Toronto

Balaji Gopalan

Balaji Gopalan leads business development and strategy as the Co-Founder and CEO at MedStack, a digital app platform for the healthcare industry. As an expert in product management and software platform ecosystem design, Balaji is a well-respected start-up educator, advisor and mentor. He is an advocate for the role of ecosystems in industry transformation and in tackling tough problems like improving healthcare. Prior to co-founding MedStack, he launched the BlackBerry BBM service and led platform strategy at D2L, Nymi and EventMobi.

Annette Smith

Annette Smith is the Founder of Lip Service Beauty, an all-natural, plant-based beauty company based out of Grimsby, Ontario but with a presence across the GTA. After suffering a grand-mal seizure 5 years ago, Annette decided to detoxify her life, and started making her own beauty products. Annette wholeheartedly believes that INGREDIENTS MATTER in all aspects of life and business!

Eric Fournier

Eric Fournier is a dynamic, strategic visionary with a long history of creating value for businesses. In his role as Partner and Executive Producer at Moment Factory, he has strategically overseen the growth of the studio while also providing proactive leadership and direction on major projects. Under his guidance, Moment Factory now operates in Tokyo, New York City, Los Angeles and London and soon Toronto. Creative and curious, Eric excels at identifying opportunities that will fully activate Moment Factory’s unique and diverse collection of expertise. Eric holds an MBA from McGill University and a BBA from the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Victoria Pelletier

Victoria Pelletier (victoriapelletier.me) is a corporate executive with over two decades of executive experience. She is a visionary and innovative leader serving as an executive for a global Fortune 500 global organization and as a board member for several organizations and an entrepreneur owning several businesses. She is also a published author, in-demand public speaker and appears regularly on national TV.

Marc Lafleur

Marc Lafleur founded truLOCAL, an online marketplace that connects health conscious consumers to local suppliers, giving them a more convenient way to access clean, locally raised meat products. All orders are placed online with the ability to select everything from box size to frequency of deliveries, including the contents of each box. truLocal ships Shipping all across Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, truLOCAL is a game changer to the relatively slow-moving meat industry. Marc is an Honours grad in Health Sciences from University of Waterloo.

Lauren Shirreffs

In 2013 Lauren Shirreffs founded 2Social after recognizing an opportunity in the market to connect consumers with celebrated brands and multi-location businesses through online communities. In 2017, 2Social opened its second office in Santa Monica, California, to focus on growth in the American marketplace and continue to best service our American clients. Lauren is passionate about community, and exploring ways to utilize social media to communicate positive messages and shed light on meaningful conversations. Lauren now divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles and is fueled by an insatiable drive for success (And coffee. So much coffee).

Janice Liu

Janice Liu is the founder of Retreat, a technology start-up, which connects users with last-minute, discounted premier spa and salon appointments in the city of Toronto, where Janice calls home. By day, Janice leads a consulting and engineering team at the consultancy firm, Magnet, that has a mission to engineer the future of marketing.

Doug Mochrie

Doug Mochrie is the Founder and CEO of AIRO.LIFE, an innovative technology company disrupting the norm, and on a mission to bring the world free access to information, with a means to education. They do this with AIRO.LIFE’s Be Free Phone, where end-users no longer have to pay for smartphones and data plans and other incredible products that are currently being developed. Doug’s journey and evolution to AIRO.LIFE has been an exciting roller coaster that led to his mission to help people and the planet. From action sports athlete to attending school for finance and marketing, then being accepted as a MARS Officer and Armoured Officer to injury to later starting a digital media company – Holeshot1 Media, his entrepreneurial journey is rich and filled with applicable insights for other entrepreneurs.

Galen Nuttall

Galen Nuttall describes himself as a father, husband, triathlete, photographer, volunteer and, of course an entrepreneur. Originally set for a career in teaching with a Masters in Education, he is a citizen of three countries and came to Canada nine years ago. Based in Belleville he’s been building a business in financial services across Canada. Galen is also a podcaster, a writer and a really interesting life observer.

Fawn Annan

Fawn Annan describes herself a builder of ideas, teams, community and business growth. Her domain is digital media. I know her as an executive Leader and a high achiever in business. She know the world of IT and technology deeply and is driven by innovation and striving for Women’s recognition in business. Amongst her responsibilities, Fawn is the President and Group Publisher of IT World Canada/IDG Canada, the largest global IT media company located in 87 countries. In 2012 she received the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award for her contribution to the IT industry. In 2017 she was awarded the MISA/ASIM Dennis Steen Award and the RBC/CATA Sara Kirke Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation recognizing her contributions to the industry.