Brown Eagle Belanger is the COO at Nationsfirst and an Indigenous, self-driven entrepreneur leveraging technology to empower Indigenous communities through sovereign solutions.

Chris Hogg is CEO of Digital Journal, one of Canada’s largest independent media companies. An editorial and digital strategist, he is passionate about new technologies and the evolution of high-growth, disruptive digital businesses.

Courtney Kos is the founder of Prévoir—an AI-powered tool helping fashion brands build smarter collections. With a background in luxury retail, Courtney is passionate about blending data and creativity to drive better decisions in fashion.

Darren Engels is the Chief Engagement Officer at Tailwind. He created Tailwind to empower companies to scale and attract capital, so they can create impact and value. Darren finds happiness on two wheels.

David Nagy is an e-commerce entrepreneur and business advisor who has helped thousands of companies navigate online retail and digital transformation. He is the Founder of several successful e-commerce businesses, as well as eCommerce Canada, a consultancy focused on improving digital adoption in SMEs. David's career has spanned two decades in digital and his entrepreneurial pursuits have led him to work with brands such as Virgin Mobile, HBO Comedy, Wendy's, Samsung and many others. He has also formed strategic partnerships to promote small business initiatives with key organizations, counting Canada Post, Global Affairs, Interac, Google and Shopify among them. 

Mohammad Keyhani is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. He is also an entrepreneur, maker of Lstr.cc (AI-powered list curation platform), co-founder of HoneybeeLogic.com, and has experience as Lab Strategist at the Creative Destruction Lab Rockies, and a David Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission. Mohammad’s blog and experimental projects can be found on www.DigitVibe.com.

Ethan is a Coast Salish entrepreneur and CEO and Co-Founder of Nationsfirst Technologies. He leads blockchain technology to advance Indigenous economies, balancing economic development with environmental conservation while enhancing resource management and investment.

James O’Brien is the Co-CEO of Sound Ethics, an organization advocating for ethical AI and protecting artists’ rights; a composer, producer, and AI educator with 25 years of experience in the industry.

Jenny McLean, MA, is CMO at Tailwind Ventures, empowering entrepreneurial companies to create impact and value. Jenny drives Tailwind’s growth strategy and leads development of the firm’s digital platform.

Karl Yeh, Chief AI Officer and Co-founder of 0260.AI is an AI strategist, operator and builder, who is passionate about helping businesses realize the tangible benefits of artificial intelligence. He has led AI adoption from enterprises to start-ups through education, strategy and implementation. With a background and expertise in building businesses, demand generation, and keen ability to drive AI implementation company-wide, Karl has led initiatives resulting in substantial ARR growth and operational efficiencies.

By day, a Forbes 30 under 30, Grand Effie award-winning creative strategist specializing in the intersection of advertising, entertainment, and Al. He's led strategy on everything from Dune 2, to Travis Kelce, Vans, Subway, Tinder, Comedy Central, and more. By night, he's a TV-featured magician and mentalist to the stars. Yes, the other Magic Mike.

Nicola has over 15 years of experience working in creative ad agencies. Originally a graphic designer and illustrator, it wasn’t until Nicola was teamed up with a copywriter to work on her first social cause campaign that she discovered her passion for advertising. 

Now, as Associate Creative Director at ZGM Modern Marketing Partners, the biggest ad agency in Alberta, Nicola and her team do work that makes a difference—and wins awards for it. From organ donation and anti-homophobia to women’s health research and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Nicola’s work pulls all the heart strings— and influences real, positive change.

Owen Brierley leads the BA Creative Industries at KSA. He explores character memory in virtual worlds and is creating a new Games Creation course. 

Sabaa Quao is the founding President of PlusCo Venture Studio, the AI and fintech innovation spinoff from Cossette and Plus Company Canada. Sabaa previously occupied the role of Chief Creative and Innovation Officer at Cossette, Canada's largest integrated marketing and advertising agency. He is a creative leader, career entrepreneur, and business strategist. As a digital media veteran, he has built and grown several platforms and companies across content, tech, and culture spaces. 

Sabaa believes that the "innovation" mandate is as urgent today as it was for companies and business leaders who faced the start of the digital era 25 years ago. 

Sabaa is also the co-founder of Wealthie.Works, an early stage fintech, and Filminute, the international one-minute film festival now in its 20th year. He is an alumnus of Concordia University, OCAD U, and University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.

Sami is an award-winning filmmaker, creative director, and executive producer. A former speech and debate national champion turned "influencer whisperer," she led top-tier Creator talent and development at Maker Studios and Fullscreen, became BBDO NY's first EP of Creative Development and Partnerships, and has sold projects to Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and more. In 2022, she founded Yarn, a branded entertainment consultancy. In 2023, she produced the first-annual "AI on the Lot" conference in Los Angeles, bringing together top film studios and leading AI experts. By night, she moonlights as a VO artist for brands like Panera, Kroger, and Pepsi!

For more than a decade, Stephanie's professional practice has focused on bridging the gap between creators and audiences, tech products and customers, and letting the creativity and passion of builders shine at the centre of marketing and communication efforts. She is currently the CDO (Chief Delivery Officer) at Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii).

Wunmi Adekanmbi is a digital innovation leader with over 18 years of experience spanning academia, industry and entrepreneurship. She has led initiatives in software product development, digital transformation, organizational change management, strategy, and operations. 

As the Founding and Executive Director of Immigrant Techies Network, she bridges the gap between skilled immigrant professionals and tech companies in Canada. 

Through programs like PathwayPro, Elevate and TechMosaic, Wunmi has secured significant funding and built strategic partnerships to bridge tech talent gaps, empower newcomers, and strengthen Canada’s digital economy.