Guest Speakers’ Bios

EWEEK 2012 SPEAKER LINEUP

DAWSON COLLEGE THANKS YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

Ericka Alnéus
Ilana Ben-Ari
Elisabeth Boyer
Leann Brown
Stéphane Carrier
Albert Chambers
Jean-Nicolas Delage
Yanik Deschênes
Simon Duhamel
Nectarios Economakis
Christa Fairchild
Marc Garneau
Katheline Jean-Pierre
Benoît Langevin
Mike Lee
Jennifer Lonergan
Kyle Macdonald
Josh Miller
Linda Miller
Caroline Pelletier
Heri Rakotomalala
Natalie Riviere
Yona Shtern
Sandy Sidhu
Robert Soroka
Dominic Tremblay
Enzo Vardaro

Marc Garneau

Member of Parliament for Westmount Ville Marie

MP Marc Garneau has served his country his entire professional career, beginning with the Canadian Navy and then as an astronaut and President of the Canadian Space Agency, and now in political life. Marc Garneau began his service to Canada as a Navy combat systems engineer on HMCS Algonquin from 1974 to 1976. He was promoted to Commander in 1982 while at Staff College and was transferred to Ottawa in 1983. In January 1986, he was promoted to Naval Captain and retired from the Navy in 1989.

Marc was one of six Canadian astronauts selected out of over four thousand candidates in December 1983. He was seconded to the Canadian Astronaut Program from the Department of National Defence in February 1984 to begin astronaut training. Marc made history by becoming the first Canadian Astronaut to fly in space as a payload specialist on Shuttle Mission 41-G, October 5-13, 1984. In 1989 Marc was named Deputy Director of the Canadian Astronaut Program, providing technical and program support in the preparation of experiments to fly during future Canadian missions. In February 2001, Marc Garneau was appointed Executive Vice President of the Canadian Space Agency. He was subsequently appointed President of the same Agency on November 22, 2001 before leaving in 2005 to pursue a career in politics.

In October 2008 Marc Garneau was elected as the Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie and, in his first mandate, served as the Liberal critic for Industry, Science and Technology as well as the Leader’s representative for Québec. He was re-elected in Westmount-Ville-Marie in May 2011 and currently serves as House Leader for the Liberal Party in the House of Commons.

In August 2003, Marc was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour. He is also honoured with two high schools named after him, Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Toronto and École Secondaire Marc Garneau in Trenton, Ontario.

Ericka Alnéus

Mon projet d’affaires

Passionate about social issues and interpersonal relations, Ms. Alnéus began her career in the retail industry as an associate manager for Jacob Inc. In order to combine her management skills with her deep interest in empowering others, she moved to a career in social economy. She worked as the manager-trainer at the workforce integration enterprise of the Montreal YWCA, Fringues et Cie, before occupying her current position as a public relations agent for Mon projet d’affaires – Centre de formation et de coaching d’affaires pour femmes. She is also an active member of the executive committee of Génération d’Idées, and as an administrator for the Portail VIH-Sida organization board.

Ilana Ben-Ari

Founder, CEO ; Lead Designer, Twenty One Toys
Montreal, Canada Area Design.

One of the 12 official speakers for the TEDx Concordia Conference, February 19th, 2011, Ilana received her Bachelor of Industrial Design (with distinction) in 2006 from Carleton University, Canada. Her major thesis project: a 3d musical puzzle for visually impaired children won “Best in Show” in the prestigious a.c.i.d.o. Rocket Design competition. She has since worked as a lighting designer in Montreal, Quebec having designed a line of fixtures sold across Canada, pioneered new technologies in her industry and received the Canadian People’s Choice award for her Bombay Sapphire designer glass concept. Ilana’s current project is her most daring, taking on the educational toy industry by founding a socially motivated toy company using toys as tools for education reform. Ilana’s interests lie in social and human design and she has most recently been working at Design Against Crime, in London, England, on a number of socially responsive design projects and was involved in a Startup Incubator, Startup Sauna, in Helsinki, Finland.

Winner of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Award, C2MTL: Creativity and Commerce Conference

LinkedIn profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/ilana-ben-ari/22/690/586

Elisabeth Boyer

Studio Chalk

Liz Boyer has a unique background in both graphic and interior design, and is the founder of Chalk, a branding and communications studio in Montreal, QC. She first graduated from the Interior Design program at Dawson College in 2003. Liz later ventured out to Edmonton, AB, where she studied Graphic Communications at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and received a scholarship for academic achievement. Once Liz had gained valuable experience in a range of design studio environments, she was ready to start her own business. At Chalk, Liz’s passion and creative intuitiveness seeps into every project. She sees each project as a journey alongside her clients and is determined to surpass expectations and build brands that connect with people.

Leann Brown

YES Montreal, Montreal Girl Geeks

Leann Brown coordinates the Women in Technology project at YES Montreal. This project supports and encourages women moving into technology careers and opening tech businesses. Within this role she is a facilitator, connecting people to one another as well as to the appropriate support services to help them succeed. Leann is also an organizer at Montreal Girl Geeks, a volunteer led non-profit organisation that offers events and services to promote the visibility of women in technology, help women share and develop new skills and inspire the next generation of girls to get involved in tech.

Having left Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England in 2010 to make Montreal her new home, Leann has spent her time building her network and engaging with the community both for personal and professional development.

Stéphane Carrier

Chargé de projets, Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec

Chargé de projets en relations internationales au sein de LOJIQ depuis plus de 10 ans, Stéphane Carrier possède une expérience en gestion de projet pour des programmes de stage de mobilité internationale s’adressant aux jeunes adultes du Québec. Au sein de LOJIQ, il est principalement responsable du suivi et du développement de projets en entrepreneuriat et en culture. Historien de l’art et muséologue de formation, il a complété récemment une formation en management international à l’École d’administration publique de Montréal.

Albert Chambers

Owner, producer, songwriter, mixer at Studio Base Bin

Albert Chambers is the founder of Studio Base Bin, a fully equipped rehearsal facility that began operating in 1995. Base Bin’s original focus was supplying hourly based rehearsal studios and technical service that went above and beyond its competitors. 17 years and over 40,000 visitors later (averaging 80 bands a week), operations have expanded and the studio is now known for song production and vocal recording/arrangements. Recent collaborations include David Usher, Joe Bocan and Corey Hart.

Chambers is an accomplished musician in his own right and is often hired as a bass and guitar player and singer for multiple Socan award-winning and Emmy nominated composer Raymond Fabi and has played bass for such acts as Platinum, Sky, MTV winner Karl Wolf and David Usher. Despite a busy schedule Albert makes time to volunteer at schools, giving speeches on entrepreneurship and encouraging kids to follow their dreams. Albert’s latest venture is The Musician Placement Agencypromoting musicians to artists, bands, TV shows, etc. A casting company for musicians!

LinkedIn Profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/albert-chambers/16/143/560

Jean-Nicolas Delage

Partner, Intellectual Property Group at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin

I specialize in the development and implementation of intellectual property strategies for SMEs, including Start-Ups. I have significant experience in negotiating and drafting licenses or collaboration agreements and in preparing and conducting due diligence investigations of intellectual property assets, creating patent pools and other patent monetization schemes, managing of intellectual property issues that arise during the standardization process and management of intellectual property issues that arise during Open Innovation projects and large scale collaborations, including collaborations within research consortia.  In 2010 and 2011, I was recognized as one of the world’s leading patent and technology licensing lawyers and in 2012 I was recognized as one of the world’s leading patent practitioners by Intellectual Asset Management magazine.

Yanik Deschênes

VP Global Communications at Sid Lee

As Global communications VP, Yanik Deschênes’ main mission is to promote Sid Lee and spread the word around the globe. Yanik has over 15 years of experience in the industry and holds an accreditation in Public Relations delivered by the Canadian Public Relations Society. He is also a registered lawyer at the Barreau du Québec. He is the former CEO of the Association of Quebec advertising agencies and Montreal.ad and the former head of corporate affairs for Walmart Canada.

Simon Duhamel

Co-founder, Made of Stills

Somewhere between photography and illustration, influenced by cinema, video games and pop culture, Simon Duhamel’s photography registers in a modern approach to digital photography. Both photographer and retoucher, Duhamel knows how to create unique scenes and ambiances for each of his realizations, providing each project with a distinct visual signature.  Early 2009, Simon co-founded Made of Stills, his brand new headquarters. He now adds direction of photography to his set of skills, shooting several stop motion animations and videoclips and continues his breakthrough in the world of advertising.

Nectarios Economakis

Account Executive at Google

Digital is not a new form of communication, it is a revolution. This industry presents exciting and challenging forms of marketing communication and is one I am grateful to be working in. One to one conversations should be the ultimate goal of marketers and we are now at the frontier of achieving.  I’m currently an Account Executive at Google Canada in Montreal working primarily with agencies and large clients. I’m also the co-chair of the IAB search committee. In the past, I worked at Media Experts leading a team of 7 search engine marketing experts raising the standard for digital communications in Canada.

Christa Fairchild

Speaker, Consultant, Co-Founder of Entreprenarts

Montreal-born artist Christa Fairchild is one of the few artists with a Master’s degree in business (MBA). She has spent the last 15 years honing her skills in design, marketing, and communications. Not only a business woman, she is also an accomplished fine art photographer. As business woman and artist, as dynamic and outspoken public speaker, her work inspires others to create their own successes.

LinkedIn Profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/christafairchild

Katheline Jean-Pierre

Sr. Digital Strategy, SEM & Social Media

Katheline Jean-Pierre is a Senior internet professional specializing in bringing businesses to profitability. Since 2000, she has worked with multinational companies (Google, Deloitte, Yahoo, Quebecor) in the fields of Search Engine Marketing, Sales & Advertising, Product Management, Social Media, PR & marketing: http://bit.ly/6k8M48.   As a graduate of HEC Montréal, Katheline presented her Master’s degree project on e-commerce business modeling in 2009 for startups. She is also fond of the Lean Startup movement. You can follow her blog at www.Kathelinejeanpierre.ca

Benoit Langevin

Executive Director and Co-founder of Action Jeunesse de l’Ouest de l’île (AJOI)

Travaillant à améliorer l’environnement de mon prochain, ma quête philanthropique me permet de dynamiser des réseaux professionnels et à prendre plaisir à donner. Cet intérêt me pousse à mettre sur pied avec passion des programmes d’intervention destinés aux plus à risques et à développer l’expertise de mon équipe tout en me permettent d’aller chercher la crédibilité nécessaire à la séduction des bailleurs de fonds. Installer un sentiment de stabilité est un élément clé dans la création de liens de confiance. Mes objectifs et intérêts m’amènent à prendre une direction de transmission d’informations. Ainsi, j’amasse l’expérience et l’information nécessaires afin d’enseigner l’art d’améliorer les milieux sociocommunautaires québécois.

Mike Lee

Founder, Fundica
Canada Management Consulting

Mike Lee is the founder of Fundica.com, a web based service that is the best way for entrepreneurs in start-up to large multinational corporations in Quebec and Ontario to find grants, tax credits, loans, loans guarantees, and equity funding and for funding providers to increase the visibility of their programs.

In other words, Mike can help you find ways to obtain financial backing for your projects!

LinkedIn Profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/tmlee

Jennifer Lonergan

Executive Director, Artistri Sud nonprofit organization
jennifer@artistri.ca

About Artistri Sud: Artistri Sud is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women artisans in developing countries by building their capacity to develop sustainable products and equitable relations with local and global markets.

After completing a PhD in (women’s) history, Jennifer Lonergan taught at the university, college and high school levels before achieving teacher’s burnout in record time. She subsequently moved back to Canada from Europe, where she’d lived for 11 years, and took up a position at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in our nation’s capital, where she struggled to reorient collecting to include artifacts which would help tell women’s stories in exhibitions. She took a similar approach to her work at National Historic Sites, Parks Canada, before resigning in frustration to develop an idea for promoting cultural heritage in a more hands-on way. After a perspective-changing trip to India, a couple of years of reflection and research, which included volunteering, business courses, and another trip to India, Jennifer opened a shop and co-founded a nonprofit organization, Artistri Sud, dedicated to supporting women craftspeople both here and in the developing world by building their capacity and by promoting and selling their work. The commercial arm, Artistri Atelier Boutique, is now closed; Jennifer is Artistri Sud’s executive director.

LinkedIn Profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/jennifer-lonergan/15/aaa/58

Kyle MacDonald

Founder of Red Paperclip inc.

Kyle MacDonald has planted more than one hundred thousand trees, delivered more than one thousand pizzas, and eaten a scorpion. He has also traded one red paperclip for a house. Running with the idea of taking one small item and attempting to trade it for something bigger and more substantial, MacDonald has become renowned for his off-beat and inspirational ideas and goals.

In July 2005, after 14 trades, MacDonald successfully traded one red paperclip for a house. His yearlong adventure in bartering includes trading for a door-knob, a Coleman stove, a ski-doo, a moving van, a music recording contract, an afternoon spent hanging out with Alice Cooper, a movie role, and finally, a house. The stories that have come from these adventures are impressive, but MacDonald’s generosity, free-spirit and willingness to look for the positive in things is what makes his story significant.

MacDonald has spoken to thousands all over the world about the lessons that he learned from trading a red paperclip to a house. He has been interviewed by 20/20, The Today Show, Good Morning America, MSNBC, BBC, CBS, CNN, City TV, Global, USA Today, Maclean’s, The New York Times, The New York Post, In Touch Magazine, VH1, MTV, The National Examiner, Reader’s Digest, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Toronto Star, to name a few.

MacDonald’s adventures aren’t over; when he’s not stealing a flag from the Prime Minister’s office or promoting Alberta Beef by hitch-hiking in a parade, you might find him leaving his wallet in El Segundo or hanging out in Bangkok modeling Italian Soccer jerseys.

LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=6162364&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2

Josh Miller

Partner, Fuller Landau LLP

Hi there, I am Josh Miller, your host for the noontime Eweek speaker series. In 1989, acting on a request by his friend’s father, Josh Miller spent the summer working at Fuller Landau LLP. His summer employment has extended into a career, which has seen Josh promoted through the ranks, from summer student and junior to manager, and in 1999, partner. Quite a bit has changed in the business since 1989, but one thing that has not is Josh’s youthful exuberance for the job and building a relationship with clients in which accessibility and transparency are primordial. “Communication is a two-way street, and is essential in any relationship,” remarks Josh. “I’m very direct with people. If it’s on my mind, they’ll know!”
Family dynamics are a big part of Josh’s job. So, too, are solving cash flow problems, management/shareholder negotiations, auditing and consulting for owner-managed businesses in various industries, and dealing with cross-border issues, particularly the impact of Hong Kong and China activities on clients’ businesses. Josh also hosts Fuller Landau’s weekly business oriented radio show on CJAD800, Today’s Entrepreneur. “The show is all about telling inspiring stories from outstanding business people. As a business owner myself, I take great joy in profiling local business leaders who exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of Quebec’s small and medium business community.”

Linda Miller

Owner, Small Dog Communications

Linda started out as a medical writer and copywriter over 15 years ago and got tired of working for inefficient and expensive ad agencies. So she set out on her own and recruited people who felt the same way. The result is pretty simple: we bring in the right people, at the right time to do the right job. No overhead, no bureaucracy, no nonsense, just senior marketing professionals at your service.

What can this dog do for you? We do it all from start to finish: complete advertising campaigns, Web, video production and print, business-to-business as well as direct-to-consumer work, you name it, we have done it, and done it well, on time and on budget.

Caroline Pelletier

Anges Québec

Caroline Pelletier of Anges Québec is responsible for recruiting the brightest entrepreneurs and the most innovative startups. Anges Québec’s more than 100 members make up Quebec’s largest angel investor organization. Caroline has more than 10 years of experience in the media, communications and web industries. In 2011, Caroline became an associate at Remarquable Communications, an advertising, branding and web agency.

Heri Rakotomalala

Partner, Le Studio Du Plateau; Founder, SustainableBizDesign; Co-founder, OpenIt4Africa; Co-Founder, MTLStartupTalent; Co-Organizer, MTL NewTech; Event organizer, Partner and community outreach, Startup Weekend Montreal

Hi, I am an electrical engineer who has 9 years’ experience in designing, developing and launching disruptive startups, media ventures, community building initiatives, and inspiring events. When I get involved I bring in big ideas, discipline, and the ability to decide quickly and to always be on top of things. I am a team leadership with outstanding creativity. If you have a big idea, I’d be more than happy to help make it happen.

Specialties: Web and mobile development, marketing, product design, sustainability, green technology, Africa, event marketing

LinkedIn Profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/madmedia

Natalie Riviere

Director at Yingo
Promotes and supports positive messages

Montreal, Canada Area Consumer Services
Web marketing, Social Media marketing, Publicity, Promotion, Entrepreneurship, Consulting, Coaching, and Teaching

She is a businesswoman with a passion for arts and health, specialized in online marketing, organization, content development and publicity. Natalie believes that by empowering the community with professional tools, standards, and mentalities, organizations and individuals contributing to improving our quality of life can enjoy sustainability and profitability.
Natalie’s background is deeply rooted in business. Her lifelong participation in a family company and extensive studies in commerce, including a BCOMM with the John Molson School of Business, nourished her entrepreneurial tendencies. A DEP in Artistic Make Up, Yoga teaching Accreditation, and CME’s in Plant Based Nutrition, transformed her hobbies into jobs and gave her experience working independently within the arts and health industries. Natalie realized that her background in business gave her a strong advantage amongst her peers, as there is often little to no business training in arts and health educational programs. Her desire to empower members of the creative community with business tools, education, and support led her to establish her own business in 2005. Via Riviere Resources Natalie helps entrepreneurs and small business, structure, and spread their positive messages with marketing strategy, tools and services.

LinkedIn profile: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/natalie-riviere/10/884/a5b

Yona Shtern

CEO of Beyond the Rack

Yona Shtern is the co-founder and CEO of Beyond the Rack – named the fastest growing E-tailer in the USA for 2011 by Internet Retailer Magazine. Launched in 2009, BTR has grown exponentially with 8 million consumer members, 5,000 brand partners, 360 employees and annual sales in excess of $150 Million. Prior to co-founding Beyond the Rack, Yona was Chief Marketing Officer of Ice.com (online jeweler), and CMO of Microcell Telecommunications where he launched the Fido wireless brand in Canada. He was also Vice President of Direct and Database Marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Director of Direct Marketing at Avon Products. Yona has been an entrepreneur for over 10 years and is a frequent speaker and panelist at international marketing and technology conferences. He has received numerous awards for his advertising, product launch, and marketing strategies.
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yonashtern

Sandy Sidhu

Online Marketing Consultant, SandySidhu.ca

Sandy works with entrepreneurs and small to medium sized businesses providing strategy and input to help them identify their target market, positioning, and how to use new media strategies to attract and engage customers.

She has spoken at several conferences in and around the Montreal area.

Robert Soroka

Business Professor

Business professor Robert Soroka is known to be a dynamic, charismatic speaker with significant industry experience and an eye for business ideas. Professor Soroka teaches business and law courses at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business, Concordia University’s School of Extended Learning, and Dawson College’s Business Administration Department. At Dawson College, he has previously served as both Department Chair and Program Coordinator; he is also the founder and Coordinator of the annual Dawson Case Competition, an event that features 26 college teams hailing from across Quebec.

Professor Soroka has made more than 1200 national and local television and radio guest appearances, and was the Consumer Cop on Montreal Today (CTV) and the Consumer Correspondent on This Morning Live (Global Television) for 5 years. As a private consultant, Professor Soroka has been called on to offer his marketing and management expertise to large private and public institutions, as well as to entrepreneurial ventures competing in both consumer and business markets.

Dominic Tremblay

President at Tuxedo Agency

Recognized for his undeniable leadership qualities and expertise in international brand management, Dominic has lost count of the successful projects and product launches that he has orchestrated, most notably for L’Oréal Canada. He spent ten years as marketing director then general manager of key brands in the Luxury Products and Professional Products divisions. As someone who strives to stay on top of industry developments, Dominic has an innate aptitude for marketing, a flair for strategic planning and an exceptionally creative approach.

Tuxedo Agency was the brainchild behind the Dermablend campaign featuring Zombie Boy. Take a look here.

Enzo Vardaro

Vice President of Design & Marketing
Artitalia Group

Prolific, innovative, charming – Enzo Vardaro has accumulated an extensive portfolio of exceptional design work which can be experienced at such notable retailers as Target, J.C.Penney, Macy’s, Canada Post Corporation, Petro-Canada, Walmart, Nespresso, Nike, Loblaws and many more. Enzo is an award winning trade booth designer (several years in a row at Globalshop) as well as a seasoned award winning furniture and lighting designer. Widely traveled, he can pick up on current national and international trends within the retail industry and delights in forward looking design innovations. He has a background in Industrial and Interior design.