The staff at Ethos embody our core values and teach essential skills for learning debate and speech.
Our instructors have debating and coaching experience all around the world, bringing in a rich diversity of perspectives. At Ethos Academy, our staff’s passion for coaching and debate shines through in everything we do.
STAFF
Our Administration
Head Coach, Founder
Jason Xiao
Jason Xiao is one of the most successful coaches in Canadian history. As the coach of Team Canada from 2019 to 2021, Jason coached his students to win the 2020 edition of World Schools Debating Championships, the most prestigious high school debate tournament in the world. Apart from that, Team Canada has won or made the finals at 10 out of the 11 other tournaments they competed at during Jason’s tenure as a coach, including ARGO Open, the Harvard World Schools Invitational, EurOpens, and more. Moreover, Jason has coached three students who placed in the top ten speakers of WSDC.
Jason’s coaching philosophy is influenced by his experience as a debater. As a high school student, Jason finished as the 5th best speaker in the world and a finalist at the World Schools Debating Championships. During his time at the University of Oxford, Jason won the World Universities Debating Championships and placed as the 5th best speaker, defeating over 350 other teams and 700 other debaters.
From Jason’s time as a law student at Oxford University, he brings a teaching philosophy that fosters intellectual and academic growth. Through emulating many aspects of the Oxford teaching system, he brings forward innovative teaching strategies like small tutorial groups which discuss a set of preassigned readings to further critical thinking and educational growth.
Aside from debating, Jason enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele.
Founder
Jacqueline Belzberg
Jacqueline has been involved with debate for 9 years as a speaker, coach and administrator, providing a wealth of experience in management to Ethos. At 17, Jacqueline took on an integral management position at a well established debate company where she was able to support its growth on a national level. As an active coach and judge, Jacqueline has learned to adapt and learn from global debate trends, coaching 14 teams to break at various Canadian National Championships and judging the quarterfinals of the World Schools Debating Championships. This experience allows her to tailor classes, instructors, and tournament opportunities to maximize the learning and success of every student.
Outside of Ethos, Jacqueline is currently the coach at Canada’s most successful debate and public speaking independent high school and a coordinator for the Debate and Speech Association of British Columbia. When she’s not coaching, Jacqueline can be found organizing tournaments locally, nationally and internationally having run over 40 debate and public speaking events in the last 2 years.
In her personal life, Jacqueline enjoys travelling and taking photos with her dog.
STAFF
Our Instructors
Matt Hazell
Matt studied at the University of Cambridge, where he was head of debating. Since graduating he has been working as a professional debating coach around the world, and was assistant coach of the Hong Kong WSDC Team. He is now a full-time teacher at a private school in London, and is the co-founder of Doxbridge Debating.
In 2017 he was named the overall Best Speaker at the European Universities Debating Championships, and is the reigning WUDC Masters’ Champion. He will be the CA of the upcoming Zagreb European Universities Debating Championships 2022.
Matt competed (video here) on the BBC TV quiz show “University Challenge”, representing St John’s College Cambridge; importantly, they beat Oxford in the final!
Tin Puljić
Tin is the reigning WUDC Open Champion and WUDC Best Open Speaker; and is also the current champion of both LSE Open and the HWS Round Robin.
Furthermore, Tin is a WUDC 2019 Open Grand Finalist, EUDC 2019 Open finalist and ESL champion, WUDC 2020 Open quarterfinalist and EUDC 2018 ESL finalist and Open semifinalist. Tin has also been Oxford IV ESL champion twice, Cambridge IV Open semifinalist twice, and Durham IV Open champion.
Apart from this, Tin has won 19 other tournaments including Athens Open, Doxbridge 3, Berlin IV, Warwick IV and Imperial Open.
As a speaker, Tin has 67 international speaking breaks, out of which he has debated in 50 different finals.
Tin has also been ranked best ESL speaker at WUDC 2020 (having defended the title in 2021) and EUDC 2019, and he was also the best Open speaker at Cambridge IV 2019, 3rd Open speaker at EUDC 2019, a top 10 Open speaker at WUDC 2020, 3rd speaker at the HWS RR, as well as best speaker at 21 other international tournaments including Durham IV, Manchester IV, Imperial IV, KCL Open and Leiden Open.
Tin was DCA at Astana EUDC 2020, as well as being having chaired an ESL Semifinal and judged an Open Semifinal, and he has also chaired an Open Semifinal at Madrid EUDC 2021. Tin has furthermore judged the Open Final of Doxbridge Worlds, chaired the ESL Final of Cambridge IV and the ESL Semifinal of Oxford IV, as well as chairing the ESL Final of Pre-Korea WUDC Online. In his judging career, he has amassed 42 judging breaks out of which he has judged a total of 30 different finals and been on the adjudication core of 20+ international tournaments, including Yale IV, Doxbridge 2, Imperial IV and Trinity IV.
Lovro Šprem
Lovro has recently won the Korea WUDC Open finals and was 2nd best Open and ESL speaker. His achievements include winning LSE Open 2021, HWS Round Robbin 2021, Athens EUDC ESL Finals, Doxbridge 3, Athens pre-EUDC Open, Oxford IV ESL Finals, Manchester 2021, Split 2021 and others. He made the finals at Cape Town WUDC and Athens EUDC in the Open category and Novi Sad finals in ESL category.
His judging experience includes ESL Finals and Open Semifinals at Thailand WUDC, Astana EUDC Open Finals, Doxbridge Worlds 2021 and Cambridge IV 2020 Open finals chair, Korea pre WUDC 2020, SIDO 2019 and Herzen Open finals.
As a CA, Lovro has been to over 30 competitions, including DCAing Madrid EUDC, Princeton IV 2021, Doxbridge 4, Imperial IV 2021, Ed Cup 2021, Leiden Open 2020, Budapest Open 2019 and others. He will be CA for Madrid WUDC.
He has experience with organizing and coaching at different developmental and training events such as: Mediterranean Debate Academy, Porto Debate Academy and Serbian Summer Debating School.
Anna Saint
Anna Saint has been a competitive debater for 10 years and has been coaching for 6. Outside of Ethos, she coaches at Canada’s most successful independent high school for debate and speech and was previously a coach of the Danish National Team. Anna has quickly become one of the top public speaking coaches in the world, coaching 7 students to a top ten finish at the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in the past two years alone. In the same period, she coached 8 teams to debate finals at various Canadian National Championships. Throughout high school, she also excelled in French Debate winning the French Stream of the Pan-American Debating Championships in 2016 and top-speaking Canadian French Nationals twice. Currently, Anna is pursuing a degree in International Relations at the University of British Columbia and continues to compete in the university circuit.
Hadar Goldberg
Hadar is currently a student at Tel Aviv University. In her time in university, she was the ESL Champion of WUDC 2020, an ESL finalist at EUDC 2019, and a top 10 speaker at Cambridge IV 2020. Hadar is also a phenomenal judge, having judged the ESL Finals of EUDC 2020 and the finals of Oxford IV 2019. She will be a DCA for Belgrade WUDC and Madrid EUDC.
As a coach, Hadar has been coaching students in Israel who have won numerous regional championships. Hadar is now a co-coach of Team Israel. Furthermore, Hadar is prolific in coaching and teaching in the university debate circuit, having helped organize and coach a number of training academies.
Taha Iqbal
Taha is currently pursuing a masters degree in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
Taha has been debating for the past 9 years and during that time period, he has made it to the finals of the World Universities Debating Championship, the European Universities Debating Championship, ranking 5th best speaker and the Cambridge IV where he was the 9th best speaker overall. Additionally, he was ranked 2nd best speaker at the Yale IV and at Doxbridge Worlds, which he won.
Before enrolling at LSE, Taha represented LUMS at various international majors, breaking at the United Asian Championships thrice and making it to the open quarterfinals of the Australasian Championships. During his time there, he coached a school team that went on to make it to 5 finals out of 6 tournaments in a calendar year, winning 4 of them.
Naomi Panovka
Naomi is currently completing a BA in Political Science at McGill University. Naomi spent two years on the Canadian National Debate Team, placing both 7th speaker and reaching the finals of the World Schools Debating Championship. In high school, she won 8 tournaments and was a top speaker at over 10 competitions, including being a top speaker and two time champion of the Harvard World Schools Debating Championship. Naomi has continued debating in university. She has won 9 tournaments, and reached the finals of Doxbridge Worlds, and the Oxford IV. She presently coaches the Panamanian National Team.
Trenton Sewell
Trenton is currently completing an MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy at the London School of Economics. He has also completed a Bachelor in Laws at the University of Cambridge. Trenton was on the Canadian National Debate Team in high school. During that period he won the Pan-American Debate Championship, top spoke the Canadian National Debating Championship, and won and top spoke the British Columbian Provincial Championship. Trenton has continued debating in university. During his three years of university debate, Trenton has won the 2019 European University Debating Championship, ranked second-best team at the 2019 World University Debating Championship, and made quarter-finals at the World University Debating Championship twice. He has coached debate in various settings and styles throughout the last four years.
Anwyn Diakuw
Anwyn Diakuw is a fourth year Professional Communications student at Ryerson University. Anwyn loves coaching and debating. She was a member of the 2018 Canadian National Team and represented Team Canada at WSDC in Croatia. As a member of Team Canada, Anwyn broke to the quarterfinals of EurOpens 2017 and won Harvard World Schools 2018. In addition, Anwyn broke to the quarterfinals of the Pan-American Schools Debating Championships 2016. When she isn’t coaching or debating Anwyn loves playing basketball and reading.
TESTIMONIALS
What Our Students Say
