BNN Bloomberg is proud to announce the 2020 recipients of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award, a celebration of the top up-and-coming leaders in the country.
 

Michael Block

Senior Vice President, Strategy & Asset Liability Management, OMERS

Michael is Senior Vice President, Strategy & Asset Liability Management for OMERS, one of Canada’s largest pension funds with over $100B in assets and 500,000 members. Michael is responsible for developing OMERS overall strategy and the long-term target asset mix. This work guides the organization towards the achievement of its objectives and ability to deliver on its mission on behalf of members. He operates across the organization, working with partners in all investment businesses, pension services and corporate functions and informs Board and executive decisions. He currently serves on the Boards of Purpose Financial, a fast-growing financial services company and LifeLabs, a leading healthcare diagnostics company. 
 

Cheryl Brandon

Partner, Investment Management, Waterton Global Resource Management

Cheryl is a founding partner of Waterton Global. She was instrumental in the institutionalization of Waterton, co-leading multiple fundraising campaigns totalling US$1.75 billion, and providing thought leadership on portfolio construction and investment management. She has more than 15 years of experience managing capital on behalf of tier-1 global institutions. Cheryl co-founded Ashley’s Angels Fund, in partnership with SickKids, and The Giving 2 Girls Initiative focused on educating girls in developing countries. She served on the board of the CVCA and is on the board of the Canadian Women in Private Equity Association. Ms. Brandon is a CFA Charterholder and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Nonprofit Management at Columbia University.
 

Shawn Holden Cheung

Founder & CEO, Raising The Village

Since 2005, Shawn’s work has focused on finding solutions to the problem of ultra poverty. After graduating from McMaster University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, he joined a grassroots microfinance organization in Uganda, working alongside many families living in ultra poverty. During this time, Shawn identified gaps in services and opportunities that kept these communities trapped in the cycle of poverty. Working as a management consultant at Accenture by day, Shawn continued his research at night, funding program pilots with his personal savings to develop the model and methodology behind Raising The Village before officially launching in 2012. During this time Shawn also received his MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. To date, Raising The Village has successfully partnered with over 65,000 Ugandan families, helping them move out of ultra poverty and pave a pathway for economic self-sufficiency. At the intersection of practical fieldwork and rich analytics, the affordable and evidence-based program Shawn has developed is highly scalable, replicable, and has the potential to reach millions living in ultra poverty.  Recently, Raising The Village was able to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on food scarcity in rural Uganda by providing a reliable and sustainable food supply for a family of five, for twelve months, for less than $1.50, in the form of Ready-To-Eat garden boxes. This new initiative has reached 220,000 beneficiaries and is on track to reach 1 million more in the coming months.
 

Jeffrey W. Clarke

President & CEO, Inflector Environmental Services

As President & CEO of Inflector Environmental Services, Jeff develops high-level strategies, builds client relationships and leads operations nationally. Under Jeff’s leadership, Inflector has emerged as Canada’s leaders in environmental contracting, executing some of the largest-scale remediation projects in Canada’s history. Jeff’s passion for the industry and community spans far beyond Inflector. He supports an array of charitable causes and is on the board of directors for The Ottawa Hospital. Jeff’s ability to lead, impact, inspire others knows no bounds and is widely recognized by key stakeholders and organizations across the industry. 
 

Tim Coldwell

President, Chandos Construction

Tim is a husband, dad and indigenous entrepreneur focused on leading by serving, culture, and the monetization of ideas. He serves as President of Chandos Construction, an employee owned national technical builder that is leading change in the Canadian construction industry. Chandos is proud to be the first/largest B-Corp certified commercial general contractor in North America. Tim believes that business can generate economic value in a way that also produces value for society by addressing its challenges. Under Tim’s leadership, Chandos has forged partnerships with social enterprises across Canada focusing on employment of at-risk youth and those who are under-represented in the construction industry. Tim is an advisor to San Francisco’s Center for Innovation in the Design & Construction Industry (CIDCI) and the past board chair of the Integrated Project Delivery Alliance (IPDA). He has been named Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 and is an alumnus of the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference.
 

Andrew D'Souza

Co-founder & CEO, Clearbanc

Andrew is Co-founder & CEO of Clearbanc, the biggest ecommerce investor in the world. Clearbanc has invested $1 billion into 2,800+ ecommerce and software companies using data science to identify high-growth funding opportunities in less than 24 hours. This data-driven approach takes the bias out of decision making and helped fund 8 times more female founders than traditional VC. Andrew has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and is an adviser and investor to companies such as WealthSimple, Properly, and Tulip Retail. Prior to Clearbanc, he was the president of Nymi, a wearable platform focussed on identity and security and the COO of the education startup, TopHat. Andrew began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company after receiving his degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
 

Joelle Faulkner

CEO, Area One Farms Ltd

Joelle is CEO of Area One Farms, an alternative asset management firm she co-founded in 2012. Joelle created a farmer-centric private equity model to simultaneously help scale Canadian family farms and deliver premium investor returns. She has raised three funds and invested approximately $300 million in the acquisition and improvement of over 120,000 acres. Prior to establishing Area One Farms, Joelle holds degrees in Engineering and Business from Western; Law from Oxford; and a Masters of Laws and Certificate of Biodesign from Stanford University. She is a Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Scholar, a member of the New York Bar Association, on the list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100, and one of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women. She was recently named named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
 

Dr. Thalia Field

Associate Professor, Stroke Neurologist, Vancouver Stroke Program

Thalia is a stroke neurologist and clinician-researcher with a focus on clinical trials. She is currently leading a national study examining treatment and prognosis of cerebral venous thrombosis, a rare cause of stroke primarily affecting younger women. She has a particular interest in process improvement in clinical trials, including working with patients to identify important outcomes, and integrating existing and emergent technology to enhance efficiency and engage under-represented populations. She also investigates the impact of social determinants on brain health and has an outreach neurology clinic on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She is a Heart and Stroke Foundation National New Investigator and J.M. Henry Barnett Scholar and holds a Health Professional Investigator Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and a Clinician-Scientist Award from the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
 

Ashley Freeborn

Co-Founder & CEO, Smash + Tess

Ashley was an educator for a decade before cofounding Smash + Tess with her mother in 2016. The idea for S+T rose out of Ashley’s recognition of an unfilled niche in fashion— the loungewear market. Deciding to fill that void with affordable, stylish, comfortable loungewear, she attended the summer fashion program at Conde Nast in London, UK. Bootstrapping her idea to life, S+T has grown from 2 employees into a team of 23 in just 4 years. In 2019, S+T achieved 100% YOY growth, surpassing $10 million in sales. Ashley oversees everything from designing to financial planning to dreaming up fun and creative marketing campaigns. She is passionate about creating clothing that celebrates femininity, strength, style, and comfort in women of all shapes and sizes. She is committed to giving back, and S+T has spearheaded several charitable endeavours, raising tens of thousands for dollars. Ashley recently published her first children’s book, Frankie and the Magical Romper. She was named a 2019 Top Forty Under 40 by Business in Vancouver, and the CANIE BC Region chose her as their 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year.  She is also a celebrated presenter, touring North America to speak.
 

Lyla Garzouzi

Vice President, Distribution, Hydro One

Lyla is accountable for the safe and reliable delivery of electricity at Hydro One, serving 1.4 million customers in the province of Ontario. She leads a team of 3,500 employees and oversees more than $7 billion in assets. A passionate and energetic leader, Lyla has 16 years of experience at Hydro One, and brings a wealth of knowledge in the electricity distribution business. Under her leadership her team is modernizing the electricity system in Ontario through improved system design and the use of technology. Lyla is also dedicated to putting people first. She has served on multiple boards of directors, most recently focusing on affordable daycare services and she is the executive lead for Pride One, a group that supports Hydro One’s LGBTQ2S+ employees and allies. She is a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, and holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Lyla was recently promoted to Chief Safety Officer at Hydro One.
 

Stacey Gellatly

Director General, Western Canada Growth Strategy

Stacey is the Director General for the Government of Canada’s Western Economic Growth Strategy: a call to action to position western Canada for success over the next years as an innovative, inclusive, and connected economy. Her career has occupied a niche professional skillset centered around driving change in highly complex and often politically sensitive portfolios. She has lead through numerous disasters, including floods, wildfires, recessions, and the pandemic. Stacey has an unrelenting drive for results, and builds competent and confident future leaders in the process. Stacey holds a BA with Honours in Political Science from the University of Victoria, a MA in Global Governance obtained jointly through the University of Waterloo and the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, and was recently awarded International Top 40 under 40 in Economic Development.
 

Ghassan Halazon

Founder & CEO, EMERGE Commerce Inc.

Ghassan is a serial e-commerce entrepreneur with a decade of scaling some of the country’s most coveted e-commerce brands. He is founder and CEO of EMERGE, a rapidly growing acquirer and operator of niche e-commerce businesses with 2 million members across North America, counting leading discount sites such as UnderPar.com, WagJag.com, JustGolfStuff.ca, and BeRightBack.ca under its portfolio. EMERGE was recognized as one of the winners on the Startup 50, and Canada’s Top Growing Companies by the Globe and Mail. Ghassan’s entrepreneurial journey started at the age of 25. Over the past decade, companies founded or acquired by Ghassan have saved Canadians close to $1 billion, hired 350 employees, and raised capital from over 150 global investors. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.
 

Ken Harris

Founder & CEO, Plusgrade

Ken is the Founder & CEO of Plusgrade, a leading technology company in the global travel industry. Since founding Plusgrade in 2009, Ken has created a global business generating billions of dollars of new revenue opportunity and powering leading travel suppliers across over 50 countries. Under Ken's leadership, Plusgrade was honoured in 2018 with the prestigious Deloitte Technology Leadership award as the global leader in its sector and Plusgrade has also been consistently recognized as one of North America’s fastest growing technology companies in the annual Technology Fast 50™, Fast 500™ and Enterprise Fast 15™ awards. As an executive leader and proven entrepreneur, Ken has been featured and quoted in many notable worldwide publications including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TIME, La Presse, The Globe & Mail, The Economist and CNBC.
 

Katherine Homuth

Founder & CEO, Sheertex

Katherine is the Founder and CEO of Sheertex, the Y Combinator backed startup behind the world's first pair of unbreakable pantyhose - designed and manufactured in Montreal. She is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. Katherine has founded and sold two businesses; ShopLocket, a pre-order platform, was acquired in 2014 by PCH and Female Funders, an online education program for female investors, acquired by Highline Beta in 2017. She has been named one of Forbes Top 30 Under 30, One of the Women to Watch in Wearables, One of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and One of Flare’s Sixty Under 30.
 

Jas Hothi

EY Canada Partner & National Practice Leader, Ernst & Young LLP

Making an impact is central to Jas’ national leadership role at EY where she drives positive change for clients through transformational risk strategies, as well as for the colleagues and communities she enables along the way. In 2017, Jas founded the firm’s Financial Services Enterprise Risk practice and is a founding member of EY’s United Way Next Gen Cabinet, currently sitting on the firm’s Americas’ Ethics Oversight Board. Deeply committed to achieving equality for underrepresented women, Jas is the Executive Sponsor of EY’s Professional Women’s Network and a Canadian Women’s Foundation Board Member. She’s currently pursuing the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D). #WomenFastForward
 

Dr. Véronique Lecault

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, AbCellera

Véronique is Co-founder, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors at AbCellera. She received her PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia, where she co-invented the high-throughput screening platform that is now part of AbCellera’s core technology. Combining microfluidics, hyper-scale data science, machine learning, bioinformatics, and genomics, AbCellera’s technology identifies new antibody drug candidates from natural immune sources and aims to reduce the time it takes to bring treatments to the clinic. This technology was recently deployed to discover LY-CoV555, the first COVID-specific potential antibody therapy to reach human testing. Véronique and the rapidly growing AbCellera team have been recognized internationally, receiving three Fast Company awards in 2020, including Innovative Team of the Year. A strong advocate of entrepreneurship and science outreach, Véronique was recently recognized in the BMO Celebrating Women’s “Expansion and Growth in Business” category and as a STEM Star Influencer by BCBusiness. She holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering/Honours B.Sc. Biochemistry (Biotechnology) dual degree from the University of Ottawa and is a recipient of the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Mentorship Award.
 

Jeremy Levitt

President, CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures

Jeremy has been President of CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures since 2015. Prior to that, he worked in Denver at CMH’s parent company, Intrawest Resorts (now Alterra Mountain Company), where he led a variety of strategic initiatives, turnarounds, and corporate development projects. Jeremy started his career in mergers & acquisitions at Citigroup in New York and then moved on to private equity at Cerberus Capital. Jeremy received his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his Bachelor degree from Babson College, graduating Magna cum Laude.
 

Dr. Nir Lipsman

Neurosurgeon and Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto

Nir is a neurosurgeon and scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He has developed several novel trials that are among the world’s first to use deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound for difficult-to-treat neurological conditions, including essential tremor, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, and glioblastoma multiforme. An in-demand speaker, he has published over 150 publications and textbook chapters, including in The Lancet, Nature Communications, and New England Journal of Medicine. He is currently the Director of Sunnybrook’s Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, and the Clinical Director of Sunnybrook’s Focused Ultrasound Centre of Excellence.
 

Colin Lynch

Head of Global Real Estate Investments, TD Asset Management

Colin is the Head of Global Real Estate Investments at TD Asset Management (TDAM).   He joined TDAM in 2015 and co-founded the Global Real Estate Strategy.  Today, he oversees investments in over 650 properties across 120 cities worldwide. Colin holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University. All were received with distinction. He also holds an ARCT (honours) from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Colin is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Investment Board and the Queen’s University’s Investment Committee.  He is also a co-founder of the Black Opportunity Fund.   
 

Rohan Mahimker & Alex Peters

Co-Founders & Co-CEOs, Prodigy Education

Alex and Rohan are the Co-CEOs of Prodigy Education, where the mission is to help every student in the world love learning. They believe that effective education is a basic human right, and their flagship product is a highly engaging math game for grades 1-8 that kids actually WANT to play. This has enabled Prodigy to grow to over 25% of all grade 1-8 students in Canada and the US as monthly active users, with incredibly positive feedback from students, parents, and teachers. Rohan oversees Prodigy's people teams, including marketing, sales, finance and people ops, while Alex leads all product departments, including the company’s new online tutoring platform. They both collaborate on company vision and strategy.
 

Sam Masri

Chief Operating Officer, SAP Canada

Sam is the Chief Operating Officer for SAP Canada. He is responsible for the development and execution of SAP’s go-to-market strategy in Canada with the core mandate of helping SAP’s +17,000 Canadian customers leverage digital innovations to run at their best. He is responsible for achieving SAP Canada's revenue and profitability objectives, and the highest levels of customer and employee satisfaction. Under his tenure, SAP Canada achieved record business growth and was named as one of Canada’s top five employers. He is passionate about youth leadership development and inclusion and is a board member of Junior Achievement in Ontario. He is currently launching an NGO that is focused on providing mentorship to high-potential youth in underserved communities globally.
 

Dino Mollo

Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development, Ritchie Bros.

Dino is Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Ritchie Bros. where he is responsible for inorganic and organic growth initiatives, including M&A, partnerships, and corporate strategy.  Dino joined Ritchie Bros. in 2014 and has since served as a vital asset in the company’s strategic and global expansion.  During his tenure at Ritchie Bros., he has helped execute a transformative strategic plan, acquire eight companies, and raise USD $1.5 billion through a syndicated credit facility and public bond offering.  Before joining Ritchie Bros., Dino worked as an Investment Banker for a mid-sized investment bank focusing on M&A advisory, IPO’s, and equity financings. 
 

Jason Mullins

President & CEO, goeasy Ltd.

Jason is the President & CEO of goeasy Ltd, a leader in non-prime financial services. Jason leads a team of 2,000 employees across Canada, shaping the organization’s strategy and nurturing its culture. Since joining goeasy in 2010, he has helped the company scale to $1 billion in market capitalization with compound earnings growth of 28%. During his tenure, goeasy has also been the proud recipient of six awards for culture and performance. Jason attained his Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University and serves as a Team Leader for Habitat for Humanity, a Trustee for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada Foundation and Vice Chair for the Canadian Lenders Association.

Andrew Oliver

President & CEO, Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality (O&B)

Andrew currently serves as the President and CEO of Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality Inc. (O&B). The Company is recognized as one of Canada's leading hospitality companies, operating a diverse portfolio of innovative and celebrated restaurants including Canoe, Leña and Auberge du Pommier; as well as unique event venues, such as Arcadian and The Carlu. During his tenure, Andrew has increased event-specific sales by over 500% and established the company as an industry leader, forging key partnerships with Hudson’s Bay, Compass Group Canada, Big Rock Brewery, and Katz Group. In 2018, he led the acquisition of Concorde Entertainment Group, doubling the company’s portfolio of restaurants.  With 10 restaurant and event venue openings in Toronto, Montreal, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton over the last three years, Andrew has been credited as the driving force behind O&B’s successful national expansion.
 

Liam O'Rourke

CEO, LakeCity Works

A Nova Scotian who returned home to help develop his sector, Liam brings a wealth of experience from his work in Montreal, where he launched an innovative social enterprise production house providing creative opportunities to individuals on the autism spectrum. He is an ambitious, energetic and authentic leader who is keen to play a key role in reshaping the economy through social entrepreneurship. Liam is the proud CEO of LakeCity Works, co-founder and board member of Spectrum Productions, founding board member of Solar Schools Canada and a recent addition to the board at the Social Enterprise Network of Nova Scotia.
 

Greg Palaschuk

Executive Vice President & CFO, Finning International Inc.

Greg Palaschuk was appointed executive vice president and chief financial officer of Finning International, the world’s largest dealer of Caterpillar heavy equipment, in March of 2020. Greg is responsible for finance, tax, treasury, investor relations, strategic planning, business development and enterprise risk management. Greg joined Finning International in 2014 and has held multiple senior leadership positions within the company including senior vice president of finance for Finning Canada, finance director for Finning UK and Ireland and vice president treasurer for Finning International. Prior to Finning, Greg worked at Goldman Sachs as vice president of natural resources investment banking in Calgary and New York. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of a fantastic charity Kids Up Front that provides inspirational experiences for deserving kids. Greg lives with his wife Laura and three sons in North Vancouver. 
 

Dr. Trevor Pugh

Senior Scientist & Director, Genomics, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre & Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Director of Genomics and Senior Investigator at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. Trevor has contributed to multiple large-scale genomics and data-sharing programs including the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network. Most recently, he was awarded a Terry Fox New Investigator Award and StandUp2Cancer Phillip A. Sharp Innovation in Collaboration Award, as well recognition by the Web of Science Highly Cited Researchers List for achieving the top 1% of citations internationally over the last decade.
 

Ali Reyhany

President & CEO, Care Health Inc.

Ali immigrated to Canada at the age of 6, growing up  in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to completing an undergraduate degree, Ali was accepted to Pharmacy school at University of Toronto.  Three months after graduating, Ali quit his job at one of the big chains and purchased a pharmacy specializing in mental health. He continued to acquire pharmacies and other health care businesses across Canada with partners, some of which were university classmates.  Ali credits creating a culture of truly caring for employees and customers as the reason his companies have grown to over 60 locations in 6 provinces.  Ali believes in giving back which is demonstrated by his partnerships with first nation communities.  He helped create income earning pharmacy businesses for remote first nation communities in Manitoba, which allowed them to take control of their care and create everlasting econ0omic benefits.  Most recently he has co-founded Mednow, an online pharmacy and virtual health provider looking to improve Canadian’s Health using technology and home delivery. 
 

Carole Saab

CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Carole Saab is a tireless champion for cities and communities, driving an ambitious vision for local government leadership in building a more sustainable, livable and inclusive Canada. Carole is an accomplished strategist with a decade of experience in federal and municipal advocacy. Carole has been a driving force behind watershed achievements for municipalities, securing unprecedented investment and progress for cities and communities. She is recognized by peers as a game-changer, and consistently voted as one of Canada’s top 100 lobbyists. Carole’s leadership has positioned FCM as one of the most respected and effective advocacy organizations in Canada.

Sahar Saidi

Founder & CEO, LUS Brands

Sahar is the Founder & CEO of LUS Brands, a Toronto-based direct-to-consumer eCommerce brand. LUS ("Love Ur Self") was launched in 2017 and is devoted to creating innovative products that help consumers embrace and love their own natural features. The company's first product line, Love Ur Curls, provides proprietary formulas customized for consumers with wavy and curly hair. Sahar completed the Y Combinator tech accelerator program in Silicon Valley in 2018, and is backed by some notable VCs and Angels. Sahar completed her Global Executive MBA at the Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) in 2015.
 

Anilisa Sainani

Vice President & Chief Accountant, Royal Bank of Canada

As VP and Chief Accountant of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Anilisa is responsible for guiding and advising the bank through evolving regulations and accounting policies, and providing external reporting oversight and governance. In today’s fast-paced landscape, she brings pragmatic leadership to navigating complex accounting, financial reporting and regulatory requirements, and challenges the status quo to drive better results for RBC and its shareholders. Anilisa is a champion for diversity and inclusion and is actively involved in the community, serving on the St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation Board of Directors and on the Kingsway College School Finance Committee.
 

Melissa Sariffodeen

CEO, Canada Learning Code

Melissa is the CEO and Co-Founder of Canada Learning Code. She is a celebrated digital literacy advocate who is dedicated to ensuring that all people in Canada have the critical skills, confidence, and opportunities that they need to thrive in our increasingly digital world. To date, the organization has taught over 600,000 people in Canada technology skills through their in-person programs, which are offered in over 30 cities across the country and now live online. She taught herself how to build websites from scratch using HTML when she was 11 years old and has been coding ever since. 
 

James Scongack

Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Operational Services, Bruce Power

James is the Executive-Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Operational Services at Bruce Power. The company provides a third of Ontario’s power and is a Global supplier of life-saving medical isotopes while also being home to one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects. He is responsible for operational services, business and market development, nuclear regulatory affairs, environment, external relations and isotopes. James serves as Chair of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and on the Boards of LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services, the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO). He also served as Chair of the 2020 Green Ribbon Panel on the Environment and Economy. 
 

Dr. Stephanie Simmons

Chief Quantum Officer /Assistant Professor, Photonic Inc. / Simon Fraser University

Stef provides the technology vision for Photonic, a Vancouver-based company building the world’s first large-scale universal quantum processor in silicon. She is a world-leading expert in quantum technologies, silicon spin-photon interfaces, condensed matter spin dynamics, and quantum optics. Stef has twice achieved Physics World Top Ten Breakthroughs of the Year. She is also a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair, a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Fellow in Quantum Information Science, and Assistant Professor of Physics at SFU. Her work has been featured by the BBC, CBC, Scientific American, Wired Magazine, the New Scientist, and New York Times.
 

Jaiveer Singh

CEO, Mint Pharmaceuticals Inc. 

Jaiveer is an entrepreneur and the CEO at Mint Pharmaceuticals. Under his leadership, Mint has emerged as one of the country's most reputable and leading generic pharmaceutical companies over the past decade. In 2019, Mint was recognized as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies. Jaiveer is also an active early stage Investor passionate about supporting fellow entrepreneurs in building differentiated and high-quality businesses and currently serves on several boards. He was the Chairman of Truverra until acquired by The Supreme Cannabis Company in 2019 and is a Co-founder of LA based hedge fund Medina Singh Partners.  Jaiveer is a founding supporter and advisor to HXOUSE (a Toronto-based incubator for creative talent) and an active member of YPO. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a B.Sc. from Carnegie Mellon University.
 

Kosi Stobbs

CEO, Property Owl Group of Companies

Kosi is a true rags to riches success story which was highlighted in his book "F$CK Broke, Let's Get Rich" which made Amazon Canada's best seller list in business and finance.  Both his parents are immigrants from Jamaica with high school education. They encouraged and provided Kosi the opportunity to shine.  His mix of engineering and branding skills have given him a unique ability to foster the growth of the companies he owns. He has a deep understanding of business and financing and this has proven to help him in identifying good businesses and fostering their growth.  He’s also been a huge advocate for the growth of manufacturing in Canada and has lobbied with all levels of government.  Kosi is a truly unique and transformative Entrepreneur.
 

Paul M. Taylor

Executive Director, FoodShare

Paul is the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, Canada’s largest food security organization. He also teaches as part of Simon Fraser University’s Nonprofit Management Program. Paul is a champion of social justice through his personal commitment to helping create a more just and sustainable world. Paul’s work is anchored in his belief that we can and should be working to end poverty. His early experiences of growing up in a low-income household inspired Paul to work towards poverty eradication. A guiding force in the food security conversation, Paul has experience in policy advocacy, education, community development, non-profit governance and fundraising. He served as the Executive Director of Gordon Neighbourhood House, in Vancouver, BC, and the organization emerged as an innovator in community-based food initiatives, while working to challenge the systems that maintain poverty. Paul was the Vice-Chair of Food Secure Canada, served on the board of the Metro Vancouver Alliance and is the founder of the Vancouver Food Summit. Paul was Co-Chair of BC’s Poverty Reduction Coalition and on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (BC office).
 

Mark Thompson

Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer, Nutrien Ltd.

Mark is the Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Development & Strategy Officer at Nutrien. He has executive leadership over Nutrien’s global corporate strategy, corporate development, mergers & acquisitions and economics functions. Mark joined Nutrien in 2011 and has worked across the company’s Corporate, Retail and NPK business units. He has also held key senior leadership positions including Special Assistant to the CEO, Vice President of Strategy and Vice President of Business Development. Across these roles, he has successfully led the evaluation and execution of strategic initiatives, partnerships, acquisitions and investments that have been central to the continued growth and development of the company. Mark has Bachelor’s degrees in Commerce and Arts, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations. Mark is a North American Ambassador for the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and has had significant involvement as a Board member and volunteer with Special Olympics Alberta.
 

Shamez Virani

President and Partner, CentreCourt

Shamez is the President and Partner of CentreCourt, one of the most active and fastest-growing high-rise residential real estate developers in Canada with 12 towers under development representing more than 6,000 homes and $3.1 billion in value.   Shamez is responsible for overseeing and managing all employees with a focus on rezoning, development, sales and construction. Shamez holds an MBA with a concentration in Real Estate from Columbia Business School and an Honors Business Administration (HBA) degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario.
 

Dr. Juveria Zaheer

Clinician Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Juveria is a Clinician Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Juveria has devoted her career to suicide prevention. As an emergency department psychiatrist, she provides urgent psychiatric care to those in crisis. Her research focuses on understanding suicide risk on a population level and through narratives, and she has a specific interest in gender, culture, and incorporating the experiences of patients and families to co-create interventions that work. In 2019, she was named CAMH Physician of the Year for her commitment to patient care, inter-professional collaborative skill and education.