Emily Baillie is a digital marketing and AI trainer, speaker and professor.

She works with organizations across Canada to educate and inspire folks to navigate the ever-changing world of digital marketing and artificial intelligence. With over 15 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, she has worked with large and small organizations including Canadian Marketing Association, ReMax, Resorts of Ontario, United Way and Bruce County Economic Development Corporation.

Emily is a “Top Artificial Intelligence Voice” on Linkedin. She advocates for a human-first approach to AI. She teaches at McMaster University.

Steven Van Alstine is the VP of Professional Standards and Education at the National Payroll Institute. With over 27 years of experience, he is recognized as one of Canada’s leading experts in payroll legislation, education, and professional development.

Steven oversees the Institute’s accreditation and learning programs, as well as Payroll Standards Canada and its Advisory Council. He has spearheaded initiatives that transformed payroll education through cutting-edge learning platforms and various delivery formats, including online and in-person sessions.

In the past, he led the Institute’s advocacy efforts, worked on improving payroll designation programs, and contributed to governance enhancements for the profession.Steven holds a degree in Political Science and History from Wilfrid Laurier University, the Institute’s PLP designation, and a CAE certification from the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

Kevin Rempel is a 2014 Canadian Paralympic bronze medalist in sledge hockey. After being paralyzed in a dirt bike accident in 2006 at the age of 23, Kevin fought to overcome his ensuing depression, learned how to walk again, and went on to rebuild his physical and mental health, and career.

Today, Kevin shares his journey about adopting “The Hero Mindset,” in which he shows others how to focus on small things that make a big difference to become a hero in their own story.

In addition to corporate keynotes and workshops, Kevin is also a mindset coach using strategies from “The Hero Mindset Blueprint” to help leaders cultivate confidence, adopt healthy and predictable patterns, and accept radical responsibility to successfully navigate change.

Doug Neill helps people make sense of the world by making marks on the page. He’s the founder of Verbal to Visual, an education company that teaches the skill of sketching out ideas as a learning, problem-solving, and communication tool.

Through a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers, online courses with thousands of participants, and live workshops and talks, he’s on a mission to spread the word about the power of visual thinking.

After more than a decade in the fast-paced tech industry and experiencing burnout and depression, My Nguyen discovered her true purpose: helping others embrace their authentic selves with confidence and joy through the power of dance.

As the founder of The Confidance, My has guided hundreds of entrepreneurs, leaders, change-makers, professionals, and remote workers to embrace their vulnerability, rediscover their joy, and cultivate authentic self-expression through movement.

At The Confidance, her mission goes beyond teaching dance steps; it’s about fostering a deeper connection between mind and body, unlocking creativity, and building unshakable confidence. My's workshops, retreats, and classes inspire participants to show up fully as themselves, breaking through personal barriers and limiting mindsets.

My envisions a world where dance becomes a daily ritual, transforming lives by instilling confidence, fulfillment, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Inspired by her personal struggle to maintain meaningful employment while recovering from mental illness, Laurinda Lee-Retter founded Kind Karma as a means to make a difference among vulnerable members of the community with similar challenges.

Having made jewelry as a hobby when she was young, Laurinda turned that pastime into a viable business by creating an art therapy-based employment model for youth to create fine jewelry that gives back.

Prior to launching Kind Karma, Laurinda studied Music at Indiana University before working as an Executive Assistant supporting C-suite executives across a variety of industries.

Today, Laurinda continues to lead and manage Kind Karma and also enjoys speaking at events and workshops about her experiences as a social entrepreneur.

Shrad is the CEO and co-founder of Wagepoint – simple payroll software built just for small businesses and backed by the world’s friendliest team. Over 12 years, Wagepoint has grown to serve 25,000 small businesses in Canada paying about 200,000 teammates each month.

Shrad jokes that building a company is like going to a ridiculously hard school – you are taught lessons every day and the only question is whether you learn them today or tomorrow.

Most recently, he has been learning a lot more about the type of leader he is and what it really takes to help people rise to their full potential without anyone losing their sanity in the process.

Leena Thampan is the Chief Product Officer at Wagepoint, after holding various leadership roles within the company across marketing, customer support and product support over the past 11 years. Leena brings close-to-the-ground insight about Wagepoint’s customers and a passion for translating their needs into amazing product features.

She created a strategic framework for developing successful product enhancements and learned about building new systems and creating usable workflows. Leena is a trusted leader, respected for her ability to articulate the functional needs of a new feature, as well as the need for “good, simple design”.

When she’s not meticulously improving our software, she’s crafting culinary masterpieces from all over the world. The results of both are outstanding.

Named one of Canada’s Top 10 Notable Speakers by Ignite Magazine, Tina cleverly tackles hot button topics, like diversity, inclusion and belonging, in today’s complex climate with heart, humour and humanity.

Her work has been featured in various publications, such as the Toronto Star, TSN, and the Globe and Mail (to name a few). She is the Past-President of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (Alberta Chapter) and was part of McMaster University’s Future of Canada Council.

Tina is the author of 50 Shades of Beige: Building Bridges While Breaking Bias and has been the face of diversity, literally, when she was chosen to be in Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty representing beauty in diversity.

Tina resides in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and two children.

Jenn Walker has kayaked with Monkeys in Thailand, sailed the Nile in Egypt, summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, jumped out of a plane twice, and completed a 50-mile UltraMarathon once just to see if she could.

That exuberance for life extends to her business where she helps heart-centered individuals tap into their limitless power and potential so that they can make the impact that they are meant to make in our World.

A high-energy perspective shifter with unwavering positivity, Jenn’s philosophy is that inspired work & business is a vehicle for massive personal growth and social change.

Whether it be at a workshop, an event, or 1-on-1, Jenn leaves people energized, motivated, and armed with tangible actionable tools to take and apply right away.

Jean Barrett brings over 25+ years of banking experience in the Retail and Commercial sectors. As the Manager of Alterna Savings’ award-winning Community Microfinance Program, she oversees eight community microloan portfolios and manages 250+ small business borrowers in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa Region annually.

Certified in financial literacy, Jean advises individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, and she frequently speaks on business planning, credit, budgeting, and financing. She also supports ACCESS Community Capital Fund and the Ottawa Community Loan Fund teams.

As a seasoned commercial banker with over 15 years experience I specialize in financing businesses across various sectors. My journey began in personal banking, quickly advancing to business banking, where I’ve had the pleasure of working with startups, professionals, skilled trades, agriculture, franchising, and income property lending. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs—my grandfather, mother, and father all ran their own businesses—instilled in me a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs of small business ownership.

Beyond my professional life, I am an active volunteer with FutureBuilds to support BIPOC entrepreneurs. With a rich background in both personal and business banking, I bring a unique perspective to helping businesses thrive and grow. Let’s talk about how to get more money from your bank and turn your financial dreams into reality.