Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 is back after a four year hiatus, with founding partner Caldwell Partners International Inc. officially announcing the 2026 list of honourees on Wednesday.
The national awards program celebrates Canadians under the age of 40 who embody innovation, leadership and community impact across their respective fields. This year’s 40 recipients include young leaders from areas such financial services, technology, energy, non-profits, logistics, fashion and education.
“Even though they come from a wide variety of sectors and professions, they share a commitment to building something larger than themselves,” said Michelle Jursa, senior director, national programs at Caldwell.
After a four-year hiatus, the executive search firm relaunched the awards program in 2026 to recognize top talent helping to build Canadian industry at a pivotal time for the country’s economy.
“I think it aligns so well we’re getting the program going again, because I think everyone agrees Canada has so many strengths to offer — global organizations, diverse communities and competitive industries,” said Jursa.
Having worked with the 2026 class, Jursa said the group shares a commitment to building strong teams at work, inspiring the next generation and creating more opportunities for Canadians.
“A lot of them talk about inclusivity and trying to address things that are important to Canada, including affordable housing, infrastructure, energy and access to financial services,” she said. “We always call them today’s community leaders, but they’re tomorrow’s country leaders.”
The group was selected by an independent advisory board, made up of 18 industry leaders from across Canada from a wide range of industries and companies including Tourmaline Oil Corp., Air Canada, Deloitte, Bank of Nova Scotia, EllisDon, Ewing Morris & Co. and Postmedia Network Canada Corp.
“They’re really able to give their insights and education opinions as to what really sets a person apart and what makes someone outstanding,” Jursa said.
Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 has recognized more than 840 Canadians since Caldwell founded the program in 1995. This year’s recipients will be feted at the Top 40 national celebrations in Toronto, including an awards night on Oct. 21.
Financial Post
Meet Canada’s Top 40 Under 40
The Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 program recognizes outstanding young achievers in the business world. Here is a full list of this year’s winners with biographies submitted by Caldwell Partners International Inc.
Natalie Adomait
Managing Partner & COO, Brookfield Energy
Natalie joined Brookfield Asset Management in 2011 and quickly rose through the ranks, achieving the title of Managing Partner at 32 years old. In 2020, she moved into the Energy Group to lead transition investments, working alongside Mark Carney, now Prime Minister of Canada. In this capacity, she played a central role in launching Brookfield’s inaugural Global Transition Fund, which became the world’s largest private fund dedicated to accelerating the transition to a net-zero economy after raising a record $15 billion in just 16 months. Today, Natalie acts as Chief Operating Officer for Brookfield Energy, where she leads asset management and strategic oversight for a $140-billion portfolio spanning renewable energy and transition assets. In this role, she has driven AI adoption and more rigorous health & safety standards across Brookfield Energy’s global portfolio, exemplifying the positive impact that Canadian leadership and investment can bring to the global stage.
Dahabo Ahmed-Omer
Chief Executive Officer, BlackNorth Initiative
Dahabo is Chief Executive Officer of BlackNorth Initiative, where she leads one of Canada’s most influential organizations advancing economic opportunity and dismantling systemic barriers facing Black Canadians. Working at the intersection of business, government, philanthropy and community, she mobilizes leaders and institutions to turn commitments into measurable change. Under her leadership, BlackNorth has expanded its national reach and impact through transformative initiatives in leadership development, education, homeownership, entrepreneurship and corporate engagement. Dahabo is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, The Globe and Mail’s Business Changemakers recognition, and the Most Influential Person of African Descent honour. She also serves on the Board of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, helping shape a more inclusive and prosperous Canada.
Mark Ang
Co-founder & CEO, GoBolt
Mark is the Co-founder and CEO of GoBolt, a technology-driven third-party logistics provider delivering fulfillment and last-mile solutions for e-commerce and enterprise brands across Canada and the United States. Under his leadership, GoBolt has grown from a university storage venture into one of North America’s largest sustainability-focused supply chain networks, powered by proprietary technology built in-house. Mark’s vision has positioned GoBolt as an industry leader in sustainable logistics, earning the company recognition on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 and Fast 500 rankings. His individual contributions have been recognized with a place on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Manufacturing & Industry and a Gold Stevie Award as Sustainability Hero of the Year. Mark continues to lead GoBolt’s expansion across North America, guiding the company’s strategy, technology, and growth as it redefines what modern logistics can be.
Ravipal Bains
Director & Senior Counsel, BCI
Ravipal is a Director and Senior Counsel, Capital Markets at BCI. Previously, he was a Partner (M&A and Capital Markets) at McMillan LLP. He has also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Business Council of British Columbia and the South Asian Bar Association of British Columbia. Globally, he has been recognized as a David Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission and as a Millennium Leadership Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He also worked at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. Born and raised in rural Punjab, he is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and holds an undergraduate degree from Panjab University, India.
Dr. Arinjay Banerjee
Scientist, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan
Arinjay is a virologist and Canada Research Chair in Zoonotic Virus and Animal Reservoirs at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He is the co-lead for the One Health Signature Area at the University of Saskatchewan and co-developed the Canadian One Health Training Program on Emerging Zoonoses. Arinjay’s research investigates how emerging viruses cause disease in humans to ultimately develop broadly protective antivirals and vaccines. He has received multiple accolades for their leadership and scientific work including the 2026 Ann Palmenberg Junior Investigator Award by the American Society for Virology, CBC Saskatchewan’s Top 40 under 40, KingCharles III Coronation medal, and the Canadian Society for Virology’s Early career researcher award. Arinjay volunteers on multiple national and international committees to inform the development of research priorities and policies around emerging infectious diseases.
Kaytlyn Barber
National Leader of Infrastructure, Capital Projects & Sustainability,KPMG Canada
Kaytlyn has built her career on creating the conditions necessary for people, organizations and communities to thrive. As KPMG Canada’s National Leader for infrastructure, Capital Projects & Sustainability and Functional Managing Partner for Advisory Services in the Prairies, she leads a team of more than 300 professionals helping clients navigate challenges and achieve their strategic goals. She is known for her rapid progression to partnership and senior leadership, and commitment to leading with integrity, fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture, and supporting others as they grow and succeed. Through her work, Kaytlyn creates meaningful impact for her clients and the communities they serve. Beyond KPMG, she is an active community leader, contributing her time and expertise to organizations focused on healthcare, education, community development and humanitarian service. Ultimately, Kaytlyn believes success is measured not only by results, but by the growth and success of the people around her.
Dr. Michael Benoit
Assistant Professor, Dept of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering,University of Waterloo
Michael is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo and Associate Director of the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), one of Canada’s largest automotive research clusters. An internationally recognized researcher in advanced manufacturing, Michael leads multidisciplinary collaborations with academic, industrial, and government partners to develop innovative manufacturing technologies that enhance performance, productivity, and sustainability. His research spans metal additive manufacturing, welding and joining, process optimization, and the circular economy for critical materials. Through his leadership at WatCAR, he has helped build strategic partnerships that accelerate technology translation and strengthen Canada’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. A dedicated mentor and educator, Michael is committed to developing future engineering leaders while advancing research that delivers lasting scientific, economic, and societal impact.
Eric Carriere
Director, Lumber Sales & Sales Operations,West Fraser
At 35, Eric leads Lumber Sales at West Fraser, overseeing commercial strategy and market execution across a business representing over 5 billion board feet a year. Based in Quesnel, BC, he has spent 12 years with the company, progressing from sales representative to senior leadership across multiple product lines. Eric led the turnaround of West Fraser’s treated wood business, reshaping its commercial strategy and positioning it for growth. In addition to his sales responsibilities, he leads company-wide Sales Operations, driving the modernization of sales systems and improving how teams use data to make decisions. Passionate about developing future leaders, Eric is committed to helping others reach their potential by removing barriers, creating opportunities and fostering an environment where people can succeed. Outside of work, he raises a young family in rural BC and values the opportunity to work in an industry that has provided careers, stability and opportunity for generations.
Scarlett Crockatt
Chief Financial Officer,Calfrac Well Services
Scarlett (CPA, MBA, ICD.D) is Chief Financial Officer of Calfrac Well Services (TSX: CFW), a publicly traded global industrial services provider. With over $300 billion in capital markets transactions experience and operational leadership of an over $5-billion asset business, she has built her career translating capital, strategy, and governance into growth and long-term value. Recognized nationally as Canada’s Investment Banker of the Year, Scarlett brings a rare combination of capital markets expertise, public-company executive leadership, governance, and institution-building experience. She has served on corporate, regulatory, and public sector boards and taught in the Executive MBA program at the University of Calgary. Scarlett approaches business and life with ambition, curiosity, and long-term thinking.
Laurence Deschamps-Laporte
Director, Montreal Center for International Studies (CÉRIUM) & Professor, Political Science, Université de Montréal
Laurence is Director of the Montreal Center for International Studies (CÉRIUM) and a professor of political science at Université de Montréal. An expert in foreign policy, international relations, Middle Eastern politics and feminist perspectives, she brings together academic research, strategic leadership and first-hand experience in Canadian politics to shed light on some of the most pressing international challenges of our time. Laurence has advised three Canadian foreign ministers, including serving as chief of staff, and previously worked at McKinsey & Company, where she advised philanthropic and public-sector organizations worldwide. She now leads one of the most prominent francophone research centres while mentoring the next generation of scholars and pursuing research on AI-enabled weapons and international efforts to regulate or prevent their use. As a Rhodes Scholar with a DPhil and MPhil from the University of Oxford, she has spent her career translating rigorous research into ideas and strategies that shape policy and influence decision-making on global security and international affairs.
Daniel Eberhard
CEO & Founder,KOHO
Dan is Founder and CEO of KOHO, one of Canada’s leading fintech companies, built to make financial services more transparent, accessible and affordable. Since founding KOHO in 2014, Dan has led the company to serve more than 2.5 million Canadians and recently secured a $130 million Series E at a $1.33-billion valuation to support KOHO’s growth and continued pursuit of a Schedule 1 banking licence. Under his leadership, KOHO has expanded Canadians’ access to modern financial tools across spending, savings, credit-building, overdraft protection, direct Interac e-Transfer participation, crypto, remittance and more. A repeat entrepreneur, Dan previously built and exited renewable-energy company Kineticor.
Amanda Gaiotti
Partner, Corporate Development,Sagard
Amanda is a Partner at Sagard, a $46-billion global alternative asset manager. She serves on the Executive Committee of Sagard Private Equity Solutions, a $23-billion investment platform spanning Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Since joining Sagard in 2020, she has played a key role in the firm’s growth, leading cross-border transactions, launching new investment strategies, and developing strategic capital partnerships. She also built the firm’s post-merger integration framework, now deployed across all of Sagard’s acquisitions. Prior to Sagard, she worked closely with senior leadership at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group on strategic planning and post-acquisition integrations. Amanda holds an MBA from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. Beyond her business career, she was an eight-year member and elected captain of the Canadian National Synchronized Skating Team and has coached Canada’s junior and senior national teams.
Agapi Gessesse
Chief Executive Officer,CILAR
Agapi (ICD.D) is Chief Executive Officer of CILAR and Founder of Lehizibu Strategy & Consulting Group. She is recognized for bringing together governments, corporations, philanthropy, and communities to solve complex challenges that no single institution can solve alone. Throughout her career, Agapi has mobilized more than $62 million in investment, scaled multiple organizations through transformational growth, and led initiatives that increased employment outcomes from 56% to 87%. She has served on more than 25 boards, advisory councils, and government task forces, including as Chair of Amnesty International Canada, and has advised leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A sought-after keynote speaker and media commentator, Agapi has delivered more than 50 keynote addresses and hundreds of national and international media appearances. Her work is redefining how institutions collaborate to create lasting economic and social impact.
Aidan Gomez / Nick Frosst / Ivan Zhang
Co-founder & CEO / Co-founder / Co-founder, Cohere
Aidan, Nick and Ivan are the co-founders of Cohere, the world’s leading sovereign AI company. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Toronto, Cohere builds cutting-edge foundation models and end-to-end AI products that help businesses and governments solve real-world challenges with leading security, data privacy and deployment flexibility. Aidan, Cohere’s CEO, previously worked at Google Brain, where he co-authored “Attention Is All You Need”, the landmark paper that introduced the Transformer architecture powering today’s modern AI systems. Ivan focuses on development of Cohere’s flagship agentic AI platform, North, and oversees the company’s work with public sector partners; before Cohere, he founded for.ai, now Cohere Labs. Nick was the first employee hired by Geoffrey Hinton at Google Brain’s Toronto lab, where his research focused on capsule networks, adversarial robustness and model interpretability. He is also the lead vocalist of the indie pop band Good Kid.
Chris Haubrich
Vice President, Corporate Development,Versamet Royalties Corporation
Chris is Vice President, Corporate Development at Versamet Royalties, where he has helped build the company from a small private platform into one of the mining industry’s most successful emerging royalty and streaming companies. His career has spanned engineering, investment banking, executive leadership, and company building, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of mining, finance, and long-term value creation. Chris is passionate about innovation in mining finance and believes better-aligned capital can play a transformative role in developing the mines needed to build society’s future. He is recognized for his strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and commitment to advancing the mining industry through innovation, mentorship, and company building.
Jamie Heard
Vice President, Capital Markets,Tourmaline Oil Corp
Jamie is Vice President of Capital Markets at Tourmaline Oil Corporation, where he focuses on M&A, capital allocation, investor relations and strategy. Jamie was recently selected to be Tourmaline’s next CFO starting this November. Tourmaline is the largest natural gas producer in Canada and amongst the most profitable gas E&P’s in North America. Jamie joined Tourmaline in 2019 after a decade investing in and covering energy companies in banking, research and investing roles at Barclays, BMO, Citadel and Castleton. An advocate for natural gas, Jamie regularly shares his perspective through industry panels, podcasts and X. He advises the next generation of finance professionals as a mentor to the Carleton and UofC student investment funds and the Calgary CFA society; he is also a regular volunteer in youth hockey. Jamie holds a Master’s in Finance from the University of Rochester, a Bachelor of Finance & Economics from Carleton University, and is a CFA Charterholder.
Ashley Hill
Founder & Executive Director,The PREP Academy
Ashley is an African Nova Scotian leader and Founder & Executive Director of The PREP Academy, a registered charity that inspires and prepares African Nova Scotian youth for college, university, apprenticeship, and meaningful careers through culturally responsive, relationship-based programming. Over the past 5 years, Ashley has grown PREP to support 475 youth annually while building partnerships across education, government, industry, and community to expand equitable access to postsecondary education. Passionate about creating lasting systems of opportunity, she is known for building organizations, developing people, and turning bold ideas into sustainable impact. Ashley is a CBC Black Changemaker and YMCA Peace Medal recipient. Beyond PREP, she mentors nonprofit leaders and serves on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Preston, the YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth, and Dalhousie University’s Pathways Engineering Advisory Council.
Peter Janzen
Executive Vice President & President,Intact Insurance
As EVP & President of Intact Insurance, Peter leads the strategy and performance of Canada’s largest P&C insurer across its broker distribution network while bringing sharp focus to sustainable growth, operational excellence, and customers and broker experience. Peter joined Intact via the RSA acquisition in 2021 and played a key role in the integration by bringing depth to underwriting capabilities, sharpening operational discipline, and elevating broker relationships through deeper partnership and expertise. In recent years, he has focused on national harmonization strategies to optimize growth, enhance customer experience, and deliver strong employee engagement. Peter is a member of the United Way’s Greater Toronto Campaign Cabinet, a graduate of Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce and holds the Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation. He currently lives in Toronto with his wife and son.
Dr. Abbas Jessani
Associate Professor and Academic Lead, Community Service Learning in Oral Health, Co-Director, Master of Health Science in Global Health Systems, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University
Abbas is a tenured Associate Professor and a Clinician Scientist in the Division of Dental Public Health at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, where he also serves as Director of the Community Service-Learning Program and Co-Director of the Global Health Systems Graduate Program. His work focuses on advancing oral health equity through community-engaged research, education, and health systems innovation. Abbas founded several oral health outreach and research initiatives that improve access to care for underserved populations, including people living with HIV, LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous Peoples, refugees, youth experiencing homelessness, and other marginalized groups across Ontario and East Africa. His research translates into policy and practice through strong community partnerships and has secured more than $3 million in competitive funding. An award-winning educator and researcher, Abbas is committed to building equitable healthcare systems and training the next generation of socially conscious health professionals.
Morgan Klein-MacNeil
SVP & CIO, Global Technology & Solutions, TD Bank Group
Morgan is SVP and Chief Information Officer, Corporate Technology at TD Bank Group, where she leads the technology platforms, data capabilities, and emerging AI initiatives that power many of the bank’s most critical enterprise functions. For 15 years, Morgan has played a key role in transforming, modernizing and reimagining the bank’s technology landscape, advancing capabilities across Finance, Treasury, Risk, Human Resources, Marketing, and Procurement while helping position TD globally for the future of AI-enabled banking. An accomplished innovator, Morgan holds 10 granted patents and is recognized for translating bold ideas into remarkable solutions that create value for clients, colleagues, and communities. Morgan is also a dedicated advocate for women in technology and sponsor of emerging talent. Through her leadership of early talent programs and commitment to building diverse teams, she is helping inspire and develop the next generation of technology leaders.
Oliver David Krieg
President,Intelligent City
Oliver is President of Intelligent City, a Vancouver-based company that designs, engineers, and manufactures prefabricated mass timber building systems for high-rise housing: better buildings, delivered faster, at competitive cost. He joined as the first employee and helped grow the team from five to 45 people while the company raised over $40 million in equity and non-dilutive capital to carry it from R&D to commercial delivery. As CTO he built the engineering organization and the first manufacturing facility, and as President he delivered Toronto’s tallest mass timber residential building and a project pipeline anchored by a major developer relationship. Oliver holds a PhD in robotic manufacturing and computational design from the University of Stuttgart and is named on 10+ patents. He is the founder of odk.design, a design practice, and lectured on industrialized construction at various universities in Canada and abroad.
Dr. Robert Lennox
Scientific Director, Professor of Biology, Ocean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University
As Scientific Director of Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), Rob’s work takes him across Canada to support researchers, ocean technology companies, ocean industry, and governments to observe the ocean in ways that have never before been possible. Ocean Tracking Network is a Major Research Facility headquartered at Dalhousie University that operates and maintains a unique scientific infrastructure to make observations about the ocean. OTN maintains a network of acoustic receivers across Canada and around the world to collect and store billions of detections of tagged animals from the ocean and freshwater ecosystems. OTN also operates a fleet of autonomous vehicles to take measurements at sea. In the Dalhousie Department of Biology, Rob leads MER, a research group using electronic tagging and tracking technologies to better understand Atlantic salmon, mackerel, whitefish and other species in the context of ocean urbanisation and climate change. As Canada prepares to grow its blue economy in the offshore and Arctic, Rob’s work with OTN and Dalhousie is ensuring that Canada has the capabilities and expertise to support world-leading research and sustainable development from coast to coast to coast.
Megan Leslie & Julian Mulia
Co-founders,NanoTess
Megan and Julian are the co-founders of NanoTess, a Calgary biotech company developing catalytic technology that supports the body’s intrinsic capacity for healing. Built on social enterprise values and shaped by personal loss, NanoTess reduces barriers between people and healing, starting with the future of wound care and dermatology. Together, they advanced NanoTess from early research into commercialization with certified Canadian-made production, national accessibility across 14,000pharmacies and 3,500 health care facilities, and growing international relevance. As CEO, Megan leads strategy, commercialization, talent, regulatory, and social impact. As CSO, Julian leads the scientific, technical, go-to-market, partnership, and manufacturing foundations behind NanoTess’ Catalytic Treatment Matrix platform. Under their leadership, NanoTess demonstrates how purpose-led Canadian innovation can improve patient outcomes while building a globally scalable company.
Mike Murchison
CEO & Co-founder,Ada
Mike is CEO and Co-founder of Ada, the trusted agentic customer experience company, built to transform how enterprises engage with their customers. Powered by the Ada ACX operating model—which unifies technology, methodology, and expertise—Ada deploys high-performing AI agents that deliver personalized, efficient interactions across every channel and language. Since 2016, Ada has powered more than 6.4 billion interactions for leading brands like The New York Times, Malaysia Airlines, IPSY, Barnes & Noble, Pinterest, andmonday.com, delivering extraordinary customer experiences at scale.
Mark Nasr
Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer,Air Canada
As Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Air Canada, Mark leads the airline’s global operations powered by 35,000 passionate coworkers. Over his career at Air Canada, United and Continental Airlines, he has held senior leadership roles spanning operations, technology, digital, customer experience, loyalty, revenue strategy, and corporate development. He previously served as President of Aeroplan and led Air Canada’s acquisition and transformative relaunch of the program. Mark is known for leading large-scale transformation at the intersection of people, technology, and customer experience. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and is fluent in English and French.
Dr. Long Nguyen
Medical Oncologist and Clinician Scientist,Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network
Long is a Medical Oncologist and Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a Hold’em for Life Early Career Professor in Cancer Research in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. He leads a research program focused on uncovering how cancer cells evolve, adapt, and develop resistance to treatment, with the goal of advancing precision oncology and improving patient outcomes. His work has been published in leading scientific journals and has helped pioneer approaches to studying clonal dynamics in cancer. He has established collaborations across Canada and around the world, helping to elevate the global profile of Canadian cancer research. As a committed educator and mentor, he has supervised the clinical and research training of numerous trainees. Through scientific leadership, innovation, and collaboration, he is helping shape the next generation of cancer research and care.
Patrice Njoh
Partner, Technology & Transformation Consulting, Leader of Service & Experience Transformation in Human Capital, Deloitte Canada
Patrice is a Partner at Deloitte Canada, where she advises senior executives on AI, technology, workforce transformation, and enterprise change. She has built and led transformation practices, partnering with some of Canada’s largest financial institutions and public sector organizations to adopt new technologies, redesign work, and improve services used by millions of Canadians. Patrice is recognized for translating the promise of technology into measurable business outcomes while keeping people at the centre of enterprise change. A sought-after speaker on AI, leadership, and the future of work, she helps shape the global conversation on how organizations can harness emerging technologies responsibly and at scale. At her core, she champions practical, people-first adoption strategies that help organizations realize value from innovation while building trust, capability, and long-term resilience. Beyond Deloitte, she serves on the Board of The Kickback Foundation and mentors emerging leaders shaping the next generation of Canadian business.
Dr. Nicolas Papernot
Associate Professor,University of Toronto
Nicolas is an Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Department of Computer Science, and the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. He also holds a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute and is a Co-Director of the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) Research Program at CIFAR. With his colleagues, he demonstrated the first real-world black-box attacks on deep neural networks in 2015. Earlier this year, his group demonstrated that progress in agentic AI enables a new class of computer worms, malware that propagates on a computer network without human intervention.
Matthew Parker-Jones
Senior Vice President, International Commercial Banking, Scotiabank
Matthew is Senior Vice President, International Commercial Banking at Scotiabank. Based in Mexico City, he leads the Bank’s Commercial Banking business across Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthening trade and investment between Canada and the Americas and supporting businesses as they expand internationally. Throughout his career, Matthew has championed innovation in banking and helped modernize the financial infrastructure that enables businesses to move money, invest, and grow. Before joining Scotiabank, he was a Managing Director and senior global leader in payments at JPMorgan Chase. He has also been recognized by American Banker as one of the Most Innovative People in Finance. Matthew serves on the Board of Directors of Payments Canada and is passionate about developing future leaders and connecting people, businesses, and ideas across borders.
Vitaly Pecherskiy
Chief Executive Officer,StackAdapt
Vitaly is the CEO and Co-Founder of StackAdapt, a role he stepped into in 2024 after serving as COO and Co-Founder for 10 years. In 2014, he launched StackAdapt in Toronto, which has since grown into a disruptive global advertising platform with a team of 1,800 people. A collaborative, results-driven leader, Vitaly fosters a culture of efficiency and accountability. Under his leadership, StackAdapt has earned recognition as an Enterprise Leader in the Technology Fast 50™ program, a G2 Top 100 Software Product, and one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work. Previously, Vitaly was an early employee at AdParlor and was named one of Marketing Magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2014.When he is not scaling StackAdapt, Vitaly champions youth path-out-of-poverty programs and actively supports emerging entrepreneurs.
Alexandra Petre
Chief Executive Officer, Deep Sky
Alex is Chief Executive Officer of Deep Sky, a carbon removal project developer that brings together leading direct air capture technologies, permanent storage and commercial buyers to deliver high-quality, durable carbon removal. Under her leadership, Deep Sky delivered North America’s first certified, registry-issued direct air capture credits and is scaling its commercial portfolio across global markets. Alex’s career spans operations, financial markets, energy, infrastructure and public policy. Before joining Deep Sky, she was chief operating officer at Bird and held roles at BlackRock, Accenture, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Embassy of Canada in Washington, DC. Alex serves on the board of Startec and is a mentor with the Creative Destruction Lab. She is committed to advancing women in leadership and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Paige Sandher
Co-Founder & COO, CouchHaus
Paige Sandher is the Founder & COO of CouchHaus, a Canadian direct-to-consumer furniture brand redefining the custom sofa experience. She launched the company in March 2021 alongside her husband and business partner, Harrison Gordon, after struggling to find a high-quality customizable couch. What began as selling a couch out of their living room quickly grew into a multi-million-dollar business serving customers across Canada. Before CouchHaus, Paige and Harrison spent five years building and scaling e-commerce brands, leading to several successful acquisitions and exits. That foundation in digital commerce, supply chain strategy, and brand building became the backbone of CouchHaus’ growth. Known for her systems-driven mindset and strong brand vision, Paige focuses on scalable operations, client experience, product refinement, and team alignment. She has been recognized by Forbes, TELUS SWO, GLORY 30×30, The Peak, BC Business, and appeared on Dragon’s Den.
Jonathan Sherman
Executive Chair,Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
The youngest partner in the firm’s history, Jonathan has built a career defined by exceptional achievement and an uncommon trajectory. Today, as Executive Chair of Cassels, a Partner in its Capital Markets and Public M&A Group and Founder of its Cannabis Group, he is a leader of the firm and a trusted advisor on some of the market’s most significant and complex transactions. Jonathan counsels industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investment dealers on transformative domestic and cross-border matters, bringing sophisticated legal expertise and sharp commercial judgment to each mandate. Jonathan also plays a central role in shaping Cassels’ strategic direction, while his perspective on business and the law is regularly sought by journalists, conferences and academic institutions. His career reflects the rare ability to lead at the highest level while earning the trust of clients navigating their most consequential decisions.
Jag Sikham / Aman Bring
Co-Founder & CEO / Co-Founder & COO, East to West Group of Companies
Jag, Co-Founder & CEO, and Aman, Co-Founder & COO, founded East to West Group of Companies in2015 with a vision to redefine commercial financing, placing entrepreneurs, relationships, and integrity at the centre of every decision. Jag’s entrepreneurial vision and drive, combined with Aman’s strategic leadership and operational excellence, have built a nationwide finance firm. Together, they have funded over $5 billion in transactions and earned recognition as a Globe and Mail Top Growing Company for three consecutive years. Beyond business, they have contributed over $500,000 to BC Children’s Hospital, KidsPlay Foundation, Backpack Buddies, and the Langley Child and Youth Advocacy Centre. For Jag and Aman, success is measured not only by the businesses they help grow, but by the communities they help strengthen.
Emma Stern
Chief Operating Officer & Co-founder, Felix Health
Emma is Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Felix Health, Canada’s first end-to-end digital healthcare platform. Driven to expand access to care and empower Canadians to take control of their health and wellbeing, Emma helped shape Felix’s asynchronous, form-based care model, which powered growth to over 1.5 million Canadians across eight provinces. To bring this vision to life, Emma and her business partner recruited a medical director with telemedicine experience and a specialist advisory board built with physicians and pharmacists. Her investment banking background was also an asset from day one, helping her build Felix’s financial model and lead early investor conversations. Her leadership has been recognized with Glory Media’s Women of the Year honour, a spot on Report on Business Magazine’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies list, and The Impact Award at the inaugural Built In Canada Awards.
Scott Stevenson
CEO & Co-Founder, Spellbook
Scott is the CEO and co-founder of Spellbook, creator of the leading AI copilot for lawyers. With a background in software engineering, he has been building technology products for over 16 years. He was inspired to found Spellbook with co-founders Daniel Di Maria and Matt Mayers after a disappointing legal experience with a slow turnaround time and massive bill. Under his leadership, Spellbook has grown from zero to 5,000+ customers with a mission to eliminate the drudgery of legal work.
Dr. Jonathan Stokes
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University
Jon is reinventing how medicines are discovered. An Assistant Professor at McMaster University, he leads the Stokes Lab, where he uses AI to discover antibiotics that human scientists could never have found in time. His team has used leading-edge machine learning to discover new antibiotics against the world’s deadliest bacterial pathogens, and pioneered SyntheMol, a generative AI engine that designs never-before-seen antibiotics from scratch, earning a New York Times Good Tech Award. As antibiotic resistance threatens to kill millions, Jon has become a leading voice on the frontline. His breakthroughs have been featured by the BBC, CNN, CBC, and The New York Times, and he is a sought-after expert helping the world understand how AI will transform medicine. As a biotech co-founder in addition to his role as a university professor, Jon is working to ensure that his discoveries get to patients, improving health on a global scale.
Adam Temple
Chief Executive Officer, Inline Group Inc
Adam is the Co-Founder and CEO of Inline Group Inc., a Canadian civil engineering field services firm specializing in geomatics, materials testing, and geotechnical engineering. Since co-founding Inline in2012 at age 22, Adam has helped grow the company from a small startup into a 550+ person organization serving major infrastructure, energy, and mining projects across Canada. Under his leadership, Inline has expanded through strategic acquisitions, including JASA Engineering and Challenger Geomatics, while building a culture centered on humility, accountability, hard work, and employee ownership. Adam is passionate about creating long-term career opportunities and proving that high-growth companies can scale while staying people-first. Outside of work, he contributes to the community through his involvement with the Kids with Cancer Society and YPO Alberta, while remaining deeply committed to his wife, Christina, and their three children.
Zoe Tisshaw / Brooke Johansen-Shumay
Co-Owners and Co-CEOs, Park & Fifth Clothing Co.
Zoe and Brooke have built Park & Fifth Co. from the ground up, starting in their early twenties and growing it into a household name in Canadian fashion. As co-owners and co-CEOs, they lead every part of the business together: Zoe focuses on product and brand, while Brooke oversees finance and operations. They make every decision together, equally and collaboratively. Through marriage, motherhood, and the demands of scaling a business, they’ve done it all in tandem. Park & Fifth now employs 80 exceptional individuals across three Canadian retail locations (Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto) as well as a high-growth e-commerce business, driving increasing US market penetration year over year. In March 2026, the brand earned B Corp certification, cementing its commitment to social responsibility and environmental accountability. Their female-led, values-driven model creates meaningful Canadian economic impact while redefining what a bridesmaid-focused brand can be.
Stephanie Wetmore
Founder & Managing Partner, Chrysalis Collective
Stephanie is an investor, operator, former professional athlete, and the Founder and Managing Partner of Chrysalis Collective, an early-stage venture platform backing female founders across sport, consumer, wellness, and media. Chrysalis is built on the thesis that the commercial ecosystem surrounding women’s sport is the category’s most undercapitalized asset class, and combines early-stage investment with hands-on incubation to help its portfolio companies build and scale. A top-ranked Canadian junior, Stephanie earned a tennis scholarship to UCLA, where she was an NCAA National Champion and competed on the WTA Tour. She later led a turnaround of Piloti as Managing Director, rebuilding the performance footwear brand and securing partnerships with Formula 1, Selfridges, and General Motors. She holds a BA in Sociology from UCLA, a Master of Professional Studies in Sports Management from Georgetown, an MA in Communication from Stanford, and an MBA from Oxford.