Through his tireless work, Sam continues to be committed to the betterment of communities. In 2012 he received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in 2006, he received the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award for leadership and community involvement. His passion is to inspire and motivate others in their personal and professional development through his many adventures and reflections on life’s journey. Under his new found company, Ignite the Dream Consulting, Sam just recently published his first ever book, Personal Storytelling: Discovering the Extraordinary in the Ordinary. We live in the ordinary but imbedded in the ordinary are tremendously extraordinary experiences. Sam also has a successful blog where he shares his personal reflections and life moments at http://sam-thiara.com. As an accomplished speaker and storyteller, Sam has delivered countless keynote speeches, created and presented numerous workshops on various topics and participated on many panels. Sam’s pinnacle speeches were his TEDxSFU talk in 2011 and the launch of his new book in 2014. His breadth of experience is extensive when one considers his dedicated involvement with the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Bid Committee, ICBC Road Safety, Leadership Vancouver and 30+ not for profits. Over the last few years alone, Sam has mentored and coached hundreds of individuals and engaged with thousands and in 2011, the Leaders of Tomorrow organization selected him as the Mentor of the Year. Sam completed his Masters in Leadership Studies at the University of Exeter in England and has a double major in Business Administration and Political Science from SFU. He also completed a nine month leadership program through Leadership Vancouver, has his Human Resources certificate from BCIT, and completed his adult education designation with the Vancouver Community College. What Sam brings is the ability to build an organization from within and to have an extensive outreach externally. He believes in what he does and pursues it with passion. Sam consistently strives to discover the extraordinary in the ordinary and his journey is documented at http://sam-thiara.com . His favourite saying and what he lives by: “Everyone’s life is an autobiography, but you have to make yours worth reading!”
