Chantell Crooks is an Instructional Designer, educator, and lifelong learner with a passion for empowering others through education, professional development, and personal growth. With more than 18 years of experience spanning Jamaica, Japan, and Canada, including five years in instructional design and 13 years as a TESOL instructor, she brings a unique multicultural perspective to creating meaningful learning experiences that inspire confidence, connection, and growth.

Throughout her career, Chantell has been driven by one purpose: helping people recognize their potential and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to achieve their goals. Her own professional journey has required her to embrace change, navigate new environments, and continually step beyond what is familiar. From teaching English abroad and supporting learners from diverse cultural backgrounds, leading workforce development, and community engagement, helping learners navigate career transitions, strengthen resilience, and cultivate lifelong learning habits to transitioning into instructional design and creating innovative learning programs in higher education, each chapter has reinforced her belief that meaningful growth often begins with small, intentional steps.

Holding a Master’s in Education, Chantell combines evidence-based instructional design principles with creativity, empathy, and emerging technologies to develop learning experiences that are interactive, inclusive, and results-oriented. She believes learning is most powerful when it empowers individuals to grow both personally and professionally, and she is passionate about leveraging innovation including Generative AI while keeping people at the centre of the learning experience.

Having lived and worked across three countries, Chantell understands that stepping outside one’s comfort zone does not always require a dramatic leap. Sometimes, the smallest decisions to try, speak up, begin again, ask a question, or simply take the next step can quietly transform the direction of our lives. Her experiences have shaped her belief in approaching growth with curiosity, self-compassion, and courage rather than pressure or perfection.

Whether she is designing curriculum, mentoring others, or speaking to audiences, Chantell is committed to encouraging women to invest in themselves, embrace lifelong learning, and move toward new opportunities with greater confidence and intention. Through her session, “Micro-Bravery: Small Acts That Quietly Change Your Life,” she invites women to rethink what courage looks like and discover how small, manageable acts of bravery can gradually expand their comfort zones and create meaningful personal and professional change.