Mary Gordon is recognized internationally as an award-winning social entrepreneur, educator, best-selling author, child advocate and parenting expert who has created programs informed by the power of empathy.

In 1981, Ms. Gordon founded Canada’s first and largest Parenting and Family Literacy Centers, for which she received the Order of Canada. In 1996, she created the Roots of Empathy program, after which she named her international children’s charity which now offers programs on three continents. In 2005, she created Seeds of Empathy for 3 to 5-year-old children in childcare which is offered in Canada, the U.S. and U.K.

Ms. Gordon speaks and consults to governments, educational organizations, and public institutions, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations and UNICEF. She is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and has several TEDx talks.

She has been honoured with the Governor General of Canada Award for Innovation, is a recipient of the Order of Ontario, and Order of Newfoundland and Labrador, and is also the recipient of honorary doctorates in Canada and Europe.