Speaker Bio
Verena Rizg, MN, NP, is a Nurse Practitioner with over 14 years of clinical experience in acute care, rural community health, and working with marginalized populations. She pioneered the Nurse Practitioner role in federal prisons across Nova Scotia and she founded the first BIPOC clinic in the Canadian Armed Forces, offering inclusive and culturally competent care.
Beyond healthcare, Verena is a seasoned spoken word poet and public speaker, performing for over 17 years on stages across Canada. She uses her art to foster connection and bridge communities through vulnerability, addressing topics often left unspoken—grief, motherhood, racial disparities in healthcare, and mental health effects of migration.
Verena’s intersections and lived experience as a Coptic, first-generation immigrant allow her to speak with authenticity, helping others feel seen and understood. She addresses a wide range of topics, including emotional literacy, relational health, spiritual wellness, and boundary setting, transforming complex subjects into meaningful, human-centered conversations.
Her work transcends traditional healthcare, empowering individuals to cultivate emotional resilience and compassionate relationships. Through vulnerability, culturally competent care, and emotional literacy, Verena is transforming how we approach mental health, one person at a time.
Speaker Topics
Addressing the complexities of mental health with a focus on emotional literacy, building resilience, and implementing effective strategies for personal and community support.
Exploring the impact of culturally informed healthcare in bridging gaps and improving health outcomes for diverse populations. Learn how culturally sensitive practices enhance patient care and trust.
Explore how empathy and vulnerability can transform personal and professional relationships across all areas of life. Whether in the workplace, community, or personal life, participants will learn practical strategies to cultivate empathy and embrace vulnerability, creating stronger, more meaningful interactions and a deeper sense of connection.
Examining the impact of relationships with oneself and others on overall health. Learn strategies for cultivating healthier, more meaningful interactions to enhance personal and relational well-being.
Racialized individuals, migrants, and first-generation immigrants often face unique challenges in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and access to essential services. Language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and systemic biases can create significant obstacles, impacting their ability to thrive and feel valued in their communities. Verena equips organizations and leaders with practical tools to foster inclusivity, build trust, and create supportive environments where all individuals can feel seen, valued, and empowered.
Testimonials
In personal interactions with Verena, whether seeing her in community, at an event or even on Social Media she has a transparent , genuine and authentic aura that makes one feel connected to her. Verena has a caring soul. Interactions with her feel very intentional and pure, as if she sees and supports you. She does an amazing job connecting with her audience, providing a space for them to be present in the moment with her, each performance feels different and tailored to her experiences or feelings of that day so it always feels unique – the work itself is beautiful always relatable to different aspects of your own life or experiences that remind you that you’re not alone in this journey called life.
Verena is Kind. Patient. Gentle. Understanding. She is balanced in her perspective and respectful in how she approaches, cares, and engages with others. She is a champion of social and environmental safety, making it easy to be transparent and vulnerable. Verena is truly a treasure and a light to every room she enters. Her work has given me space to learn, grieve, understand, and navigate without feeling judged.
During the darkest days of Covid when we were having long overdue societal conversations about race, I worked with Verena on a series of videos. It’s such a daunting subject, but Verena casually uttered the phrase that became the name of the series that then became my mantra: Lead with Love. I think that’s her superpower.
Verena has an intelligence that is remarkable. She has an ability to write and communicate on a deep, emotional level. She has a compassion and sensitivity that is unmatched. She can capture the attention in a room more than many I’ve ever met. But her heart? Her love? That’s really something to see. That’s what is most difficult to put into words.
Verena has opened my heart to be more compassionate , and more aware of issues that affect marginalized peoples. Her pieces stop a person in their tracks and provokes you to think deeply about issues other people are experiencing. Issues foreign to myself but powerful in the lives of others. She has broadened my understand of the challenges others must face.
Verena is a passionate advocate and great care provider. When giving a presentation you can clearly see her dedication to her craft and she provides insightful information by being able to captivate her audience. She goes above and beyond for her patients and truly advocates for them and the services they require on a day to day basis. Verena has helped me better care for marginalized individuals and people of colour. Her presentations shed light on the difficulties these patients face and the discrimination they may go through. I do believe her presentation has made me a better provider. She continues to be a leader in spreading awareness for inequities in healthcare for people of colour and she is leading change in the Canadian Armed Forces with her initiative (the BIPOC clinic).
Verena is meaningful, thoughtful and a brilliant speaker. I am mesmerized by her powerful voice and choice of words. Her work makes me dig a little deeper on my outlook towards others.
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