I am the City Councillor for Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina and I have served the ward since December 2010. We are lucky to be home to many coworking spaces in Ward 19. I enjoy the fact that in my ward there are so many friendships being built across sectors as people work together in shared spaces. Places like this can only build community and make us stronger.

There’s more on me available at mikelayton.to, but I’ll tell you a little bit. I studied Political Science and Environmental Management at UofT and then went on to complete a Masters in Planning at York. I’ve worked in the NGO sector and more recently at Environmental Defence Canada as their Deputy Outreach Director where I had the privilege of working on the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. In my role as Councillor I chair the Toronto and East York Community Council and the Aboriginal Affairs Committee. I serve on the Parks and Environment Committee, Affordable Housing Committee, Budget Committee, Music Advisory Council, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and a number of other bodies at the City.

As a City Councillor I am able to help build communities in my ward and across the city. The coworking communities core values of collaboration, community, openness, accessibility, and sustainability are exactly the values I strive to foster locally. I am proud of our coworking spaces in Toronto and I am excited that this conference is being hosted here.