Meet the Participants

Ivory is a multi-discipline performer known best for her booty shakin', shenanigan making, and a voice that just won’t quit.

A singer/model/actor/dancer/body positive and disability advocate and graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, this former Miss Canada Plus has graced stages across North America, the UK and the Caribbean, appeared in print media such as the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, The Globe & Mail and the National Post, and across numerous TV networks. An archer, equestrian, axe thrower and firebreather, Ivory boasts a spectacular bag of tricks which are sure to wow any crowd!

Founder of the Succulent Six, Canada's team of curvy superSHEroes (check out their TV show on CBC.ca and YouTube!), guest chair on CTV’s The Social, panellist on 1 Queen 5 Queers (now streaming on Crave) and a proud member of Les Femmes Fatales, Canada's first burlesque troupe for Women & Femmes of Colour. You can follow her antics on Instagram and twitter @pureivorydotca or online at www.pureivory.ca

She’s not just a bombshell-she’s the whole damn Arsenal.

Desiree Walsh is a Toronto-based comedian with cerebral palsy, who dropped her first album, Everybody Panic, in 2023. By day she works at a bank; by night she’s writing material for a new standup set and doing gigs on the (mostly inaccessible) comedy club circuit.  

Desiree has been featured on BreakfastTelevision and at the Reelabilities Film Festival and Comedy Night. She’s also part of the series Comedy Invasion, available on AAM.tv, Amazon Prime, Roku and Tubi.  

David Lingisi a.k.a. Young Dave Bangin’ has been producing music in the hip-hop scene in Hamilton for the past eight years. From reaching 100K streams on one of his early singles to attracting the attention of heavy hitters like Dr. Dre, Dave is on the rise—just as his sickle cell disease escalates. Last year alone, he spent 180 days in hospital.  

While Dave and his team work on building momentum and opening a brick-and-mortar store for their fashion brand N’arrête Jamais, Dave tries to ration his time and health to keep up with his ambition. But no matter if he’s at home or in hospital, nothing’s gonna stop him from building an empire.  

Gaitrie Persaud is a Tkaronto-Guyanese raised Deaf actor, activist and mother of three based in Toronto. An ASL coach and ASL music performer, she is also the founder of Phoenix the Fire, a theatre community hub for BIPOC Deaf artists, where she is building the support structure she finds lacking in Canada.  

Gaitrie is currently a news presenter on Sign 1 in Atlanta as well as a regular on Nickelodeon Jr. Blues Clues & You and CBC Gem’s Silly Paws. Gaitrie strives to balance two lives—one in Toronto with her family and the other in Atlanta, where a thriving Deaf community offers opportunity.