"Bridging the Trust Gap"
Speaker Bio: Alison Demelis
Head of Enterprise Solutions, Canada

A seasoned leader in the media industry with a remarkable career spanning 28 years. Over nearly three decades, Alison has worked across all media platforms and formats, adapting to and shaping the ever-changing landscape of communication. In a previous role as Head of New Business and Government Relations at WPP, Alison played a key role in fostering partnerships and driving growth for both public and private sector clients. For the past three years, Alison has been leading Enterprise Solutions Canada at LinkedIn, including oversight of all government teams, where they’ve focused on building impactful, long-term solutions for public institutions. Alison brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of how media and government can collaborate to address key societal challenges. Today, they will be speaking on a critical topic: rebuilding trust in government.

Moving Mountains: How to Get Your Comms Strategy Approved
Speaker Bio: Kevin Parent
Social Media Lead

Kevin has been the social media lead at Ottawa Public Health since 2018. OPH is the most-followed public health account in North America. Their work has been celebrated by people & groups like the Rockefeller Foundation, the World Health Organization, Health Canada, CTV National News, Macleans magazine, Ryan Reynolds, Arlene Dickinson, and Mike Morrison! Also, Kevin is a ginger.

Topic: The Brightest Light is the Indirect Light
Speaker Bio: Taylor Barrie
Vice-President, Communications

As vice-president of communications at the Calgary Foundation, Taylor leads the strategy behind amplifying the Calgary Foundation’s brand and the role of a community foundation in building a city where everyone belongs. Her team focuses on public engagement, partnerships between the charitable sector and community organizations, as well as strategic communications and marketing.

Taylor holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Calgary, and a graduate certificate in Professional Communications Management from Royal Roads University

Marketing with Google Ads in the age of AI
Majd Khaldi
Senior Client Partner, Public Sector

After joining Google in 2011, Majd spent a decade helping drive digital transformation across Europe, The Middle East, and Africa. He returned to his native Canada during the pandemic and has since taken on the role of Partner Lead, Government & Public Sector, where he collaborates with various organizations on Marketing, Measurement and other growth initiatives. Majd currently resides in Toronto with his wife, two children, and giant poodle.

Email Marketing: Foundations, Compliance, and Strategy to Perform
Speaker Bio: Geoffrey Blanc
General Manager

Geoffrey Blanc is the General Manager of Cyberimpact, a Canadian email marketing platform specializing in compliance with local laws like CASL. With a strong background in project management, e-commerce, and ERP, Geoffrey has managed multidisciplinary teams and led growth initiatives across various industries. He is a recognized expert in email marketing strategy, compliance, and delivering impactful results for organizations.

More Than Trolls: Tips and Trends for Digital Crisis Management
Speaker Bio: Mary Kapusta
Director, Communications and Engagement

Mary Kapusta has worked in marketing and communications within the cultural sector for over 17 years. She specializes in strategic communications, brand development and awareness, content marketing, and major projects. As the Director of Communications and Engagement for Calgary Public Library, she oversees all promotions for a library system that receives nearly 7 million visits annually and serves over 800,000 members. 

Multiply Your Impact: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Partnerships
Speaker Bio: Crystal MacGregor

Director of Communications & Marketing

Crystal MacGregor is a dynamic Marketing Expert, Food Innovator, and Catalyst with a passion for driving economic development in PEI’s food industry. With 14 years of marketing and product development experience at Epicure and now at Food Island Partnership, she’s a digital storyteller managing six brands, including the well-known “Canada’s Food Island.” Crystal is dedicated to helping food businesses thrive with sustainable, strategic marketing and innovation.

Panel: The Digital Marketing Talent Landscape
Darian Kovacs
Board Member

Darian is the host of the podcast Marketing News Canada and a contributing writer for publications including The Globe & Mail, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Canadian Business Quarterly, and Future Economy. He proudly serves on the board of NPower Canada. Darian resides in Fort Langley, BC, with his wife and four children. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, watercolor painting, and reading.

Building Impactful Communities
Speaker Bio: Jesse Luimes
Director of Marketing

Jesse Luimes is the Director of Marketing at HeyOrca, a social media scheduler for teams and agencies. She began her marketing career building community in Montreal’s classical music scene before transitioning into the technology sector. Outside of work, you can find her travelling, usually to see the latest show on Broadway.

Lead Out Loud: Leverage Your Personal Brand & Thought Leadership for Impact

Daniel Francavilla
Founder & Facilitator

Daniel is a marketing advisor, certified brand strategist, college educator, and founder making a positive impact.

After growing a creative agency for over a decade, he launched The Good Growth Company to provide training for organizations looking to upskill their teams and scale their mission.

Daniel supports nonprofits and social purpose organizations in amplifying their impact through storytelling, content and messaging. Since founding a nonprofit organization at age 16, he's been passionate about supporting others in doing social good.

Empowering Communities: How Technology Transforms Food Rescue and Reduces Waste
Lourdes Juan
Co-Founder & CEO

Lourdes Juan is an award-winning Founder and Urban Planner with a Masters in Environmental Design. She has launched diverse ventures in urban planning, food security, hospitality, and climate tech. Lourdes also serves on local and national boards focused on urban planning, affordable housing, and impact investment.

The AI Revolution and the Future of Nonprofit Marketing: What You Need to Know

Speaker Bio: Emily Baillie
Digital Marketing + AI Educator

Emily Baillie is a digital marketing and AI trainer, speaker, and professor who works with organizations across Canada. She specializes in educating and inspiring professionals to successfully navigate the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing and artificial intelligence. She teaches at McMaster University.

Persuasion Works: The Art of Advocacy Marketing

Speaker Bio: Zain Velji
Partner
Zain Velji is a Partner at Northweather, specializing in progressive advocacy and political marketing, and a frequent political commentator providing commentary across Canada. He has led notable political campaigns, including Naheed Nenshi’s 2024 Alberta NDP Leadership win. Zain also hosts The Strategists podcast, serves on the board of the Samara Centre for Democracy, and is the past board chair of YMCA Calgary.

Social for All: Accessibility Practices for Your Favourite Platforms

Speaker Bio: Maddie Alvarez
Senior Content Strategist

Maddie is not your average communicator. She’s a multi-disciplinary marketer applying user experience and research to award-winning digital initiatives. When she’s not digging into scroll-stopping content, she’s learning about how technology changes human behaviour.

Layers of Identity: Understanding Indigenous Audiences

Speaker Bio: Elizabeth Bunney

Co-Founder and CEO

Spark Agency Group is the only Indigenous agency in Canada equipped to handle marketing and communications projects, representing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices.

United as the original storytellers, we are a collective of marketing and communications professionals rooted in Indigenous values. By integrating First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultural perspectives, our approach builds trust by ensuring Indigenous involvement in decisions that impact them, emphasizing local relevance, flexibility, and connection with communities. Through our work, we honour our shared heritage, weaving stories that celebrate resilience, creativity, and ancestral spirit.

Protecting Canadians' Privacy: What You Need to Know
Maxime Bellemare
Account Executive

Maxime is the Account Executive at Axeptio for Canada. With his background in web development, he has developed a strong passion for digital technologies. His last three years focused on marketing solutions have equipped him to combine innovation, strategy, and regulatory compliance to help companies achieve sustainable growth.

Discussion: The Digital Marketing Talent Landscape

Speaker Bio: Deanna Wampler
Manager, Social Media and Digital Content Strategy

Deanna Wampler, a member of the Haida Nation, is passionate about empowering Indigenous businesses and communities to thrive in the digital landscape. At Indigenous Tourism British Columbia, she leads digital storytelling initiatives that connect Indigenous history, present-day realities, and travel experiences, fostering respectful tourism and supporting vibrant Indigenous economies. Named one of Canada’s Top 10 Social Media and Communications Instructors in 2022, Deanna simplifies social media strategies to help amplify voices, connect authentically, and grow impact across diverse audiences. Whether she’s leading discussions online or sharing meaningful conversations around a kitchen table, Deanna values the importance of every space where stories are told and connections are built.

Discussion: The Digital Marketing Talent Landscape

Speaker Bio: Richard Wong
Home, Kitchen, & Home Improvement Advertising Industry Lead

Richard is a classically-trained, turned-digital marketer, and trusted by companies large and small to help them develop their marketing plans, scale teams, and bring their brand to life in an effective and measurable way. He currently leads the Home and Kitchen Partnerships at Amazon Ads, where he works with marketers and their agency teams to best utilize Amazon’s advertising solutions. He has been a contributor and has been featured in AdWeek, DigiDay, Media in Canada, AMA, eMarketer, and DX3.  His past roles include brand management at Procter & Gamble,  Johnson & Johnson, Google, #paid (an influencer marketing platform) and LinkedIn.

Basil Hatto
SVP Product

Discussion: The Digital Marketing Talent Landscape

Speaker Bio: Karine Courtemanche
EVP
Karine is EVP of Plus Company Canada.   Courtemanche leads the media group, including Cossette Media and Jungle Media, and is responsible for evolving the entire Canadian portfolio including Aperture1, Camp Jefferson, Cossette, Impact Research, K-72, Level Eleven,  Magic Circle Workshop, Septième, and The ShowRoom. Her hire was an important milestone for our network that emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and  cutting—edge technologies.

Courtemanche joined Plus Company Canada following a 20-year tenure at Omnicom Media Group, where she led Canada’s most award-winning media teams, Touché! and PHD. As such, she was named Canadian Media Agency Leader of the Year four times over the last decade. Karine  is also the Chair of the CMDC (Canadian Media Director Council) and she sits on the board of Fondation Ste-Justine.

Once the Ink Dries: Activating Partnerships for Community Impact

Nithya Ramachandran

President & CSO

Nithya is President & CSO at T1, a full-stack sponsorship marketing agency, where she leads with a focus on collaboration, community impact, and strategic growth. With a passion for supporting equity-deserving communities, she advocates for people-centered leadership and champions practical strategies to empower underestimated leaders. Nithya’s leadership philosophy is rooted in courage and community, fostering impactful change and meaningful connections within her team and across the sponsorship industry. Known for her authenticity and expertise, she combines deep industry knowledge with a drive to create positive, lasting impact.

Layers of Identity: Understanding Indigenous Audiences
Ben Borne
Cousin / Partner

Ben is a communications professional on paper, but a relationship builder at heart. He hails from Yellow Quill First Nation 300km east of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and lives in Saskatoon. Throughout his 10+ career so far, he’s worked in corporate communications, digital marketing, corporate performance, and business strategy.

Building a High-Impact Marketing Strategy
Speaker Bio: Shawn Downey
Vice President of Sales

Shawn is the Vice President of Sales for Embold, where he works with marketers and agencies to create strategies that connect brands to their target audiences through local Canadian Influencers.