Also, Scientific Director at mitoNET - The Canada Mitochondrial Network

Dr. Ana Andreazza is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Psychiatry at University of Toronto and holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Molecular Pharmacology of Mood Disorders. She is the Research Scientific Director of The Canada Mitochondrial Network – www.mitoNET.ca, an Advisor for the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital, a consultant for the Bipolar Biobank at Mayo Clinic, and a member of the Board of Directors at the International Society of Bipolar Disorder. Ana’s research focuses on understanding the role of mitochondrial function in mental illness, especially in mood disorders. As neurons depend on mitochondrial function, dysfunctional mitochondria during neurodevelopment is expected to impact neurotransmission with potentially crucial implications for mood disorders. Currently, Ana is evaluating the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on neurotransmission using 2D and 3D systems generated from induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with bipolar disorder and/or mitochondrial disease. To accelerate the discovery of effective therapeutic approaches to treat mitochondrial dysfunction/disease, Ana founded the mitoNET.ca with the objective of uniting researchers from different medical fields with a common interest in unveiling the role of mitochondrial function and genetics in human diseases.

As co-founder of Fullscript, a fast growing company based in Ottawa, Kyle is strongly committed to changing the way health and wellness is prescribed. Prior to Fullscript, Kyle co-founded Simple Story Videos, which has since been acquired. In 2009, Kyle started a not-for-profit organization that raised over $150,000 for cancer research. As part of this campaign, he cycled 8,200km across Canada! He also co-founded Noelle’s Gift, a charity in honor of his best friend, that has raised over $1,250,000 since its inception in 2013. At the age of 28 he received the top 40 under 40 award in Ottawa and in 2016 was the recipient of the University of Ottawa Young Achiever Award. While studying at the Telfer School of Management, he also received the Alterna Social Responsibility Award. Kyle previously sat on the advisory board of the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre and currently sits on the board of Fullscript and Simple Story Videos.

Dr. Sarah Burch holds a Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation, and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada. Her research, writing and teaching focus on transformative responses to climate change at the community scale, innovative strategies for making progress on sustainability, and the unique contributions that small businesses can make to this solving this complex challenge. She is a Coordinating Lead Author of the Earth System Governance project's New Directions Initiative, which is creating the Science and Implementation Plan that will inform the research of an international network of more than 500 environmental governance scholars over the next 10 years. She was a Contributing Author to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007), and will be a Lead Author in the IPCC's 6th Assessment Report beginning in 2018. Sarah holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, was a Visiting Research Associate at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute and was recently elected to the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars. Her most recent book is entitled 'Understanding Climate Change: Science, Policy and Practice,' and she taught the first Massive Open Online Course on climate change, which reached thousands over students in over 130 countries.

Phil is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Precision Nutrition, the largest private nutrition education and research company in the world. PN has advised top organizations like Apple, Nike, Titleist, the Seattle Seahawks (as Super Bowl champions), the San Antonio Spurs (as NBA champions) and numerous Olympic teams. Its work and research have been widely cited in the media, from the New York Times to the Harvard Business Review. Fast Company named Precision Nutrition one of the most innovative companies in the world. In 2017, Phil guided PN to one of the largest private equity transactions in Canada. Personally, Phil advises young Canadian entrepreneurs and leaders, and he and his family have committed $3 million to Canadian philanthropic causes.

An entrepreneur, award-winning actress, filmmaker, speaker and business owner, Fabienne is the founder of a successful entertainment empire – which includes 7 festivals in Canada, the USA & Haiti. The unstoppable ‘Queen of Festivals’, is also the CEO of Zaza Production, a Media and Business Consulting Company. Besides attracting tens of thousands of festivalgoers, international media coverage and showcasing hundreds of artists every year, her popular events have also welcomed top celebrities such as: Harry Belafonte, Stedman Graham, Danny Glover, Spike Lee, Martin Luther King III, Dany Laferrière, Wyclef Jean, Alfre Woodard, Arcade Fire. As chairman/CEO of Fabienne Colas Foundation, Fabienne supports, awards grant and promotes independent artists who, otherwise, would not have been seen or heard. She sits as a board member on the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary. In 2015, Fabienne was awarded a Medal from Quebec’s National Assembly recognizing her leadership and contribution in the fight against racism & discrimination in Quebec.

Dr. Douglas James (DJ) Cook is a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon and neuroscientist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Cook grew up in Lindsay, Ontario on a family beef farm where he developed a keen interest in biology that evolved into an interest in neuroscience. Cook was initially trained at the University of Guelph in Biology. This was followed by medical school, neurosurgery residency and a PhD in neuroscience at the University of Toronto where he honed a focus on stroke and cerebrovascular disease. He went on to obtain a fellowship in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery as well as additional training at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Dr. Cook returned to Canada to found the Translational Stroke Research Program at Queen’s University in 2013 and has focused on research topics including stroke therapy discovery and translation to clinical trials, mechanisms of stroke recovery and the characterization of minor traumatic brain injury and the understanding of neurological mechanisms of recovery from sport related brain injury. In his clinical practice Dr. Cook has pioneered the use of minimally invasive brain surgery techniques to improve outcomes for patients with cerebrovascular pathology and brain tumours. Dr. Cook and his wife Rebecca, along with their three children Douglas, Elise and Jack, live at Otter Creek Farms in Kingston, a wagyu beef farming operation that the Cook family established upon their move from California to Kingston.

In 2004, Ben Cowan-Dewar set out to turn a former mining site on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia into a golf resort. Along with business partner Mike Keiser, Ben developed Cabot Links, Canada’s first links course. Cabot Links’ success spurred the development of a second course, the Coore-Crenshaw designed Cabot Cliffs. Both courses are included amongst the world’s Top 100, Cliffs ranked 9th and Links 43rd. Ben’s smart and environmentally sustainable approach to development has been recognized around the world. In 2014, Cowan-Dewar was appointed Chair of the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, where he led the transformation to a Crown Corporation in 2015. Under Cowan-Dewar’s leadership, Tourism Nova Scotia adopted a new strategy resulting in the industry achieving among the top results in Canada. In February 2017, Cowan- Dewar was appointed as the Chair of the Federal Crown Corporation Destination Canada. Destination Canada markets Canada internationally, aiming to grow Canada’s tourism export revenues. Cowan-Dewar, M.S.M. is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and has served on the Boards of the Golf Canada Foundation and Cape Breton University. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Governor General David Johnston in June, 2017 for his vision in building Cabot and the contributions he and Cabot have made to the Inverness community and economy. 

Elias is the young, entrepreneurial leader behind the success story of Fortigo which, in a few short years, has become one of Canada’s fastest growing supply chain & logistics providers and a major player in dedicated fleet management. He founded Fortigo, a service provider to Fortune 1000 through the use of specialized equipment, robust proprietary technology and talented professionals, in 2007, while still completing his degree at the renowned Schulich School of Business and has led its unique  growth trajectory ever since. Apart from his University credentials, he was one of the youngest to attain the P. Log designation from the Logistics Institute thru their Executive Leadership Program and is a Chartered Fellow, along with the Institute's Patron HRH Queen Elizabeth II, of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport North America. Elias was also one of the youngest-ever members of YPO in Canada. He also serves on several academic and non-profit boards. Elias speaks frequently to students about Supply Chain and Entrepreneurship and is an active participant on industry trend panels and was awarded “Top 20 under 40” by Today’s Trucking Magazine. He is actively involved with the Hellenic Home of the Aged, The Country Day School Alumni Association, the YPO Toronto Chapter Board and The Hellenic Heritage Foundation where he also sits on the Board as Vice President of Fundraising.

Iggy Domagalski is CEO of Tundra Process Solutions, a $100-million distributor and manufacturer of innovative process technologies. Tundra has been named as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, ‘Employer of the Year’ by numerous industry associations, and an ‘Imagine’ company for outstanding community support. Prior to Tundra, Iggy started his career in Corporate Finance at Investors Group and Richardson GMP in Winnipeg, and later became President of Western Industrial, an air compressor distributor in Vancouver. Iggy is passionate about supporting his community and has served on the boards of the Learning Disabilities Association, the International Society of Automation, and the Kids Cancer Care Foundation.  Iggy holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Asper School of Business, where he was class President and Valedictorian.  He lives in Calgary with his wife and twin daughters, and in his spare time enjoys running, reading, and playing guitar.

Jean-François Gagné is a veteran AI entrepreneur and former Chief Product Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at JDA Software, where he was the youngest global C-Level Executive of a top-20 Enterprise Software company. He has founded and successfully exited two companies, represented Canada as a Technology Investment Champion Speaker for Global Affairs, and is a sought-after expert for educating top-level management about the impact of AI on industry. In October 2016, Jean-François co-founded Element AI. Born out of an AI research lab connected to the world’s top academic institutions, Element AI is an artificial intelligence company that turns cutting-edge research into scalable solutions that make businesses safer, stronger, and more agile. In June 2017, JF spearheaded Element AI’s Series A fundraising round of $102M USD, the largest Series A for any AI startup to date, just seven months after launching. In less than two years, the company has grown from an 8 person operation to over 350 employees located in 5 hubs (Montreal, Toronto, London, Seoul, and Singapore). Jean-François is an outspoken advocate of AI for Good and is a thought leader on the implications of AI's impact on business, people, and society. He acts as an advisor to the Canadian and European governments on the safe development of AI and is the only current Canadian board member of the prestigious Partnership on AI. Jean-François is a Montreal native and is engaged on the local level as a member of the Calcul Québec Board, which supports the province’s high-performance computing research infrastructure, and is an avid supporter of the Montreal startup scene.

James Henderson is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Avigilon Corporation, a Motorola Solutions company. James has more than 15 years’ experience overseeing both domestic and international business strategies in a variety of industries including security, IT and technology.  Under his leadership, Avigilon has expanded its market presence, brand awareness, and corporate profile to become a globally recognized leader in the security industry. James has provided the strategic vision that has successfully driven Avigilon’s topline revenue growth and profitability. Recently, he led the sale process of the US$1 billion acquisition of Avigilon by Motorola Solutions – one of only three acquisitions of its size in Canada in the last decade. James graduated with Honors from the Computer Science Technology program at Sheridan College where he also sat on the school’s Program Advisory Committee. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA from Baylor University.  

With over a decade of experience as a successful entrepreneur, hedge fund manager, business partner, philanthropist, and board member, Moez brings a wealth of experience and creative energy to all he does. As co-founder of Anson Funds, he manages a $750 million ranked by Bloomberg Magazine as top ten global performer and was named a top manager ‘bucking the trend’ by Barron’s for successful performance over five years. Alongside this demanding role, he applies his innate business acumen to the benefit of numerous charities through his public foundation including Doctors Without Borders, Kids Cook to Care and Ryerson University’s Lifeline Syria. He's a member of the Young President's Organization (YPO), and moonlights as an executive producer for production house Moringa Media, where he provides the critical link between business and art. Moez has an MBA from London Business School (LBS) and a BA from Western University. He is proud to call Toronto home.

Erfan is the Chief Financial Officer of Sandstorm Gold Royalties, a royalty financing company. Since 2011, Erfan has helped raise over half a billion in debt and equity capital and has deployed more than $600 million in 30 transactions. Prior to Sandstorm, Erfan articled with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he received an accelerated promotion to Senior Manager and managed the audits of billion dollar multinational entities. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA), a Chartered Financial Analyst charter holder, and a graduate of the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a BSc. in Mathematics. In the community, Erfan has served as Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Public Library board of directors, is a member of the Library’s Foundation board and is a former member of the UBC Board of Governors. He also spends time as a corporate board member. He has won numerous awards for his professional and charitable achievements including CFO of the Year by Business in Vancouver, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia's Early Achievement Award and Community Service Award and the UBC Alumni Association's Outstanding Student of the Year Award.

Jay Klein is a born entrepreneur who lives by a philosophy that with hard work and perseverance everything is possible. Among Jay’s passions are marketing, entrepreneurship, and business - which he uses to inspire those around him daily. Jay’s vision was to develop a chewing gum free from chemical sweeteners, and safe for individuals with any allergies or dietary sensitivities. Having made this vision a reality with PUR Gum, he is on a mission to motivate and educate people around the world while providing them with great-tasting, high quality products.

Kiara LeBlanc is VP of Brand & Creative Director of Saje Natural Wellness - a twenty six year old natural wellness company that has become North America’s leader in plant-derived essential oil products that help you feel your best, naturally. Founded in 1992, Saje began introducing 100 per cent natural, plant-derived alternatives to pharmaceutical medicine and has grown from 14 to 71 education experience-based retail locations across North America within the past four years. For the past three years Saje has been included on the PROFIT 500 list of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies. As a member of the founding family, Kiara champions the product innovation, store environment and creative departments within Saje & was recipient of the 2015 Notable Award for ‘Best in Design’. A previous student of Emily Carr and involved in the business since childhood, Kiara has inspired and assisted in the vision and development of most of the 100 per cent natural products and formulations available on the shelves today. Kiara’s passion for technology, brand strategy and the retail experience continues to inspire Saje as they push traditional retail boundaries and continue to expand their offering across North America and digitally on saje.com.

Rebecca McKillican is the CEO of Well.ca and has been with the company since 2013. Before becoming part of the Well.ca team, Rebecca worked for the New York City-based private equity firm Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts (KKR) within the retail and consumer group. While at KKR, Rebecca spent the majority of her time driving operational improvements across the firm’s portfolio companies. Rebecca has also worked at McKinsey & Company. Rebecca holds a B.A. from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering from Western University, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar. She is also a board member of the National Bank of Canada and sits on the Human Resources Committee. She's a passionate online shopper, a mom to three young children, and she loves shopping for green & natural products at Well.ca to keep her family well.

Manjit Minhas is a 37 year old beer baroness that has become the 10th largest brewery in the world after starting her company at the ripe age of 19. Her companies create, manufacture and market over 100 brands of beer, spirits, liqueurs and wines in Canada, USA and 16 other countries. She uses her engineering background and bold risk taking character to innovate new products, packaging and partnerships with retails giants like Costco, Tesco and Walmart worldwide. She is a Dragon on CBC's Dragon Den and helps other Canadians build their dreams/businesses by mentoring and investing in them. Manjit's philanthropic endeavours include donating millions of dollars and volunteering to support many charities in her hometown Calgary and her parents’ hometown in India.

Anna is Vice President, Sustainability at Bentall Kennedy, one of the largest global real estate investment advisors with ~$47 billion of assets under management. She leads the Sustainability strategy across North America managing environmental, social and governance risk to generate long term value for clients. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor. Anna has spent her career advancing corporate sustainability around the globe at major multinational companies. Anna is currently the co-chair of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Investment Committee Property Working Group with a global mandate to drive adoption of sustainability in real estate investment and property management. Anna founded the non-profit “Young Women in Energy” and has been awarded the Making a Difference for Women Award, the United Way Culbert Family Award for Philanthropy and Top 100 Women in Canada. She lives in Toronto with her husband and three daughters. 

Also Physician, Cleveland Clinic; Chief Medical Director, TD Bank

Vipan is the Chief Medical Director of TD Bank and Site Medical Director for the Department of Medicine at Trillium Health Partners Credit Valley Hospital. He is a practicing internal medicine physician at Trillium and Cleveland Clinic’s Toronto and Cleveland sites, a lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and was a visiting research scientist at MIT where he was co-course director for their Global Health Informatics course and co-edited one of the first comprehensive Global Health Technology books. He is the founder of Homecare Hub, and as a medical student founded the non-profit Urban Future Leaders of the World (uFLOW), which empowers marginalized youth to start their own service projects. He expanded uFLOW to Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, Boston, and San Francisco and is building a Toronto headquarters with a new public health focused brand. He is an advisor at the Health Education Project in Haiti and part of the Toronto Foundation’s Inaugural Vision 20/20 Philanthropy Program. At U of T he teaches Leadership and Emotional Intelligence, and has lectured on health innovation and leadership globally for the past decade. Vipan is a former IBM software developer, and has led projects at the WHO in Switzerland, Ontario Ministry of Health, UNICEF in India, Sun Microsystems, Citibank, UCLA, and Lux Capital. Vipan completed his internal medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic, MD at the University of Illinois-Chicago, MBA at Yale, and BSc in computer science and software engineering at Western University. At Yale he was President of the Graduate & Professional Student body.

Neil Pasricha helps people live happy lives. He is the author of five books including The Book of Awesome, a catalog of simple pleasures based on his award-winning blog, and The Happiness Equation, originally written as a letter to his unborn son on living a great life. His books are New York Times and #1 international bestsellers which have sold millions of copies. Neil is a leadership keynote speaker who connects with audiences in a uniquely raw, hilarious, and heartwarming style. His TED Talk is ranked one of the 10 Most Inspiring of all time and he has spoken to Fortune 100 companies, Ivy League deans, and Royal Families in the Middle East. Neil’s pro bono work focuses on youth mental health, youth literacy, and community wellness. He has degrees from Queen’s University and Harvard Business School. Neil lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. 

Nuvyn is a passionate community leader and seasoned executive with a track record of achievements in development, donor engagement and capital campaigns. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Nuvyn was a senior executive at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where she managed Georgetown’s $1.5 billion campaign. Nuvyn first earned her reputation as a philanthropic leader as Development Director of the Tahirih Justice Center where she advocated for the rights of vulnerable women and girls.  Through subsequent leadership positions, Nuvyn continues to be an influential leader in the philanthropic community, working with donors and organizations throughout North America. Nuvyn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution from Landegg International University in Switzerland.  An innovative and empathetic leader, Nuvyn was named one of Canada's top newsmakers of the week by Maclean's magazine, and is a recipient of Avenue magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40”. As vice-president at UCalgary, Nuvyn’s unique vision to develop a culture of lifelong philanthropic engagement not only sustains and enhances the university’s mission but, this spring, propelled the campaign beyond the $1-billion threshold.  

Josipa G. Petrunic is the Executive Director & CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC). She leads the formulation of national transportation technology trials related to zero-emissions transportation and “smart vehicles” innovation, including the Pan-Canadian Electric Bus Demonstration & Integration Trial, the Pan-Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration & Integration Trial and the Canadian National Smart Vehicle Demonstration Project. Josipa has built up CUTRIC’s consortium to include 100 private and public-sector companies and organizations across Canada. She served as the lead researcher in electric vehicle policy studies at McMaster University, and as a senior research fellow at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom in Science and Technology Studies and the history of mathematics and engineering. She completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh as a Commonwealth Scholar where she previously completed a Master's of Science in Science and Technology Studies, also as a Commonwealth Scholar. She completed a Master's of Science in Political Philosophy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Journalism at Carleton University. Josipa worked as a journalist at the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Edmonton Journal. She lectures in Globalization Studies at McMaster University and Interdisciplinary Research Methods at Athabasca University.

Peter is a partner at Greybrook Capital, a North America private equity firm, and the CEO of Greybrook Realty Partners, a leading real estate asset management firm with over a $1 billion in equity invested in real estate developments across Southern Ontario and South Florida. He is co-chair of Greybrook Realty’s Investment Committee and leads the firm’s deal origination and asset management practice.  In his capacity as CEO he has been involved in the acquisition of over 50 developments representing 32 million square-feet of density and an aggregate completion value over $14 billion. Peter also plays a critical role in the success of Greybrook Capital’s portfolio companies including Greenbrook TMS, a leading U.S. based depression management business with over 40 clinics. Additionally, Peter serves on the boards of a number of Greybrook affiliated companies and Blu Genes Foundation, a charity funding the advancement of gene therapy sciences for the treatment of various genetic disorders. 

Ryan Pomeroy is a leader who continually proves that ambition, focus, and strategic thinking can build a brand that is not only deeply connected to the regions they operate in, but is recognized across Canada. He believes that a fierce investment in the people, properties, and communities where Pomeroy works is what drives their success. Originally from Fort St. John, BC, Ryan began his journey at Pomeroy Lodging at a very young age. On his fifth birthday, Ryan spent the day working in the hotel restaurant with his brother and father. From then on, he was dedicated to the family business, pushing for better service, faster growth, and stronger community relations. In 2006, he was appointed president, and since then has been instrumental in strategically positioning Pomeroy Lodging for continued success and growth. Ryan maintains the company vision and strategy and steers the overall direction of the Pomeroy Lodging. He builds relationships with corporate and community stakeholders, leads capital restructuring, and directs large portfolio sales and acquisitions. His vision is to be the first choice for travelers by providing superior quality hotels, products, and guest services. He is dedicated to seeing Pomeroy’s employees and families develop and invest in the sustainable growth of the communities where Pomeroy hotels are built.

Matt has been at the forefront of driving innovation and meaningful transformations within the Canadian legal services industry. His extensive strategic business and operations experience has been the driving force behind Dye & Durham’s exceptional growth. As the CEO of a 144-year-old start-up, Matt is continually championing the vision and values in everything the business does.   He holds a BA from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Law degree. 

A roll-up-your-sleeves kind of entrepreneur, Kevin is the founder and CEO of Nomodic Modular Structures Inc., an innovative design-build firm with an aim to revolutionize the construction industry. Kevin’s guidance and leadership is based on the idea of building without boundaries. This philosophy is reflected not only in the variety of hybrid, offsite construction methods and projects Nomodic undertakes­­—from multi-residential and First Nations housing to resort and recreational properties and affordable housing­—but also in the spirit of collaboration and openness to new, exciting ideas within the team. The company’s success is a product of Kevin’s leadership, and he continues to ensure Nomodic maintains their reputation for ambitious and meaningful work that benefits and positively impacts each and every client and their communities, Canada-wide. Kevin’s education includes a Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship degree from Mount Royal University in Calgary.

Dr. Laura Rosella is an Assistant Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and holds scientific appointments at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and Public Health Ontario. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Population Health Analytics. Laura is the Founder and Scientific Director of the Population Health Analytics Lab. Her research interests include population health, population based risk tools to support public health planning, and public health policy. Laura designs and executes large-scale, collaborative programs that directly engage health system decision-makers on data-driven population health research initiatives. She has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of public health, health policy, and health services research. She has been awarded over $13 million in research grants and was recently awarded the prestigious Brian MacMahon Early Career Epidemiology Award by the Society for Epidemiologic Research. Her research has been featured by Forbes, Newsweek, Reuters, CBC, CTV, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star.

Dr. Andrea Sereda is a family physician who practices street outreach medicine, caring for homeless women who are involved in the survival sex trade. She provides care through the London Intercommunity Health Centre in London, ON.
Andrea provides healthcare within the program “Street Level Women at Risk” (SLWAR). SLWAR is a Housing First model of care that strives to rapidly house women while concurrently addressing a woman’s physical health, mental health and substance use problems. SLWAR is a program unique within Canada. SLWAR brings together a team of women supporting women, comprised of Andrea, Sgt Amy Birtch of the London Police and a hard working group of women acting as street outreach workers and case managers. SLWAR is seeing profound successes in their work of housing and caring for chronically homeless women.

Jamie Shea is the Co-Founder & CEO of Chefs Plate along with fellow Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officier (CSO) Patrick Meyer.  Jamie and Patrick left the corporate world in 2014 to disrupt the traditional grocery category and build Chef’s Plate from the ground up. Chefs Plate is an ecommerce meal kit business that was built with the mission of creating human connections through food. Over the past 4 years, now with a team of 400+, Chefs Plate is delivering millions of meals across Canada. Chefs Plate is focused on changing the way Canadians cook at home by developing proprietary e-commerce technology and rebuilding the Canadian food supply chain. Before Chefs Plate, Jamie started his career in Management Consulting at Accenture, followed by roles at CARA, Canadians largest restaurant company. Patrick started his career in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse where he worked with companies on various public/private financings and mergers & acquisitions within Canada.  Both Jamie and Patrick are graduates from the Queen’s School of Business, which is where they met and were roomates.

Mike Silagadze is the CEO and co-founder of Top Hat. Under his leadership and vision, Top Hat has become the market leader in student engagement software, and is used by millions of students at three quarters of the top 1,000 colleges and universities in North America. Mike is an active speaker and lecturer in the higher education, technology and startup communities, having lectured at the Rotman Commerce Entrepreneurship Organization, the ASU GSV Summit, MaRS, Tech Fest Toronto, SAAS North and T-E-Dx-Laurier-University, among many others.

Abdullah Snobar is the Executive Director of the DMZ, a leading tech accelerator that helps high-potential startups scale to world-class businesses and pushes Canadian innovation to the forefront. To date, the DMZ has accelerated 336 companies that have raised over $475M and fostered 3,300 jobs. Under his leadership since 2015, the DMZ was named the number one university-based incubator in the world by UBI Global, opened its first U.S. office in New York City, launched an advisory council with leading tech and business minds, and with a passionate team, built the most highly sought after and competitive programs for startup growth.Prior to joining the DMZ, Abdullah held roles at Ryerson University, the Canadian Armed Forces, Fairmont and Marriott Hotels and Resorts and co-founded a non-profit foundation in Kenya. He’s an avid community builder with a longstanding history of working with marginalized and underserved communities at home and abroad. He is a board member with the Ontario Trillium Foundation, alongside several other committee and council engagements. He regularly appears in media and is a member of the Forbes Tech Council.  Abdullah holds an MBA from Ryerson University. 

Graham Taylor is an Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Guelph, a CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, an Academic Director of NextAI, a member of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and as of September 2018 a Canada Research Chair in Machine Learning. His research aims to discover new algorithms and architectures for deep learning: the automatic construction of hierarchical algorithms from high-dimensional, unstructured data. He is especially interested in time series, having applied his work to better understand human and animal behaviour, environmental data (climate or agricultural), audio (music or speech) and financial time series. Taylor’s research also intersects high performance computing, investigating better ways to leverage hardware accelerators to cope with the challenges of large-scale machine learning. He co-organizes the annual CIFAR Deep Learning Summer School, and has trained more than 50 students and staff members on AI-related projects. Taylor also co-founded Kindred, which was featured at number 29 on MIT Technology Review's 2017 list of smartest companies in the world and CB Insights AI 100 list, highlighting the most innovative artificial intelligence companies for 2018.

Overcoming adversity at a very young age, Jessica began her adult life on her own at the age of 15 years old. She relocated to Saskatoon from her small home town of Craik, SK, with little more than a backpack & a bus ticket after the loss of her family home.  Through dedication, determination & hard work, she has become a multi award winning top entrepreneur in Saskatchewan. She employs more than 120 women & men across the province, is a highly sought after public speaker, and is extremely committed to her community! Jessica is the sole owner of four Just For You Day Spas in Saskatchewan & Alberta, Founder & CEO of Lia Reese Canada, (Saskatchewan’s Beauty Brand), Co-Founder of Entrepreneur306 Business Consulting and Founder & CEO of 4seventyone Recovery Resources, a non-for-profit foundation she created assisting families of addiction. She volunteers on multiple business and community boards across the province, among supporting countless other charities, events, fundraisers and community programs.

Jason is the Senior Vice President & Head of U.S. Consumer Deposits & Payments at TD Bank Group.  At TD, Jason has held a variety of executive roles in North America; working across multiple businesses within the Consumer, Commercial and Corporate & Specialty divisions. Jason started his career in brand management at Procter & Gamble where he became the company's youngest global expatriate, leading various brands in both the U.S. and Canada. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and an HBA from the Ivey Business School. Jason has been honoured as a global "40 under 40" by both the Wharton School and Procter & Gamble. He remains active in the community, serving on various Boards in both Canada and the U.S. 

Victor Tung is a visionary leader who serves as a catalyst for high-impact, transformative change. His influence can be felt through efforts to evolve the work environment and to prepare the workforce for the future. He is a connector, who is skilled at bridging generations. He puts people first, and in everything he does considers the experience of his team, the broader employee population and the customer. Victor Tung joined BMO Financial Group in 2012 as the business manager for technology responsible for Strategy, Planning and the execution of Technology initiatives. He progressively took on more responsibilities culminating in his latest executive appointment as the Chief Information Officer of Corporate & International for BMO Financial Group. Victor leads a global team of technology professionals and has responsibility for the technology solutions delivery for Human Resources, Marketing, Legal, Compliance, Procurement, Anti-Money Laundering, Corporate and International Technology. Victor has made a lasting impression not only at BMO, but throughout the technology industry. A respected and sought-after thought leader, Victor is a member of AT&T’s Global Advisory Council, he sits on Coupa Technology’s Executive Advisory Board and is a part of the Canadian Financial Services Cyber Security Governance Council. Victor is also dedicated to making a positive impact within his community. He is an advocate for continuous learning and established the Victor Tung scholarship which is awarded annually to a student in the Rotman School of Management, Masters in Management Analytics program. A child of immigrant parents, Victor feels compelled to give back and sits on the board of Skills for Change, a non-profit focused on supporting new immigrants.

Andrew is an innovation and diversity champion on Bay Street. As CIBC’s head of small business banking and member of the bank’s operating committee, Andrew leads a team who are transforming what Canadian entrepreneurs and professionals can expect of their financial institution. Previously, Andrew led CIBC’s direct investing business, and was chief administrative officer and head of strategy for its wealth management division when CIBC expanded into the U.S. Prior to CIBC, Andrew was with Oliver Wyman and World Economic Forum advising financial institutions on growth strategy. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Andrew collaborated with global CEOs, academics and regulators to redefine the future of finance in Davos, Switzerland. The crisis shaped Andrew’s perspective on leadership. He learned to engage diverse stakeholders to build common vision, to evaluate opportunity against core values of trust and integrity, and to foster teamwork to improve outcomes. An active speaker and diversity advocate, Andrew champions accelerating Canada’s path towards gender equality, and is a volunteer leader with Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Allison is the Chief Financial Officer and EVP, Finance & Strategy at Oxford.  In this role, Allison leads a team of over 300 professionals with global responsibility for strategy, risk, accounting, tax, treasury, valuations, research and IT.  Allison is a member of Oxford’s Executive Management Team, Investment Committee and Risk Committee.  Allison also works closely with OMERS on developing OMERS global financing strategy and other key strategy and risk initiatives. Allison has over 18 years of real estate investment, finance and advisory experience and has worked on over $30 billion of investment and financing transactions in Canada, the US and Europe.  Prior to joining Oxford in 2010, Allison was a Vice President at Morgan Stanley where she worked in both real estate advisory and principal investing in New York, San Francisco and Toronto.  Allison holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Honours) from Queen’s University.

Blaine Woodcock is Chief of Staff at Deloitte and serves as the Chair of the Deloitte Foundation. Blaine is a Partner from Monitor Deloitte where he has advised Senior Executives and Boards of both Canadian and international clients in both the public and private sectors. Blaine was a co-creator of the Future of Canada Centre, an initiative dedicated to analyzing and advancing causes of significant importance to the country, including the issue of Canadian productivity. During this time, Blaine has co-authored publications, which have received extensive media coverage by a number of publications including the Wall Street Journal, Globe and Mail and the National Post. Previously, Blaine served as an Advisor to three Senior Cabinet Ministers in the Government of Canada. Blaine holds an MBA with Distinction from the University of Western Ontario and Baccalaureate of Social Sciences with a concentration in Political Science from the University of Ottawa.

Darby Lee Young was born with mild cerebral palsy and a fearless disregard for barriers. She created Level Playing Field (LPF) in November 2015 to mitigate accessibility barriers for others. As the Principal Accessibility Strategist at LPF, Darby works with architects, designers, property owners, facilities managers, and community leaders to ensure spaces are universally accessible. Through her expertise in universal design, experience as an accessibility strategist, and in-depth understanding of building codes and drawings, she has contributed to successfully removing barriers across North America. Darby also shares her passion and bubbly zest for life with her community. She has volunteered with Hockey Canada since 2010 and for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and currently serves as a member of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. A former para-alpine ski racer, Darby now courses at full speed towards creating strong, welcoming communities that are inclusive for everyone.

Mark is the President of Canopy Growth Corporation, the largest and most recognized cannabis company in the world. A diversified cannabis and hemp company, Canopy Growth offers distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time. With Canopy since its inception, Mark has been a key driver of the Canopy Growth vision, ensuring that consumers and stakeholders choose Canopy companies as their trusted partner in the cannabis sector. This includes overseeing all aspects of the operational, regulatory and consumer-facing strategy. A graduate from the University of Waterloo in Mathematics, the University of Ottawa in Law, and the University of Cambridge in International Law, Mark has previously kept himself busy providing legal, political and strategic advice to high-profile local and international corporate clients, most recently as Counsel at the Ottawa-Washington international trade law firm of Cassidy Levy Kent. Previously, Mark has served as a Senior Advisor to the Honourable Dwight Duncan, the Ontario Minister of Finance, and has worked internationally at the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).