 Meet the Vancouver Conference TeamEvery year, the AIN Global Conference is host and planned by local Applied Improvisation members in their part of the world. In 2023, this wonderful volunteer team came together to help us "reimagine" what an AIN Conference could really be. We are pleased to introduce to you the individuals who are making this Vancouver Conference a reality. A huge thank you to this team for their endless hours of work, planning, and dedication. When you meet the team this summer, be sure to give them extra hugs! And a big thank you to all of our conference volunteers, presenters, and attendees for also making this awesome event possible. Vancouver Conference Team Members: Angela Galanopoulos, Anna Alexander, Avi Dolgin, Avril Orloff, Brett Macdonald, Pookie/Carol Ann Fried, David Gouthro, Ed Reggi, Ingrid Broussillon, Jalen Saip, Jim Forsythe, Kirsten Anderson, and Michele Roger Angela Galanopoulos
Biography: Angela (she/her) has been a performer at The Improv Centre since 2012. She joined the senior leadership team as Managing Director to help restart the theatre and guide operations following its 17-month closure. She is incredibly passionate about improv comedy, having studied both locally in Vancouver, as well as Second City and iO in Chicago. As a corporate trainer and facilitator, she uses improv to help build strong teams and to create avenues for innovation and growth. Angela has a BA in Communications and an MA in International Affairs (faculty of Public Administration). Outside of TIC, Angela Galanopoulos is an award-winning actor, writer and producer in Vancouver. You can see her in the Netflix series ‘The Babysitters Club', Hulu’s ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society’, and the webseries ‘Michelle’s: A Canadian Soap Opera‘, which she co-wrote and starred in. If there is something you need to know about Angela, it’s that she does an incredible dolphin impression. Role on the team: Angela is helping to coordinate all Granville Island partners to make AIN Vancouver a truly unforgettable experience. Social Media: @angegalanopo Something/someone you are proud of: My mama! She’s the funniest, wisest and most loving person I know. What makes you laugh?: Reporter bloopers What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: How to peel an onion more efficiently.
Anna Alexander
Biography: Anna Alexander is a creative, multi-media artist and independent contractor. She got her Bachelor's degree in TV and Film at Southeast Missouri State University while working at the local CBS-affiliate news station, KFVS-12 in Cape Girardeau. Growing up in show choir and drama, Anna understands first hand the stage and performance world. In her free time, she loves watching Big Brother, going to barre class, bullet journaling, cuddling her two cats, and baking delicious treats. Role on the team: Anna is the Administrator of AIN! Say that 3 times fast. She is the only non-volunteer member of the team and AIN, as this is her part-time job. Anna helps with the technical aspects of the conference like emails, registration, website, social media, and graphics. Need help? Anna is your go-to-gal. Something you are proud of: My senior short film Ivy, made in 2018. Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: This incredible group of people! As a newbie in the Applied Improvisation world, I am so honored to watch and learn from the experts. AIN is a collective of incredible people, who I am so grateful to know and work with. You guys make me smile. What makes you laugh?: When my cats tussle. Lol.
Avi Dolgin
Biography: Avi has spent a lifetime trying to decide what he wants to be when he grows up. But along the way he’s been a traveler, a science teacher, a failed mystic, a Bible devotee and critic, a member of an improv troupe, a parent and grandparent, a storyteller, a mental health advocate, a conference organizer, a wanna-be architect and a maker of pointless lists... Role on the team: I’m on the programming committee. I volunteered to be event treasurer (not a lot of clamoring for that one!) and Resource Table Grand Poobah. You’ll find me in the hall directing traffic because I like to tell people where to go. Social Media: What’s that? Why are all these people looking at little screens? Something you are proud of: Both my sons are good people - and had the wisdom to choose good partners. (I didn’t do too badly myself) Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: I have this weird trust in the synergistic power of Science and Play. What makes you laugh?: My own stupidity (but only if I didn’t hurt anybody and only if enough time has passed to see the humour). What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: What can I be when I grow up?
Avril Orloff
Biography: Avril likes to play “What was the first rock concert you ever attended?” with her younger friends, because her first rock concert was The Beatles and how do you top that? She also continues to take pride in the fact that she spent most of Grade 4 in the corner and still made it to Grade 5 and beyond. She currently spends part of her time avoiding writing bios, and a larger portion of her time trying to rebalance the Work/Vacation equation in favour of the latter. Role on the team: Recording secretary, human filing cabinet, programming committee member, and billeting coordinator (you just learned your first Canadianism!). Social Media: Website: outsidethelines.ca (*new!* *improved!* *I even blog occasionally!*) Something you are proud of: I’m proud of my good instincts in bringing together people who ought to know each other, and I love watching new friendships blossom from these connections! Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: People who are able to bridge huge differences to work together for the betterment of all, and people who have experienced hurt at the hands of others yet are able to choose a path of reconciliation rather than revenge. These are my heroes. What makes you laugh?: Text message fails, typographic bloopers, weird signs, hilarious mistranslations … basically anything that goes awry in the realm of language reduces me to helpless hilarity – often in inappropriate places, which cracks me up even more. What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: David Gouthro claimed World Peace, so I’ll settle for reimAgINing how people gather, with an emphasis on putting relationships firmly at the centre and infusing our gatherings with fun and play! (I would also like to reimAgINe my bank account getting fatter…) Brett Macdonald
Biography: Brett Macdonald is a passionate educator and facilitator who helps organizations build community through collaboration and connection. While living and teaching in Germany for 9 years, she rediscovered the world of improvised theatre and soon connected the life-skill crossovers. She has since taught and facilitated professional workshops in Germany and The Netherlands, as well as across BC, Canada. Brett holds a Bachelor of Education, has co-founded two improv groups, and has been training, performing, and teaching improv for over a decade. Most important to Brett is sharing the improv approach and allowing others to experience the immense value of connection through laughter and play. If you want to nerd out about improv over a decent cup of coffee, Brett is your gal! Role on the team: A bit of swag, entertainment-fun, accommodation, and whatever other eagle-eye-tasks that are needed! Social Media: URL: http://brettmacdonald.ca and be-improv.ca Something / Someone you are proud of: My mom, always fighting for what she believes in. Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: Honestly? The growth of the applied improv world. No joke.. We’re gonna change the world, folks, I believe it. What makes you laugh?: Cat memes, spontaneous moments, unexpected dance parties, my cat, birds, my friends and family, when I catch myself talking to myself… To be honest most things make me laugh! Haha (See??) What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: I’d like to reimAgINe a faster way of traveling around the world that doesn’t impact our climate (teleportation perhaps!?) so I can meet my international friends for an in-person coffee date. Pookie/Carol Ann Fried
Biography: Pookie/Carol Ann Fried is a highly energetic and inspirational speaker. Before finding her true calling as a Trainer and Motivational Speaker, Carol Ann was most successful in show business. Her screen credits include:
She has outlived her six husbands, five of whom died from eating poison mushrooms. The sixth met a far more gruesome fate having refused to eat the poison mushrooms. Pookie/Carol Ann is continually working on her Autobiography entitled, Things That Make Me So Interesting. To date Volumes 1 - 9 have been published in 27 different languages and average 2300 pages each. Volume 10, sub-titled Who is the Most Fascinating Person You Know and Why is It Me? will be published next fall and is reaching the 2000 page mark. Incidentally, she also does keynote speaking, leads workshops and is the Chief Playfulness Officer for Playfair Canada, which does orientation events for students at colleges and universities. Role on the team: First point of contact, ie monitoring the AIN email address. Finding photographer/videographer with Jalen (who thankfully is a photographer!). Programming and scheduling committee Social Media: URL: playfaircanada.com and friedom.ca LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolannfried/ Something you are proud of: The time I volunteered as an audience member at an improv show and we got 5/5 from audience judges. The experience was life-changing. Seriously. Ask me about it. Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: People who are kind to others they don’t know who are different from them. What makes you laugh?: Youtube: “Would I Lie to You?” - Hilarious British game show; makes me laugh out loud every time. What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: My retirement! David Gouthro
Biography: A seasoned (but not too spicy!) speaker with over 40 years experience, David is a sought after consultant who is best known for his creative presentations, playful demeanor, and relentless focus on delivering value to his clients, colleagues and community. David’s experience comes from supporting clients on four continents, in organizations that range from mining, energy, healthcare and financial services . . . to high tech, biotech, government and the not-for-profit sector. As the father of a precocious 23 year old daughter Anna, he has been forced to embrace the qualities of humility, patience, good humour and . . . acceptance of his own parental inadequacies! The main focus of his current business involves working with individuals and groups who have no one else to point to as excuses for their own inaction. This has led him to spend the majority of his time helping executive teams and Boards make the tough decisions required to grow their businesses in a complex and unpredictable economic environment. However, his deepest personal passion is to help people discover the courage he believes they all possess—and then inspire them to act on it. Role on the team: Programming and other duties as assigned! Social Media: URL: http://www.davidgouthro.com Something you are proud of: I am the Founder of the Vancouver Noseflute Ensemble, an internationally unknown (and largely non-existent) musical organization that helped to launch the Swedish Noseflute Orchestra. See https://vimeo.com/355004857/8018693866 for more detail! Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: I am constantly blown away by the ability of 1:1 relationships to initiate and bring about change at all levels of society – if only we take the time to create and nurture them. What makes you laugh?: Almost anything where I can see the humour – which is just about in everything I am witness to or am able to participate in! What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: I would like to reimAgINe a world where there is sustained peace, health and harmony amongst every living being. Ed Reggi, aka "Reggie"
Biography: Ed Reggi is a lifelong storyteller who has the stories to prove it. Growing up in the Big Apple, Ed honed his acting by sneaking into NBC studios. He later studied at Chicago’s historic The Second City, which led him to work with Paul Sills for over a decade. While performing as a corporate entertainer, Ed observed how his corporate audiences craved authenticity. That’s when he began facilitating applied improv. Today, his clients vary from the Fortune 500 to Pre-Kindergarten school teachers. He teaches at Lindenwood University's Theater Department and the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. When not on stage performing, he lives with his husband Scott in a 1940s farmhouse. Role on the team: Ed Reggi is the AIN Board President and helps all efforts of the 2023 AIN Global Conference! URL: http://www.edreggi.com Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: Little children! I love working with Pre-K and Kindergarten school children. They are perfect at being in the moment, and at the same time, they will tell you exactly how bad your hair looks. What makes you laugh?: Fail Army. Google it. What else, besides the AIN Conference, would you like to reimAgINe?: I want to reimagine the term Applied Improvisation or worse-AI. Ugh! I hate the letters AI put together. The network has been around for nearly 25 years, and yet, when you say AI to almost anyone, it's dreadful when they retort Artificial Intelligence. Help me reimagine our organization.
Ingrid Broussillon
Biography: Meet Ingrid - a multi-talented entrepreneur and language enthusiast who immigrated to Vancouver from the picturesque Guadeloupe. With a passion for theater and improvisation, Ingrid arrived in Canada 5 years ago with a goal to master the English language. Fast forward to 2018, Ingrid made a bold move and created her own company - Griottes Polyglottes. She empowers others by teaching French and English through theater and improvisation. Her innovative approach has earned her recognition in the form of the Small Business BC award in 2020 and the Immigrant Entrepreneur Grant in 2021. These achievements have only strengthened her belief in her business idea. Beyond language teaching, Ingrid's company explores topics such as anti-racism, cultural inclusion, self-confidence, and interactive storytelling. Her services cater to professionals, educators, and the general public of all ages. Role on the team: Social Media Social Media: www.linkedin.com/in/ingrid-broussillon/ Something you are proud of: I’ve recently coached a team of Youth for an Improv competition. It was my 1st time doing so and…. We won the competition! The kids were amazing! I’m soooo proud of them. I’ve learned a lot my self! We learn by giving, and I gave them all I knew ! Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: I use improv, theatre of the oppressed style to facilitate antiracism workshops in schools. When I see the reaction of the children I feel pumped up! They are so engaged, it’s just wow! What makes you laugh?: “Friends” yes the TV show all episodes. Hé oui! I’m that generation…. What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: Transportation. Where are we in the teleportation research? Jalen Saip
Biography: Jalen is currently on a skydiving, water-skiing, mountain backpacking, trapeze adventure and will write her bio soon! Role on the team: Photography! Something you are proud of: I’m very proud of the brand new ensemble that’s been formed at my theatre company over the last six months! Jim Forsythe
Biography: Jim has spent over forty years teaching improv to businesses, community groups and seniors. He is recently retired from his position on the faculty of Brandon University where he was Professor and Head of the Drama Program, where literally hundreds of students learned and benefited from his teaching and improv skills. He is currently using his applied improv experience in his role as Artistic Coordinator of Target Theatre in beautiful Victoria BC; theatre for Seniors by Seniors. He received a BFA in Acting from the University of Alberta and a MFA in Directing from the University of Victoria. When not ‘yes anding’ you can find him in his kitchen or on Kismet, his sailboat. Jim was happy to make a small contribution to the organizing committee of AIN Vancouver 23. Enjoy reimagining and welcome to the best coast. Role on the team: Volunteer coordinator Something you are proud of: My kids. Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: We are still here. What makes you laugh?: Silent disco and donut walls. What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: A lot of things I did in the '90s'. Kirsten Anderson
Biography: After 25 years as an entrepreneur in the toy industry, and over a decade as the play expert on Global TV, Kirsten sold the award winning “Best Toy Store in Canada” to bridge her expertise in business leadership and the bottom-line benefits of play for ALL ages, especially in the workplace. Though some call her a Playologist, she’s actually an international keynote speaker on the power of playfulness to improve innovation, wellness, culture, and team dynamics. Kirsten is the founder of Integrate Play Solutions; a boutique training corporation working with organizational teams in diverse industries, to help solve their messiest challenges using playful methods such as Applied Improv and LEGO® Serious Play®. When Kirsten isn’t playing with her family and friends, floating in a lake, river or ocean you will find her volunteering her time sitting on executive boards so as to build a better world – one brick at a time. Role on the team: Chair - note the finger licking good “bits o’ pie” that are covering all of my fingers, so many different pies to choose from when chairing Social Media: Listed in order of use/preference: Something you are proud of: Did a solo facilitation for 1300 people using LEGO® Serious Play® ducks. If I’d submitted it to Guinness World Records we would have had a record for the largest flock. At least I can sleep at night knowing that I was a part of the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing inflatable T-Rex’s costumes (381) in one place at the World Domination Summit ever so Portland wonderfully weird in 2022. Something / Initiative that gives you hope in humanity: Children, teenagers, and young adults often give me hope in humanity and in a potential future that serves more of the world, the greater good rather than the select few. What makes you laugh?: Baby giggles, animals, other people’s contagious laughing, yes definitely blooper reels and memes. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention improv shows and comedy in their various forms. What else, besides the AIN Conference would you like to reimAgINe?: The way we work and the way the world works - reimagining our economic and political systems. Happy to start here in Vancouver, playing with, reimagining the beloved AIN conference. 2023 AIN Global Conference Click here to see our Thank You to Our Sponsors! Click here to register for the conference! Click here to return to the landing page directory!
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