Shawn is Director, Research & Program Design at Skills for Change, a national charity providing immigration, settlement, and workforce development programs and services. His portfolio includes strategic planning and oversight of the organization’s research and program design departments, partnership development with academia and other organizations, as well as government relations and fund development for programs. Previously, he was Senior Manager of Research & Impact at Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation, Managing Editor at PUBLIC: Art | Culture | Ideas, co-founding editor at RUBIX Journal for Creative Research + Practice, and had an international dance performance and choreographic career. He holds a PhD in Cultural Studies, and his past research has focused on cultural production, multiculturalism, critical disability, critical race, performance, cultural tourism, and arts’ impact. Currently, he is engaged in research, programs, and events related to GenAI skills development across sectors and working with arts and culture organizations to create and deliver foundational AI literacy programs.