Trimel Fidely is a Business Centre Manager with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). He first came to Canada from Trinidad and Tobago to complete his Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons.) degree in Finance and Human Resources at the University of New Brunswick. His time in Fredericton and newfound love of the East Coast made it easy to call Canada his new home, where he launched his career in financial services.

Over the past 15 years, he has worked in financial institutions holding various roles in retail banking, insurance and most recently, commercial banking. For the past 11 years at BDC, Trimel has been working with entrepreneurs to accelerate the growth of their businesses and helping to solve any challenges they face. He accomplishes this by providing a wide array of financing solutions, including venture capital, as well as a full suite of advisory services. His career at BDC has taken him to many new cities throughout the country including Halifax, NS; Calgary, AB; St. John’s, NL and most recently Toronto, ON where he currently resides with his wife and 3 kids.

As Trend Hunter's Chief Growth Officer, Jonathon Brown is an expert in maximizing the innovation potential of ambitious companies. After hundreds of interviews with global innovation leaders, Jonathon has uncovered methods for sparking creativity and systematic innovation across many industries. He shares these reusable techniques through captivating keynotes and backed by real use case examples. Jonathon started at Trend Hunter in 2012 on the editorial team, where he wrote over 1,000 articles, garnering 6 million views. In 2015, he spearheaded the successful launch of Jeremy Gutsche’s New York Times bestseller Better and Faster. Along with his keynotes, Jonathon doubles as the Emcee at Future Festival, the world's highest-rated innovation conference. Throughout his career, he's served as an innovation keynote speaker for clients such as Cisco and Walmart, as well as events such as The Market Research Event and OmniShopper.

Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, Ph.D. is the Dean at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (SCS).

Prior to joining U of T SCS, Catherine was the Executive Director of Career Management and Corporate Recruiting at Ivey Business School - Western University. She is a transformational leader and passionate advocate for an inclusive approach to addressing the supply and demand of talent for the Ontario workforce ecosystem. While at Western, she was an active member of Ivey’s EDI Executive Council.

Prior to her leadership positions within universities, Catherine headed 3C Workforce Solutions that conducted human capital research in partnership with organizations such as Mercer International to determine talent needs across major sectors such as transportation, telecommunications and hospitality in Ontario. Such research she deems key to understanding the changing nature of work and tackling under- and unemployment of racialized youth, immigrants, newcomers, and marginalized Francophonie.

With 25+ years as a human capital professional, her career focus has been in the financial services sector with executive roles at TD Bank Financial Group, the Centre of Excellence in Financial Services and the Toronto International Leadership Centre for Financial Sector Supervision. She has consulted to the World Bank and has advised clients in Canada, Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia and the Caribbean.

Catherine has been a human capital advisor to different levels of government such as her membership on the federal Advisory Panel on Canada’s International Education Strategy and as a member of the External Advisory Committee on Inclusion and Diversity of the Ontario Public Service. She is Board Chair of the largest immigrant mentorship network in Canada and in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, she was selected by The Philanthropist as one of Canada’s leaders in the non-profit sector.

Catherine holds a doctorate in adult education from the University of Toronto, a Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and both a Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the West Indies.

A native of Scarborough, Ontario, Sam Ibrahim’s family immigrated from Egypt to Canada in the 1980s. He is an alumnus of the University of Toronto Scarborough who, at the age of 26, founded the Arrow Group of Companies. The Arrow Group is a collection of more than 20 corporations with a range of interests, including scientific research, diversified finance, temporary labour, health and wellness, sports and recreation and professional basketball. A self-made business magnet, the Arrow Group has grown to become one of Canada’s largest private corporations. It currently employs over 10,000 people and operates on four continents.

Beyond entrepreneurship, Mr. Ibrahim is a father of two boys, an avid basketball fan, and the owner of the largest private collection of basketball facilities in the world. The Playground started off as a passion project and has become Canada’s largest employer in the sport of basketball outside of the Toronto Raptors. Performing arts is another passion for Mr. Ibrahim and he recently converted the East York Masonic Temple into a live theatre and concert venue, and an instructional facility for aspiring actors, singers and dancers.

Sam Ibrahim believes in the transformative power of entrepreneurship and its abilities to uplift a community. His recent partnership with the University of Toronto is a testament to these values. The Sam Ibrahim Centre of Inclusive Excellence in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership was established to provide students with world class access to greater opportunities in Scarborough.

His advice for success is to “See where the crowd is moving and go the other way”.

Lee Soda is the Executive Director at Agincourt Community Services Association.  A non-profit, multi-service agency in Scarborough whose core business is addressing the needs and supporting those struggling with systemic poverty.

Lee Soda is committed to addressing the root causes of poverty and marginalization through community work. Her focus is on re-imagining possibilities for the communities ACSA serves, and as an experienced thought leader in the not-for-profit sector, she excels at partnership development, nurturing and fostering collaborative endeavours and driven by the belief that success belongs to all people.

Lee is a strong advocate of inclusive social policies and works toward breaking down systemic barriers through access, equity and the creation of programs and services within communities that promote strong, vibrant, safe and healthy neighbourhoods where people can live, work, play and thrive within.

A graduate of York University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology and an Early Childhood Educator, Lee believes the basics of life are ingrained in the Early Years of our development and practiced throughout our lives.

Lee’s experience includes, leadership building, succession planning, program development and evaluation. Lee is passionate about thought leadership, experiential learning, integrated program delivery models, partnership building, developing community capacity and working alongside community to self determine their needs.

Recognized for her endeavours in Scarborough communities from the Province of Ontario as a Leading Women Champion in 2015. With ongoing efforts to empower girls and women at being the best they can be, and leading by the example that making our communities better, begins with each one of us, and you never leave it to someone else to get the job done. Lee Soda’s professional experience includes coaching and mentoring women and girls in recognizing their potential and capacity to influence and be change makers within their communities. Lee believes that building and nurturing the capacity of others is a privilege and responsibility for the next generation of leaders.

Recognized as a key influencer in generational wealth planning, Michael is renowned for his expertise in navigating complex estate planning matters and transforming them into advantageous solutions.

Over the course of his professional journey, Michael has assisted thousands of families in devising and safeguarding their legacies, thereby cultivating a positive influence on their lineage for generations to follow. He has delivered lectures regarding estate planning, insurance, and philanthropy across Canada, and is frequently interviewed on podcasts focused on financial matters.

Michael is a Trust & Estate Practitioner (TEP), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He is also a member of the Sick Kids Professional Advisors Network, The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Canada, Advocis – The Financial Advisors Association of Canada, FP Canada – Advancing Professional Financial Planning and a sponsor at McMaster’s Incubator Program, The Forge.

Generational Wealth Planning aims to create a positive influence not only on the present generation but also on those to come. Michael has embraced the role of an educator in this realm as a fundamental aspect of his professional mission.