Purpose
1. We will not rest until we have created sustainable change for Canadian Youth.
2. We will not be satisfied until we have a nation of people in action – we want to engage Canadians in thinking differently about the extraordinary impact we can have when we work together, and then motivate them to get in unstoppable action to effect change in our country one community at a time.
We want the Push for Change to be much more than a trek to raise awareness and money. We want it to be a call to action, to get involved now, and for the long term. We believe that ending youth homelessness in Canada is possible!
Imagine the difference we can make, if we do this together!
We share an unshakeable belief that change and transformation are possible with the right resources, the right people and the right purpose.
Having witnessed transformation in our own and others’ lives, personally and professionally, we have developed a passion for helping others see that there is more to them than they currently see.
Meet the Team
Joe Roberts
Joe Roberts is an inspirational example of overcoming adversity and managing change.
In 1989, he was living under a bridge, homeless on skid row. Today he is an advocate, author and the Executive Director of The Push for Change.
Joe has witnessed human behaviour at it’s depths and it’s peaks, in personal and professional life, and he has captured his experiences in thought-leading principles that are critical to success.
He is the former President and CEO of a successful multimedia company. Joe is a well polished inspirational speaker that has delivered his keynote to over 1,000,000 people over the last 15 years.
He is committed to helping young people break through their most difficult barriers and is the perfect front man for The Push for Change.
Joe thrives on the idea of ‘Being On Purpose’.
Marie Roberts
As the Campaign Director, Marie provides all administrative support to The Push for Change.
With a 25 year career in accounting, her analytical, technical, and organizational skills have proven invaluable in developing The Push for Change campaign with Joe Roberts. Her leadership abilities and relationship management lend themselves well to her role as Campaign Director.
During the 17 month trek her main duties included managing the team, fundraising campaigns, event calendar, budget, volunteers and in general being the go-to-person for all Trek-related operations. She is Joe’s champion and support person.
Deep down Marie has always been a nurturer, someone you can count on and someone who is highly dependable. She is the “glue” that holds teams and projects together. Her role in the business world as well as her role as a friend, daughter, sister and mother reflect this deeply. When asked if she would take on that role with PFC there was no moment of pause. Her commitment was swift and has remained constant. We are fortunate to have her at the helm.
Dr. Sean Richardson
As co founder of The Push for Change, Dr. Richardson has shared multiple roles over the four years of campaign development.
Sean was crucial in the beginning of the Push for Change with key contributing ideas; the shopping cart concept, the name change to “The Push for Change”, the development of mission and purpose, the planning and execution of the 2012 “qualifier” walk from Calgary to Vancouver and most importantly helping Joe prepare mentally and physically for the years of training it took to get this far.
Sean is a performance psychologist, with a PhD in the sport psychology of excellence; he intuitively understands what starts and stops people from succeeding. He is a former elite athlete and an expert in High Performance. He is a consultant to CEOs, Executive Leaders, Olympians and professional athletes.
The bottom line is, with Sean’s help, Joe has been able to perform at a level necessary to take on a challenge of this magnitude.
Sean’s contribution to The Push for Change is as a team-mate to Joe, a friend, a training consultant, and most of all a professional advisor on everything that will make The Push for Change a success. Sean brings the experience of building high performance mindsets combined with the competency necessary for dealing with the inevitable psychological roadblocks that stand in our way.