2026 PAC Symposium Program

The 2026 PAC Symposium program delivers a dynamic mix of education, insight, and inspiration designed specifically for today’s Pedorthic professional. Featuring expert-led sessions, practical takeaways, and timely industry discussions, the program supports professional growth, innovation, and collaboration. From clinical advancements to business strategies, each session is thoughtfully curated to provide meaningful value you can apply immediately while creating meaningful space to connect, share, and learn alongside peers from across the country.

Symposium Program

Thursday, April 23

Time Event or Session Sponsor Location
4:15pm – 6:30pm Registration Opens ABC Foyer
4:30pm – 7:00pm Exhibit Hall Opening Reception Bauerfeind Ballroom A+B

Friday, April 24

Time Event or Session Sponsor Location
7:15am Registration Opens ABC Foyer
7:30am – 8:15am Mentorship Breakfast ABC Foyer
7:30am – 8:15am Breakfast & Exhibit Hall Vittoria Phoenix Ballroom A+B
8:30am – 8:45am Opening Remarks Ballroom C
8:45am – 9:45am Keynote: Strategic Growth for Pedorthic Clinics: Building Resilient Practices in a Changing Market with Peter Wright Ballroom C
image one Canada’s rehabilitation sector is undergoing rapid transformation, and Pedorthic clinic owners and leaders are navigating a complex mix of competitive pressures, rising costs, and shifting patient expectations. In this keynote plenary, Peter Wright of The Planning Group will share strategic insights drawn from extensive work with healthcare organizations across Canada and recent national research on the structure and dynamics of the rehab clinic market. This session will focus on how Pedorthic leaders can strengthen their business fundamentals, define clear growth strategies, and build resilient practices that thrive in today’s environment. Participants will explore: – How to develop a strategic roadmap tailored to their clinic’s goals and market realities. – Approaches to improve profitability and business value to support sustainable expansion. – Approaches to clarify their clinic’s value proposition and differentiate in a crowded market. – Practical tools for aligning business decisions with long-term success—whether scaling, transitioning, or preparing for future ownership changes. Grounded in real-world examples and actionable frameworks, this session offers a fresh perspective for Pedorthic clinic owners and leaders seeking to grow their businesses with confidence and clarity.
9:45am – 10:00am Nutrition Break Ballroom A+B
10:00am – 10:45am Curiosity Built This: Turning Everyday Problems Into Better Products with Dani Kagan Ballroom C
image two Dani Kagan, founder of Mave & Chez, translates direct experience with foot pain into innovative product solutions. This talk offers pedorthists invaluable insights into building consumer trust, empathetic design, and iterative product development grounded in real-world needs. Learn practical principles for bringing clinical expertise into products that patients will adopt and use daily.
10:45am – 11:15am Nutrition Break & Exhibit Hall Ballroom A+B
11:15am – 12:00pm Sole Session with Jeremy Williams C. Ped (C) and Michelle Laviolette C. Ped (C) OrthoScale Ballroom C
image one image one An interactive roundtable designed to foster open discussion on business topics relevant to Pedorthic practice. This is a safe and supportive space for members to share successes, challenges, and insights as they navigate running a business. Together, we’ll explore ways to strengthen our profession and grow the Pedorthic industry. Topics are driven by member feedback and have included patient experience and retention, marketing, compensation and income, lab/manufacturing, and alternative revenue streams. Hot topics that will be discussed during this panel include Pedorthic Fees and Alternative Revenue. Come share your ideas, ask questions, and connect with colleagues—we’re here to support one another.
12:00pm – 1:45pm Lunch Break & Exhibit Hall Ballroom A+B
1:45pm – 2:30pm Get a Grip: How to Create Vision, Traction and Healthy in Your Business with Brett Thompson Ballroom C
image three Brett Thompson, an experienced EOS Implementer, will demonstrate how the Entrepreneurial Operating System can help pedorthic practices simplify operations, build accountable teams, and achieve consistent growth. Learn practical tools to solve root issues, gain clarity, and turn your vision into measurable traction.
2:30pm – 3:15pm Nutrition Break & Exhibit Hall Ballroom A+B
3:15pm – 3:45pm IGR Communication Clinical Impressions with Clarity and Purpose with Matt Deeter C. Ped (C) Ballroom C
image four Matt Deeter, C. Ped (C) with 20 years of diverse clinical and business experience, will address a critical challenge: documenting and communicating medical need for custom orthotics with clarity and compliance. Learn standardized language and insurer-friendly strategies to confidently justify treatment, align with CPC standards, and navigate increasing documentation demands.
3:45pm – 4:30pm Strengthening Pedorthic Documentation: Insights from a National Audit with Andrea Di Croce Ballroom C
image five Andrea Di Croce, Chief Medical Officer at BioPed, presents critical findings from a mandatory national audit of 72 pedorthic clinics. This session reveals common documentation gaps and provides actionable strategies to strengthen your SOAP notes, align with College standards, and protect your certification. Leave with practical tools to elevate the clarity, defensibility, and quality of your clinical records.
5:00pm – 6:00pm CPC AGM Ballroom C
7:30pm – 11:30pm Social Night at The Vue National Shoe Specialties Ltd

Saturday, April 25

Time Event or Session Sponsor Location
7:00am – 7:45am Workout Class: An Energizing Morning Yoga Experience   Montreal A+B
image 5399 Start your day with an energizing and accessible yoga session led by Lise Dallien MacMillan, a Certified Pedorthist and Kinesiologist. This practice is designed specifically for professionals, using gentle flow and breathwork to enhance circulation, focus, and body awareness. You will leave feeling physically refreshed and mentally centered, ready to engage fully in the conference with reduced stress and a renewed appreciation for your own strength and mobility.    
7:30am – 3:45pm Registration Opens   ABC Foyer
7:45am – 8:30am Breakfast GoEngineer Ballroom A+B
8:15am – 8:30 am Welcome and Housekeeping Notes   Ballroom C
8:30am – 9:30am Keynote: Fear of Falling: Unlocking Movement Through Interdisciplinary Care with Chantal von Shoenberg   Ballroom C
image six Chantal von Schoenberg, DPT, brings over 25 years of expertise in balance and mobility to challenge traditional fall-prevention models. This session explores how fear of falling limits movement and reveals an interdisciplinary, restoration-focused framework to rebuild patient confidence. Learn practical strategies to identify fear-based behaviors and collaborate effectively with pedorthists to transform care outcomes.    
9:30am – 9:45am Break   Ballroom A+B
9:45am – 10:45am Custom Orthotic Manufacturing Chain with Jeff Lewis C. Ped (C)    
image five Jeff Lewis completed his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology and later pursued Pedorthics at Western University after discovering orthotics during his recovery from knee surgery. With more than 15 years of experience managing clinics, multidisciplinary centres, and a nationwide manufacturing lab, he has built a career focused on business growth, operational efficiency, and innovation in the Pedorthic profession.

As founder of GOSLabs, Jeff has invested heavily in the digital evolution of custom orthotic manufacturing, including client portals, scanning applications, and advanced 3D printing technology. His work is driven by a vision to give pedorthists greater control over the manufacturing side of custom orthotic development while improving quality and turnaround times.

In this session, Lewis will present a modern manufacturing model designed specifically for pedorthists. He will outline how clinics can reduce dependence on third-party lab services, lower overhead costs, minimize equipment and space requirements, and streamline labour-intensive processes. Attendees will gain practical insight into how innovative supply-chain solutions can create new revenue opportunities, improve workflow efficiency, and support scalable practice growth.

    
10:45am – 11:00am Break    
11:00am – 11:45pm Strong Roots, Broader Reach; Diversifying your Pedorthic Practice with Andrea DiCroce, Crystal Kaufman C. Ped (C), Mark Garvie C. Ped (C)   Ballroom C
image five A panel discussion focused on the areas of Footwear, Compression, Bracing and Allied Health connections. The session will explore practical ways pedorthists can expand their clinical offerings through complementary services.    
11:00am – 11:45pm Rockered Footwear as a Pain-Reduction Intervention for Metatarsalgia with Allison Penner   Toronto
Allison Penner Allison Penner, a graduate researcher from the Wilfrid Laurier Neuromechanics Lab, will present a study on rockered footwear for metatarsalgia. Her research, conducted in partnership with Kintec, employs plantar pressure analysis to compare how two distinct rocker designs, with and without orthoses, affect forefoot offloading during walking. The session will share key results on pressure redistribution and pain reduction relative to a barefoot baseline. This practical evidence aims to equip pedorthists with clearer insights for designing more targeted, effective footwear and orthotic interventions to manage this common forefoot condition.    
11:45pm- 1:15pm President’s Lunch    
1:15pm – 2:00pm Rebuilding Confidence: Practical Strategies to Reduce Fear of Falling and Increase Mobility with Chantal von Shoenberg   Ballroom C
image six Chantal von Schoenberg moves beyond theory to deliver practical tools for clinical practice. This session will equip you with actionable strategies to identify fear-based behaviors, modify treatment approaches, and design collaborative care plans that rebuild patient confidence. Learn to apply real-world, movement-based techniques that promote safe exploration and restore mobility.    
2:00pm – 2:15pm Break    
2:15pm – 3:00pm Forging the Future: Integrating the Next Generation of Pedorthists with Katrina McIntosh, Kalsey Smith C. Ped (C), Jenn Gould C. Ped (C) and Alison Kis C. Ped (C)    
image seven This panel explores how the future of pedorthics depends on intentional mentorship, education, and stronger pathways from course work to clinical practice. Panelists will dive into collaboration between educators, clinicians, and the association to better support students entering the field and equip them with the skills needed to thrive and what that can do for pedorthic businesses.    
2:15pm – 3:00pm Building the Foundation: Corrective Exercises for Functional Foot Longevity with Stuart Wakefield    
image oneoneone An often over-looked aspect of movement longevity, the foot is both a crucial biomechanical and sensory structure in the human body. It is the foundation of human movement, influencing stability, force transfer, and function throughout the entire kinetic chain. This session will explore how targeted corrective exercises can complement pedorthic care by improving foot strength, mobility, and neuromuscular control, highlighting ways to encourage intrinsic foot activation, improve proprioception and mechanoception, and support more resilient movement patterns. Attendees will leave with actionable concepts and corrective exercise ideas that can be integrated into patient education and care, helping to support stronger foundations for movement, improved outcomes, and long-term foot health.    
3:00pm – 3:15pm Break    
3:15pm – 4:00pm How Loading Magnitude and Speed Shape Foot Sole Mechanics: Implications for Injury Prevention and Footwear Design with Ashley Vanderhaeghe   Toronto
image ten This session explores the critical mechanical role of plantar skin beyond its sensory function. It examines how the foot sole deforms under gait-related loads, focusing on regional variations and skin’s viscoelastic nature. The discussion highlights how loading speed and site-specific hardness influence skin displacement, which in turn affects mechanoreceptor activation and potential injury risk in different areas. By integrating biomechanical data and sensory perspectives, the talk argues that a detailed understanding of these tissue mechanics is essential for clinical design. This knowledge can guide the development of interventions that better optimize comfort, sensory feedback, and load distribution.    
3:15pm – 4:00pm The Supinated Foot: Biomechanics, Assessment and Orothotic Management with Nick Caravaggio C. Ped (C)   Ballroom C
image ten This presentation will explore the biomechanics and clinical assessment of the supinated foot and its impact on lower limb function, injury risk and orthotic management. It will discuss the etiologies, including structural, neuromuscular and compensatory causes as well as identifying key kinematic and kinetic markers associated with supination. Followed by several case studies showing the video gait analysis and the orthotic management.    
4:00pm – 4:30pm Casting and Scanning: The Past, Present, and Future with Kyle Ballinghoff    
image twentyfive Explores the evolution of foot impression and fabrication techniques in the custom orthotic industry, comparing traditional methods such as plaster and foam impressions with modern digital technologies, including mobile 3D scanning applications and systems like the Amfit Contact Digitizer. This session examines patient stance protocols, data accuracy, and the shift toward integrated digital workflows incorporating CAD/CAM milling and 3D printing. Attendees will gain practical insight into how adopting contemporary scanning and fabrication technologies can improve clinical consistency, increase production efficiency, enhance patient experience, and create new opportunities for business growth within their practice.    
4:30pm – 4:45pm Closing Remarks