Join 400+ campaigners, advocates, and innovators in Toronto’s landmark venue, The Carlu.
Expect one day of inspiring speakers, impactful networking, and the latest insights at the intersection of politics, advocacy, and technology — with a special focus on the fast-approaching 2026 Ontario municipal elections, where data, AI, and innovation will define the winning edge.
Thu, Jan 15, 2026 | The Carlu, Yonge St, Toronto, ON
Be there!
Founder & CEO of Rubicon Strategy and Campaign Manager for the Ontario PCs (2018-2025 Elections)
Kory Teneycke is the co-founder and CEO of Rubicon Strategy. With over 30 years of experience in politics, lobbying, public relations and media, he has advised federal and provincial governments, led multiple winning election campaigns and co-founded the Sun News Network. Kory is a highly sought-after political analyst, providing razor-sharp insights on current political events and strategy in podcasts, radio and television outlets across Canada.
Former MP for Eglington-Lawrence (2015-2025), Federal Minister (2019-2023) & Chief of Staff to the PM (2025)
Marco Mendicino is a Canadian lawyer, former Member of Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence (2015–2025), and seasoned political leader. Over the course of his career, he served as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (2019–2021), Minister of Public Safety (2021–2023), and most recently as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Mark Carney. A former federal prosecutor, Mendicino has been at the forefront of Canadian politics and public service, shaping policy on immigration, national security, and government leadership at the highest levels.
Member of Parliament for Burlington
Ontario's Minister of Transportation & MPP for Brampton South
Prabmeet Sarkaria is a Member of the Provincial Parliament for Brampton South and Ontario's Transportation Minister.
Prabmeet worked as a corporate and commercial Associate at Miller Thomson LLP before being elected. He has a law degree from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University where he majored in Finance. Before going into law, he worked at TD Securities.
Vice President, McMillan Vantage and Former Deputy National Campaign Manager for the Conservative Party of Canada
Laura brings substantial experience in public affairs, campaigns, and advocacy. She supports clients in a wide range of industries including financial services, transportation, labour, healthcare, energy, and clean technology.
Prior to joining McMillan Vantage, Laura served in a senior role at another Ottawa-based public affairs firm. She has held several roles with federal and provincial Conservative parties, including at Conservative Party headquarters and as an Issues Manager in the Prime Minister’s Office. Most recently she was Principal Secretary to former Conservative Party Leader and Leader of the Official Opposition, Hon. Erin O’Toole, and served as Deputy National Campaign Manager for the Conservative Party of Canada during the 2021 federal election.
In her spare time, Laura serves on Laurentian University’s board of governors. From 2018-2022, she served as an elected member of the Ontario PC Party Executive as 8th Vice President. In 2017, she was named one of PR in Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Political Management from Carleton University.
Founder & President, Westbridge Strategies and long-time TV Personality
Travis Dhanraj leads Westbridge Strategies with more than two decades of front-line experience in Canadian media and communications. Having held senior roles at CBC, CTV, Global News, and CP24, he has reported on and anchored coverage of the most significant political, economic, and public interest stories of the last 20 years—most recently as CBC’s Senior Parliamentary Correspondent in Ottawa and host of Canada Tonight. He is also the co-host to the new podcast, Can't Be Censored, delivering unfiltered conversations on politics, culture and technology.
Political Commentator on CBC’s Power & Politics, (Past) Director of Operations, Outreach, and Planning, PMO
With over 15 years of experience in politics and advocacy, Vandana Kattar has been at the forefront of driving meaningful change in Canada’s political landscape.
A key leader in rebuilding the Liberal Party of Canada, Vandana played a pivotal role in Justin Trudeau’s successful leadership bid and the party’s historic victory in the 2015 federal election. Most recently, Vandana served as a senior strategist on Mark Carney’s 2025 campaign, further solidifying her reputation as a powerhouse political strategist.
Beyond campaign work, Vandana is a respected political commentator, offering insightful analysis on CBC’s Power and Politics every week.
After years in politics, she found fulfillment in returning to TD, bringing her leadership and strategic acumen full circle. Vandana currently serves as Head, Global Diversity, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Corporate Citizenship.
Outside of professional endeavors, Vandana is deeply committed to community engagement, volunteering with organizations such as the Tamil Community Centre and the Canadian Muslim Vote. She is passionate about her engagement in the grassroots advocacy space, consistently championing policies and initiatives that drive equity and representation.
Research & Strategy Partner, One Persuades and Former National Campaign Manager, Conservative Party of Canada
Hamish is one of Canada’s best-known political strategists. He has designed and implemented campaigns at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.
Marshall has been working as a public opinion researcher since 2006. Working for the Government of Canada he was the liaison between the central agencies of government and the Prime Minister's Office on all matters relating to public opinion research.
He later served as Research Director for Angus Reid Public Opinion before founding Abingdon Research in 2010. Since 2010 he has built the research business to work with companies across Canada and as part of ONE to help our clients make better decisions. He has been the project lead on all the projects described above.
Marshall has been analyzing and interpreting data from online panels since 2009. This includes testing and calibrating new panels in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom as well as ensuring that panel growth is appropriate and balanced across Canada. He has conducted many large-scale projects on panels and understands their assets and strengths to ensure the most accurate results for government decision making.
Marshall has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. His highest mark was achieved on the quantitative methods course.
He has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in International Relations.
Partner, Westbridge Strategies and long-time TV Host and Political Communications Advisor
Karman Wong has more than 20 years of experience as a communications professional, with the unique perspective of being on both sides of the camera.
Karman worked as a television reporter and anchor for Toronto’s 24-hour news channel, CP24. Previously, Karman spent over ten years as a senior communication advisor to the Premier of Ontario, several cabinet ministers and on federal, provincial and municipal campaigns.
As a communications consultant, Karman has led strategic communications initiatives across sectors including education, energy, policing, and non-profits. She has advised organizations of all sizes—from grassroots cultural groups to multinational corporations—on media and communications strategy, issues and reputation management. She is also the co-host of Can't Be Censored, a podcast profiling high-profile interviews and topics. With Westbridge Strategies, she's developing content for campaigns, organizations and individuals, while continuing to consult on strategic communications.
Former Producer and Director at CTV News. Current Director of Communications at Social Capital Partners.
A seasoned media and communications strategist, Katherine spent over two decades advancing high-profile brands and issues within the scientific, health and social impact sectors before joining SCP in 2024. A former investigative journalist at CTV News, Katherine’s work has been recognized with several journalism and cause marketing awards. A self-professed word nerd, she writes, edits and develops award-winning PR, communications and marketing campaigns that are rooted in evidence and tell meaningful stories. She consistently delivers messages that cut through the noise, resonate with diverse audiences and inspire community action. Katherine holds a degree in English from Queen’s University and a Master of Arts in Journalism from Western University.
Director of Sales, Canada, at StackAdapt and an expert at helping political campaigns reach target audiences with advertising.
Brandon Langevin is the Director of Sales for Canada and LATAM at StackAdapt, where he focuses on client services. StackAdapt provides programmatic advertising solutions for political campaigns, enabling candidates, advocacy groups, and political organizations to reach targeted audiences across multiple digital channels with speed and scale.
Former Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Current Founding Partner at Nexus Strategic Consultants.
Brett Thalmann is a founding partner of Nexus Strategic Consultants with over 20 years of experience as a leading political advisor, strategist, and community organizer in Canada. He brings over seven years of experience in the Prime Minister's Office in his senior leadership role as Executive Director of Planning, Administration and People. In the 2015, 2019 and 2021 elections, Brett led national campaign efforts to target key communications to specific audiences in swing ridings through digital advertising, earned media and direct voter contact by phone, mail, and door-to-door.
Former Chief of Staff to two Ontario Ministers and the Mayor of Brampton. Current CEO at Armer Consulting.
Haz Punia is an astute leader with over a decade of extensive senior management experience serving as Chief of Staff to both a provincial Minister and Mayor of a large urban Canadian municipality. Haz has served as a senior advisor and mentor for numerous campaigns across Ontario and has been instrumental in leveraging modern technology for voter contact, GOTV and ethnic reach.
Digital Strategist for over 100 political campaigns across Canada and Managing Principal, EOK Consults.
Harneet is a seasoned political strategist with over 15 years of digital marketing experience. He is the Managing Principal at EOK Consults - one of Canada's leading political digital marketing agencies with over 100 successful political and advocacy campaigns across all levels of government.
Widely recognized for his expertise, Harneet has been featured in national and local media outlets for his insights on political marketing and digital advertising. He is a pioneer in using high-precision online advertising to win elections and influence grassroots campaigns.
Principal & Founder at Wright Strategies
If a major issue has reached a city council meeting in the last 20 years, Kim has most likely been part of the discussion. Throughout her career, she has developed a well respected, pan-partisan approach to government relations that allows her and her clients to achieve a trusted advisor status.
Kim started in politics in 1990 (yes, she was that kid!) Since 2005, she has provided senior public affairs counsel to national and international clients across multiple industries. Kim has engaged in public affairs campaigns across Canada at all three orders of government. Leveraging her deep knowledge of politics and public affairs, she founded Wright Strategies in 2018.
Can’t quite place where you’ve seen her before? Everywhere. Kim is a fixture as a political commentator on every major television news network, numerous AM, FM and satellite radio shows, YouTube, podcasts, and print.
Executive Director at Youth Without Shelter
Steve Doherty has over 30 years of experience in the fields of children and family mental health, developmental services, youth addiction treatment, and youth shelter operations. Steve is currently the Executive Director of Youth Without Shelter (YWS) in Etobicoke.
YWS has a long history of supporting youth experiencing homelessness. YWS’s one-of-a-kind Stay in School (SIS) program allows youth in high school, post-secondary, or apprenticeship programs to advance their education while living in a safe and supportive environment. YWS strongly embraces and personifies the idea of equality of opportunity through targeted supports, including tuition support, mental health and addictions treatment services, wrap-around case management, housing supports, and employment and life skills services.
Steve has guided YWS through unprecedented growth over his 6 years as Executive Director.
Senior Account Manager and Digital Campaign Strategist at Data Sciences
Gabe is a Senior Account Manager and digital campaign strategist at Data Sciences. He’s spent much of his career in federal politics, at the Liberal Party of Canada and at the Prime Minister’s Office.
At DS, Gabe helps political, nonprofit, and corporate clients use campaign strategies to achieve their goals — with full-funnel campaigns and integrated research strategies.
President, Data, Digital & Design at Earnscliffe Strategies
Megan leads Earnscliffe’s data-driven digital, research, and creative services, translating complex policy and brand narratives into high-impact campaigns across paid and organic media. With deep experience in government relations, election strategy, and commercial-sector advocacy, she integrates strategic research, advanced audience targeting, and emerging technology to deliver measurable results.
Earlier in her career, Megan worked for several federal Cabinet Ministers, and more recently has provided digital and research expertise to provincial and federal election campaigns
Principal at Burton Strategy Group and Campaign Director, Alberta’s New Democrats
Mike Burton is the Principal at Burton Strategy Group, and is bringing his understanding of strategic organizing and people-powered politics with him as he returns to Alberta, as the Campaign Director for Alberta’s New Democrats.
Known for his ability to mobilize for growth, Mike prioritizes empowering volunteers as the foundation for electoral success. He has worked with progressive parties in non-progressive places. And he wins.
He is a veteran campaign strategist and organizer with over 20 years of experience with winning campaigns at the riding, regional, and national levels. During the Trudeau era, he held several key political roles, including as Director of Policy to Minister Sohi and as Chief of Staff to Minister Marc Miller.
Earlier in 2025, he served as the National Field Director for the Mark Carney Leadership Campaign, overseeing grassroots engagement and national outreach for Mark Carney’s landslide victory.
Chief Development Officer at Rainbow Railroad and Democratic Fundraiser and Strategist
Anthony Mercurio is the Chief Development Officer of Rainbow Railroad, where he leads the organization’s global fundraising and engagement strategy to expand pathways to safety for LGBTQI+ people. With more than a decade of experience in fundraising and philanthropy, he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for political, social justice, and humanitarian causes.
Before joining Rainbow Railroad, Anthony advised national campaigns, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations through his consultancy, specializing in major donor cultivation, strategic growth, and high-impact events. He previously served in senior fundraising roles on dozens of U.S. political campaigns, including leading Pete Buttigieg’s groundbreaking presidential fundraising effort in 2020. His previous work includes fundraising and organizing for President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety, and dozens of barrier breaking candidates across the United States.
Interim Executive Director of Equal Voice
Lindsay Brumwell is the Interim Executive Director of Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan charity dedicated to increasing the representation of women and gender-diverse individuals in Canadian politics. A seasoned strategist with a deep personal commitment to advancing gender equity in political leadership, Lindsay brings extensive experience in public affairs, risk mitigation, and stakeholder engagement.
Throughout her career, Lindsay has worked at the intersection of politics, policy, and community engagement, advising organizations and industry leaders on navigating complex environments. She has a proven track record in building strategic partnerships, designing impactful advocacy campaigns, and fostering mutually beneficial solutions.
Author of POLICORNER
For more than four years, Ahmad Elbayoumi has covered the politics, policies and personalities at Queen’s Park.
Known for his candid, inside-the-room reporting, he’s quickly built POLICORNER into a weekly must-read for Ontario’s political crowd, delivering big scoops, insider’s analysis and original reporting on governance, policy, power and the political climate.
Today, the newsletter is read, trusted and talked about by the province’s most powerful political players.
Ahmad’s work has been featured in The Trillium, on 640 Toronto and mentioned by CBC News, POLITICO, the National Post and Toronto Star. He has moderated major, headline-making conversations, including a leadership debate for the Ontario Liberal Party and a mayoral debate in the province’s third-largest city. He’s also a frequent commentator on Newstalk 1010 and CBC Radio.
Beyond the daily churn, Ahmad is an enterprising media entrepreneur building the company’s brand from the ground up — spinning up new products, growing the shop’s reach and driving the editorial and business strategy. His goal: a modern, insider-first political publication built to drive the conversation — not chase it.
President and CEO, Spark Advocacy, a boutique public affairs, advocacy communications and advertising agency.
Perry Tsergas has worked in the world of Canadian politics, advocacy and communications for over two decades. He is the co-founder, President & CEO of spark*advocacy, an Ottawa-based public affairs marketing and communications firm. Perry has partnered with hundreds of start-ups, corporations, associations, unions, charities, NGOs and coalitions on communications initiatives of all shapes and sizes.
Head of Strategic Sales & Growth, North America and Programmatic Advertising Expert
Jose is a seasoned business professional with long experience in numerous business domains. From managing and performing consulting work for a software company to spearheading integrated marketing teams, Jose has done it all. He brings expertise in using empirical data, modelling and consumer insights to help businesses solve problems and transform their growth trajectories.
Jose has always been deeply passionate about the field of advertising technology, and as the head of sales for Datawrkz in North America, he works closely with organizations of all sizes across the US to help them define and execute ambitious advertising campaigns that deliver incredible outcomes and returns.
He loves scuba diving, not always with sharks, and can talk baseball all day.
Political Commentator and Social Media Influencer
Frank is a progressive political content creator and commentator who focuses on Ontario and Canada as a whole, looking at issues such as democratic rights, housing, education, and healthcare.
In the last year he has generated almost 40 million impressions on social media talking about news and politics, reaching almost every single Canadian TikTok user during the recent Canadian election, and also having been featured as a panelist on CBC
Executive Director at Progress Toronto
Saman Tabasinejad is the Executive Director at Progress Toronto. She has degrees in Political Science and Anthropology. She is particularly interested in how large policy decisions affect everyday lives. Saman knows that meaningful change cannot be achieved unless actions that address and remove systemic barriers are taken.
In 2018, Saman ran for office in North York. She worked at the DUKE Heights BIA, at the Downsview Advocate, and has served on the board of the Iranian Canadian Congress. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Platform, a civic leadership platform for Black, Indigenous, and racialized young women and gender-diverse youth. Saman has also served on the executive of Roofs for Refugees, pairing newly arrived refugees with homes, and has spent time organizing with immigrant communities.
Saman is dedicated to building a progressive city and making room for women, especially young racialized women, to take space, influence policy-making and run for office.
Chief Operating Officer at Data Sciences
Sean Wiltshire is Chief Operating Officer at Data Sciences, where he leads the firm’s services, operations, and strategic enablement functions.
Since joining the company in 2016, Sean has helped shape its evolution and its culture first by leading analytics, then by founding its research practice, and later by overseeing all products and services as SVP of Solutions. In May 2025, he stepped into the COO role, where he now focuses on building systems that help teams succeed and scale.
Sean has served in senior leadership roles on four Canadian federal election campaigns, including as Deputy Campaign Director for the successful 2025 campaign of Mark Carney. He has also contributed to numerous provincial and international campaigns, as well as work with non-profits and corporate clients across North America and Europe. A scientist by training, Sean holds a Ph.D. in Human Genetics from McGill University and brings a systems-thinking approach to politics, organizational growth, and everything else he does.
CEO & Partner at Paskwâw Strategies and Social Media Influencer
Jennifer, a proud member of George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, is a seasoned policy analyst and government relations expert. As a University of Saskatchewan alumni, Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree in Political Studies from the University of Saskatchewan, enhancing her expertise with a proficiency in Indigenous Governance and Politics. After completing her undergrad, she then enrolled in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, furthering her academic pursuits. During her tenure at the University of Saskatchewan, Jennifer proudly sat as a founding member of the anti-racism and anti-oppression committee, dedicated to fostering a more inclusive learning environment.
With over six years in federal politics, Jennifer acquired profound insights into Canada’s parliamentary system while serving a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan. This background uniquely positions her to support clients and Indigenous nations in navigating complex government relations landscapes.
Beyond her professional roles, Jennifer is a recognized political force advocating for self-determination and Indigenous policy on a national scale. Diagnosed with a neurological disability in 2019, she has used her personal experiences to fuel a broader mission: breaking down barriers for Indigenous people living with disabilities. Her influential voice has resonated through national news, published opinion pieces, television, podcasts, radio, and public speaking engagements. Known for her natural communication skills, Jennifer is dedicated to creating meaningful dialogues around disability and addiction, two issues that are deeply personal to her.
Passionate about developing effective strategies and solutions, Jennifer strives to advance inclusive policy initiatives and foster a more equitable society for all. Through authentic engagement and a proven track record of impactful advocacy, she continues to drive change and build significant platforms for her causes. Proudly descended from both First Nations and a strong Métis family, Jennifer takes great pride in her cultural and prairie roots. She is committed to empowering communities, advocating for their growth, and working towards their prosperity.
Engineer, Lawyer, and French-language Québécois content creator
Farnell Morisset is an engineer, lawyer, and French-language Québécois content creator who covers economic, political, legal, and social topics in Québec's current events. He has over 220 000 followers across his various social media platforms and is often called upon to comment on current events and explain their social underpinnings on Canadian radio and television.
A unique gathering where tech innovators, advocates, and changemakers meet the strategists and leaders shaping Canada’s political and advocacy campaigns.
1Gain insights from leading voices across politics, technology, and data — experts driving innovation in political campaigning, policy, and the nonprofit sector.
2Build meaningful connections with peers, partners, and potential collaborators to advance your impact in the political and advocacy space.
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