Dr. Dave Williams is an astronaut, aquanaut, jet pilot, ER doctor, scientist, and CEO. The former Director of Space & Life Sciences at NASA, he has flown to space twice, once on the space shuttle Columbia and once on Endeavor, logging over thirteen million kilometres in space and over seventeen hours of spacewalks. He has lived and worked on the world’s only undersea research habitat and is the recipient of five honourary degrees, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario. Williams lives in Oakville with his wife, Cathy, two kids, Evan and Olivia, and nephew, Theo. Connect with him on Twitter @AstroDaveMD.

Bob McKenzie is a Canadian broadcaster, journalist, and author. Known as the TSN Hockey Insider, Bob has covered Canada’s favourite sport for forty years. He is the former editor-in-chief of The Hockey News, hockey columnist for The Toronto Star, and the author of three national bestsellers, including the first two books in this series. He lives in Fenelon Falls, Ontario. Follow him on Twitter @TSNBobMcKenzie.

Mark Abley is an award-winning poet, journalist, and author. His books include The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English and Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages, a New York Times Notable Book, a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year, a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year, and a Discover Magazine Top 20 Science Book of the Year. Abley lives in Montreal. Learn more at MarkAbley.com.

Anna Porter is the award-winning author of ten books, both fiction and nonfiction, most recently Deceptions and In Other Words: How I Fell in Love with Canada One Book at a Time. She has written five mystery novels, including The Appraisal, which was shortlisted for the Staunch Book Prize, and Mortal Sins. Kasztner’s Train won the 2007 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction and Ghosts of Europe won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. She cofounded Key Porter Books, an influential publishing house she ran for more than twenty years. In addition, she writes book reviews, opinion pieces, and stuff. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has received the Order of Ontario. Visit her at AnnaPorter.ca or connect with her on Twitter @AnnaPorter_Anna.

Jay Triano is the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, he attended school at Simon Fraser University, where he broke or equaled eleven school basketball records. Triano is a former captain of the Canadian men’s national basketball team, with whom he competed in two Olympics, and currently serves as the team’s head coach.