Keynote Speaker: David Chilton
Former “Dragon”, CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den 

Bestselling Author, The Wealthy Barber

Whether it’s helping millions of Canadians achieve personal financial success or investing in low-fat cookbooks, David Chilton has always had a knack for recognizing great ventures, a skill he proudly leveraged as a “dragon” on CBC television’s #1 hit show, Dragons’ Den. Called “charming, unpretentious, and funny,” by The Chicago Sun-Times, Chilton puts his business expertise and life experience to work in his informative and inspiring talks.

Chilton began his career by self-publishing his book The Wealthy Barber in 1989. It was written in 26 months, and was specifically targeted toward those with little investment experience, in order to help them develop positive personal-finance habits. The book has become one of the most popular Canadian books of all time, with two million copies sold since its release. 

Chilton’s second book, also self-published, is The Wealthy Barber Returns, and is yet another runaway Canadian bestseller. He is also the publisher of the bestselling cookbooks Looneyspoons; Crazy Plates; and Eat, Shrink & Be Merry! (working with authors Janet and Greta Podleski).

An economics graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University, Chilton won the award for the highest mark in the country on the Canadian Securities Course. He is also a frequent guest on national television and radio shows.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Georgette Zinaty, MBA, MSc, DBA

Chief of Staff at Myant

Dr. Georgette Zinaty is currently the Chief of Staff at Myant and Practice Lead for their Center for Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Zinaty holds a Bachelor degree in English and Political Science, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Liverpool, a Master’s of Science from the Henley School of Business and a certificate on Leading Strategic Change within Organizations from Harvard University.

She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration—a joint program with the Rotman School of Business and the Henley School of Business. Dr. Zinaty’s research focuses on business leadership, diversity, inclusion and the future of leadership. Dr. Zinaty is also a Professor at Western University as well at the Rotman School of Business.

Dr. Zinaty is a strong advocate for leadership and inclusion within organizations. She is a frequent contributor and thought leader to Forbes on issues of leadership, inclusion and business and has been a frequent global panelist, keynote and a public speaker, including a TEDx talk, and most recently at the World Diversity in Leadership Conference alongside Martin Luther King III, world leaders and Julia Gillard Former PM of Australia. She is the recipient the Canadian University Productivity Award as well as the Stepping Up Award in recognition of innovation in the workplace.

Read more about Dr. Zinaty  

 

Keynote Speaker: James Mullinger
Award-winning stand-up comedian, television presenter and bestselling author
Inspirational and motivational keynote speaker

James Mullinger was one of the UK’s hardest working comedians and Comedy Editor for GQ magazine when he moved to Canada in February 2014. Since his arrival, he has taken the country by storm. Sold out shows across the country, appearances on CBC’s The Debaters, movies, TV shows, festivals, awards, stand-up specials he’s done it all.

An award-winning writer, comedian and filmmaker, he spent 15 years in a senior position at British GQ magazine, interviewing everyone from Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Rudd to Rachel Weisz and Scarlett Johansson and launching the magazine’s digital division. In April 2016 and 2018, James sold out Harbour Station Arena in New Brunswick, outselling both Jerry Seinfeld and Guns N Roses at the same venue. 
 
His latest stand up special, Almost Canadian, shot straight to #1 on the iTunes charts and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Taped Live Performance. It is available to watch internationally on Amazon Prime Video. In June 2017 he launched Atlantic Canada's first ever international magazine, [EDIT] - an award-winning premium media brand devoted to celebrating business leaders and creatives doing the unexpected while expanding Atlantic Canada’s global reach. 

And learn more about him here: https://youtu.be/TbqYFUAMwsQ

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois 

Professor, Food Distribution and Policy
Faculty of Management
Senior Director, Agri-food Analytics Lab
Dalhousie University, Canada

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. He is as well the former Dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. While at the University of Guelph, he was also the Associate Dean of Research for the College of Business and Economics. He is a former director of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy in Regina where he was also Associate Dean at the Faculty of Business Administration of the Kenneth Levene Graduate School of Business. He is a recipient of multiple federal government research grants.

Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability. Since 2020, he co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries. The podcast is ranked in the top 10 most listened management podcast in Canada.

He has authored seven books on global food systems, his recent one titled Poutine Nation explores the journey of the iconic Canadian dish from humble beginning to international success. He has also published over 750 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic and professional publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.