Mary Gordon is an award-winning social entrepreneur, educator, best-selling author, parenting expert, and child advocate who has created an international children’s charity, Roots of Empathy (ROE).

She introduced Canada’s first school-based Parenting & Family Literacy Centres in 1981—now replicated internationally.

Ms. Gordon has consulted with and/or presented to the UN, the WHO, UNICEF, The Nelson Mandela Children’s Foundation, and to governments. She is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and has several TEDx talks. She has been honoured with the Governor General of Canada Award for innovation, is a recipient of the Order of Canada. An Ashoka Fellow since 2002.

Her book, Roots of Empathy: Changing the World Child by Child, is a Canadian bestseller.

Her programs are frequently featured in major media outlets including The New York Times, BBC, Time, and NBC.