Communication, Healthcare, Strategic Planning

Michelle Ryckman has extensive experience in the development and execution of treatment presentation protocols for dental offices. Her approach is simple, no-pressure and comfortable and has proven to yield incredibly high case acceptance. It focuses on communication with patients and building structured relationships. Ms. Ryckman has lectured extensively throughout North America and Europe on the development of an orchestrated customer journey as the cornerstone of case acceptance. Ms. Ryckman is currently responsible for helping other dentists within our community with the development and implementation of strategies for practice growth.

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CPIR, VP, Communications @ Cineplex

  Michelle is a trusted advisor and business leader with over 20 years of experience working with Canadian and global companies, including Cineplex, Loblaw Companies, Arterra Wines Canada, Constellation Brands, PepsiCo, Beam Global, the Wine Marketing Association of Ontario (WMAO), Wine Growers Ontario, and Food Network Canada. She has exceptional thought leadership in all streams of communication, including corporate reputation, issues and crisis management, public/media relations, and internal and executive communications. As a Certified Investor Relations Professional (CPIR), she understands the complexities of publicly held companies and private equity investments, as well as the varying stakeholder demands and regulatory considerations. With a PROSCI certification in Change Management, she helps organizations navigate divestitures, acquisitions, technology and process restructuring, and people changes. Leading with an enterprise mindset, Michelle creates strategies that support organizations through growth ambitions and transformational change. As a brilliant storyteller, she builds interest and engagement across an organization’s internal and external ecosystems. Her strength in fostering relationships with stakeholders forges strong alliances and trusted partnerships.

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Healthcare

Mike Nader is a healthcare executive and consultant with more than 30 years of healthcare operations experience. Most recently, he served as the Chief Transformation Officer at Ontario Health, with responsibility for leading the transition of 20 provincial agencies and local health integration networks into a single provincial agency. He was on secondment from the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Ontario where he served as the executive vice-president, clinical support and performance. In this role, he had operational responsibility for the diagnostic and pharmaceutical portfolios, facility operations, capital redevelopment, business development and commercialization, and performance of the organization. Prior to this role, he served at the Chief Operating Officer at UHN with responsibility for the clinical operations at the Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Prior to joining UHN, Mike was Chief Operating Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health for the Coastal Community of Care from 2014 to 2016. He also served as the Chief Operating Officer in Richmond, British Columbia and the executive lead for the Clinical and Systems Transformation project from 2012 to 2014. With 25 years of experience in British Columbia, Mike has held numerous leadership positions within the Lower Mainland of Vancouver. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia. In 2005, he obtained a Master of Arts in Health Care Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University. Mike has also completed his Executive Lean Leader and Executive Lean Director designation in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Mike has been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 2009 and has participated in surveys across Canada and internationally. His greatest strength is his understanding of the continuum of health services across primary, acute, and community programs. He is regarded for his sound knowledge of the health care system. Mike currently serves on the Health Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC) board and has served as a Board member on numerous other boards including Plexxus, the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, the Richmond Hospital Foundation, Renfrew-Collingwood Seniors’ Society, Canadian Hemochromatosis Society, and Canadian Crossroads International.

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Moyra Rodger is a trailblazer in the media landscape, blending entrepreneurial grit with digital innovation to reshape how creators and media companies connect with their audiences. As the founder and CEO of Magnify Digital, Moyra has made it her mission to empower producers, platforms and media organizations with cutting-edge strategies and tools to build large, engaged followings online. From live-streaming video in the late '90s to launching ScreenMiner™, a revolutionary app that decodes audience data into actionable insights, Moyra has always been ahead of the curve. Through Magnify Digital's services, academy, and software ventures, she thrives on pushing the boundaries of audience development.

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Big Data and Analytics, Marketing

Murat Kristal is an associate professor of operations management at Schulich School of Business at York University. He teaches in the areas of business operations strategy, channel management and customer modeling. Dr. Kristal received his PhD from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests focus on the areas of supply chain, operations and service management strategy. He has helped diverse companies including Johnson & Johnson, Moneris Solutions, and Global Payments Inc. manage their customer relationships using predictive analysis techniques.

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Myles is a graduate of Cambridge University, with a degree in Geography that made brand management and advertising a natural choice, according to the Gradscope computer in the careers department. He subsequently learned the marketing ropes at P&G in advertising and innovation before stints as a Fundraising Director for the National Trust and a Global Marketing Director at Reckitt. These positions prepared him to launch his own ventures. In his career, he has worked on more than 250 brands in 70 categories and 45 countries, leading insight, innovation and positioning projects for brands like CIBC and Coors Light across categories from injectable skincare to online gambling. He has a deep passion for brands and for GT motor racing, which he spends most of his time and money on.

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Nancie is a leadership and culture expert with over 35 years’ experience working with organizations navigating tough operating and competitive challenges and large-scale changes. She has had the privilege of partnering with senior leaders and HR/OD teams to achieve culture change within a wide range of companies including Turner Broadcasting, Warner Brothers, TOMS Shoes, and WestJet. Nancie holds a Doctorate in Organization Behavior from Lancaster University in the UK and a Masters degree in Organization Development from the University of Toronto. Her professional certifications include the Leadership Circle Profile (360 assessment), as well as Decision Dynamic’s suite of psychometric assessments, the EQi 2.0 (emotional intelligence), and the DiSC Workplace Everything Profile. She has published numerous papers on culture and culture change and is currently working on a book titled ‘Culture Change: 30 Years of Lessons Learned’.

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Naomi Freeman is recognized as a global leader in business and emerging technology for her innovative applications of emerging technologies in new contexts. She currently serves as Chair of the Strategy and Technology Committee and as an Advisor to the Women Who Code board. Freeman is thrilled to share with business leaders new ways to engage with technology, level up their expertise and discover new ways to support their teams. She is on a mission to ensure every exec and leader feels confident walking into any technology meeting or team, no matter the complexity of the topic. Freeman has worked as a CTO in edtech, pivoting in-person classes and communities online during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has co-founded two AI companies that went to Valley accelerators and has served as a Blockchain and Data Science/AI Fellow at Women Who Code from 2020-2022. Freeman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2022 and has earned Executive Masters diplomas at BI Norwegian Business School (FT #1 ranking in Norway, top 20 in EU) as well as her MBA at Quantic School of Business and Technology. Freeman's expertise has been recognized in many ways. She has been nominated for the Global Cartier Women’s Achievement Award, as well as by the Royal Bank of Canada’s Women Entrepreneur Awards list as a Woman of Influence. She was one of the Women Who Code’s “Engineers to Watch” in 2021 and brings a strong technical background and experience to her leadership perspective. In 2023 was nominated as a Nordic Women in Tech - Advocate of the Year and was awarded a Role Model for 2023. Freeman speaks and teaches globally, both virtually and in person.

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Nicola has extensive experience in human resources strategy within the dental industry and has lead teams focused on the attraction, retention and development of dental industry talent. Nicola’s career in People has included leading teams in Human Resources, Recruitment, Talent Management, HR Technology and Learning. Nicola is a proven business leader with experience in start up, high-growth and large-scale businesses across banking, financial services and media sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology Sydney.

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Niloofer [Niloo] Balsara is a senior Human Resources Professional with experience across roles in Canada, Asia Pacific, and London, UK. She excels at designing and deploying talent and people strategies, optimizing people's potential. Expertise across HR includes talent management, succession planning, performance management, learning and development, recruitment, HR systems, leadership development and equity diversity and inclusion [EDI]. Niloofer integrates progressive and innovative people practices across people and cultures. A talent architect and a change agent, she is passionate about leading and modernizing HR through a data-led approach. She employs a skills-based framework and a future-focus lens to organizational change, structure and design. A certified executive coach (CEC, PCC], she is an accredited member of the International Coaching Federation (ICS). She has her CPHR and is also certified in various leadership and team assessments and psychometric instruments. Niloofer is a long-standing thought- partner and a member of the employer working group at the immigration employment Council of BC [IEC-BC], where she works with provincial and federal colleagues to support the integration of skilled immigrants into Canada. She has led roles across various industries, including healthcare, finance and insurance, in unionized and non-unionized environments. Her lived experiences across various continents and countries have provided her with a human and culture-sensitive approach that enables her to build people and grow relationships. Niloofer has a passion for corporate and environmental sustainability. She has volunteered for environmental projects worldwide including the Amazon, Oxford UK and at the Smithsonian in Maryland, US. Contributing to the wider HR community, she has participated in and contributed to Canada’s global pluralism project.

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Change Management, General Management

Ori is the high-energy owner of pmKonnectors.com, a consulting, training and placement practice. With 23 years’ experience in driving organizational change, operational improvements, software implementations, Agile adaptations, project recoveries and PMO’s, his scope of expertise includes value creation, outstanding results and high customer satisfaction. Ori brings an international, diverse and cross-industry experience, delivering specialized engagements to organizations, including the UN, US and Canadian financial institutions, Government branches, and leading IT, Telecoms, Energy, Food Manufacturers and Pharmaceuticals.

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Business Analysis, Project Management

Patrick van Abbema is an accomplished senior project executive and AI strategist recognized for his extensive expertise in leading large-scale digital and business-driven transformations across government and the private sector. With over 30 years of professional experience, Patrick excels at aligning artificial intelligence initiatives with strategic business goals, ensuring measurable and sustainable outcomes. His distinguished career includes successfully steering complex, high-stakes projects and organizational change initiatives. Patrick specializes in integrating AI strategies with robust governance frameworks, effectively managing risks, optimizing operational processes, and mentoring executive teams through transformational change. As a recognized thought leader, Patrick bridges the gap between technical innovation and strategic business imperatives. He is exceptionally skilled at translating AI complexities into practical leadership insights, empowering executives and organizations to leverage AI responsibly and effectively. Patrick holds an MBA with a specialization in Management Consulting, along with advanced certifications as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), and Certified Scrum Professional (CSP). His unique blend of technical acumen, strategic leadership, and practical industry experience provides students with relevant, real-world insights to successfully lead and manage AI-driven projects and organizational transformations.

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Paul Hartley, PhD,   CEO of Human Futures Studio    Paul Hartley is an anthropologist, foresight practitioner, and innovation specialist. As an applied researcher, Paul has worked with hundreds of innovation, R&D, and strategy teams and contributed to many of the products and services we all now take for granted. He has been a strong advocate for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in business research, with an emphasis on the benefits of being rigorously human-centric. As a consultant, he has helped companies, governments, and NGOs all over the world solve knotty problems, create better products, services, and experiences, and build research teams capable of meeting the demands of an increasingly complicated business landscape.      When not in field doing ethnography, Paul is the CEO of Human Futures Studio, a global applied research consultancy HQed in Toronto Canada. He is also an author, speaker, and educator. His most recent book, Radical Human Centricity: Fulfilling the Promises of Innovation Research, provides practical advice to avoid the weaknesses in both market research and traditional innovation research, and unlock the potential of meeting your customers where they live.   

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Public Sector

Peter is one of Canada’s leading practitioner-academics in the area of public policy and administration. He has worked as a senior civil servant, chief of staff to a cabinet minister, lobbyist and international consultant. As a professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, his research focuses on political acuity, stakeholder engagement, public management and government relations.

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Prashant Matta is a Partner at Panache Ventures, one of the most active seed-stage venture funds in Canada. In late 2022, Panache announced the closing of their $100M Fund II, continuing their stated goal of becoming “the most active and best-performing fund of its kind in the country.” With over $150M in funds under management, Panache has invested in over 100 early-stage companies thus far, including Certn, Nolk, Relay Financial, and Dooly. Prior to joining Panache, Prashant worked at OMERS Ventures, where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing on investment opportunities as well as providing strategic and operational support to the firm's portfolio companies. He also worked in Samsung’s Global Strategy Group based in South Korea, where he advised on product strategy, acquisitions, and investments. Prashant holds a BBA from the Schulich School of Business, an MBA from INSEAD, and was previously a CPA, CA through CPA Canada.

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