Speakers / Topics: Entrepreneurship ($5,001 - $10,000)
It’s not easy to build a business from the ground up. Our entrepreneurs share stories and lessons learned from the trenches on the journey to success.
Zahra Al-Harazi
Entrepreneur and Transformative Leadership Expert
The road to real leadership is rarely a straight one. Among Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs, few have faced more obstacles than Zahra Al-Harazi. With a no-holds-barred attitude, Zahra helps people and organizations realize their potential fo...
Mark Brand
Social Entrepreneur | Restaurateur
Mark Brand is one of North America’s foremost social entrepreneurs. With eleven businesses under his belt, he is an example of a new form of leadership that encompasses good in every step. Determined to breathe new life into our struggling and...
Donald Cooper
Business Management, Marketing, and Customer Service Expert
Drawing from his unique experience as both a world-class manufacturer and award-winning retailer, Donald Cooper delivers the “straight goods” on how to sell more, manage smarter, grow your bottom line…and have a life. With wisdom, h...
Mandy Gilbert
Entrepreneur, CEO & Innovator
Having successfully built two international businesses from the ground up, Mandy Gilbert has been recognized as a United Nations Global Accelerator and ranked as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs on Canadian Business’ Profit 500 list and C...
Manu “Swish” Goswami
Startup Canada's Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Manu (Swish) Goswami has built a multi-hyphenate career. Just 21 years old, he is already a serial entrepreneur; a LinkedIn Youth Editor; a past Fortune 500 consultant for Google and American Express; a venture capitalist; a UN Youth Ambassador; and ...
Lainey Lui
Co-Host, The Social | Correspondent, etalk | Founder, LaineyGossip
Elaine “Lainey” Lui has been breaking entertainment news since the launch of her world-famous celebrity gossip website, LaineyGossip.com, and as a correspondent on CTV’s Canada’s #1 entertainment show, etalk. Also a co-host on CTV’s The Soc...
Janet Podleski
Bestselling Author | Award-Winning Entrepreneur | TV Host Eat, Shrink & Be Merry
How did two sisters with no formal culinary training, no publishing track record, no food industry experience and—most importantly—no money, end up writing and publishing one of Canada’s bestselling cookbooks of all time? Janet Podleski’s cap...
Sébastien Sasseville
Athlete | Change Management and Leadership Expert | Author
Sébastien Sasseville empowers leaders to lead with purpose and inspires organizations to embrace change. An endurance athlete, his extraordinary accomplishments — which include summiting Mount Everest, completing the mythical Sahara race, and runn...
Graham Sherman
Co-Owner, Tool Shed Brewing Company
Graham Sherman is a self-professed “high level geek” who has used his love of technology to help him master the craft of brewing artisan beer. Together with his partner, Graham launched the Tool Shed Brewery four years ago, and has never looked b...
Barb Stegemann
CEO and Founder, The 7 Virtues | Social Entrepreneur
Barb Stegemann first launched her perfume company, The 7 Virtues, in her garage, armed with only a dream to help war-ridden nations rebuild. Just eight years later, it is now an award-winning social enterprise — supporting suppliers in countries su...
Nicole Verkindt
Founder, OMX | “Dragon”, Next Gen Den
Nicole Verkindt is passionate about leveraging the talents of entrepreneurs. The founder of OMX (Offset Market Exchange) and a Dragon on CBC’s Next Gen Den, she understands the powerful role entrepreneurs have in growing the economy and helping to ...
Dave Wilkin
Founder of TenThousandCoffees.com | Social Entrepreneur | Mentoring Expert
Dave Wilkin turns all kinds of organizations into engagement engines. A celebrated social entrepreneur, he’s the founder of TenThousandCoffees.com, the world’s largest peer-to-peer mentoring service. With deep experience working with prominent br...