Bloom Where Planted 2026

Speakers

Chevon Smith, Cadet, Toronto Community Housing

Chevon Smith is a Cadet with the Community Safety Unit. His role serves to improve engagement between CSU and tenants. As a dedicated community volunteer, he has a strong passion for community problem-solving and engagement. He is also a long-standing member of his local Community Police Liaison Committee and has advocated for his fellow tenants by sharing their concerns of crime and social disorder in the community.  

Danielle Williams, Multi-disciplinary Artist

Danielle Williams (also known as Andii Ignites) is an Antiguan Canadian multidisciplinary artist. Through various art forms, she creates as a way of self-expression and catharsis. Her dynamic portfolio features poetry, singing, visual arts, and capoeira.  

As the Self-Love Advocate, she believes that through improving the relationship with ourselves, we can make a positive impact in our community. Her work focuses on coming home to self, reclaiming identity, and healing the inner child. She courageously embraces vulnerability as strength.

Danielle is deeply moved by meaningful engagement in her community. Community inspires her to heal and expand her horizons. She blooms where she is planted by speaking her truth, living authentically, and honouring those who came before her.  

Gravity Sound International – DJ Heavy G, DJ  

Gravity Sound International is the home of DJ Heavy G, delivering powerful vibes, high-energy music, and unforgettable entertainment. Specializing in bringing people together through sound, DJ Heavy G keeps every party, event, and celebration moving with the right mix of music and atmosphere.  

Kesha Christie, Educator and storyteller 

Kesha Christie is an Afro-Caribbean storyteller, speaker, and cultural educator based in Ontario. As the founder of Talkin’ Tales, she brings African and Caribbean folktales to life through dynamic performances that blend storytelling, music, and audience participation. Kesha’s work centers on cultural memory, identity, and community connection, helping audiences rediscover the power of oral tradition in shaping confidence, belonging, and resilience. Through schools, community gatherings, and cultural events, she continues the griot tradition, honoring the past while inspiring the next generation to find their voice and share their stories. 

Natalie “Rare” Chattargoon,  Community Leader

Natalie Rare Chattargoon is a multidimensional Toronto-Caribbean passion driven creative social service worker focused on mental health, wellness and arts projects. Her life skills survival workshops help guide, support and care for community collective growth. Rare adores getting involved in development projects based on poverty & violence reduction settings as she had many barriers faced during her journey. Rare’s events are mindfully curated to create an experience of learning from each other and imagination prompted expression through the arts while fostering connections.  She’s creative in the art forms of mixed media digital design, poetry, storytelling, photography that focus on the City of Toronto’s social issues through her lens of growing up. Rare is now an award winning community leader helping others find purpose and heal. She’s truly a gem from the City!    

Nathan Baya, artist  

Nathan Baya is an artist, songwriter and performer born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Baya’s parents immigrated to Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo.