Sophia Wealth Academy 2025 – Women, Money & Empowerment

Dr. Alexina Mehta

Dr. Alexina Mehta is an award-winning and globally recognized expert in women’s health and holistic wellness. With over 21 years of experience in diverse healing systems—including Naturopathic Medicine, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Health Coaching, Pneuma Transpersonal Psychology, Pneuma Breathwork, and Energy Medicine—she is a sought-after speaker, educator, and mentor. Dr. Mehta has delivered more than 2,000 talks worldwide, addressing audiences at the United Nations, health centers, universities, businesses, and nonprofits. Her expertise spans topics such as women’s health, stress management, work-life balance, and resilience, which she has shared with over 150 organizations globally.

She is the creator of The Vibrant Body Code, a transformative program that helps women balance hormones, detoxify, and boost their energy. Over the last decade, Dr. Mehta has led women’s health workshops across Canada, Europe, and India and facilitated Ayurveda retreats in India and Hawaii, empowering participants to achieve optimal wellness.

dralexinamehta.com

Dr. Tamara Myers

Tamara Myers is Professor of History at the University of British Columbia. Her specializations include women’s and gender history and the history of youth, delinquency, and juvenile justice. Her books include Caught: Montreal’s Modern Girls and the Law, 1869-1945 and Youth Squad: Policing Children in the 20th Century; co-edited collections include Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History and The Difference Kids Make: Bringing Children and Youth into Canadian History. She is a deputy editor of Women’s History Review and is a past President of the Society for the History of Children and Youth. She teaches courses on public history and the global 1960s. Her current project is a history of runaways and street kids in Canada from the 1960s.

Amanda Kao

Amanda Kao (she/her) is the founder and CEO of The Bad Academy, an organization that creates and produces workshops for women taught by women with the intention of teaching women to be more self-sufficient and self-confident, but, more importantly, to have more fun! Before founding Bad Academy, Amanda worked as an HR and Operations consultant for tech, social and environmental justice, and various start-ups.

Amanda is a respected speaker and facilitator for brands and organizations including Arc’teryx, Lululemon, UBC, and more on topics relating to women’s advocacy and business.

thebadacademy.com

Dr. Rachel Lewis

Rachel Lewis began practicing insight meditation in 2003, while completing her physics PhD at Yale. Since 2011, she has taught dharma and meditation classes and retreats in British Columbia and beyond. She completed the IMS/IRC 4-year teacher training in 2021, and is a guiding teacher of the British Columbia Insight Meditation Society. Her dharma teaching interests include the power of music, humour, and creativity to increase our capacity for learning, as well as the way that practice supports and is supported by social justice work. See her upcoming events on her website  rachelmeditates.ca

Dr. Maria Gallo

Dr. Maria Gallo is a Professor of Teaching at the University of British Columbia’s School of Kinesiology, a position she has held since 2009. With a strong academic background from the University of Guelph (BSc, 2000), followed by a Ph.D. in Muscle/Exercise Biochemistry from the University of Alberta (2007), and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in gene and blood doping (UBC, 2008), Maria teaches at the undergraduate and graduate level in the area of health and sport performance. For the past decade, she has dedicated significant effort to creating and developing a graduate program in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership. As the Director, she is addressing the growing need for sophisticated training for coaches and technical leaders in high-performance sport.

In addition to her academic work, Maria is an accomplished athlete and coach, with an extensive rugby career at the national and international levels. A key member of the Canadian Women’s National Rugby Team (1999-2010), she has represented Canada in multiple World Cups in the 15s format and 7s. As a coach, she has significantly contributed to developing athletes at both the University of British Columbia and in the Canadian rugby system. Her coaching philosophy focuses on creating a team environment built on respect, trust, and open communication, with an emphasis on continuous development and long-term success.

When not on the rugby pitch or the lecture hall, she can be found lifting weights, running, playing squash, walking her dog, Brownie or playing soccer with her 8 yr old son, William.

Mihael Mamychshvili

Mihael has spent the last 25 years exploring, researching, learning and working with the effects of traumatic events on the bodymind.  Past Founder & Lead Therapist of Angel Hands Integrative Trauma and Chronic pain center, he has personally treated over 15,000 people created customized programs collaborating and working with a team of: Naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, psychologists, counselors, occupational therapist, massage therapists, osteopaths, acupuncturists, nutritionists and yoga therapists.

His specialty is reconnecting the communication between the mind and body. His innovative approach to the body and broad knowledge and experience have led to his reputation as a therapist who can initiate transformative change.

More recently Mihael created NeuroPath Reset Method to teach people how to release patterns of chronic pain, trauma, PTSD and visceral pain.

neuropathresetmethod.com and angelhands.ca/therapists/mihael-mamychshvili

Tracy Theemes

Tracy Theemes is a financial advisor and co-founder of Sophia Financial Group, an investment advisory firm that works with high net worth clients while devoting a day each week to pro bono clients who do not have access to needed financial advice and support.

For 15 years, she has spearheaded, “Sophia Wealth Academy” a one day education event and fundraiser for Dress For Success. She is the co-host of “Wise Money Moves,” an often humorous and always engaging podcast about managing money, relationships and power.

Tracy holds an M.A. in Counselling Psychology and did her Doctoral work in child psychology at UBC. She is a Certified Financial Planner, insurance licensed and a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. She received the UBC Education Alumni 100 award for her community leadership in promoting financial literacy and has been nominated for the YWCA Woman of Distinction award in Business and the Professions and the BIV Influential Women in Business award.

Tracy was awarded the International Alliance of Women Global 100 Award for her work in empowering women through education. Her book “The Financially Empowered Woman” won the Bronze prize for the Living Now awards for finance and economics and the Axiom Gold medal in the category of personal finance.

sophiafinancial.ca