves the audience with an inspiring call to action on how each and every person can create a workplace, community and school community where everyone belongs.

    Learning Outcomes:
    •Learn how to approach racial equity through the lens of empathy
    •Understand the impact systemic racism has on mental health
    •Learn practical strategies for becoming an ally to the Black community

  • In Celebration of Educators and Administrators

    This is an encouraging, morale-boosting talk to inspire educators and administrators who give their best every day.

    Teachers and administrators are often overwhelmed and sometimes feel burnt out by the end of the week. In the midst of a busy year, it’s easy to forget that the daily interactions we have with students are sometimes the most valuable moments of our day.

    In this laugh-out-loud presentation, Anthony McLean tells funny and inspiring stories about the teachers and administrators who changed his life by acknowledging his effort, encouraging his strengths, and pushing him to give his best. Every educator needs this reminder — the reward for not giving up on our students is the ability to make a difference and change the world one student at a time.

  • Celebrating Diversity: Creating Schools Where Everyone Belongs

    Every student deserves to feel a sense of belonging at school. And every student contributes to a school climate of empathy, inclusivity, and respect. In this upbeat and entertaining presentation,Anthony delivers an inspiring message about RESPECTING DIFFERENCES and creating an INCLUSIVE CLIMATE for all.

    LEARNING OUTCOMES:
    •See the long-term harmful impact of microaggressions
    •Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
    •Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

  • Celebrating Diversity: Becoming Anti-Racist Students

    In 2020, the name George Floyd put the reality of racism on full display. But as many people already knew, overcoming racism has been a journey hundreds of years in the making. We are now in a moment in history, just like the Civil Rights era, where we have an opportunity to make meaningful change.

    People everywhere are asking how they can be part of the solution. In this inspiring presentation, Anthony shares stories from history as well as his own personal life to show students how they can move from being “non-racist” to being “anti-racist”.

    LEARNING OUTCOMES:
    •See the long-term harmful impact of microaggressions
    •Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
    •Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

Wellness in the Workplace: Embracing a Gentle Approach to Mental Health

In this timely and compassionate presentation, Anthony delves into the pressing need for a gentler approach to mental health in the workplace amidst the current climate of uncertainty and turmoil.

Drawing from personal insights, practical strategies, and evidence-based research, he offers participants valuable tools to cultivate resilience, foster self-compassion, and embrace a sustainable work-life balance. Through engaging discussions and actionable takeaways, Anthony empowers attendees to prioritize their mental well-being and create a supportive workplace culture grounded in kindness, connection, and understanding.

Learning Outcomes:

>Explore practical strategies for practicing self-care and mindfulness in the workplace to enhance overall well-being and productivity.

>Understand the importance of fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and supports employee resilience and work-life balance.

>Learn how to cultivate compassion, connection, and self-compassion in the workplace, promoting a sense of belonging and emotional well-being among team members.

Diversity: The Secret Power Behind High Performing Teams

Diverse teams are two times more likely to meet financial targets, three times more likely to be high-performing, and six times more likely to be innovative and agile. Diversity is a competitive advantage! But barriers to career advancement have limited underrepresented communities in significant ways.

In this lively and interactive presentation, Anthony McLean challenges participants to think critically about unconscious bias, microaggressions, and other hindrances to creating an inclusive workplace culture. Finally, he offers actionable strategies to hire, promote, and protect under-represented people groups within our organizations.

Learning Outcomes:
•Learn how to move from being “non-racist” to becoming “anti-racist”
•Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
•Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

Belonging: The Intersection of Mental Health and DEI

Many folks in the BIPOC community felt their emotional capacity overwhelmed after the murder of George Floyd. For Anthony, who works in both mental health and anti-racism, it was a collision of his worlds. Now, he loves to explore the overlap between mental wellness and racial equity. He contends that empathy is at the heart of both DEI work and mental health awareness. Psychological safety and creating a sense of belonging are central to both pursuits.

This interactive presentation helps participants bring more empathy to the work of anti-racism and mental wellness.

Learning Outcomes:
•Learn how to approach mental health and DEI through the lens of empathy
•Understand the impact systemic racism has on mental health
•See how microaggressions are the “death by a thousand paper-cuts” to a sense of belonging
•Learn practical self-care strategies for sustainable well being

Fire Up Your Mental Health

Low energy, quiet quitting, burnout… It seems everyone is struggling these days. How can we regain our enthusiasm, recapture our joy, and get the pep back in our step at work and at home? Many people assume mental health is a topic of interest only for those who struggle with anxiety, depression, or mental illness. But your energy levels, your mood, your ability to think clearly and pursue goals – these are all a reflection of your mental health.

In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony McLean offers actionable tools to optimize energy levels, stimulate creative thinking, and approach every day with enthusiasm and joy.

Learning Outcomes:
•Understand the difference between everyday ups and downs, temporary mental health problems, and mental illnesses.
•Learn healthy coping skills to deal with stress and anxiety
•See the role exercise, sleep, hydration, and nutrition play in overall wellness
•Adopt a supportive mental health routine

Black History: Then and Now

The past few years have put the reality of anti-black racism on full display. People everywhere are asking how they can be allies in dismantling racism. In this upbeat and inspiring presentation, Anthony celebrates the struggles, adversity, and contributions of people of African descent and reflects on how far we’ve come as a society. He leaves the audience with an inspiring call to action on how each and every person can create a workplace, community and school community where everyone belongs.

Learning Outcomes:
•Learn how to approach racial equity through the lens of empathy
•Understand the impact systemic racism has on mental health
•Learn practical strategies for becoming an ally to the Black community

In Celebration of Educators and Administrators

This is an encouraging, morale-boosting talk to inspire educators and administrators who give their best every day.

Teachers and administrators are often overwhelmed and sometimes feel burnt out by the end of the week. In the midst of a busy year, it’s easy to forget that the daily interactions we have with students are sometimes the most valuable moments of our day.

In this laugh-out-loud presentation, Anthony McLean tells funny and inspiring stories about the teachers and administrators who changed his life by acknowledging his effort, encouraging his strengths, and pushing him to give his best. Every educator needs this reminder — the reward for not giving up on our students is the ability to make a difference and change the world one student at a time.

Celebrating Diversity: Creating Schools Where Everyone Belongs

Every student deserves to feel a sense of belonging at school. And every student contributes to a school climate of empathy, inclusivity, and respect. In this upbeat and entertaining presentation,Anthony delivers an inspiring message about RESPECTING DIFFERENCES and creating an INCLUSIVE CLIMATE for all.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•See the long-term harmful impact of microaggressions
•Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
•Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

Celebrating Diversity: Becoming Anti-Racist Students

In 2020, the name George Floyd put the reality of racism on full display. But as many people already knew, overcoming racism has been a journey hundreds of years in the making. We are now in a moment in history, just like the Civil Rights era, where we have an opportunity to make meaningful change.

People everywhere are asking how they can be part of the solution. In this inspiring presentation, Anthony shares stories from history as well as his own personal life to show students how they can move from being “non-racist” to being “anti-racist”.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
•See the long-term harmful impact of microaggressions
•Understand the difference between “cancel culture” and “accountability”
•Harness the power of being an ally in your circle of influence

Testimonials

  • "We recently held an event with 300+ leaders at PepsiCo Canada on the topic of Diversity and Inclusion. Anthony delivered a powerful presentation for us and the feedback has been outstanding. One thing I appreciated was how he was able to weave in our core values throughout the talk. Most importantly, Anthony gave our leaders real-world actions to do the work of anti-racism. An all-around excellent presentation!"

    Anthony McLean Dave Moncur, Vice President, Human Resources, PepsiCo Canada
  • "Anthony's virtual presentations have been so helpful to us as we work to create a culture that fosters caring, wellness, diversity and inclusion. He is incredibly gifted at connecting with people in a way that reaches them at their level and lifts them higher -- which is especially hard to do virtually! He navigates difficult subjects with respect, grace, and humour. Feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive!"

    Anthony McLean Alex Meers, Director of Employee Experience, Real Matters/Solidifi
  • "Anthony is a master storyteller! He’s got the gift of entertaining while educating on such important matters as understanding unconscious bias and how to be “anti-racist”. Anthony was a pleasure to work with, he seamlessly incorporated our company’s Mission, Vision, Values into his presentations, making them all the more relevant to our audience. If you want to have a meaningful conversation about Diversity & Inclusion with your employees, I’d highly recommend you bring Anthony in."

    Anthony McLean Stephen Satchel, Chief People Officer, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited
  • "Anthony is an energetic, charismatic, and engaging speaker. As industry leaders and professionals, his message is one we need to hear, digest, and propagate to the highest levels possible."

    Anthony McLean Tanya Diedrick, President, Ontario Risk & Insurance Management Society
  • "We had the privilege of having Anthony speak to our firm and clients about the power of diverse teams, and we were thrilled with the presentation. Anthony is an incredibly engaging speaker, and he addressed some really serious and important issues around anti-Black racism in such an approachable way. There were so many practical tips, strategies and takeaways, and we received excellent feedback. We would not hesitate to have him back to the firm to speak again."

    Anthony McLean Zoë Paliare, Assistant Director of Professional Resources, Cassels Borck & Blackwell LLP
  • "You truly have a gift for reaching through the screen and connecting with people. You listened so carefully to what we shared in our briefing and applied it in the most personal, inspirational, and moving way. You literally brought us to tears. It was, by far, the best keynote we have ever had the pleasure to share with our group."

    Anthony McLean Barbara Glass, Executive Director, College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading

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