sarah baldeo: from ai neuroscientist to cancer survivor

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 Meet Sarah Baldeo, a dynamic and seasoned professional with nearly 20 years of leadership experience in neuroscience, technology, corporate strategy, and entrepreneurship.  Sarah's keynotes illuminate the intersection between neural resilience, innovation, and change management. 

To date Sarah has spoken on more than 1100 stages globally - from Canada, USA, UK, EU, Singapore, & Malaysia.
 

In 2025 Sarah has been named to the Leading Women to Watch List (curated by Forbes Futurists), a finalist for the 2025 Women in AI North America Awards, & nominated for the 2025 Women of Influence RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.

Professional Journey:

Sarah has an impressive investor track record of founding and successfully exiting two consulting firms and assisting three companies in going public. As a former Partner at CGI, a globally recognized IT and business consulting services firm, Sarah led initiatives in innovation technology, digital, and cloud transformation. A constant creative disruptor, she has designed applications for Uber and Google in biometrics and collaborated with major banks on digital identity.

Current Roles:

- CEO, IDQ Advisory Group: Leading a boutique IT firm since 2010.
- Previous Senior Executive Roles: Canada News Wire, Ceridian, FinancialForce, TransparentBusiness, Insurance Search Bureau, CGI, and Deloitte Canada.

A Lifelong Learner:
- Executive MBA, University of Toronto
- Neuroscience Degree, York University
- Certifications from Princeton, Ryerson, and University of Illinois

Leadership and Community Involvement:
Sarah has chaired the Professional Background Screening Association, contributed to the Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce, and engaged with initiatives like RBC's Women in Identity. She served on the University of California Advisory Board for Leadership and completed a term on the CivicAction ELN Executive Committee.

Advisory and Mentorship:
- Mentor since 2022: Women’s Infrastructure Network
- Advisory Board Member 2023-2024: Napice, a learning platform for engineers
- Board of Directors 2023-2024: Cyber Security Global Alliance

Creative Ventures:
Sarah's creative side has seen her act on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Fox, and appear in national TV commercials for brands like Autotrader and BNN Bloomberg.

A proud Torontonian, Sarah is dedicated to enhancing accessibility and equity in the global economy. Sarah currently travels from Chicago & Miami.
 

Since 2006 Sarah has been speaking on Conference stages across the world, from workshops to 40,000+ person audiences. Demystifying tech, science, and change is at the core of Sarah's creative vision to empower audiences with knowledge

 
Sarah Baldeo is a sought-after speaker and has been invited to speak at numerous events and conferences. In August 2023 Sarah gave her first TEDx talk in Toronto: “Ballistic Interruption, The Neuroscience of Resilience.” 

Sarah is a recurring neurotechnology expert on national television, and was a featured guest on more than a dozen shows in 2024, with monthly appearances on CTV News in Canada in 2025. 

You can read about her adventure as a cancer survivor, lone parent for more than a decade, and 6x Founder in The Globe & Mail - Canada's most read newspaper!