Speakers

Executive Director and CEO, DMZ & DMZ Ventures

Abdullah is the Executive Director of DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures, home to a world-leading tech incubator, Skills Academy and investment fund. Under his leadership, DMZ empowers founders to scale high-impact ventures, helps students develop entrepreneurial mindsets and equips professionals to thrive in today’s fast-moving economy.

Abdullah is deeply committed to leveling the playing field for all entrepreneurs—championing initiatives for underserved founders. Through DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs, Women Innovation Programs and catered streams for Indigenous founders, DMZ provides curated support, ensuring everyone has a fair shot at success.

Abdullah’s influence extends globally with the expansion of DMZ hubs across North America, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He has also launched DMZ Ventures’ investment fund for pre-seed and seed-stage tech startups. Beyond his work at DMZ, Abdullah serves on the Board of Directors for the Rideau Hall Foundation, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, the Indigenous Prosperity Foundation, SPEC Labs, and the Elevate Advisory Board. Recognized globally and nationally for his leadership in business and innovation, Abdullah is a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and serves as a member of the Forbes Tech Council.  

Abdullah holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and MBA and BComm degrees from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Empire Homes

Catherine Klostranec is a real estate executive specializing in sales, marketing, and product strategy across large-scale residential and mixed-use developments in Canada. Currently Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Empire Homes, Catherine leads sales and marketing positioning, market research, product development, and design across new communities. With over a decade of experience, including over seven years at RioCan, Klostranec played a key role in shaping and scaling residential developments from concept through launch, bridging market intelligence, design excellence, and consumer insights. A Toronto Metropolitan University marketing graduate, she remains actively involved in the industry through long-standing leadership with student groups and alumni associations in real estate, where she previously served as President and helped establish the university’s first real estate case competition “Expand Your Empire”, reflecting a continued commitment to mentorship, talent development, and the future of the real estate industry.

Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management 

Cynthia Holmes is the Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University where she teaches real estate courses at the undergraduate and MBA level. She obtained her B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science from McGill University, her MBA in Finance from Concordia University and her PhD in Real Estate Finance and Economics from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining Toronto Metropolitan University, she held academic positions at the Schulich School of Business at York University and at Florida State University. She has ten years of industry experience with Standard Life Assurance Company, including several years in the Mortgage Investment department.

She is the founding Chair of the Real Estate Management Department, established in 2014.

Principal Consultant, Case Advisory Group (Previously The Black Academy)

Gail Case is a senior executive leader, strategist, and management consultant with over 20 years of experience across media, culture, nonprofit, and public-facing institutions in Canada. 

Today, Gail is the Principal of Case Advisory Group, where she advises organizations, founders, and public institutions on strategy, operations, governance, and sustainable growth. Her work focuses on helping organizations strengthen infrastructure, clarify direction, and navigate periods of transition with discipline and purpose. 

Most recently, Gail served as Executive Director of The Black Academy, where she provided executive oversight of national programming, stakeholder engagement, and organizational strategy. Prior to that, she was Director of Client Services at FACTOR, overseeing the allocation of $14M in funding annually and leading work that embedded equity, inclusion, and transparency into funding processes and operations. 

Gail’s career spans senior roles in broadcasting, media, and cultural organizations, including CBC, CTV, Global, Blue Ant Media, JAZZFM91, and G987FM. She brings deep expertise in client relations, program delivery, event production, and cross-sector partnership development. 

Gail holds an Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School (Western University) and is widely respected for her ability to bridge strategy and execution, particularly in mission-driven and community-centred environments.

Founder, Books Art Music (BAM) Collective

Hanen Nanaa is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, public policy advisor, and war survivor from Syria. She founded the Books Art Music (BAM) Collective, which was recognized with a Mayor’s Community Safety Award and was a finalist for the Toronto Arts for Youth Award. Hanen currently serves as a senior advisor at the Toronto Transit Commission and is a master’s student in Public Policy, Administration, and Law at York University. She holds a major in politics and governance from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she served as president of the Politics and Governance Association in 2021 and managing editor of the Refugee Experience cluster at the Migration Initiative. She also studied Migration and Refugee Studies at the University of Oxford.

Throughout her career, Hanen has demonstrated a passion for bridging gender gaps and increasing the political power of youth and women. She served as a senior political advisor to the Minister's Regional Office – Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and previously served as a regional advisor to the federal member of parliament in the House of Commons. She co-founded an international study on child and early forced marriages in internally displaced settings in Syria, which she presented at the 66th Commission on the Status of Women's NGO forum in New York.

Nanaa is also a founding member of Waard Ward Collective, a social enterprise that creates floral arrangements, builds community gardens, and invites newcomers to train as florists and imagine social entrepreneurial futures.

Nanaa's journey is marked by numerous achievements and awards. In 2024, she was nominated for DMZ’s Woman of the Year. In 2023, she received the Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership, recognizing a young woman in Toronto who demonstrates exceptional leadership and commitment to social justice. In 2022, she received the Alterna Prize for Women's Social Leaders for her leadership in civic, environmental, and community-based initiatives and social enterprises. She was also named the UN Women - Woman of the Year at UofT in 2019 and featured on CBC's The Dream Team in 2021, where she received mentorship from Manjit Minhas, a famous venture capitalist from Dragons’ Den. Nanaa was also recognized with two prestigious awards: the 2023 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and the Youth Award of the Year. In 2025, she was named one of TMU’s Alumni Raising Stars.

Executive Leader and Board Advisor, Focused Dreams Forward Foundation (Previously Toronto Raptors)

John Wiggins is a seasoned executive leader with more than 15 years of experience driving growth, transformation, and culture change across professional sports and entertainment. He is widely recognized for his ability to scale organizations, drive multimillion-dollar budgets, and build inclusive, high-performance cultures that deliver both business results and social impact. 

As Vice President of Organizational Culture and Inclusion for the Toronto Raptors, John led the franchise’s equity, diversity and inclusion, strategy shaping policies that elevated the employee engagement by 81% across the entire organization. He also directed the $1M+ departmental budget securing global partnerships that generated multimillion dollar sponsorship revenue and advancing philanthropic investments that increased measurable community impact by 400%. Under his leadership, the Raptors were awarded the NBA Inclusion Leadership Award (2022). 

Previously, John was Vice President of Team Operations for Raptors 905, where he launched and scaled Canada's first NBA G League franchise. His leadership helped the team capture the NBA G League Championship (2017) and the Franchise of the Year Award (2020), while achieving record-setting attendance and multimillion-dollar revenue growth. He also played an executive role in Toronto Raptor’s historic NBA Championship (2019). 

Beyond his professional achievements, John is the Co-Founder and CEO of Focused Dreams Forward Foundation, a registered charity empowering underserved youth of the Caribbean diaspora communities through education, mentorship, and sport. He also serves as an advisor and board member on several community organizations and industry councils, advancing equity, leadership development and access to opportunity. 

John's leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Sports Business Journal ALL in Leadership in DEI Award (2023) and the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Community Service Award (2022).

Graduate Program Director, MBA | Associate Professor

Dr. Laleh Samarbakhsh is an associate professor of Finance at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. Her research interests include corporate finance, empirical asset pricing, hedge funds, cryptocurrencies, derivatives, and financial crises. Dr. Samarbakhsh has also performed and published research in financial education and pedagogy. She has presented her research in various international academic conferences, including Financial Management Association, European Financial Management Association, Northern Finance Association, Asian Financial Management Association, Eastern Finance Association, Midwest Finance Association, and the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada. She currently coordinates and teaches Managerial Finance at TRSM and has taught courses in Personal Finance and Corporate Finance. Dr. Samarbakhsh is the recipient of the 2019 Dean’s Teaching Award of Excellence.

Since 2019, Dr. Samarbakhsh is appointed an associate editor of Global Finance Journal (external link)  (Ranked “A” in ABDC journal quality list (external link) ).

MBA Candidate

Lana Dalloul-Torres is an MBA candidate currently serving as a Student Advisor at a private college, where she works closely with students on academic planning, professional development, and career pathways. Alongside her MBA, she is pursuing law, with a strong interest in the intersection of business and leadership.

Half Cuban and half Lebanese, Lana brings a cross-cultural perspective that shapes how she views identity, storytelling, and brand expression across markets. She is deeply engaged in the creative and lifestyle space, with a particular focus on beauty, fashion, branding, and luxury, and has a strong appreciation for how culture and creativity translate into meaningful business impact.

Principal Consultant & Founder, Contributing Writer | TRSM MBA, 77 Solutions, The Beaverton

Lindsay Ellis is a strategy and creative executive who supports organizations in aligning vision, people, and performance in high-growth environments. As the founder of 77 Solutions, she designs executive workshops and organizational development programs focused on innovation, values alignment, and employee experience.

Lindsay previously served as a Senior Researcher and Consultant at Info-Tech Research Group, advising CIOs and technology leaders across banking, insurance, and other financial service firms on IT strategy, governance, and employee experience. She also led accelerator programming at Canadian Film Centre Media Lab, supporting emerging tech founders in scaling their ventures.

She holds an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University and an Innovation Governance Certificate from the Council of Canadian Innovators. Lindsay currently serves on the boards of Urban Orchestra, PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs, and the Ted Rogers School of Management Alumni Association, where she focuses on governance, programming, and community engagement.

Outside the boardroom, Lindsay is an accomplished writer and actor, including being a contributing writer for The Beaverton. Her creative background strengthens her ability to translate complex strategy into compelling narratives that mobilize teams and influence stakeholders.

President, Organization: Public/Realm. Previously SSENSE

Lisa Kwong is the President of Public/Realm, a full-service PR agency launched in 2025. A brand builder, integrated marketer and creative strategist with nearly two decades of experience, Lisa has led integrated communications across luxury, fashion, lifestyle, and consumer sectors in both agency and in-house roles. Most recently, she served as global head of PR at SSENSE, overseeing international brand communications across North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to that, she held the role of VP, Creative Strategist at Veritas Communications. Over the course of her career, Lisa has shaped award-winning, insight-led campaigns for some of Canada’s most recognized brands, including Labatt Breweries of Canada, Grey Goose Vodka, Patrón Tequila, UNIQLO, Canadian Tire, Revlon, eBay Canada, and CIBC. She was recently named one of PR in Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.

Vice President of People & Culture, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

Marsha John-Greenwood is an international transformation leader with over 25 years of experience advancing people strategy, organizational design, and inclusive leadership across the public, private, and charitable sectors. She specializes in HR transformation, shared services implementation, diversity and inclusion strategy, and modern operating models that align people practices with business performance. 

With a Master’s in Strategic Human Resources and CHRL and MCIPD designations, Marsha has led large-scale change initiatives, including end-to-end HR shared services transformations, technology-enabled service delivery, and enterprise-wide diversity strategies. Her work strengthens governance, enhances employee experience, and delivers measurable organizational impact. 

Marsha began her career in financial services before moving into senior Diversity and CSR leadership roles in the UK, where she pioneered cultural diversity networks and supplier diversity initiatives. She later held executive roles including Interim Chief People Officer for City of Toronto and now serves as Vice President, People & Culture of TIFF.

A passionate advocate for equity and leadership development, Marsha brings strategic insight, operational rigor, and a deeply people-centered approach to every stage.

VP, Digital Banking, CIBC

Melanie is a distinguished multi-lingual leader and recipient of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Top 100 Most Powerful Women award. With a wealth of experience in developing and leading high-performing teams, she excels in driving innovation and excellence.

As the Vice President of Digital Banking at CIBC, Melanie spearheads Digital Product Delivery and Experience Design. Her strategic vision and leadership ensure that both CIBC clients and frontline colleagues receive exceptional experiences, fostering a culture of innovation and customer-centricity within the organization.

Beyond her professional achievements, Melanie is deeply committed to community service. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors at The Scott Mission, an organization dedicated to poverty alleviation and support for vulnerable populations.

Melanie lives in Toronto with her family and enjoys traveling and staying active with her two children.

CEO & Founder, Melissa Simone

Melissa Simone Gardner is the founder and creative director of Melissa Simone, a Los Angeles–based swim and resortwear brand established in 2018. With over eight years of experience in retail apparel and fashion, she leads the brand across creative direction, marketing, design, and business growth. Drawing inspiration from the timeless silhouettes of the 1990s, Melissa Simone is known for its luxurious construction, distinctive cuts, and elevated approach to modern swim.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Gardner relocated to Los Angeles post-graduation to pursue design full-time. Her work is guided by a slow, intentional philosophy that prioritizes craftsmanship, longevity, and building a brand designed to endure beyond trends.

Director of Human Resources | MBA Candidate, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club

Nilsa is an accomplished Human Resources Director with over 15 years of experience specializing in aligning HR strategies with business objectives to drive organizational success. Her expertise spans strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation, and benefits management, with a particular focus on fostering high-performance cultures.

At Mississaugua Golf & Country Club (MGCC), Nilsa leads the HR function, providing strategic guidance to senior management on critical HR matters, including workforce planning, organizational development, and transition management. Her role involves overseeing daily HR operations while mentoring the HR Coordinator, ensuring the delivery of top-tier HR services aligned with the Club’s goals.

She is passionate about developing and implementing HR initiatives that enhance employee engagement, drive performance, and promote positive workplace culture. Whether leading complex recruitment efforts, managing comprehensive compensation and benefits programs, or navigating compliance and risk management, Nilsa approaches each challenge with a strategic mindset and commitment to excellence.

With a strong track record of transforming HR functions, Nilsa thrives on opportunities to optimize processes, develop talent, and contribute to organizational growth and success. She looks forward to connecting with likeminded professionals.

President, Women in Leadership Association (WiLA) | MBA Candidate, Ted Rogers MBA 

Olesia is excited to lead in HR at a defining moment — when AI is reshaping how work is structured, how teams collaborate, and how value is created. As a Regional Human Resources Manager, her mandate is to align human capability with technological acceleration to drive sustainable organizational growth.

She brings a next-generation approach to people strategy that moves beyond traditional HR management toward enterprise workforce architecture. Olesia focuses on building adaptive, AI-ready organizations where talent strategy, operational performance, and digital transformation reinforce one another.

With experience leading complex, multi-site operations across Canada and the United States, she combines labour expertise and risk management with strategic foresight. She partners with senior leaders to redesign roles, evolve skill architectures, and build scalable, high-performance cultures that turn workforce complexity into competitive advantage.

Olesia is also an MBA candidate at the Ted Rogers School of Management and President of the Women in Leadership Association, where she advances leadership capability and challenges outdated paradigms of executive growth.

Vice President of Operations, Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. Previously VICE Media

Quincy Raby is Vice President of Operations at Anthem Sports & Entertainment (ASE), a role she assumed after joining Anthem in 2025. In this position, she oversees key operational areas including Master Control, Production Operations, Facilities, and Accessibility Initiatives. Quincy also continues to serve as Vice President of Operations at Hollywood Suite, where she has led all operational functions since 2018, including on-air operations as well as tax credit planning and administration for the company’s in-house productions. With over 25 years of experience in the broadcast and media industry, Quincy has worked with some of the sector’s most recognized brands — including Vice Media, Cineflix Media, Glassbox Television, and CHUM Television — bringing expertise across operations, marketing, creative direction, affiliate relations, content distribution, and channel formatting.

Senior Creative Strategist, Pinterest

As a Senior Creative Strategist at Pinterest, Reilly has worked across all categories and verticals, helping advertisers craft impactful marketing strategies fueled by a deep understanding of culture, trends, and technology. Drawing on 12+ years of experience—including roles at Sid Lee, Vice Media, and Retail Prophet—she’s led national campaigns for brands like Coca Cola, General Mills, Ford, Google, and lululemon. Reilly is also a sought-after speaker and media commentator, having delivered keynotes to global organizations such as Saje and Canada Goose, and contributed her insights to outlets including CBC Radio and Bloomberg Business.

Leadership Facilitator & Speaker, Shannon Talbot

Shannon Talbot, MBA, is a leadership speaker, author, and former corporate executive with 17 years of experience leading teams across financial services and global organizations. She brings a practical, human lens to leadership shaped by boardrooms, business strategy, and her unexpected work mentoring men in a medium-security prison. Shannon is the author of Breaking Free and the creator of Leadership Lessons from Prison, where she challenges conventional ideas about power, vulnerability, and accountability at the executive level. Known for closing conferences with insight, honesty, and stories that stay with people, Shannon leaves audiences thinking differently about what it really means to lead.

Founder, Elite Camps

Stephanie Rudnick is a former University of Toronto basketball player and the founding owner of Elite Camps, one of the largest basketball organizations in Canada, serving over 6,000 athletes annually. Since establishing the company in 1999, she has expanded Elite Camps to include a 12,500-square-foot basketball facility in Toronto and, in 2019, opened the Elite Outdoor Leadership Centre in the South Bruce Peninsula, a 75-acre property with 14 buildings, 5 outdoor courts, and an indoor gymnasium. With a degree in Physical & Health Education and over twenty-six years of experience in the basketball and sports industry, Stephanie has a deep appreciation for the realities of building and managing multiple facilities. Beyond her role as a business leader, she is a wife to David and a mother to three athletic sons, Ryan, Jeremy, and Nathan, who share her love for basketball. Stephanie’s passion for life lessons through sport extends beyond the court and into her writing. Inspired by her experiences, she creates books to help families navigate the ups and downs of the basketball journey, encouraging parents and young athletes alike to embrace both triumphs and setbacks for the valuable life lessons they offer. Her passion is teaching life lessons learned in sport for success in life.

VP of Strategy & Innovation | MBA Candidate, Ted Rogers MBA Women in Leadership Association (WiLA)

Tyra Dorsey is a strategist and institution-builder with over 14 years of experience shaping governance, operations, and large-scale public systems. Her work centers on long-term strategy — bringing clarity to complexity and designing structures that create durable economic and social impact.

As Vice President of Strategy & Innovation for WiLA, Tyra leads the vision and programming for the Reimagining Women in Leadership Conference, convening senior executives and emerging leaders in conversations on culture, creativity, and growth. She is currently completing her MBA as she continues expanding her leadership across public and private-sector strategy.

MBA Candidate, Toronto Metropolitan University; Vice-President, Strategy, Media Business Graduate Student Association

Zheng Chen is an MBA candidate at Toronto Metropolitan University and VP of Strategy at the Media Business Graduate Student Association (MBGSA). With a multicultural background and experience across the music and business sectors, he is passionate about building bridges between industries and communities while supporting inclusive leadership and socially impactful business conversations.