Empower Change Together Gala 2025

Empower Change Together Gala 2025

Come join us for an unforgettable night at The Pipe Shop! The Empower Change Together Gala 2025 is a gathering of like-minded individuals passionate about making a difference in mental health and addiction. This in-person event will feature inspiring speakers, live entertainment, and opportunities to connect with others who share your commitment to positive change. Don't miss out on this chance to be part of a community dedicated to creating a better future for all.

Location: The Pipe Shop, 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver, BC V7L 0B2

Date & Start Time: April 12, 2025, 5:00 PM

Honourees: Mathew Knowles, Bif Naked, Guy Felicella, & Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon.

Dress code: Semi-Formal or Cocktail

Contact: info@changespace.foundation

What we are raising funds for

This event will help Change Space enhance the Integrated Recovery Program. Developed by a team of experts at Empower Health, the Integrated Recovery Program combines therapies such as integrated health services, holistic nutrition, advanced mind-body medicine, neurofeedback, and ketamine-assisted therapy for those recovering from the impact of substance misuse and mental health.

This program is not about dealing with the effects of drug use – it is deliberately designed to deliver lasting, foundational change through healing and transformation at a root-cause level. This program is working, but it is not readily available to those who cannot access insurance, benefits, or private pay services.

In partnership with Together We Can, we hope to offer these services to individuals who present the need for alternative therapies.

Meet our Honourees of the Change Space Humanitarian Award 2025

Mathew Knowles has always been a man who's defied the odds and believed in his ability to bring his dreams to life.

That belief would change the course of the entertainment industry, and leave a mark on popular culture in a way that few have ever dared to conceive in their minds, let alone attempt to bring to fruition.

After all, few can boast about beginning their lives walking down a dirt road in Alabama to walking down the red carpet at the Grammys while defying the odds of segregation.

From his early days as a record-breaking sales professional, to music industry titan, to author, professor and entrepreneur, to his current focus in film and television, Mathew Knowles holds many titles, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment is his ability to help others see the potential in themselves.

It's not about the music, the books, the awards, or the speeches; it's about helping others discover what's possible when you live your passion.

Guy Felicella grew up in a middle-class home in British Columbia, but due to trauma, undiagnosed ADHD and difficulty at home and school, he fell into addiction at a young age. Guy spent 30 years in the repeated cycle of gangs, addiction, treatment, and jail.

He spent nearly twenty years residing in a two-block radius in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. Miraculously, with sheer determination and the help of others through harm reduction and recovery, Guy managed to survive the HIV/AIDS crisis in the DTES, two decades of being homeless, multiple life-threatening bone infections, and six drug overdoses.

Today, Guy has escaped the grips of the turmoil that kept him suffering and currently resides with his wife and three young children with over a decade of recovery and sobriety under his belt.

Bif Naked is a celebrated and notorious performer in music, TV, film, and dance, as well as a tireless advocate and humanitarian. Orphaned in India, emancipated by punk rock, and empowered by surviving breast cancer, kidney failure, heart surgery, divorce, and surviving as a Woman in The Entertainment Industry for twenty-five years, Bif has transcended any and all obstacles placed in her path to become one of the world’s most unique, recognizable and beloved icons. It is because Bif is such a tremendous performer and musician, that she is able to seamlessly and successfully explore and record other mediums, like writing, painting, choreography, and of course- other genres of music. When asked about what her favourite pastimes are, she has only one answer: “Living Loudly.”

Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon is a Canadian neuropsychologist who has been serving as the 17th president of the University of British Columbia since November 2023. He previously served as the 15th president of Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario from 2018 to 2023. His first academic appointment was in the Department of Psychology at Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Following serious labour strife at Bishop’s, he was asked to serve as Chief Negotiator for the union and led the settlement of several collective agreements. He later served as Chair of Psychology, Dean of Arts and Science, and Associate VP Research at the institution.

To contribute to breaking down the stigma around mental health and substance use, Bacon has shared his difficult upbringing in a dysfunctional family and subsequent challenges in early adulthood.

About Change Space

Too many are struggling on their own – when we know there’s a world of good out there. Good intentions, great ideas, and the commitment needed to tackle the problems most communities face: poverty, addiction, mental health, an environmental crisis… the list can seem endless.

What’s missing? That’s easy – it’s the funding needed to put the ideas and commitment to work on the ground. Today.

Change Space is partnering with companies to put their growing commitments to sustainability and social good to work – helping ensure their funding delivers the greatest impact.

For more information and donor and sponsorship inquiries, please contact: info@changespace.foundation