Calgary

Using engineering principles to educate homeowners and realtors on their foundations

Benjamin Heninger is a registered professional civil engineer with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry and is the founder of groon construction. He is a born-and-raised Calgarian, who takes pride in operating with integrity, efficiency, practicality and ingenuity. Using his engineering expertise, he solves complex problems and educates his clients. Heninger has been in good standing with the association of professional engineers and geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) for the past 17 years.

groon construction is a Calgary-based boutique construction company specializing in concrete foundation waterproofing solutions since 2003. They believe that your concrete foundation’s stability, functionality, and integrity are critical for a safe and healthy home.


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A passion for taking care of her community

Lourdes Juan is a Calgary-based entrepreneur and Urban planner, with a Masters in Environmental Design, who has founded a diverse array of organizations including Hive Developments, Soma Spa, Knead Technologies, Leftovers and Fresh Routes.

As a daughter of immigrants, Lourdes’ parents instilled in her a passion for taking care of her community. This has been a driving force behind her tireless work to solve problems including by creating two non-profit organizations that address dignified food access and newly founded a tech company to redirect food surplus. Lourdes’ community advocacy is vast and also includes serving on numerous local and national boards related to urban planning and design, development appeals, affordable housing, impact investment and business leadership.

Lourdes is a mom to a one-year-old son who inspires her to continue to work towards building a brighter future for Calgary.


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Innovative leadership style and strong entrepreneurial spirit

With an innovative leadership style and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, David Wallach has expanded Barclay Street Real Estate from a small local establishment with a handful of brokers to one of the most prominent and respected commercial real estate brokerages in Alberta.

David’s career started over 30 years ago in Israel where he owned a successful insurance brokerage and was President and GM of a professional basketball team. However, David saw bigger opportunities in his future when he, his wife and three children immigrated to Canada in 1999.

In 2000, David began his career in Canadian commercial real estate and was later invited to join a group of senior negotiators who bought an established real estate firm in 2001. In 2003, David assumed the leadership role of President with a rigorous business growth plan in mind, and in 2004 the brokerage was rebranded under the name Barclay Street Real Estate.

In a few short years, David has made strides in growing Barclay Street locally and internationally. In 2007, David added Property Management to Barclay Street’s portfolio of services and the division has grown dramatically in the last few years with properties throughout Alberta, managing today over four million square feet.

To expand Barclay’s national and global reach, David formed a partnership in 2011 with TCN Worldwide, a real estate services organization that serves more than 200 markets globally. As a member of TCN Worldwide, Barclay Street has the ability to service their customers on a local and international level through a network of over 1200 commercial real estate firms. Since 2012, David brings his commercial real estate knowledge to the international stage as a board member on the TCN Worldwide Board and as the Regional Vice President of the Canadian Region.

On April 2013 David received his CCIM – Certified Commercial Investment Member designation.

In June 2014 David launched a new venture, Triumph Real Estate Investment Trust. A private REIT focused on acquiring revenue-producing properties in defined markets both in Canada and the U.S.A. David is the founder and president and is responsible for all real estate matters of the Trust as well as involved in raising funds for Triumph.

David holds a strong belief that a company and individual are only as strong as the community and clients they serve. With that in mind, Barclay Street takes part in many community initiatives including sponsoring local music festivals.

With the leadership philosophy of “leading by example”, David has created a culture of mutual respect and care for his employees that transcends beyond the office wall so every client receives top-quality service and should not expect less when dealing with a Barclay Street employee. With family-centric ideals, David ensures Barclay Street employees and clients feel like they are dealing with family, not just coworkers or a commercial real estate broker.


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The importance of family is at the root of everything the Couillard Group does

Jessica Theroux joined the Couillard Group in 2014 coming from a background in commercial real estate. She successfully completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the Haskayne School of Business as well as her Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.

Jessica is the founder of a not-for-profit foundation, Souls for Sisters, and is passionate about women’s rights and education around the globe. She is also a registered yoga instructor and donates her time teaching weekly providing support to Souls for Sisters.

Outside of work, Jessica spends her time with her husband Greg, two boys, Bennett and Austin and her daughter Aidah. She is passionate about yoga, food and travel!


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Inspiring Future Leaders

Colby Delorme is one of the founding creators of Influence Mentoring Society, and was appointed Chairperson of the IMS’ Board of Directors in December 2020. With over 26 years of experience in business and as an entrepreneur, Mr. Delorme has built multiple businesses and is currently the President of the Imagination Group of Companies. Mr. Delorme’s experience has spanned the construction industry, brand development and marketing, a certification practice, franchise development, tobacco manufacturing, and business consulting. Mr. Delorme is also a celebrated industry leader; in 2010, he was inducted into the Calgary Top 40 Under 40 and won the Big Idea 2. In 2014, Mr. Delorme was the recipient of the Dr. Douglas Cardinal Award from the University of Calgary. Colby Delorme has a long and varied career in Not-For-Profit and Corporate governance, sitting on many boards over the past 15 years. Mr. Delorme holds an Institute of Corporate Directors Designation from the Rotman School of Management and was recently awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee award in Alberta. Colby is passionate about creating new and sustainable opportunities in business and for Indigenous peoples.


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Ending plastic pollution while bringing to the world pristine Canadian spring water

Saawan Logan was the youngest of 3 siblings was born in Fiji and moved to Canada from Australia. She is the woman who makes it all happen. She turns dreams into reality, with persistence, drive and her supercharged energy. Her sense of adventure spans globally for both work and leisure. She has worked across Asia Pacific, Australia and more recently, Canada. In her travels, the only thing she never came across was Canadian water on international shelves. After spending the majority of her career in oil and gas she ventured into entrepreneurship and started North Water. North Water is a pledge to end plastic pollution while bringing to the world pristine, Canadian spring water.

North Water went operational in 2020 and has since expanded its distribution network across Canada. North Water is sourced from the Canadian Rockies and is naturally high in alkaline. North Water is currently carried in 5-star hotels, private jets, major retailers like Whole Foods Canada and more recently on movie production sets. The company is ready to expand overseas where it can showcase the great-tasting water Canada has to offer.

Amongst Saawan’s many favourite things to do, spending time in nature, travelling, and cooking top the charts. Saawan is involved in the community and is always looking at taking on volunteer initiatives where she can make a difference. She believes in hearing everyone out and providing meaningful opportunities for everyone.


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Moving should be an adventure, not a chore

Addison Parfeniuk is the CEO of Two Small Men with Big Hearts Moving, Canada’s most recognized moving brand. Two Small Men is a leading provider of professional residential and commercial moving services in Canada and is an industry leader in giving back to the communities where they operate. Addison is passionate about giving back, and under his direction, Two Small Men has partnered with community organizations across Canada that support some of the country’s most vulnerable individuals.


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Strong communication is the difference between success and failure

Robyn Braley is a Brand Specialist, Writer, and Speaker. He is also the President and CoFounder of UniMark Creative Inc., a Calgary-based agency. Robyn has been transitioning into the role of writer and speaker known for content that helps people be better communicators. He draws on experience as a brand specialist, broadcast professional, music producer, event planner, and community volunteer. He began his career as a High School Drama teacher. Robyn has published over 70 posts on his blog site, ‘Brandit with Robyn.’ He has written articles for newspapers, trade, and lifestyle magazines. He is about to publish his first book.

Robyn Braley is a sought-after media guest and has appeared on CKNW Vancouver, CHED, Edmonton, CHQR, Calgary, CBC Alberta, CBC Saskatchewan, CJOB, Winnipeg and stations Newstalk 1010 and 640 in Toronto. He has also been interviewed on CTV, Global TV, City TV and CBC TV in various markets. Unimark Creative was launched in 1994 and helped several companies grow into multi-million dollar operations. The company has worked with commercial construction, oil & gas (service), manufacturing, and some retail companies. Unimark has also served not-for-profit organizations. Unimark Creative’s work won building industry marketing awards. Robyn has been nominated for several national music awards and in 2007 led a local team that won the Rotary International (worldwide) Public Relations Award. Robyn lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is a proud husband and father. As a doting grandpa, he regularly spoils 2 grandsons. He is also a Rotarian committed to the ideal of community service.


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Shooting for success in Canadian basketball

Jason Ribeiro is a father, community advocate, and Doctoral Researcher at the University of Calgary. He is a fixture in local and national media providing public affairs commentary and serves on several corporate and not-for-profit boards. His latest business venture is helping bring a Canadian Elite Basketball League franchise to Calgary. Ribeiro is Vice-Chairman and President of the Calgary Surge.

His past experience has included a role with Calgary Economic Development.


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Calgary-Based Entrepreneur is Changing the Way We Sleep

If you ask Lara Smith what led her to create Lusomé, she would tell you it was partly circumstantial, partly destiny.

She kicked off her 20-year career at two of the biggest fashion houses in the world – Ralph Lauren and Gucci – and quickly worked her way up as a senior executive at some of Canada’s largest retailers. There, she traveled the globe to discover and create innovative apparel solutions that would make a difference in the lives of consumers.

But it wasn’t until Lara watched her sister battle with breast cancer and the uncomfortable, long-term side effects that resulted from her treatments that she set out to find the most important solution of all – a solution to preventing overheating and night sweats in the clothing that is meant to make us feel beautiful. Lara looked throughout North America and Europe for a sleep brand with beautiful style and fabrics, but they were using 100% polyester and chemicals in the finishing process. Not to mention, their cooling technology never truly worked.

That’s when Lara decided to create her own solution, one that fuses beauty, comfort and science. Her vision came to life through Lusomé, a new pajama brand that promotes the health and sleep of its wearers through first-of-its-kind technology that stops night sweats before it starts.


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