Our Speakers - 2024
The Hon. Filomena Tassi
Minister Responsible for the FedDev Ontario
The Hon. Filomena Tassi
Minister Responsible for the FedDev Ontario
Paul Gaspar
Director, Small Business, UPS® Canada
Paul Gaspar
Director, Small Business, UPS® Canada
Michael Mehr
Partner of Edmison Mehr Chartered Professional Accountants and Xero Ambassador
Michael Mehr
Partner of Edmison Mehr Chartered Professional Accountants and Xero Ambassador
Tarandeep Singh
Regional VP – Commercial, Marketing & Revenue Management | IHG Canada
Tarandeep Singh
Regional VP – Commercial, Marketing & Revenue Management | IHG Canada
Frank Vella
CEO of Constant Contact
Frank Vella
CEO of Constant Contact
Shrad Rao
CEO and Co-founder of Wagepoint
Shrad Rao
CEO and Co-founder of Wagepoint
Dave Charest
Director of Small Business Success, Constant Contact
Dave Charest
Director of Small Business Success, Constant Contact
Georges Levesque
President at Levesque Negotiation
Georges Levesque
President at Levesque Negotiation
Parthiban Dhakshnamurthy
Procurement Assistance Team Leader, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) – Procurement Assistance Canada – Ontario Region
Parthiban Dhakshnamurthy
Procurement Assistance Team Leader, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) – Procurement Assistance Canada – Ontario Region
Whilna Stewart-Franklin
Community Relations Director at UPS Canada | The UPS Foundation
Whilna Stewart-Franklin
Community Relations Director at UPS Canada | The UPS Foundation
Luis Santos
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Specialist, Okta
Luis Santos
Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Specialist, Okta
Tara Conway
Digital Pioneer, Retail Executive, Advisor - Coralus
Tara Conway
Digital Pioneer, Retail Executive, Advisor - Coralus
Olivia Cicchini
Employment Law Expert & Presenter at Peninsula Canada
Olivia Cicchini
Employment Law Expert & Presenter at Peninsula Canada
Dave Smiderle
PhD , Associate Dean Humber College
Dave Smiderle
PhD , Associate Dean Humber College
Henry Kalule Lukenge
Founder & CEO of Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc
Henry Kalule Lukenge
Founder & CEO of Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc
Sidrah Khan
Senior Manager Acquisition Strategy, Small Business Insurance at TD Insurance
Sidrah Khan
Senior Manager Acquisition Strategy, Small Business Insurance at TD Insurance
Stephan Sigaud
Chief Marketing Officer at Phase 5
Stephan Sigaud
Chief Marketing Officer at Phase 5
Michael Contento
Managing Partner at F12.net
Michael Contento
Managing Partner at F12.net
Manraaj Mand
Co-Founder of Watchdog Security
Manraaj Mand
Co-Founder of Watchdog Security
Logan Wolfe
Founder & CEO, ORNA
Logan Wolfe
Founder & CEO, ORNA
Mark Sutor
VP Sales at Access Computer Solutions Inc.
Mark Sutor
VP Sales at Access Computer Solutions Inc.
Michelle Dias
External Communications and Public Relations, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Michelle Dias
External Communications and Public Relations, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Fennella Bruce
Media Consultant and Founder, FKB Media Solutions
Fennella Bruce
Media Consultant and Founder, FKB Media Solutions
For six years, Fennella taught Media Literacy Theory at Centennial College and has also served on journalism boards and on many critique juries, including the Canadian Screen Awards, The New York Festivals International TV Broadcasting Awards and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the Juno Awards. She has her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and her Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson University.
Fennella volunteers her time and expertise with Dr. Roz’s Healing Place - a centre that aids women and children escaping from violent situations – where she served as Vice-President of the Board of Directors and was a Board member for four years. She is currently the Vice-President of the Foundation Board of Women in Film and Television.
Fennella was named the 2023 IABC/Toronto Communicator of the Year, 2022 Businesswoman of the Year by the Women Empowerment Awards and is one of 2020’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women.
Melanie Britto
Manager, Talent Management & Development at CDW Canada
Melanie Britto
Manager, Talent Management & Development at CDW Canada
Ok Ikejiani
Founder & Chief Innovation Officer of Red Thread Innovations
Ok Ikejiani
Founder & Chief Innovation Officer of Red Thread Innovations
Laurinda Lee-Retter
Founder of Kind Karma Company
Laurinda Lee-Retter
Founder of Kind Karma Company
Leah Green
Sales Account Executive, Flawless Inbound
Leah Green
Sales Account Executive, Flawless Inbound
Anatoly Dvorkin
Founder and CEO at HRC Law Professional Corporation
Anatoly Dvorkin
Founder and CEO at HRC Law Professional Corporation
As a small business owner, Anatoly is intimately aware of the challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses. This experience was the catalyst that led him to start a law firm dedicated solely to providing SMEs and not-for-profits with employment law advice and related legal services.
With 20 years of experience as a lawyer and in business, Anatoly brings a practical approach to his employment practice.
For more information about Anatoly or HRC Law, please check out our website at www.hrcemploymentlaw.com.
Francis Syms
MASc, PEng, PMP Associate Dean Humber College
Francis Syms
MASc, PEng, PMP Associate Dean Humber College
Roop Johal
Director of Partnerships at Small Business BC
Roop Johal
Director of Partnerships at Small Business BC
Beyond her role at SBBC, Roop is actively involved in various community initiatives. She volunteers her time on advisory boards for organizations such as the BC SPCA and Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC), demonstrating her commitment to community awareness and development. Roop is also passionate about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she works on projects that support mental health and community development. As an immigrant from the UK, she brings a rich cultural perspective to her work and community involvement. Roop has dyscalculia and dyslexia, which present unique wonders and challenges in learning and processing information. She has carved out a successful career and is deeply committed to supporting others facing similar hurdles. Her personal experiences with learning abilities fuel her passion for advocacy and inclusion, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued in every initiative she undertakes.
Additionally, Roop serves as a Community Advisor to the Board at Surrey Cares Community Foundation, where she contributes to initiatives that enhance the well-being of Surrey’s residents through philanthropy and community engagement. She also holds the position of Board Member and Development Chair at Pacifica Treatment Center, playing a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s development efforts and ensuring the provision of essential treatment services. Roop’s multifaceted roles highlight her dedication to both business development and community service, reflecting her commitment to fostering economic and social progress in her community.
Victoria Hamilton
Account Executive at Maximizer
Victoria Hamilton
Account Executive at Maximizer
Liliane Youssef
President and Co- Founder at Flawless Inbound
Liliane Youssef
President and Co- Founder at Flawless Inbound
Mandar Patel
CPA, CA President, SourceIn Canada
Mandar Patel
CPA, CA President, SourceIn Canada
Mandar is highly engaged with business partners to provide excellent economies of scale for clients by working with them to design and implement effective compliance, financial & management reporting and technological solutions. He is a holder of Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and also completed Certified Information Systems Auditor in past (CISA).
At SourceIN, Mandar’s responsibilities spans across Strategy, Business Development and Management of the SourceIN’s Canadian expansion.
CA Anand Sanghvi
Founder & CEO, SourceIn Canada
CA Anand Sanghvi
Founder & CEO, SourceIn Canada
Anand thrives in M&As, Valuation for Financial Reporting and Regulatory Purposes, Due Diligence and Corporate Finance. He advises clients on structuring of the transaction for deal making and Valuation for Financial Reporting Purposes under IFRS, Indian GAAP and US GAAP
He is a holder of Diploma in IFRS from ACCA Board (UK) and also pursuing Final Level of Chartered Financial Analysts (Global CFA). In his role as the founder of SourceIN, he actively identifies new markets, shapes success paths, plan and forecasts. His responsibilities spans across Strategy, Business Development and Management of the SourceIN’s global expansion.
Dr. Wendy Cukier
Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute
Dr. Wendy Cukier
Founder and Academic Director, Diversity Institute
Her work on DiversityLeads helped shape Bill C-25 and the 50 – 30 Challenge, in which the Diversity Institute is an ecosystem partner. As a partner, the institute promotes the Challenge and helps organizations that sign up work toward gender parity and increased diversity on their boards and/or in senior leadership.
Thomas Mayrhofer
General Manager, InterContinental Toronto Centre
Thomas Mayrhofer
General Manager, InterContinental Toronto Centre
In addition to his impressive professional achievements, Thomas has demonstrated a commitment to mentoring others. He has shared his expertise as a lecturer in Hospitality Management at Malaspina University-College, Canada, and contributed as Co-Chair of the Business Programs Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
Thomas holds an MBA from the University of Guelph. Beyond his achievements, Thomas is an avid outdoorsman, finding joy in activities such as golf, fishing, skiing, and gardening.
Claudia Krywiak
President and CEO at the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
Claudia Krywiak
President and CEO at the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
As a champion of innovation in Ontario and across Canada, Claudia has been with OCI since 2011. She has actively promoted innovation as a key driver of competitiveness, productivity, and economic growth. Her leadership covers a broad range of initiatives, including those in artificial intelligence, autonomous and electric vehicles, 5G and next-generation networks, cybersecurity, and clean technologies.
Previously, Dr. Krywiak was the Vice-President of Business Development at Mitacs. She started her career at Bruker Corporation enabling scientists to make breakthrough discoveries.
Claudia also serves on the Board of Directors for the Accelerator Centre in Waterloo.
Glen DaSilva
Distribution account executive from Asus Canada
Glen DaSilva
Distribution account executive from Asus Canada
Rob Pagetto
Media Host and Consulting Editor at CanadianSME
Rob Pagetto
Media Host and Consulting Editor at CanadianSME
Aamir Mian
Senior Vice President, GreenShield Administration
Aamir Mian
Senior Vice President, GreenShield Administration
Aamir has over 25 years of benefits management experience, most recently with ADP Canada where he was Group Vice President, Human Resources Outsourcing. Prior to that, he held senior positions at Conduent (Xerox), Aon Hewitt, and Morneau Shepell. Aamir continues to dedicate himself to building great teams, establishing deep client relationships, and delivering best-in-class client-centric industry leading administrative solutions.
Walter Zenko
Senior Vice President at Pathway Communications
Walter Zenko
Senior Vice President at Pathway Communications
Dinesh Juneja
Co-Founder & Chief Digital Officer at Inspiration Digital
Dinesh Juneja
Co-Founder & Chief Digital Officer at Inspiration Digital
But growth isn’t just my professional jam. In my free time, I love mentoring budding startup founders on the art of profitable bootstrapping. Witnessing businesses flourish, whether established or just starting out, is what truly fuels my fire.