We have an impressive roster of speakers who are often featured in the media as contributors and experts in their fields. Here’s a round-up of some select media coverage in April 2019:
Erin Bury | Technology and Marketing Expert | Start-Up Fanatic
Erin Bury announced her new position as CEO of the Toronto-based startup Willfill, which focuses on end-of-life planning with the goal of simplifying the process and getting more Canadians to create a will. BetaKit spoke to Bury about her decision to join the team.
Johnny Cupcakes | CEO, Johnny Cupcakes | Award Winning Entrepreneur & Brand Hysteria Expert
Johnny Cupcakes specializes in creating unique brand experiences that leads to die-hard brand fans. He joined celebrity talk show host Steve Harvey on his show STEVE to talk about how he turned his passion into a successful and profitable career.
Fresh off of publishing her second book The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track, Liane Davey was featured in two articles via Quartz:
Ilona Dougherty | Leading Expert on Millennials and Generation Z | Social Entrepreneur
An award-winning social innovator, Ilona Dougherty helps organizations understand how to tap into the unique abilities of young people. She wrote a piece for OpenCanada — a digital publication on public policy, scholarship, and journalism — on how young changemakers can have a greater impact globally. This was based on her research with the Youth & Innovation Project at the University of Waterloo. She shares her findings and gives examples as to how current youth-led movements have used them to their advantage.
Our study shows that young people who want to have an impact in their local community or at the national or international level should focus on influencing decision-makers and encouraging them to act, rather than simply raising awareness about an issue.
Rick Hansen | Man In Motion | Champion for Accessibility and Inclusion
Canadian icon Rick Hansen, who has dedicated his life to showcasing the potential of people with disabilities, wrote an opinion piece in The Globe and Mail on why passing the Accessible Canada Act is critical to making Canada accessible for all. He writes:
The Accessible Canada Act is an essential piece of legislation for people with disabilities that has long been missing.
Read more from Rick and learn his hopeful vision for Canada’s future.
Silken Laumann | Olympic Hero | Mental Health Advocate
Renowned Olympian Silken Laumann launched her new website Unsinkable, a story-sharing platform with a mission to connect and empower Canadians to achieve better mental, physical, and spiritual health. In celebration of the launch, Silken spoke to the media about her new project:
- “Stories of Trauma and Healing on Website Began with Silken Laumann’s Own History” via Time Colonist
- “Sharing Stories of Resilience” via Breakfast Television
- “Silken Laumann Opens Up About Her Struggles, Wants Canadians To Do the Same” via CBC
Michele Romanow | “Dragon”, CBC’s Dragons’ Den | Co-Founder & President, Clearbanc
As the co-founder and president of Clearbanc, an alternative funding model for startups, Michele Romanow has had a lot of press this month talking about her plans to disrupt the venture capitalist world:
- “How This ‘Dragons’ Den’ Star Wants to Help Fund Your E-Commerce Startup” via
- “Clearbanc plans to disrupt venture capital with ‘The 20-Min Term Sheet’” via TechCrunch
- “Clearbanc Is Using AI To Level The Playing Field In Funding” via Forbes
- “Dragons’ Den star Michele Romanow offers $1 billion to startups for a cut of future sales through her company, Clearbanc” via The Hamilton Spectator
Denise Lee Yohn | Brand-Building Expert | Author of What Great Brands Do
In a recent article for Forbes, Denise Lee Yohn writes about the misconceptions around corporate valuations when it comes to the platform economy, specifically looking at big players Rent the Runway, Airbnb, and Lyft. She writes:
Some analysts criticize these valuations and other unicorns as hyped-up by the media, distorted by private fundraising, and unwarranted by conventional valuation metrics such as price-to-earnings.
She dives deep into each company and explores why a customer-centric approach should be used to provide a full and accurate picture.
Podcasts
Jamie Mason Cohen | Leadership & Performance Expert
Leadership strategist and certified grapho-therapist Jamie Mason Cohen spoke about one-of-a-kind leadership on the podcast “Where Others Won’t” with Cody Royle. Listen here.
Michele Romanow | “Dragon”, CBC’s Dragons’ Den | Co-Founder & President, Clearbanc
Listen to Michele Romanow talk innovation and disruption in Canada on Financial Post’s weekly podcast “Down to Business”.
