Speakers - Next Campaign

TECH SHOWCASE 2025 Speakers & Presenters

Dan Arnold

Former Director of Research, Advertising & Correspondence for PM Justin Trudeau. Current Chief Strategy Officer at Pollara.

Kayla Iafelice

Former Executive Director of Communications to Premier Doug Ford. Current VP, Strategic Communications, at Wellington Advocacy.

Jeff Ballingall

Popular Conservative Strategist and Founder of Canada Proud & Ontario Proud and President, Mobilize Media Group.

Jeff Ballingall

Popular Conservative Strategist and Founder of Canada Proud & Ontario Proud and President, Mobilize Media Group.

Jeff Ballingall is the President of Mobilize Media Group, a digital public affairs firm with staff and clients across Canada. His work has helped shape the strategies of leading Conservative politicians and corporate leaders.

Ballingall is the founder of Ontario Proud and Canada Proud, two of the most influential political social media accounts in the country. Through these platforms, he has successfully engaged and mobilized audiences, first in Ontario and then across Canada, making a lasting impact on the political discourse.

Ballingall went on to serve as the digital strategist for Erin O'Toole’s successful leadership campaign, and has since worked as a digital strategy and communications advisor for influential Conservative politicians and business leaders.

Jeff Ballingall's influence and contributions to Canadian politics have not gone unnoticed. In 2020, Toronto Life Magazine recognized him as one of Toronto's Most Influential individuals, and he was once again recognized by Maclean’s Magazine in 2023 as being one of Canada’s top political backroomers.

With a proven track record of success, Jeff Ballingall and Mobilize Media continue to be a driving force in the intersection of digital media and political affairs, leaving an indelible mark on the Canadian political landscape.

Brett Thalmann

Former Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Current Founding Partner at Nexus Strategic Consultants.

Harneet Singh

Digital Strategist for over 100 political campaigns across Canada and Managing Principal, EOK Consults.

Chad Bowie

Former Campaign Manager for the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party. Current Founder of The Bowie Group.

Zubin Sanyal

Former Digital Strategist for the Liberal Party of Canada. Current Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.

Zubin Sanyal

Former Digital Strategist for the Liberal Party of Canada. Current Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies.

Zubin has spent a decade at the intersection of advertising, politics, and public affairs. His unique background, combined with a deep understanding of Canada’s digital ecosystem, has enabled him to successfully strategize, plan, and lead dozens of successful advocacy campaigns for clients across the healthcare, government, and not-for-profit sectors.

His passion is rooted in a desire to sell ideas to Canadians and connect their values to a client’s mission. And the right idea combined with a deep understanding of how paid media, creative, and market research work together is how he moves target audiences to action and helps them arrive at the AHA! moment when the pressure’s on and the stakes are real.

Zubin’s expertise is regularly sought after by progressive causes across the country and around the world. He’s worked inside campaign war rooms at every level of government – including internationally. He co-founded and managed the small dollar donor program for the Ontario Liberals and transformed Prime Minister Trudeau’s digital strategy in 2021 to earn him a third mandate with Canadians.

Zubin’s dedication to his craft was recognized by The Peak – Canada’s fastest growing business media company. He was named a Peak Emerging Leader as part of their 2023 cohort.

Zubin holds a joint honours degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Ottawa. He is also a Youth Mentor with Youth Assisting Youth and regularly supports local businesses with pro-bono advertising and marketing support to get their message out to the public.

Marianne Meed Ward

Mayor of Burlington and Chair Chair of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors Caucus.

Marianne Meed Ward

Mayor of Burlington and Chair Chair of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors Caucus.

Marianne Meed Ward is currently serving her second term as Mayor of Burlington. She is the longest-serving female mayor of the city.

A passionate advocate for smart, balanced development, Mayor Meed Ward is focused on ensuring Burlington remains a great place to live, work, and play while maintaining its natural beauty. Her leadership is marked by a dedication to listening to residents, fostering collaboration, and prioritizing transparency in municipal decision-making.

Mayor Meed Ward is the Chair of the Ontario’s Big City Mayors Caucus, which launched the Solve the Crisis campaign calling on the provincial government to act on the homelessness, mental health, and addiction crisis. She is also a board member of AMO, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, where she has been active in advocating for a new deal for municipalities with the provincial and federal governments.

Prior to being Mayor, she served as a Burlington City Councillor from 2010 to 2018. Mayor Meed Ward has a degree in Journalism from Carleton University and worked for more than twenty years in journalism as a writer, editor, and broadcaster.

Zain Velji

Former Co-Director of Naheed Nenshi’s NDP Leadership Campaign. Current Partner at Northweather.

Zain Velji

Former Co-Director of Naheed Nenshi’s NDP Leadership Campaign. Current Partner at Northweather.

As Partner at Northweather, Zain brings over a decade of experience in advocacy, political, and non-profit communications, marketing, and engagement.

A frequent public speaker and regular political commentator, Zain appears on CBC radio and television, and has been featured in federal election night coverage for CTV News. Zain also holds the position of Board Chair at The YMCA Calgary and is an active board member of organizations including the Canadian Children's Book Centre, and The Samara Centre for Democracy.

Zain's diverse background in consulting and politics has led him to collaborate with both companies and non-profits, as well as to play key roles in notable political campaigns. In 2017, he served as the campaign manager for Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and led advertising efforts for the Alberta NDP in 2023, and served as Naheed Nenshi’s campaign director for his historic 2024 Alberta NDP Leadership.

Additionally, Zain hosts the acclaimed podcast, The Strategists, where he dissects contemporary political strategy and public affairs topics.

Recognized for his contributions, Zain was listed among Calgary's Top 40 under 40 by Avenue Magazine. He received the Horizon Alumni Award from the University of Alberta and was honored with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal for his dedicated community service.

Zain holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta.

Benjy Messner

Former Data & Analytics Advisor on several US state and national campaigns. Current Founder of New River Strategies (USA).

Brandon Langevin

Director of Sales, Canada, at StackAdapt and an expert at helping political campaigns reach target audiences with advertising.

Katherine Janson

Former Producer and Director at CTV News. Current Director of Communications at Social Capital Partners.

Quito Maggi

Current President and CEO of Mainstreet Research. Former Advisor and Manager for municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns.

Perry Tsergas

President and CEO, Spark Advocacy, a boutique public affairs, advocacy communications and advertising agency.

Zita Astravas

Former Director Of Issues Management to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Current Vice President, Federal, at Wellington Advocacy.

Hasneet Singh Punia

Former Chief of Staff to two Ontario Ministers and the Mayor of Brampton. Current CEO at Armer Consulting.

Taylor Scollon

Co-Founder, The Peak, and expert in media, strategy, content creation, and innovative digital communications.

John Meloche

Founder & CEO, Melo Technology, a leading company integrating AI into political campaign strategies.

John Meloche

Founder & CEO, Melo Technology, a leading company integrating AI into political campaign strategies.

John Meloche is a trailblazer at the intersection of artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and business automation. As the CEO of Melo Technology, he has spent over 16 years driving innovation, more recently transforming how businesses harness AI-driven voice and communication solutions. His expertise in AI-powered customer interactions, intelligent call automation, and cloud-based telecom services has established him as a leader in reshaping the future of business communications.

Under his leadership, Melo Technology has pioneered cutting-edge Conversational Voice AI Assistants, enabling businesses to handle high-volume customer inquiries, schedule appointments, triage technical support, and engage in political campaign outreach with unparalleled efficiency. His Intelligent Call Recap technology revolutionizes call analytics, providing actionable insights for compliance, training, and customer service optimization.

John's impact extends beyond business solutions—he has played a key role in integrating AI into political campaign strategies, utilizing voice AI, automated outreach, and real-time sentiment analysis to enhance voter engagement and streamline campaign operations. His ability to apply AI to both business and political communications make him a sought-after expert in the field.

His passion for technological innovation, automation, and AI integration continues to drive transformative solutions that redefine how organizations connect with their audiences.

David Wasserman

Senior Editor & Elections Analyst for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Helen Sabatine

Mobilization Expert and Key Account Manager at Qomon.

Ange Valentini

Former Campaign Director for Vision Vancouver. Current Founder & Principal Consultant at Strategic Impact Collective.

Ange Valentini

Former Campaign Director for Vision Vancouver. Current Founder & Principal Consultant at Strategic Impact Collective.

Ange Valentini brings 25 years of experience building creative solutions to complex challenges that drive social change and public good, bringing together stakeholders, influencers and decision-makers across the private, public and third sector — with a focus on building relationships and stronger communities.

Ange has worked across all three orders of government, working her way up from policy analyst to Chief of Staff. In each role, she championed innovative policy agendas based on research, evaluation, analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Ange’s track-record of success includes leadership roles in government relations, community and public relations, public policy development, strategic partnerships, advocacy and communications. She has also negotiated more than $75M in community benefit agreements.

Ange brings relentless optimism and a pragmatic approach to building winning campaign strategies. She has led campaigns for candidates, political parties, based on issues, and for private sector clients. At last count, Ange has worked on 47 electoral campaigns, across party lines, in jurisdictions across Canada.

Jason Grier

President & CEO at Delphic Research. Former Chief of Staff to the Ontario Minister of Health.

Jason Grier

President & CEO at Delphic Research. Former Chief of Staff to the Ontario Minister of Health.

Jason Grier is passionate about his mission to elevate government affairs through knowledge.

With a 30-year career in government affairs, Jason has been chief of staff to a former Ontario health minister, a senior advisor to federal ministers, and a vice president in the Canadian division of one of the world's largest public affairs firms. He also founded and successfully exited one of Canada’s leading health-focused government relations firms, helping to set the stage for a number of similar new entrants.

His latest company, Delphic Research, takes his commitment to bringing innovation to the world of government affairs to a whole new level. Seeing the potential to integrate new emerging technologies and artificial intelligence into the workflows of government relations and advocacy professionals, Jason launched Delphic Research five years ago. With the development of Argus, the company's proprietary AI-powered knowledge engine, Delphic Research has quickly become a leader in aggregating and synthesizing policy, political, regulatory, and stakeholder intelligence for some of the most successful enterprises in Canada today.

Ben Cox

Founder & CEO at Page, a company using AI to help businesses gather information and insight on public policy.

Jay Rosenthal

Former Advisor to US Senator Barbara Boxer and to the Mayor of San Jose. Current Founder of Reframe and Co-Founder of Cultivated Media.

Jay Rosenthal

Former Advisor to US Senator Barbara Boxer and to the Mayor of San Jose. Current Founder of Reframe and Co-Founder of Cultivated Media.

Jay Rosenthal has a 25-year career at the intersection of media, business, politics, and policy.

In 2023, Jay founded Reframe, a full service audio and video production company, specializing in short-form, made-to-go-viral social videos for brands, corporations, news media, and candidates. Reframe productions have garnered tens of millions of views and driven engagement across an array of verticals – from political campaigns to CPG to professional services.

Jay also practices what he preaches: he co-founded Cultivated Media, the authoritative media platform serving the North American cannabis industry and is also the co-host of The Peak Daily, the most listened to daily Canadian business news podcast in the country.

Jay began his career in the US Capitol, working for United States Senator Barbara Boxer. Moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 90s, he served in the administration of the Mayor of San Jose, the 10th largest City in the US.

From government, he launched JMR Strategic, a California-based public affairs consultancy where he managed dozens of successful local and regional campaigns (and many unsuccessful ones too!).

Jay's wife Dara Solomon is the Executive Director of both the Toronto Holocaust Museum and the Ontario Jewish Archives. Together, they are the proud (and tired) parents of 2 children, Stella (15) and Cy (11).

Jay is also a past-President of the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School, recently joined the Board of Directors of Canadian Jewish News, and is a long-time youth sports coach with TP Baseball, the George Bell Hockey Association and the Isobel Bolton Girls House League.

Greg Mortson

Vice President of Account Management at Environics Analytics.

Alex Nuttall

Current Mayor of the City of Barrie, former MP for Barrie–Springwater–Oro Medonte.

Alex Nuttall

Current Mayor of the City of Barrie, former MP for Barrie–Springwater–Oro Medonte.

Alex Nuttall climbed the political ladder, becoming the 47th mayor of Barrie, Ontario. At the age of 21, Alex began his political journey on Barrie city council and in 2015, he shifted gears to federal politics. He successfully ran for the Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte riding and served his constituents until 2019. He returned to municipal government three years later, winning the Barrie mayoral race.

Mayor Nuttall is dedicated to fostering a city where everyone can thrive, regardless of their background or beliefs. He says, “having grown up in government housing I learned the value of service and the importance of inclusivity. My faith is my guiding light and inspires me to lead with empathy.”

Mayor Nuttall was a leader even in high school, where he served as student mayor before graduating in 2004. Mr. Nuttall furthered his education in Political Science at two universities - Redeemer and Laurentian.

Mayor Nuttall sat on the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority's Executive Board from 2006 to 2010 and helped formulate the Lake Simcoe Protection Act in 2008.

A notable community contributor, Mayor Nuttall co-launched the PIE Education program in 2010 with the support of local business owners. The initiative has since provided over 17,500 backpacks with school supplies to students living in government housing in Simcoe County. Last year, Mayor Nuttall partnered with Maple Leafs Captain John Tavares and the John Tavares Foundation to deliver backpacks to underprivileged youth in the GTA.

In 2018, he took the reins of the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner Charity Hockey Game. The annual charity game attracts celebrity players and raises significant funds for local charities. Donations included a noteworthy $275,000 in 2023 for the RVH Foundation, Rotary, the John Tavares Foundation, and PIE Education.

David West

Mayor of the City of Richmond Hill.

David West

Mayor of the City of Richmond Hill.

David West has a deep and longstanding interest in the City of Richmond Hill. His commitment to the
community has been demonstrated throughout his more than three decades as a resident, during which
time he has been a local business owner, has demonstrated leadership through various volunteer
community positions, and has served the residents of Richmond Hill as an elected official, from 2013-

2022 as Ward 4 Councillor from 2013 until 2022 at which time he was elected as Mayor, first in a by-
election and subsequently re-elected in October 2022

As Mayor, during his 2022-2026 term David represents Richmond Hill Council on numerous committees
including Chair of the Affordable Housing Strategy Implementation Committee (AHSIC), Vice-Chair of the
Budget Committee of the Whole (BCW), member of the Audit Committee, Economic Development
Committee (EDC) and Heritage Centre Advisory Committee (HCAC).
As a member of the York Region Council, he is Chair of the Committee for Public Works – Environmental
Services and sits on the York Region Housing Affordability Task Force, York Region Rapid Transit
Corporation, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and TRCA’s Partners in Project Green
Executive Management Steering Committee.
In February 2025, David was happy to receive the support of his Ontario Big City Mayor colleagues and
assume the position of Treasurer on the OBCM Executive Committee.
A husband and father, David has called Richmond Hill home for more than 30 years. He is a passionate
patron of the visual arts and a dedicated naturalist. As lifelong learner, David enjoys reading on a wide
range of topics and he appreciates any opportunity to be in the outdoors. Watch for him at community
events where he loves to meet and speak with Richmond Hill constituents.

Greg specializes in geodemographics and advanced analytics, working with municipalities to tackle complex challenges—from pandemic recovery and community resilience to commercial revitalization and modernizing data processes. His expertise in mobile movement data and emerging analytics tools has helped cities better understand shifting population dynamics and optimize decision-making.

A trusted consultant and speaker, Greg is passionate about applying data to improve communities, ensuring campaign managers, policymakers, and business leaders can make informed, high-impact decisions.

Steve de Eyre

Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, Canada at TikTok

Lena Gahwi

Deputy Digital Director for Jagmeet Singh and the Federal NDP.

Castro Liu

City of Richmond Hill Councillor of Ward 3.

Castro Liu

City of Richmond Hill Councillor of Ward 3.

Castro Liu was first elected in 2010 as the Richmond Hill Councillor of Ward 3, and he is currently
serving in his fourth term. He has focused on important subject matters such as improving traffic
safety for school children, stronger neighbourhoods to prevent crime, attracting investments to help
create jobs and branding Richmond Hill as cultural and heritage destination.

A graduate of the University of Windsor’s Communication Studies Program, he has held several different positions in the radio and television broadcasting industry, including hosting television talk shows, program director and production director. As co-host of the morning talk show at Fairchild Chinese Radio for more than 20 years, Castro played an integral role in helping the show become the most-listened to
Chinese radio program in the Toronto Chinese community.

He has appeared in many advertisements
and TV/radio commercials, and is often invited to emcee major events. Castro is a strong believer in
giving back to the community and is a committed volunteer for numerous charitable organizations and
fundraising events, such as the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Princess Margaret Hospital, Yee Hong
Wellness Foundation, Sick Kids Foundation, United Way, Mon Sheong Foundation, and World Vision
Canada. He is also a recipient of the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards in 2014. He has been a
Richmond Hill resident for more than 30 years and is married with two children.

Dave Sommer

Former Deputy Dir. of Communications, Digital, to Prime Minister Trudeau. Current VP, Strategic Communications at Enterprise Canada.

Dave Sommer

Former Deputy Dir. of Communications, Digital, to Prime Minister Trudeau. Current VP, Strategic Communications at Enterprise Canada.

Dave Sommer brings more than two decades of combined experience in communications, politics and digital strategy to his current role helping brands and institutions develop impactful messaging that resonates with their audiences. As Vice-President, Strategic Communications, at Enterprise Canada, he leads the team focused on communications strategy and support, issues management preparation, media training, public relations, digital content creation and creator partnerships. Dave has supported some of Canada’s most well-known brands, government agencies and associations with urgent digital public affairs campaigns, crisis communications, long-term strategic planning, and hands-on content creation. He has led teams in conceiving, developing and publishing compelling and persuasive ad creative – going from initial client meetings to campaign launches in just days. His extensive knowledge of what works in the digital space has helped clients refresh and renew their online presence or create new ones from scratch, with great success. He is also the co-chair of Enterprise Canada’s working group on Artificial Intelligence, helping to draft and implement our policy for the safe and responsible use of AI products both internally and externally.

Prior to joining Enterprise in 2023, Dave was Head of Politics and Government at Instagram in Washington, DC, where he advised global political leaders, government agencies, NGOs and IGOs on digital strategy and best practices. He also conceived, developed and shipped on-platform products – such as digital voter registration and participation badges – to help Instagram’s users celebrate key elections and other civic events around the world. Previously, he served as Deputy Director of Communications, Digital, for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. From the history-making 2015 federal election campaign to 2019, Dave led the team responsible for all the Prime Minister’s video, web and social media properties, conceiving, writing and producing all digital products in the PMO, as well as planning long-term strategy, and coordination with ministries. Before that, he worked as a reporter, editor and producer in various Canadian radio and TV newsrooms, including CTV National News, where he was headlines and promotions producer. Born and raised in Montreal, he now lives in Toronto with his partner and their 2 children.

Castro Liu

City of Richmond Hill Councillor of Ward 3.

Castro Liu

City of Richmond Hill Councillor of Ward 3.

Amreet Kaur

Former Press Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Media Advisor for the 2019 Liberal Campaign.

THE CHANGEMAKERS Speakers & Presenters

Gerald Butts

Vice Chairman, Eurasia Group and Ex. Principal Secretary to PM Justin Trudeau

Gerald Butts

Vice Chairman, Eurasia Group and Ex. Principal Secretary to PM Justin Trudeau

GERALD BUTTS is the vice chairman and a senior advisor at Eurasia Group. Butts has successfully led Canadian and global organizations in the public and private sectors for 20 years. As the principal secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from 2015–2019, he was responsible for providing executive direction on the development, implementation, and communication of the government’s agenda. This work included overseeing economic policy, the negotiation of the Paris Climate Accord, and the creation of Canada’s first national climate change plan, which included an economy-wide price on carbon. Butts played a major role in managing relations with the US administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, as well as in the renegotiation of NAFTA. Prior to his work with the prime minister, he served as policy secretary and principal secretary to the premier of the province of Ontario, where he led the implementation of the government’s $100 billion core agenda. A successful leader in politics as well as public policy, he designed the strategies for the Liberal Party’s 2015 and 2019 national election campaigns, as well as Trudeau’s bid to win the party’s leadership in 2013. The 2015 campaign, widely recognized as one of Canada’s most innovative and successful, allowed the Liberal Party to move from third place in Parliament to form a majority government. Its gain of 148 new seats was the largest in Canadian history.

Nick Kouvalis

Political Strategist & Consultant

Shachi Kurl

President, Angus Reid Institute

Shachi Kurl

President, Angus Reid Institute

Shachi Kurl is President of the Angus Reid Institute, Canada’s non-profit foundation committed to independent research. She works with public opinion data to further public knowledge and enhance the national understanding of issues that matter to Canada and the world.

Kurl is often found offering analysis on CBC’s “Power and Politics”, in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Globe and Mail, and on the editorial pages of the Ottawa Citizen, among other places. In October 2020, she moderated BC’s only televised provincial election debate, presented by the British Columbia Broadcast Consortium.

She spent the first part of her career as political reporter and holds a degree in Journalism and Political Science from Carleton University. She returned to Carleton University as an Adjunct Research Professor in the School of Journalism and Communication in 2022.

Kurl is a recipient of the prestigious Jack Webster Award for Best TV Reporting. Along with former Australian and UK Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and Margaret Thatcher, she is an Alumnus of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program. She is a national co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Society.

Kurl moderated the 2021 English language leaders debate during the 44th federal election. She also won the Industry Marvel Award from Darpan Magazine in October of that year.

Zain Velji

Former Co-Director of Naheed Nenshi’s NDP Leadership Campaign. Current Partner at Northweather.

Zain Velji

Former Co-Director of Naheed Nenshi’s NDP Leadership Campaign. Current Partner at Northweather.

As Partner at Northweather, Zain brings over a decade of experience in advocacy, political, and non-profit communications, marketing, and engagement.

Additionally, Zain hosts the acclaimed podcast, The Strategists, where he dissects contemporary political strategy and public affairs topics.

Zain holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Alberta.

Fred DeLorey

Partner, NorthStar Public Affairs and National Campaign Manager, Conservative Party of Canada (2021 General Election)

Vandana Kattar-Miller

Political Commentator on CBC’s Power & Politics, (Past) Director of Operations, Outreach, and Planning, PMO

Allen Alexandre

Executive director and Founder, Centre Culturel Afro De Montréal

Anne McGrath

Principal Secretary to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and National Director of the NDP (2018-2024)

Anne McGrath

Principal Secretary to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and National Director of the NDP (2018-2024)

Anne McGrath is the Principal Secretary to NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. She was National Director of the NDP from 2018 to 2024.

Anne has been actively involved in all levels of the NDP, federally and provincially. She has been Chief of Staff to several NDP Leaders including federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and was a key strategist in all his campaigns.

As Chief of Staff, she is credited with professionalizing caucus operations and with helping organize the party’s historic breakthrough to Official Opposition status in 2011. Following Layton’s untimely death she served as the National Director of the federal NDP and Campaign Manager in the 2015 election campaign.

She was portrayed by Wendy Crewson in the 2013 CBC film “Jack”.

McGrath was a key member of Rachel Notley’s transition team when the Alberta NDP formed government in 2015 and was a trusted advisor to Premier Notley in a variety of roles including Deputy Chief of Staff, Principal Secretary, and Executive Director for southern Alberta.

She has been a frequent commentator in the national media and has been identified as one of the 100 most influential people in government and politics in Ottawa.

She was the NDP candidate in Calgary-Varsity in the May 2019 Alberta election.

She is a Board member of the Parliamentary Centre and a Fellow and Instructor in the Riddell Political Management Program at Carleton University.

Julie Ford

Executive Director, Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada

Josh Matlow

Councillor, City of Toronto

Perry Tsergas

President and CEO, Spark Advocacy, a boutique public affairs, advocacy communications and advertising agency.

Jeff Ballingall

Popular Conservative Strategist and Founder of Canada Proud & Ontario Proud and President, Mobilize Media Group.

Jeff Ballingall

Popular Conservative Strategist and Founder of Canada Proud & Ontario Proud and President, Mobilize Media Group.

Rachael Segal

Founder, Beyond a Ballot

Rachael Segal

Founder, Beyond a Ballot

Rachael spent years on Parliament Hill in various policy roles for Members of Parliament, Ministers and Senators. Rachael has led political organizations and worked as a Campaign Strategist on campaigns at all levels of government across Canada. While living in England Rachael also worked for one of two elected Mayors in the country as a political aide.

Rachael also has extensive broadcast experience, having worked as a full-time television contributor for a national Canadian news network. Her radio experience includes Newstalk 1010 in Toronto and CBC in Vancouver. Rachael is currently with CBC’s Power and Politics.

In September 2023 Rachael launched her company, Beyond a Ballot which takes a multi-partisan approach to moving Canadian women towards politics through media products, education and community building.

Beyond a Ballot’s signature podcast, which Rachael co-hosts, has seen incredible success since launching in September 2023.

She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Victoria and is a lawyer with a Masters of Law (LL.M.) from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

Rachael has been an educator for decades. She is a university lecturer, most recently with the Joy MacPhail School of Public Policy.

Tim Gray

Executive Director, Environmental Defence

Tim Gray

Executive Director, Environmental Defence

Tim Gray is the Executive Director of Environmental Defence, a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with the government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities. Tim is responsible for leading the organization’s initiatives to safeguard Canada’s freshwater, stop urban sprawl, get toxic chemicals out of the products we use, clean up plastic pollution and transition Canadians from using dirty fossil fuels to modern, clean energy.

As a well-respected Canadian environmental leader, Tim’s expertise in forest conservation, climate change and sustainable cities has helped create hundreds of new parks, a new ecolabel systems for wood and aggregate, stronger laws to protect the Greenbelt, action on single-use plastics and climate action plans in Ontario, Alberta and federally.

Tim is a go-to contact for governments and industry looking for someone with extensive environmental knowledge who has a practical understanding of how to solve complex problems.

Tim was a founding Board member of Global Forest Watch Canada and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and his current commitments include membership on the Board of Directors of Evidence for Democracy.

Tim obtained an H.BSc. in Biology from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario in 1987 and a M.Sc. in Botany/Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto in 1992.

Tim grew up on the shores of Lake Huron and acquired his love of nature there. He relaxes by building things, hiking and canoeing.

Ange Valentini

Former Campaign Director for Vision Vancouver. Current Founder & Principal Consultant at Strategic Impact Collective.

Ange Valentini

Former Campaign Director for Vision Vancouver. Current Founder & Principal Consultant at Strategic Impact Collective.

Chad Bowie

Former Campaign Manager for the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party. Current Founder of The Bowie Group.

DJ Koessler

Founder, Koessler Strategies (USA)

Jeremy Broadhurst

National Campaign Director, Liberal Party of Canada

Nikki Hill

Partner, Core Firm

Benjy Messner

Former Data & Analytics Advisor on several US state and national campaigns. Current Founder of New River Strategies (USA).

Dr. Alex Sévigny

Associate Professor McMaster University

Lindsay Brumwell

Founder and CEO, LB Strategies

Lindsay Brumwell

Founder and CEO, LB Strategies

Lindsay has been a dedicated political campaign volunteer, engaging in activities ranging from door-to-door canvassing with candidates to participating in Electoral District Associations (EDAs) and spearheading political fundraising initiatives. For two decades, Lindsay has served as an international election observer, contributing to missions such as Ukraine's Orange Revolution (2004), Venezuela's Recall Referendum (2004), and recent elections in Colombia (2023) and Mexico (2024). Locally, she has volunteered with election authorities and political parties across Western Canada and currently serves on the Equal Voice National Board of Directors.

In addition to her political involvement, Lindsay has had the honour of representing Canada on the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) for the Commission of Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and the Canada-Chile JPAC for the Canada-Chile Commission for Environmental Cooperation. As the 2016 JPAC Chair for CEC, she championed the creation of North America's first traditional ecological knowledge panel, which continues to influence environmental policy continent-wide.

With over 18 years of experience in corporate affairs across agriculture, energy, mining, international trade, and transportation, she deeply understands business-community interactions. Lindsay is a public affairs specialist who has facilitated the movement of millions through investment attraction and regulatory amendments. Her extensive experience has established her as a trusted strategist and advisor to a wide range of leaders and organizations.

In 2023, Lindsay founded LB Strategies to assist clients and organizations in navigating the ever-evolving external affairs landscape. Before establishing LB Strategies, Lindsay held roles at organizations such as CN, Federated Co-operatives Limited, BHP Canada, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

When Lindsay isn't working or volunteering, she's often in northern Saskatchewan, disconnected from cell service, enjoying time with her husband and their two large, fluffy dogs.

Alex Glebov

CTO and Lead AI Engineer, PWRD.ai

Chi Nguyen

Executive Director, Equal Voice

Elyse Surette-DiMuzio

Co-Founder, Ampersand Social Co.

Mike Schreiner

Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and MPP for Guelph

Shannon Phillips

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

Shannon Phillips

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

An organiser and leader from an early age, Shannon Phillips is the former MLA for Lethridge-West, a seat she held from 2015 until July of 2024. She served in multiple key roles at the heart of Rachel Notley’s NDP government, including as Minister of Environment and Parks, Minister of the Status of Women, and Government House Leader. While in opposition, she served as the Official Opposition Critic for Finance.

One of her major initiatives in government was developing Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan, where she paired support for Alberta’s energy industry with action on climate. She also led the significant re-investments in Alberta’s park system and created new parks and protected areas.

Before her career as an election official, Shannon worked as an aide to the provincial NDP and worked on economic policy with the Alberta Federation of Labour, focusing on energy and the environment. She has been a longtime and vocal advocate for organised labour, women’s economic equality, housing, tech, renewables and agriculture.

She was recently appointed as adjunct faculty at the University of Lethbridge Department of Political Science.

Shannon is proud to live in Lethbridge, where she is raising her two boys.

Sam Andrey

Managing Director, the Dais (Toronto Metropolitan University)

David Valentin

Principal, Liaison Strategies

Sally Housser

Political Commentator and Public Affairs Professional

Genevieve Tomney

Principal, GT and Company

Dave Clark

Deputy Chief of Staff to Ontario's Official Opposition Leader and Ontario NDP Campaign Director

Dave Clark

Deputy Chief of Staff to Ontario's Official Opposition Leader and Ontario NDP Campaign Director

Dave Clark is Deputy Chief of Staff to Ontario's Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles, and has been named as the Ontario NDP’s campaign director for the next provincial election.

An experienced campaigner and strategist in both Canada and the UK, Clark has built innovative campaigns to elect New Democrats and municipal candidates in Brampton, Scarborough, Toronto, Surrey and Calgary, and led data and targeting for Jagmeet Singh's federal leadership campaign.

In the UK, Clark was part of two general election campaigns for the Labour Party, and is proud to have played a key role in Sadiq Khan's historic win for Mayor of London in 2016.

After spells working with Toronto City Councillor Joe Cressy and Ontario NDP Deputy Leader Doly Begum, Clark directed advocacy projects for labour unions and federations at advertising agency Point Blank.

Outside of politics, Clark led the City of Toronto’s groundbreaking VaxTO campaign. Using election campaign style tactics in 14 different languages to encourage millions of Torontonians to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the campaign was central in delivering world-leading vaccination rates in the city.

Originally from a small town in rural England, Clark moved to Canada over a decade ago and recently became a dual citizen. He looks forward to finally voting in an election in Canada that he's working on. He lives in Toronto with his partner Laura and their one-year-old daughter.

Jan Kestle

President, Environics Analytics

Jan Kestle

President, Environics Analytics

Jan Kestle has been a leader in the marketing information industry for more than five decades. An expert in using statistics and mathematics to help solve business challenges, she directed the initiatives that led to the creation of EA’s PRIZM® segmentation system, WealthScapes financial database and ENVISION business intelligence platform, among other products. Over the years, she’s helped hundreds of customers—in industries ranging from finance and retail to the not-for-profit sector—turn data and analytics into insight, strategy and engagement. Before founding EA in 2003, Jan was president of Compusearch and spent 19 years at the Ontario Statistical Centre.

Active in the marketing community, Jan was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Marketing Association and the GIS Leadership Award from BeSpatial Ontario. Jan is a member of the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council, and is on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, and the Morisette School of Entrepreneurship at the University of Western Ontario. A frequent conference speaker, she is the recipient of a Bachelor of Science degree in applied mathematics from Western University.

Chris Moffatt Armes

President, PoliTraQ

Dave Leichtman

Director of Corporate Civic Responsibility at Microsoft

Nancy Cooke

CEO and Founder, Campaign Compass™

Nancy Cooke

CEO and Founder, Campaign Compass™

Nancy Cooke, BMR, OT, MBA(Candidate), CEO and Founder Campaign Compass™

Nancy Cooke brings over twenty years of experience in nonprofit governance, community activism, business and political operations. Nancy’s passion for community engagement translated into engagement in the democratic process as a candidate, campaign manager, federal constituency office assistant, director of operations and CEO of a provincial political party. In 2016 Nancy moved her public service to working in the legislature as a Chief of Staff to various ministers, including Infrastructure, Crown Services, Municipal Relations and Mental Health Wellness and Recovery, playing a key role in supporting the development of the first Manitoba Roadmap for Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery in 2021. Since 2021, Nancy’s innovative pursuit for a game-changing solution to support engagement in democracy was created. Campaign Compass is a comprehensive software platform that includes an integrated suite of tools to streamline campaign operations and resource management. Campaign Compass™ allows candidates and campaign teams to focus on campaign strategy and success. To date, Nancy has helped transform several campaigns across Canada.

Matt DeCourcey

Head of Corporate Affairs, InterKnowlogy and Former MP for Fredericton

Matt DeCourcey

Head of Corporate Affairs, InterKnowlogy and Former MP for Fredericton

Matt DeCourcey is a public policy leader, community builder, and former Member of Parliament with extensive experience advising decision makers at the local, national, and international level.

His knowledge of politics and public affairs, experience developing strategic partnerships, and ability to shape and influence policy, has helped him advise international NGO’s, post-secondary and business leaders, and Canada’s ministers of finance, foreign affairs and immigration.

As Member of Parliament for Fredericton from 2015 to 2019, Matt secured federal investment to expand critical transport and trade infrastructure, advance preventative healthcare, and significantly increase the population and workforce of New Brunswick.

He has worked with vulnerable children in the global south and represented the Government of Canada in such fora as the United Nations Security Council and across five continents.

Fluent in English and French, Matt is an accomplished athlete, coach and official at the collegiate level, an adjunct professor, and mentor and member of Canada’s leading public policy and leadership development Fellowship—Action Canada.

Matt has published and spoken on issues including democracy and elections, healthy aging, research and innovation, workforce growth and immigration, and child rights. He has established and built multiple platforms that foster substantive dialogue and learning to support the socio-economic success of Canadians, and to advance the wellbeing of marginalized persons around the world.

A proud New Brunswicker, he now lives and works in Ontario.

Brett Thalmann

Former Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Current Founding Partner at Nexus Strategic Consultants.

Hasneet Singh Punia

Former Chief of Staff to two Ontario Ministers and the Mayor of Brampton. Current CEO at Armer Consulting.

Rob Leforte

President, First Lake Solutions & Co-Founder, Push Politics

Rob Leforte

President, First Lake Solutions & Co-Founder, Push Politics

Rob has 15 years of government relations experience at the federal, provincial and municipal levels in Canada. Provincial work brought him to Ottawa in 2011 where he led government relations efforts for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). During that time, he advanced human resources and skills development policy, led intellectual property reforms, and built a strong network in Ottawa’s political community.

Rob earned his master’s degree from the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University. He followed that experience by working with some of Canada’s best lobbyists at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities where he worked on housing and public safety.

He went on to work at a national public affairs firm where he became Vice President. There he delivered billions of dollars in investments to client sectors, significant provincial and national legislative victories, and major regulatory reforms in sectors as diverse as health, construction, retail and supply chains, and skills development.

Rob is a trailblazer in digital campaigns, having run social media advertising campaigns as early as 2008 and leading national, provincial, and municipal digital campaigns since 2016 as Co-Founder of Push Politics. Since starting First Lake Solutions in 2021 he has helped clients deliver over $3 billion for their respective sectors and professions. He has also helped dozens of non-profit organizations undertake capacity building for their own direct advocacy initiatives since establishing AdvocacyCoach.ca in early 2022.

Rob is proud to be leading a young, energetic and fast-growing team of advocates.

Harneet Singh

Digital Strategist for over 100 political campaigns across Canada and Managing Principal, EOK Consults.

Tyler Meredith

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

Tyler Meredith

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

Management consultant, think tanker, and senior economic advisor to the Prime Minister, Tyler Meredith brings nearly two decades of experience at the intersection of economics, public policy and politics. Previously voted the second most influential staff person in Ottawa by the Hill Times’ annual staff survey, Meredith has been a key thought leader supporting the domestic, economic and social policy agenda of the Justin Trudeau government.

Meredith was the lead author of the 2019 and 2021 winning election platforms of the Liberal Party of Canada, he helped lead the delivery of 6 federal budgets and 5 economic statements and he contributed to the writing of multiple ministerial mandate letters during government transition.

Until his departure in late 2022, Meredith was the lead economic advisor for Justin Trudeau, and two Ministers of Finance – Chrystia Freeland and Bill Morneau. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was the principal architect of the government’s economic response, including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, Response Benefit and Rent Subsidy. From 2016-2022, his work touched nearly all aspects of the government’s social and economic agenda, from the financial sector and tax policy, to the design of the Canadian cannabis market, to the negotiation of the 2017 health accords.

Before working in government, Meredith was the economic research director for the Institute for Research on Public Policy, where he oversaw and authored numerous peer reviewed publications on Canadian economic policy. He was also previously a management consultant for nearly 5 years with a Big 4 firm.

Tyler holds a Masters of Public Administration from Queens University and a Joint Honours in Political Science and History from the University of Ottawa.

Ken Boessenkool

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

Ken Boessenkool

Partner, Meredith Boessenkool & Phillips

A bold, intuitive thinker, policy shaper and prolific writer, Ken cofounded Meredith Boessenkool to continue influencing policy and working to make the next chapter better for his fellow Canadians.

One of Canada’s leading policy strategists, Ken’s list of accomplishments is long, including his recent stint as the J.W. McConnell Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University, and his recurring role as Research Fellow at the CD Howe Institute.

Ken has played senior strategic and policy roles in four national election campaigns for the Conservative Party of Canada under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He has been Chief of Staff to former Premier of British Columbia Christy Clark, a senior policy advisor to three national Conservative leaders, two Alberta Finance Ministers, and an Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader. He has played senior policy or campaign manager roles in three national leadership campaigns and three provincial leadership campaigns.

Ken has also worked for and founded a variety of public affairs firms, was a senior regulatory economist with two electricity firms, and the architect of political campaigns nationally and in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.