SEPTEMBER 12 - 14, 2010
The Carlu, Toronto, Canada

Partners

Presenting Partners

Gold Partners

Silver Partners

Bronze Partners

Event Partners

 


            
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
           
  

Chris Advansun
Digital Content Strategist
Venture Communications

   Chris Advansun is a marketing strategist and entrepreneur who has launched ventures in multiple industries as well as initiatives in the volunteer sector.
In 2002, Chris launched "Our Changing Planet", a public education campaign communicating a science-based analysis of climate change to secondary school students in the form of interactive workshops.
In 2005, Chris co-founded Blue Horizon Media, a boutique marketing agency specializing in viral marketing for corporations and non-profit organizations.
In 2006, Blue Horizon Media morphed into Rethos Inc., an online media company that builds social media properties that enable civically minded individuals to explore their passions for environmental sustainability and social justice. In his role of CEO, Chris oversaw Rethos' seed investment and the expansion of new social media properties.
In March 2008, Rethos Inc. was acquired by Alternative Media Initiative Inc. (AMI), a Montreal-based online media company whose mission is to build and commercialize web 2.0 properties devoted to sustainable development. Chris served as VP Product at AMI until August 2008, when he left to pursue yet another venture.
In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Chris has volunteered and offered consulting services for leading organizations such as Ashoka Canada, The Nature Conservancy and the Ontario Board of Education.
In 2009, Chris joined Venture Communications, where he currently serves as a digital content strategist.
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Pary Bell
Vice President, Product
Rogers Digital Media

   Pary Bell is a senior executive whose expertise in strategy and product development spans online, mobile, emerging technologies and traditional media.
Pary is currently Vice President, Product, Digital Media, at Rogers Media. Pary oversees the entire Rogers Media digital product offering and strategy (including video, mobile, social media and community for Television, Radio, Sportsnet and Consumer Publishing).
Pary previously was responsible for  the overall digital content strategy of all CanWest broadcasting properties including Global Television, the Food Network, HGTV, E!, Showcase and Slice as well as overseeing a talented team of directors, managers, producers and designers. Prior to his role at CanWest Media, Pary was the Vice President, Content for Alliance Atlantis Communications and before that he led the Children's and Youth Interactive group at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.  
Pary has a BFA from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver.
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Wendy Bernfeld
Founder
Rights Stuff BV 

   Wendy Bernfeld is a passionate film buff and since 1999, the founder and Managing Director of Rights Stuff international content consulting group with offices in Amsterdam and Dublin (www.rights-stuff.com ).   With her team in  Rights Stuff, she specializes in hard core content acquisition and distribution, licensing negotiations, and related strategy and rights advice, for traditional media (film, TV, Pay TV/pay per view, formats) and digital new media (Internet, IPTV, mobile, VOD, portable devices, consumer electronics platforms, etc.).
Originally from Montreal, Wendy has over 20+ years (15+ in Europe) experience as a senior  exec in international film/Pay TV channel startup and program buying (including Movie Network/FilmNet/Canal+ CEO) along with some earlier years in production and distribution (MD, Alliance-Atlantis International) and, still earlier, the entertainment legal field. Wendy has a Bachelor of Law Degree (L.L.B.) from Queens University, after a year of BA/MBA courses in McGill and University of Toronto. She is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada as well as on the Roll of Solicitors in the UK. 
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Bryan Besser
Co-Founder &
Partner
Verve Talent &
Literary Agency 

   Bryan Besser is a co-founder and partner of Verve Talent & Literary Agency. 
After more than a decade as a motion picture literary agent at Endeavor / William Morris Endeavor he along with partners Bill Weinstein & Adam Levine left to form Verve in January 2010.
At Endeavor they found success discovering and building talent such as "Tron Legacy" director Joseph Kosinski, "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3" screenwriter Michael Arndt, and "Cats & Dogs 2" & "Journey to the Center of the Earth 2" director Brad Peyton. They made the move in order to have more freedom in representing their clients, wanting to shift the emphasis from an agency-first culture to artist-first representation.
Before Endeavor Bryan worked in physical production where he was an assistant director and involved in the production of dozens of commercials and music videos. He graduated from Boston University with a degree in broadcasting & film.
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Mark Bishop
Executive Producer/
Partner
marblemedia

   As partner and co-founder of marblemedia Mark Bishop is responsible for building strong relationships with broadcasters, content developers, technology partners and investors. Mark plays a key role in developing both television and interactive projects that tell unique stories across multiple platforms.
Recently at the 2008 CNMA’s Mark was named Producer of the Year and marblemedia was named Company of the Year, an honour shared with business partner Matt Hornburg.
Mark is the Executive Producer of This is Emily Yeung and This is Daniel Cook (Treehouse, TVO), now both airing in over 85 countries including Playhouse Disney in the U.S, Germany and Japan, and ABC in Australia. This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung also have a DVD collection, a series of six books and a Juno nominated CD available at retail locations across North America.
Mark is a creator of new marble projects such as: The Adrenaline Project (season 1 and 2), a high-energy, reality series for teens/tweens airing on YTV; Taste Buds a kids cooking and food adventure series on TVO and The Dating Guy, an interactive animation series coming to TELETOON’s The Detour 2009. Projects in development also include Waiting in the Wings, The Invasion and Camerahead (CBC).
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Norm Bolen
President & CEO
CMPA

   Norm Bolen is currently the President and CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), based in Ottawa.  The CMPA represents Canada’s independent film, television and interactive producers.
Norm is the former Executive Vice President, Content, for Alliance Atlantis Communications. At Alliance Atlantis he had overall programming responsibility for thirteen Canadian specialty networks: Showcase, History Television, Slice, HGTV, Food Network Canada, BBC Canada, BBC Kids, Discovery Health Channel, National Geographic Channel, Independent Film Channel, Showcase Action, Showcase Diva and Fine Living Television. Norm was also responsible for Alliance Atlantis' web based and emerging new media content and all Broadcast Operations.
Prior to joining Alliance Atlantis in 1997, Norm spent 21 years at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a journalist and executive.  In his last position at the CBC he was the head of Network Television Current Affairs. In that role, he had overall responsibility for CBC Television’s Documentary Department.
Norm is a current Board member and past Chair of the Banff World Television Festival and the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, a Director of the National Screen Institute and a Director of the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society.  Until recently, he was also a Director of mDialog, a web-based high-resolution video distribution platform that's optimized for the iPhone. 
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Christopher Bolton
Founder
Forty Farms 

   Christopher Bolton began acting in his teens appearing in feature films Global Heresy, Killing Moon, A Colder Kind of Death, Dead By Monday and The Third Miracle, as well as the Showtime television movies Hendrix and Our Fathers. Additional television credits include roles on the series Northwood, Mutant X, Blue Murder, Little Men, PSI Factor, La Femme Nikita, Street Legal and The Outer Limits. Bolton earned a Gemini nomination for his guest-starring role as ‘Joey Williams’ on the award-winning series Cold Squad.
His work in film and television led him to try his hand at writing. This effort landed him a spot in the Resident Programme at Norman Jewison’s esteemed Canadian Film Centre.
He then completed a two-year stint acting on the highly regarded Showtime Network television series Street Time where he met producer Chris Szarka.  They formed a partnership to produce the multiple award-winning television series Rent-A-Goalie for Showcase. They instantly became one of Canada’s producers-to-watch, a trusted and fundable entity known for high creative standards and dependable financial management.
Bolton was Executive Producer, star and creator/writer of Rent-A-Goalie.  Bolton is represented by DF Management in the US and Celia Chassel/Gary Goddard in Canada. His new Transmedia Production House, Forty Farms, is set to launch in the Fall of 2010. 
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Leila Boujnane
Co-Founder and
CEO
Idée Inc.

   Leila Boujnane is Chief Executive Officer of Idée Inc, the firm she co–founded with Chief Technology Officer, Paul Bloore, in 1999. Leila has been instrumental in making Idée the leader in visual search and monitoring solutions for digital imaging. She is responsible for all aspects of the company's strategy and operations.
Leila brings over a decade of experience in the technology sector to her CEO role. Before founding Idée, Leila held positions in international organizations in the commercial and public sectors, including Algorithmics, Infinity Financial Technology and Bank of Montreal.
Leila is characterized by her peers and colleagues as a passionate and determined team player with exceptional leadership skills. Leila is also an outspoken participant in the imaging and technology industry. She regularly speaks at industry conferences and is an active mentor for young women in technology.
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David Bradfield 
SVP & Senior Partner
Fleishman-Hillard

   David Bradfield is a senior partner in Fleishman-Hillard’s global digital practice. He is one of the primary strategists behind the agency’s approach to social business as clients navigate the evolving world of communication, conversation, and community. Based in Toronto, Mr. Bradfield is responsible for strategic digital integration across several national and global accounts.
Between 2006-2009, Mr. Bradfield launched and managed the Fleishman-Hillard Digital team in New York, which has grown into a multi-million dollar operation focused on online reputation management, digital healthcare and consumer engagement.
Before joining Fleishman-Hillard New York, Mr. Bradfield managed the Toronto office and strategic communications practice of iStudio (now High Road Communications), an award-winning agency and a sister company to Fleishman-Hillard Canada Inc. 
In the 1990s, Mr. Bradfield emerged as an Internet PR pioneer, working for firms such as NATIONAL Public Relations, GreyInteractive, Lasso Communications, and Fleishman-Hillard Canada. He has consulted for clients such as AT&T, Bell Canada, BMW North America, CIBC, GlaxoSmithKline, Hudson’s Bay Company, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft Foods, Magna International, Motorola, Nokia, Novartis, Philips, Royal Bank, Sony PlayStation, Reebok, the Richard Ivey School of Business and Roche Pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Bradfield is a past president of IABC/Toronto, the world’s largest chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. He has served as IABC’s Canada District 2 Director-at-Large for E-Communication and has sat as an IABC Research Foundation Expert Panelist specializing in digital media. He regularly speaks at industry conferences and delivers workshops on a variety of digital, social and emerging media topics.
Mr. Bradfield has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Wilfrid Laurier University and a public relations certificate (Honours) from Humber College. He lives in Bloor West Village with his wife and three daughters.
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Lenny Brown
Director,
IP Development
THQ 

   Lenny Brown - bio coming soon...

Robert Caouette
Sector Advisor,
New Media
Export Development
Canada 

   Robert Caouette is a Sector Advisor with the Information and Communications Technology Sector Team, part of the Business Development Group (BDG).  Robert joined Export Development Canada (EDC) in 1995 where he worked in the Claims and Recoveries Department.  Subsequently, he was an underwriter with the Credit Insurance Underwriting Group handling the Information Technology portfolio.   More recently, Robert was a Manager in the Risk Assessment & Portfolio Management Team, responsible for reviewing and maintaining the ICT Sector exposures for the Credit Insurance Group.  As a Sector Advisor with the ICT group, Robert’s main focus is on the New Media sub-sector - establishing and implementing a sector strategy.  He is also involved in coordinating the business development initiatives that are essential in supporting EDC’s market coverage strategy for the ICT sector as a whole.  Robert holds a Bachelor of Commerce, with a specialization in Finance, from the University of Ottawa.EDC is Canada’s export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business.  EDC’s knowledge and partnerships are used by nearly 7,000 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year.  EDC is financially self-sustaining, is a recognized leader in financial reporting and economic analysis, and has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for eight consecutive years.
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Stéphane Cardin 
Vice President, Industry and Public Affairs
Canada Media Fund (CMF)

   Stéphane Cardin has over fifteen years of experience in the film and television industry. Since joining the organization in June 2006, Mr. Cardin maintains an ongoing dialogue with industry and government stakeholders, leads the development of policies and programs, and reinforces the positioning of the CMF within the industry. 
Previously, Mr. Cardin was Director of Tax Credits with Quebec's cultural funding agency, Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), and was a member of SODEC's management committee. He has also held positions with the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 
Mr. Cardin holds a Graduate Diploma in Communications Studies from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.
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Jonathan Carrigan
Product Design 
Manager, Digital 
Programming & 
Business 
Development
CBC

   Originally from Montreal, Jonathan Carrigan has been living and working in Vancouver since 1995, where he leads product development and strategy for the CBC in the areas of mobile, digital audio/video and advertising. These days Jonathan spends a lot of his time studying the mobile media space, with particular interest in new and emerging business models. He has an MBA from Simon Fraser University, specializing in Technology Management. Prior to joining CBC Jonathan spent 8 years as a New Media Producer. No matter what he does, Jonathan has a good time doing it and encourages everyone to do the same.  It’s easy if you love what you do.
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Kevin Ping Chang
Production Executive
Misher Films 

   Kevin Ping Chang is currently the Production Executive for Kevin Misher’s eponymous production company Misher Films.  Misher Films is run by former head of Universal Pictures, Kevin Misher and is credited with PUBLIC ENEMIES, THE INTERPRETER, THE RUNDOWN, FIGHTING, CASE 39 and THE SCORPION KING.  Company is awaiting release of IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY with Zach Galifinakis.   Misher has a myriad of projects set up at all of the studios. These include the comedy THE DAY I TURNED UNCOOL, with Adam Sandler attached; SUBMARINER, the original Marvel Comics superhero; IT TAKES A THIEF, starring Will Smith; an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s DUNE to be directed by Pierre Morel; and THE LAST DUEL to be directed by Martin Scorsese.
At Misher, Chang works to develop feature films and focuses on opportunities in interactive entertainment and new media and is currently overseeing SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS for Sony Pictures.  Previously, Chang worked in development at Kopelson Entertainment (PLATOON, THE FUGITIVE, SEVEN).  Chang came to Kopelson from DreamWorks where he worked as the assistant to the head of the story department during which the studio released CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, MINORITY REPORT, THE RING and THE ROAD TO PERDITION. Chang began his career at Pixar Animation Studios working in their creative resources group and illustrating artwork for MONSTERS, INC.
Chang  was born and raised in Texas, earned a degree in business administration from the Haas School of Business at The University of California, Berkeley and a masters in film producing from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. Chang also has three dogs, loves to surf & ski, and spends his free time playing way to much Gears Of War.
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Katerina Cizek
Filmmaker-in-
Residence
National Film Board
of Canada

   NFB HIGHRISE Director Katerina Cizek is a documentary-maker working across many media platforms. Her work has documented the Digital Revolution, and has itself become part of the movement. For the last five years, she was the National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker-in-Residence at an inner-city hospital, in a many-media project that won a 2008 Webby Award, a Banff Award, a Canadian New Media Award, and a nomination for the prestigious U.K. Grierson: Sheffield Award for Innovation in Documentary. Her previous award-winning films include  Seeing is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News (2002, co-directed with Peter Wintonick) and The Dead are Alive: Eyewitness in Rwanda (1996, editor, co-writer and narrator). She teaches and presents around the world about her innovative approach to the documentary genre.
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Justin Cooney
Senior Account 
Manager,
Developer Relations
Sony Computer 
Entertainment 
America

   Justin Cooney, Sr. Account Manager for Developer Relations, leads the charge in getting gaming content for the PlayStation Network. By working with independant game developers, large and small, he helps them maximize their business on the platform. Whether it be PSP, PS3, PlayStation Home, or PlayStation Move, developers are supported and guided from start to release to post-release.  Justin also runs the very successful Pub Fund program, designed to help developers take the step from developer to Publisher on the PlayStation Network.
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Valerie Creighton
President & CEO
Canada Media Fund (CMF)

   Valerie Creighton has over thirty years of experience in leading cultural organizations. Since joining the corporation in 2006 as President and CEO, Ms. Creighton’s focus has been to position the CMF as a responsive and effective organization with funders, clients, and other stakeholders, to enhance relationships with national and international interests, and to support and promote Canadian media content. 
Ms. Creighton successfully managed two major organizational events in the history of the corporation, including the transition of the Canadian Television Fund’s program administration to Telefilm Canada and the creation of the Canada Media Fund. She developed a national stakeholder outreach program and restructured the organization to focus on policy development, research, and communications. 
Previously, Ms. Creighton was the CEO and Film Commissioner for the Saskatchewan Film and Video Development Corporation and Manager of the Arts Section for the Province of Saskatchewan. She has produced radio dramas for CBC Saskatchewan, sat on numerous CBC juries, and won several awards, including the Deputy Minister’s Recognition Award for her role in the creation of SaskFilm, the Distinguished Alumni Award –Theatre Department, University of Regina, Her Majesty the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Community Leadership, and the Canadian Women in Communications Change Leader Award. She has participated in trade missions led by the Prime Minister of Canada and Premier of Saskatchewan to Germany, Los Angeles, and China. She has sat on 12 boards from 1979 to the present and currently serves as a volunteer Chair of the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts. 
Ms. Creighton holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Regina and a Management Development Diploma for Arts Administrators from the Banff School of Management. She owns and operates The Red Horse Ranch in Stoughton, Saskatchewan.
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Janice Dawe
Vice President
White Pine Pictures/
Executive Producer
City Sonic 

   Janice Dawe joined White Pine Pictures in 2005 to position the company for growth.  As Vice-President, she takes a leadership role in business development, partner relationships and new media initiatives.  Janice works in a producer capacity on many of White Pine’s documentary and drama productions and is an Executive Producer of the interactive mobile project, City Sonic a joint venture of White Pine Pictures and Kensington Communications of Toronto. 
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Jason Della Rocca
Senior Consultant
Perimeter Partners

   Jason Della Rocca is the founder of Perimeter Partners, a consultancy that provides strategic level guidance and expertise to companies and organizations on the boundary, or perimeter, of the game industry. For nearly nine years, he served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), a professional society committed to advancing the game industry and the careers of developers. Jason was honored for his industry building efforts with the inaugural Ambassador Award at the 8th annual Game Developers Choice Awards. He continues to be an advocate for the expressive power of games and their capacity to change the world.
As a sought after expert on the game industry, Jason has spoken at conferences worldwide (e.g., GDC, Tokyo Game Show, Nordic Game, ChinaJoy, etc), lectured at top universities (e.g., National University of Singapore, McGill, University of Tokyo, Penn State, etc), and has either written for or been interviewed by countless news outlets (e.g., Wired, Edge, Nightline, LA Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, The Escapist, etc).
Jason has been a member of the game industry for more than a decade, and has previously worked at IGDA, CMP, Quazal, Matrox Graphics, Silicon Graphics and Price Waterhouse. He blogs at www.realitypanic.com.
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Nick di Maggio
Senior Education & Training Committee Member
British Sound & Television Society

    Nick di Maggio was head of school in media at Amersham College in the United Kingdom and head of Media section at South Thames College/south bank university in London before working across Higher And Further Education in the UK he was Design Manager for the Burton Group PLC.Has be part of the Design management Institute and various UKTI Design ventures.
He is an active member of the BKSTS British Cinematic and Television Society in their Multimedia and Education committee.
Nick has spoken and presented papers at a range of international conferences both in Europe and in Singapore and is an expert in e-learning and Virtual Environments.
His present research interests are in 3D Film and Games Design and has worked closely with Skillset, the UK Audio Visual sector council in this new area of emerging technology.
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Jesse Divnich
Vice President of Analyst Services
Electronic Entertainment Design and Research

   Jesse Divnich is the Vice President of EEDAR's Analyst Services Division.  Mr. Divnich is responsible for the development and execution of new products and services within EEDAR, which is the industry’s largest distributor of insight, research, and data to the interactive entertainment industry. Mr. Divnich is an industry veteran with over 10 years of experience and is most known for his appearances on G4TV, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, and USA Today, as well as being a regular on the speaking circuit with annual presentations at MIGS, GDC, and DIG London.
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Chris Donahue
Publisher/
Developer Relations
OnLive 

   Chris Donahue is responsible for Publisher and Developer Relations at Onlive, Inc., the world’s first cloud gaming service. Prior to Onlive, Christopher was President of the SparkWorkz online division at inXile entertainment. Prior to this role, Christopher was with Live Gamer, Inc., and at Microsoft as Director of Games for Windows where he helped define and build the Games for Windows program as well as define the gaming strategy for Windows. Christopher previously ran developer relations for Nvidia and ATI and was Executive Producer at The ImagiNation Network and Sierra Online. Mr. Donahue's 18+ years of experience span the entire range of the video game industry from hardware, software development, sales and marketing and business development. Mr. Donahue has keynoted at such industry events as GDC, Digital Hollywood, CES Game Power Conference and the E3 Microsoft Press conference as well as numerous other related events.
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Derek K. Douglas
Lead Agent
DDM

   Derek K. Douglas is an agent at Digital Development Management where we focus on representing the next generation of creative talent: video game developers.  Derek began his career at the William Morris Agency. As part of the interactive division, he focused on forging relationships between traditional and interactive media while specializing in paving new avenues for clientele entering the video game space as well as guiding game creators through the ever-expanding entertainment landscape.
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Denis Dyack
President
Silicon Knights

    Denis Dyack is the founder and president of Silicon Knights. In this capacity, he oversees the creation and development of games, and continues to further the growth of the company. Dyack is a noted authority on interactive software development and offers valuable insight into the process of designing next-generation games that appeal to the masses. Under Dyack’s direction, Silicon Knights has evolved into one of the world’s largest independent interactive software developers.
Dyack (B. Phed, H. B.Sc, M. Sc.) founded Silicon Knights in 1992 after publishing “Cyber Empires” in 1991. Since that time, Silicon Knights has moved from creating PC games to premiere AAA console titles, such as “Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain” for the original Playstation.
Working with Nintendo as a second party, Silicon Knights created the critically acclaimed “Eternal Darkness”. Together with Nintendo, Silicon Knights worked with Konami to create another critically acclaimed game, “Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes. In 2008, Dyack and his team released “Too Human™” for the Microsoft® Xbox 360, which was published by Microsoft.
Beyond interactive software, Dyack is one of the creators of Eight: The Hamilton Institute for Interactive Digital Media. In collaboration with McMaster University, the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) and Mohawk College, the new institute will focus on the development of the “8th Art,” art that develops technology and creativity beyond the moving image, i.e. film, and adds interactivity. This new institute will foster creation and integration of new technologies, new design and innovative artistic concepts for digital media applications. Dyack is also a member of the Peter Drucker Society and advises several universities and colleges, including MIT and Brock University. Dyack has an interest in technology trends and watching their effects on society and culture.
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James Eberhardt
Co-Founder, Technical Director
Echo Mobile

    An award winning mobile developer, James Eberhardt founded Echo Mobile to migrate the computing experience away from the desktop and wants to see people use their phones for anything other than making a phone call.  James is an international speaker and instructor who has been presenting mobile topics to audiences for over 6 years including multiple FITC and 360|iDev conferences.  James founded the Mobile Developers and Designers of Toronto to bolster the mobile community in Toronto.  Prior to Echo Mobile, James was Director of Technology for marblemedia, developing many successful cross-platform projects.
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David Edery
Manager and Principal
Fuzbi

   David Edery is Manager and Principal of Fuzbi, an independent consulting firm focused on the business and design of digitally-distributed games, a director on the board of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and a research affiliate of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program (MIT CMS). Prior to founding Fuzbi, David was the Worldwide Games Portfolio Manager for Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade service, and the MIT CMS Program’s Associate Director for Special Projects before Microsoft.
David is also the co-author of Changing the Game: How Video Games are Transforming the Future of Business – a review of the ways that games are helping companies to connect with customers, to attract, train, and motivate employees, and to boost their productivity. Notable press reviews can be found here.
David received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he concentrated on marketing and entrepreneurship. Prior to receiving his MBA, David worked as a software engineer and founded a successful software development and consulting firm. Last but not least, a long time ago in a place far, far away, David received his BA in English Literature from Brandeis University. (Who says English majors can’t be good engineers, or good businesspeople for that matter?)
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Dr. David Ellis
Author
"Life on the Broadband Internet" 

   Dr. David Ellis is a media consultant, educator and broadband evangelist. Over the past three decades, he has written and consulted extensively on broadcasting, telecommunications, cultural policy, the Internet, consumer welfare and information technology. David combines his consulting business with teaching in York University’s Department of Communication Studies, both focussed on the disruptive effects of the global Internet. His online soapbox is Life on the Broadband Internet, which is definitely not a blog.

Deborah Esayian
Co-President
Emmis Interactive

  

 Deborah Esayian develops the market opportunities for Emmis Interactive and is the architect of one of the most profitable internet business models in media today.  The pioneer of several innovations in the broadcast industry, she is a catalyst for corporate reinvention.

A former product manager with Procter & Gamble and Novartis, Deborah guided the growth of the Formua 44 ®, Pampers ®, Vaporub ®, and Transderm Scope®, brands in addition to several others in the packaged goods industry.  She blends classic marketing expertise with high-level sales experience to forge the successful integration of new and traditional media. 

In 1994, she founded Next Generation Radio, a new business development enterprise that returned hundreds of millions in lost business to the industry. She has managed radio stations and sales teams and, over the past 5 years, trained and developed over 3,000 salespeople and managers across the globe in using creative engagement solution techniques to monetize their websites. 

In her work she becomes the confidant and consultant to the senior management teams of each Emmis Interactive customer, taking the word “partnership” to a new definition.

Deborah holds a B.S.N. from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.  Recognized as one of Radio Ink’s Most Influential Women in Broadcasting, she is the recipient of many industry awards for her skill in launching successful new businesses with strong investor return.

Deborah maintains dual residency in the United States and Canada and is a native of the Philadelphia area.
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Trevor Fencott
CEO
Bedlam Games

   Trevor Fencott brings seven years of game industry experience to the Bedlam team. Prior to joining Bedlam, he built the video game practice at the law firm Goodmans LLP and Goodmans Venture Group, where he advised developers, publishers and the investment community on licensing, game development and financing. He currently sits on the business committee of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). Trevor received his Honours BA from Queen's University and his LLB from the University of Western Ontario. 
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Stephen Finney
Mentor and
Production
Executive,
Drama Content
Canwest

   Stephen Finney is currently a production executive working on original drama content for the Canwest Broadcasting group of channels including Global, Showcase and History.  Also, he part of the team responsible for accepting, reviewing and evaluating written and verbal pitches for new series for those channels.  As a production executive he is responsible for all creative matters relating to the Television and Digital Media properties for Showcase programming.  His Showcase credits include Kenny Vs Spenny, Testees, Pure Pwnage, Lost Girl and Drunk And On Drugs Happy Funtime Hour.
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Jay Firestone
Founder
Prodigy Pictures 

   Founded in 2006 by Jay Firestone, Prodigy Pictures leads the way in the production of quality film, television and cross-platform media. Its credits include the critically acclaimed feature Stuck and the television mini-series XIII, broadcast on Canwest and NBC.  Prodigy just completed production of the first season of Lost Girl, a new series for Showcase Television, and is heading into production on XIII-The Series, a Franco-Canadian co-production. The company has several feature film and television projects in development, including William Gibson’s Neuromancer, and Weapon, in partnership with Studio 37.
Prodigy Picture’s mission is to utilize the best talent worldwide to produce the highest quality content for a range of media, including television, theatrical distribution and the internet. To that end, Prodigy has developed successful partnerships around the world, including those from the UK, France and the United States. 
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Maggie Fox
CEO
Social Media Group

   Maggie Fox, founder and CEO of Social Media Group, one of the world’s largest and best-known agencies helping business navigate the world of Web 2.0, is a communications and content expert who has never met a medium she didn't like. Over the course of her career, Maggie has lead teams that have marketed, written and produced television and webcontent for some of the biggest and best-known brands in North America, including Sears, Deloitte and Disney.Pioneers in their field, SMG has created social media strategies for Ford Motor Company, SAP, Yamaha Motor and Harlequin Publishing. Maggie is often asked to speak to the press and business groups about the importance and use of social media in the enterprise.
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Anthea Foyer
Director and Founder
The Labs 

   Anthea Foyer is a diginista, who makes beautiful things using technology, compelling narratives across platforms, and starts conversations between strangers & friends – on and offline. She believes that anything is possible when worlds collide. She has created, produced and advised on a wide array of critically acclaimed projects including graphic novels, interactive installations,   online narratives, wearables, interactive installations, participatory theatre, multiplatform experiences and tv and film convergence projects. She has produced large-scale conferences, developed presented cutting edge workshops, and curated highly acclaimed exhibits. She can often be found speaking, mentoring and presenting workshops about the continually evolving realm of digital media, with a focus on interactive narrative and the creative convergence of a variety of media forms.
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Andrea Gagliardi
General Manager
and Director, TV Web
Rogers Digital Media

   Andrea Gagliardi, a graduate of Dalhousie University, has occupied a variety of roles in the media and entertainment landscape including time at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and Toronto's Bid for the 2008 Olympic Games. Since 2001 she has been an integral part of the Rogers Media team, taking on challenges in both marketing and the digital space for the television side of the business. In 2008, Andrea was made the General Manager and Director, TV web when Citytv joined the Rogers family of media properties. Andrea was responsible for leading the relaunch of all the Citytv sites, Citytv.com, Citynews.ca and Cityline.ca along with the new Citytv.com video theater. More recently her team unveiled the multi-screen, multi-platform program called "Shorts in the City" that launched on iPhone, iPad and online in May of 2010. This former competitive skiier who hates fishing but always catches the first fish, demonstrates that launching websites and developing entertainment experiences across platforms is all in a days work.
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Michael Garrity
President, CEO and Co-Founder
Community Lend

   Michael Garrity has spent most of the last 10 years devoted to driving growth in businesses dedicated to innovation in financial services. Prior to co-founding CommunityLend, Michael was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at epost (www.epost.ca), a world leader in the electronic bill presentment and payment industry. Michael was responsible for leading the team that built the epost customer network which grew to include every major Canadian financial institution, over 100 of Canada's largest companies and over 3 million online users. Previous to this role, Michael was on the founding team of an Ottawa-based Internet start-up creating online enterprise solutions, on the launch team of a successful Ontario Labour Sponsored Investment Fund and was a management consultant with a Washington, DC based systems integration firm. Michael also served as a Legislative and Special Assistant to a number of Members of Parliament at the House of Commons in Ottawa. Michael attended both the University of Manitoba and Carleton University and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics. Michael was born in Churchill, Manitoba, and has lived in British Columbia, Ontario and the North West Territories. He currently resides with his family in Toronto.      
[ TOP ]            

Ariel Garten
CEO
Interaxion

   If there ever was a gap between science, art, business and technology, Ariel Garten has closed it. Her work converts the workings of the mind into tangible solutions.
Ariel has researched at the Krembil Neuroscience Institute studying hippocampal neurogenesis, displayed work at the Art Gallery of Ontario, DeLeon White Gallery, and opened Toronto Fashion Week. The intersections of these diverse interests have culminated into various lectures with topics such as “The Neuroscience of Aesthetics” and “The Neuroscience of Conflict, featured on TVO's Big Ideas.
Referred to as the “Brain Guru” by Now Magazine, CBC Radio and the Toronto Star, Ariel has also run a successful real estate business, spent time as the designer and owner of a Canadian fashion boutique, and is a practicing psychotherapist.
[ TOP ]  

 

 

Jill Golick
Transmedia Guru
Story 2.Oh 

   Jill Golick has written and produced for many media including television, print, greeting cards and the web.  She is the creator/producer of Crushing It, the first live comedy soap opera (http://crushingitstory.com) on Twitter and the tween web series Hailey Hacks (http://www.youtube.com/haileyhacks).  She blogs about transmedia, television and writing at Running With My Eyes Closed (http://story2oh.com/blog/). She is the vice president of the Writers Guild of Canada and the host of the Writers Talking TV podcast.  Jill is available to create or consult on your next transmedia venture.

Joanne Gordon
VP Media, Professional
& Business Services
Royal Bank of Canada 

   Joanne Gordon is the Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, Downtown Toronto for both the Media & Entertainment team and Professional and Business Services group for RBC Royal Bank.
With over 20 years of RBC experience, Joanne has an in-depth knowledge of commercial banking.  She assists her team in providing meaningful business advice and services to RBC’s clients and connecting clients to external and internal partners to add strategic value and help grow their business.
Joanne has worked with RBC’s Media & Entertainment team for the last 10 years covering financing to independent producers, publicly traded content companies, radio and TV broadcasters and specialty broadcasters, digital media, music companies and other companies important to the success of the industry.  She has been an innovative force within the Bank in developing media and digital media strategy and policies and identifying areas for growth.
Joanne has a B.Sc. from University of Toronto and an MBA from York University.  She has lecturing experience at York University both in Finance and Women in Business and is a current member of the Toronto Board of Trade. Joanne has been a Member of the Board of Presenting Our Vision, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing at-risk young people with an opportunity to learn the art of film production. She is a past Treasurer and Member of the Board of Women in Film and Television – Toronto.
[ TOP ]

Kunal Gupta
CEO
Polar Mobile

   Kunal Gupta understands the transformative potential that smartphones present in enabling the mobile lifestyle for consumers. He continues to be a market-leader in launching innovative mobile applications for major media publishers to millions of their consumers in the rapidly changing communications landscape. Kunal is the CEO of Polar Mobile, a leading mobile content solutions enabler for large media companies. He leads a fast-growing team in building a next generation mobile software platform so businesses can quickly and efficiently bring to market intuitive and engaging mobile products & services that grow audiences, open new revenue streams and extend brands to the mobile marketplace.
A frequent speaker at industry events on the topics of bringing to market innovative products and services for the mobile consumer, Kunal is regarded as a rising young visionary in the mobile industry. As Founder of the Impact Entrepreneurship Group, the largest youth entrepreneurship non-profit organization in Canada for which he also serves as Chair of the Board, Kunal has been recognized for his efforts in promoting entrepreneurship to youth. He was recognized as Alumnus of the Year by Shad Valley and as a Global Citizen by the United Nations.
Kunal holds an Honours Bachelor of Software Engineering from the University of Waterloo.
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Victoria Ha
Partner
Stitch Media 

   Stitch Media partner Victoria Ha has extensive production experience in media with a background in: coordinating international news events, post-prodution, production management in an award winning alternate reality game, and several award-winning international documentaries.
In 2008, she helmed a new media presentation with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for the New Creations Festival. Her recent projects at Stitch media includes producing: a 10-week cross media branded campaign called "Workout with Sidney Crosby" for Reebok and Sympatico/MSN, a Rockie nominated web-series called "Saving Penny" educating women to be financially savvy, and recently a 3-part TV series and full length feature documentary and integrated interactive website called "Redress Remix".Victoria is also actively on the speaker circuit and has been a keynote, panelist and participant in: Women in Film & Television, Banff & NextMedia, Crossover Canada, the Canadian Film Centre, FITC, Interactive Ontario, HotDocs, SXSW 2009 & 2010, and with multiple educational institutes.
Victoria is a director on the board of Women in Film & Television in Toronto as part of their digital committee.
[ TOP ] 

John Hall
Owner
Gone in 30
Entertainment

   John Hall is the founder and CEO of Gone in 30 Entertainment. Six years ago he saw the growing divide between sponsors and consumers in the  television medium as new technology allowed  viewers to control their own “viewing experience”.
In response to that, he started Gone in 30 Entertainment, or “G30” a humorous reference to the demise of the 30 second ad. The result has been an evolution in television programming. John, a marketing and advertising professional and his business partner Jon Aroesty, a television production specialist in Los Angeles, drew brands and entertaining premises together to develop television storylines that can compete against “pure entertainment” properties in prime time – and win.
While there have been many successes, John refers to “La Collection”, a French Canada prime time television show as the best measure of branded entertainment success to date. Now in its second season, La Collection challenges 10 professional fashion designers  in Quebec to develop a line of clothing that best expresses French culture through fashion. The winner develops that line of clothing under the La Collection label at The Bay. It is a number one rated show on TVA garnering 1.2  million viewers per episode.
John is currently working with networks both in Canada and the U.S. on several new original prime time branded entertainment television shows.
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Chris Harris
Director, Online
Content
Canwest Television 

   Chris Harris, Director Online Content at Canwest Broadcasting, is responsible for strategy and digital product for more than a dozen broadcast sites including GlobalTV.com, showcase.ca, slice.ca and History.ca. Chris has been at the helm for major changes at GlobalTV.com including a redesign that generated massive growth in key audience metrics and the release of a high-definition broadband player. Chris is an established broadcast digital media leader with more than a decade experience at major Canadian broadcasters. Prior to joining Canwest and Alliance Atlantis, Chris held a handful of posts at CBC.ca in Sports, News and Kids. Among those roles was Sr. Editor of CBC.ca’s 2006 Torino Olympic website – which captured a Canadian New Media Award for Excellence in News & Information and earned Chris a CBC.ca Award of Excellence. 
[ TOP ] 

Kate Hartman
Assistant Professor,
Wearable & Mobile
Technology
OCAD University

   Kate Hartman is an artist, technologist, researcher, and inventor whose work spans the fields of physical computing, wearable electronics, and conceptual art. She is the co-creator of Botanicalls, a system that lets thirsty plants place phone calls for human help, and the Lilypad XBee, a sewable radio tranceiver that allows your clothing to talk. Her work has been exhibited internationally and featured by the New York Times, BBC, CBC, NPR, in the book "Fashionable Technology". Hartman recently moved to Toronto to join the Digital Futures Initiative at the OCAD University where she is the Assistant Professor of Wearable & Mobile Technology.
www.katehartman.com

Andrew Hessel
Co-Chair, Bioinformatics and Biotechnology
Singularity University

   Andrew Hessel has been exploring the forefront of genomic technologies for over twenty years, meeting the bright minds and collecting and sharing highlights from their work and lives. He also helps industry and research groups better understand and apply these fast-moving technologies to key challenges including health, environment, and energy.
He views cells as living computers that can be programmed easily with synthetic biology, a plug-and-play genetic engineering technology based on DNA synthesis. He co-chairs the Bioinformatics and Biotechnology track at the Singularity University, an institution founded by futurist Ray Kurzweil and X Prize Foundation CEO Peter Diamandis, and sponsored by world-leading organizations including Google, Autodesk, and NASA. He is also the founder of the Pink Army Cooperative, an experimental biotechnology venture exploring collaborative paths to open source, personalized cancer therapies.
Prior to focusing on bioengineering, he managed research operations for the Amgen Institute in Toronto. one of the first private-public research institutes in Canada, with annual funding in excess of $15M. He architected the Institute’s bioinformatics efforts, including the analysis of human genome and gene expression data. In 2002, he co-founded Miikana Therapeutics, a clinical-stage drug development company. The company was acquired by Entremed in 2006 for $39M in cash and milestones.
Today, Andrew applies his unique strategic and scientific experience to counsel industry and educational groups on advanced biotechnologies. He is a strong advocate of open source biology and youth entrepreneurship in science. Major sponsors have included the Alberta government, Alberta Research Council, and the Oil Sands Leadership Initiative. He has given dozens of invited talks at events that include TEDx, Mobile Monday, the H+ summit, and the Sanofi-Aventis Biotalent Challenge, and his ideas have been featured in The New York Times, Futurist Magazine, H+ magazine, and Wired News.
[ TOP ]  

Eric Hobson
Managing Director
Connect 2 Media

  

Eric Hobson is CEO and Founder of cross platform game publisher Connect 2 Media Ltd, and is a well known figure in the Global Market for Mobile Entertainment. Until recently Eric was General Manager and President of Hands On Europe/SE Asia & Latin America, which was acquired by Connect 2 Media in August 2008. In 2007 Eric was voted by Mobile Entertainment magazine as one of the Top 50 most influential executives in mobile.

Prior to entering the mobile business Eric had a long career in Consumer Goods Marketing and International Business Development, encompassing Unilever, Boots The Chemist and was International Marketing Director at the FMCG multi national PZ Cussons. 

He entered the mobile games industry in 2001 when he co-founded the mobile game developer Blue Beck, which was acquired by Hands On Mobile in August 2004. 

Eric holds an MBA from Nottingham University.
[ TOP ]  

Leigh Honeywell
Co-Founder
HackLab.TO

   Leigh Honeywell is co-founder and current President of HackLab.TO, anon-profit community space in downtown Toronto devoted to connectingpeople who do interesting things with hardware and software.  Leigh iscurrently taking a break from the information security industry tocomplete her Computer Science and Equity Studies degree at theUniversity of Toronto, while building robots and helping break OpenSource software for fun. She serves on the board of advisors of theSECtor security conference, has been a Google Summer of Code mentor, andis one of the Tres Chix leading the Ubuntu Women project.
[ TOP ] 

Charles Hunter
Development Director
Mudlark

   Charles Hunter co-founded UK cross-platform production company Mudlark -  by bringing together his experience as a television producer with Mudlark's experts in games, the web and digital arts. Mudlark's projects range from pervasive/locative games, Alternative Reality Games, virtual world experiences and social media narratives to television programmes - working with arts and media organisations and brands.  Originally a journalist at The Irish Times, Charles worked as a researcher, film-maker and senior producer for the BBC and Channel 4 making feature series and documentaries before forming his own TV production company and then Mudlark,  where he is Commercial Director as well as the producer of the much- talked about Such Tweet Sorrow,  Mudlark’s Twitter Production of Romeo and Juliet with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Channel 4. 
[ TOP ]  

David Huszar
VP Interactive,
Radio Division
Corus Entertainment 

   David Huszar is the Vice President of Interactive for Corus Entertainments radio division. His team is responsible for the development and growth of Corus radio’s brands in the digital space, and includes a national team of developers and strategists located in Toronto with regional and local interactive team members imbedded in the radio clusters across the country. 
David’s first job in the radio business was writing a software program for the sales department of a rock radio station in Toronto. Prior to that he spent several years on the agency side as a media planner and buyer, and at a national rep firm as Research Manager. He has enjoyed a variety of positions in the radio industry including IT Manager, sales person, and Research Director. He also launched and managed a new business development group as well as a national syndication company that created and broadcast long and short-form audio programming. In this role he helped to build a national profile and audience for a number of well-known English-Canadian radio personalities and programs. 
In addition to his responsibilities with Corus radio’s digital brands David is also Executive Producer of ExploreMusic.com, an up-and-coming international multi-platform service hosted by well known music expert Alan Cross.
David lives in Toronto with his family, and is also active as chairman of Kids Up Front Toronto, the Toronto chapter of a national children’s charity that helps convert unused corporate event tickets into cultural experiences for underprivileged children. He has a BSc from McGill University and is an avid skier, which means he must travel outside of Ontario to get a decent run in.
[ TOP ] 

Salim Ismail
Executive Director
Singularity University

   Salim Ismail is a successful angel investor and entrepreneur - his last company, Angstro, was acquired by Google in August 2010. He has operated seven early-stage companies and is a frequent speaker on internet technologies, private equity and entrepreneurship. Salim is currently the CEO and Executive Director of Singularity University, which is training a new cadre of leaders to manage exponentially growing technologies. Prior to that, Salim was a Vice President at Yahoo and the Head of Brickhouse, Yahoo’s internal ‘ideas factory’ where game-changing ideas were brought in, built and launched. The unit analyzed thousands of ideas and launched four products during that year, the latest being Fire Eagle. He also serves as co-founder and Chairman of Confabb.com, co-founded PubSub Concepts and is also on the board of Breakthrough, a global human rights organization focused on violence against women, racial justice, and immigrant rights.  He twitters his thoughts at twitter.com/salimismail.
[ TOP ]  

3ric Johanson
Project Scientist & Entropy Generator
Intellectual Ventures Lab

   3ric Johanson has been a hacker for many years. He’s been involved with several successful projects, most of which he can’t talk about and never really happened. What we do know is that he has designed and built a system which shoots mosquitoes with lasers. His past work includes excessive voltages, Schmoocon, Hackerbot Labs (a Seattle-based hackerspace), vend-o-rand and rainbowtables. By day, he is a Project Scientist and Entropy Generator at Intellectual Ventures Laboratory; by night, he has been spotted wearing his “so sue me already” t-shirt while drinking over-caffeinated coffee. His hobbies include building and breaking things in secret underground lairs.
[ TOP ]  

Patrick Keenan
Co-Founder
Thmvmnt

   Patrick Keenan is a writer, designer, programmer, who orients his pursuits around achievable betterment in the present, while maintaining a long term vision of what is possible. Society is a big thing to think about, so Patrick works in small teams to make big things happen. 
The Movement is a design practice which uses an open process to work with larger groups of people to create artifacts and services of immediate value: social, ecological, and economic. The web is a big enabler of this kind of process, and so are facilitated in-person workshops.
Patrick has a passion for creating lasting value with others.
[ TOP ]  

Bill Kispert
Vice President & General Manager, Digital Platforms
Universal Pictures Partnerships & Licensing Group

   Bill Kispert is Vice President & General Manager, Digital Platforms at Universal Pictures Partnerships & Licensing Group. In this role, Kispert is responsible for business and creative development of Universal Pictures and NBCU intellectual property in the interactive gaming space. This includes game projects created for console, pc, online, interactive dvd, and interactive tv platforms. Recent game titles overseen by Kispert include Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game; The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena; Wanted: Weapons of Fate;  Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie; The Fast and the Furious; Scarface: The World Is Yours; Murder She Wrote; and Law & Order. Prior to joining Universal Pictures, Kispert was a business development executive at Disney Interactive, and an acquiring editor for Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group in New York. A native of New York City, Kispert is an honors graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
[ TOP ]  

Mathew Kumar
Publisher
exp. Magazine

   Mathew Kumar is a Scottish, Toronto-based freelance journalist who has written extensively about games for publications including Edge Magazine and websites such as Gamasutra. He publishes his own independent games magazine, “exp.” available from http://expdot.com .
[ TOP ]

Andrew Lane
Director, Digital
Engagement
Weber Shandwick
Canada 

   Andrew Lane  consults on digital and social inline integrations for all corporate and consumer Weber Shandwick clients in Canada while contributing to the larger North American Senior Digital Team.  Andrew’s current clients include major Canadian and international brands such as Best Buy, Holiday Inn, Campbell, McDonald's and Energizer to name a few. He provides strategic counsel and works with Weber Shandwick teams in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver to integrate inline thinking into all Weber Shandwick Canada initiatives. In addition, Andrew works with the North American Emerging Media Team with a focus on the mobile and tablet markets helping to develop and implement the firm’s thought leadership position and technical capabilities into everyday operations across the continent.

Before joining Weber Shandwick, Andrew worked on numerous international award-winning and critically-acclaimed multi-platform content projects, across traditional and digital media with focuses in sports, entertainment and the arts.  His work was consistently recognized for a high level of innovation and a strong focus on delivering the highest quality content to niche audiences while driving business results.

Andrew is a featured speaker and thought leader, having presented at many notable Canadian business conferences, notable educational institutions and to top industry organizations. He is also a member of the Interactive Ontario Social Media Committee and maintains a personal blog at nitch.ca.
[ TOP ]  

Fredrik Liliegren
CEO
Antic Entertainment

   Fredrik Liliegren, Chief Executive Officer, founded Antic Entertainment, Inc. in 2008. He is responsible for identifying corporate goals and strategies, securing funding and developing strategic partnerships. Liljegren brings more than 20 years of console and PC entertainment software development experience to Antic.  His expertise in this space has brought him an understanding of the business from the corporate, publisher, developer and consumer perspectives.
Prior to Antic Entertainment, Liljegren co-founded Digital Illusions CE AB (now owned by Electronic Arts) in 1988.  As CEO, he grew the company from four employees to more than 80.  During his tenure, Digital Illusions successfully released over two dozen games, including Battlefield 1942®, an international hit that sold over 2.1 million copies worldwide. He also successfully led the company’s private venture capital funding in 1996 and guided Digital Illusions through its initial public offering (IPO) in 1998.  In 2000 Liljegren started a company in Palo Alto California named REDJADE Inc., securing $10M in initial funding for this venture to build a hand held entertainment unit for Swedish mobile company Ericsson.  He successfully grew the company to 60 employees, with offices in Palo Alto and Sweden; however, at the beginning of 2001, Ericsson pulled their financing and REDJADE was closed down. 
Liljegren then returned to Digital Illusions CE AB, taking a position as Studio Manager in 2001 at the companies recently acquired Canadian subsidiary CE Digital Illusions Canada, Inc.  He held this position until October 2006 when he founded Redjade Inc., an Art Outsourcing company for the Interactive Entertainment industry.  Liljegren still holds the position of CEO for Redjade Inc., as well as the position of CEO for Antic Entertainment.
[ TOP ] 

Christopher May
Vice President,
Creative
Plastic Mobile

   Christopher May is an awarded creative director with almost 15 years ofexperience in digital and mobile user experience, marketing and advertising. He has lead his teams delivering creative with resultswhile focusing on user centered design.
Chris has worked on dozens of iconic brands including Coke, Pepsi,Dell, Telus, SC Johnson, Nasa, Honda, Corus, Lego and Hallmark. His career has been primarily with Interpublic and Omnicom. Agencies including Critical Mass, FutureBrand, Foote Cone & Belding and Modem Media.
Chris's work has garnered recognition and awards from Applied ArtsAwards, Advertising & Design Club of Canada Awards, Webby Awards toname a few. His work has also appeared in Marketing Magazine, AppliedArts, .Net Magazine, Graphic Exchange Magazine and Tech TV.
In his spare time, Chris teaches and mentors the inquisitive minds of 4th year advertising students at OCAD where he also graduated from their advertising program.
[ TOP ] 

Alex Mayhew
Director and Founder
The Labs 

   Over the past 15 years, Alex Mayhew has worked across multiple media, using each channel to their strength with the intent of creating compelling and successful projects and products.
His work has largely been in the area of interactivity and game design, as well as visual and concept development, embracing the benefits of a transmedia approach. From the multi award winning Ceremony of Innocence to Beethoven’s Hair, to Time Tremors, to his work with MIT and the Royal Shakespeare Company, he believes there is much potential in exploring a property over a number of different media channels including web, mobile, TV, game, books, theatre, film and performance.
In recent years he has also turned his attention to creating applications that embrace strong social media elements and also creating and combining mobile, content management, communication, mobile and location based experiences. Building on these interests, he co-founded Infinity Labs with Peter Gabriel in 2007, becoming co-share holder  and creative director of theMemory.com and Gabble. From there, he became excited to see how creativity can be used to trigger commerce; especially in an environment where consumers are increasingly used to getting their content for free.
In this transmedia space he has built a worldwide reputation for making magical and memorable interactive experiences. He has been asked to talk and present his work at countless international conferences, festivals, companies, universities and research institutions. His work has been exhibited, taught and written about both by press and academic institutions around the world. 
He now resides in Toronto Canada where he is acting as consultant to a number of internationally based projects.
[ TOP ] 

Ewan McIntosh
Director
NoTosh Limited

  

Ewan McIntosh is one of Europe’s foremost experts in digital media for public services. Having founded NoTosh Limited in 2009, he now invests in startups on behalf of public and private investors, consults on digital media potential in communications and civic participation, and develops digital media skills in the world of education.

He was a key player in setting up one of the most ambitious invest- ment funds from a public service broadcaster in the UK, himself mak- ing the call on investing nearly $5m in cutting edge and high impact digital media products. He is also the founder of 38minutes.co.uk, the creative industries platform for the North of the UK.

His understanding and application of the latest web, mobile and games technology also continues to influence policy and practice in the world of education, where his personal passions lie.

Ewan’s background is firmly in the world of education, latterly as National Adviser on Learning and Technology Futures for Learning and Teaching Scotland, the education agency responsible for curriculum development, and a member of several advisory boards, including the Channel 4 New Media Education Advisory Board.

As a teacher of French and German in the high school sector and an educational technologist working with children aged 3-18, he frequently gives talks and workshops around the world, trying to find new and better ways of using emerging technologies in education.

Ewan has also consulted for Governments around the world, and or- ganisations including the BBC, British Council, General Teaching Council of Scotland, RM and Scottish Enterprise, advising on how social media can be harnessed for to improve learning in the organi- sation, leadership and communication.
[ TOP ]  

Jordan Mechner
Author, Screenwriter, Film Maker and Video Game Designer
Creator of Prince of Persia Franchise

  

Author, screenwriter and video game designer Jordan Mechner is best known as the creator of the Prince of Persia franchise, with over 14 million games sold to date, and a feature film, books, toys and LEGO based on the games.

Mechner became the first game creator to successfully adapt his own work as a feature film screenwriter with Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Mike Newell and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Alfred Molina, Prince of Persia was the #1 movie in the world for its first two weeks of release in May 2010, and is the world’s highest-grossing video game adaptation ever. Mechner has screen story and executive producer credit on the film.

Mechner’s first graphic novel — Solomon’s Thieves, a swashbuckling action-adventure about the historical Knights Templar, illustrated by LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvilland — was published by First Second Books in May 2010. Mechner also penned Prince of Persia: Before the Sandstorm, a graphic novel prequel published by Disney Book Group to tie in with the film’s release. Mechner previously collaborated with First Second, Pham & Puvilland on the 2008 Prince of Persia graphic novel written by A.B. Sina.

Mechner began his career as a video game creator in the 1980s with Karateka and Prince of Persia, two of the first games to combine arcade action with realistic animation and cinematic storytelling. Both titles became #1 bestsellers and are now considered all-time classics. Created and programmed by Mechner on an Apple II and published by Brøderbund Software, Prince of Persia was adapted for nearly every computer and console platform and was a major influence in the development of the action-adventure video game genre. Mechner designed and directed a successful sequel, Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame.

Mechner next founded independent developer Smoking Car Productions, where he led a 30-person creative team in the production of the critically acclaimed 1997 CD-ROM adventure game The Last Express, still considered one of the most ambitious and artistically successful interactive narratives ever attempted. Karateka, Prince of Persia, and The Last Express secured Mechner’s reputation as one of the video game industry’s most highly regarded original creators.

In 2001, Mechner joined forces with Ubisoft Entertainment to relaunch his decade-old Prince of Persia for a new generation of gamers. Developed at Ubisoft Montreal with Mechner as game designer, writer and creative consultant, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was one of the biggest hits of 2003, sweeping the Interactive Achievement Awards (DICE) with 12 nominations and 8 awards, and making Prince of Persia one of the most successful and enduring video game franchises of all time.

Ubisoft has since published four more Prince of Persia sequels, bringing total game sales to over 14 million.In 2004, Mechner pitched Prince of Persia to super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who challenged him to adapt his own creation as a feature film. The film was released in May 2010 and became the world’s top-grossing video game-based movie to date, surpassing the previous box office record of $275 million set by Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Mechner wrote and directed the documentary film Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story. It won the 2003 IDA award for Best Short Documentary, was short-listed for an Academy Award nomination, and received its broadcast premiere on PBS Independent Lens in 2005.

Mechner’s upcoming projects include writing a feature film adaptation of Michael Turner’s comic book series Fathom for Fox Studios, and a new original graphic novel for First Second.

Mechner received his B.A. from Yale University. He posts sketches, old journals, and updates about his various projects on his blog at http://jordanmechner.com.
[ TOP ]  

James Milward
President/Executive
Producer
Secret Location 

   James Milward has a degree in Economics and a postgraduate degree in Interactive Art and Entertainment from the New Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre. James has worked extensively in TV commercial production and documentary film, prior to defecting to the dark arts of interactive, thirsting for a bigger creative canvas.
James founded interactive boutique Secret Location in 2007. Encompassing online, mobile, animation and transmedia storytelling, Secret Location has subsequently built numerous award-winning large-scale digital entertainment and brand projects. In Just over 2 years Secret Location has grown to a team of 15, and is currently working on 2 original online shows for Nickelodeon’s Teen Network, as well as producing over 10 integrated campaigns for large brands and TV shows in Canada and the US. 
James has become a regular speaker at international conferences around the world including: SXSW Interactive, Flash in the Can, UPTO3, Next Media, The Banff World Television Festival, Reel Screen, the Boards Summit, Cross Media TO and now IN 2010.
James also serves on the digital advisory board of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
[ TOP ] 

Vincenzo Natali
Director/Screenwriter/
Screen Story/
Executive Producer 

   The Canadian-born fantasist director Vincenzo Natali is no stranger to dystopia; each of his three produced features thrusts ordinary human characters into the middle of an inexplicable and darkened future realm governed by seemingly impenetrable logic and follows the subjects as they struggle to come to terms with their environs. Natali burst onto the scene in 1997 with his surreal, low-budget sci-fi thriller Cube. This enigmatic film weaves the tale of a group of people clamoring to escape from some obscure cubic labyrinth where the casualty of a misstep involves full dismemberment by the cube itself. The film understandably impressed viewers and critics alike with Natali's ability to stretch cinematic boundaries on a shoestring budget; it also received multiple Genie nominations for art direction, sound, and an original score, and in time became something of a cult favorite. Natali was nothing if not prolific over successive years, and kept his feet planted ever firmly in the postmodern realm. Natali's 2002 follow-up to Cube, Cypher, stars Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu and David Hewlett, in the tale of a man who assumes a new identity in preparation for an espionage career, but instead gets systematically brainwashed and finds himself engulfed in a shaky, paranoid reality. The film performed admirably on all fronts and paved the way for a tertiary effort, 2003's Nothing. Described by Natali as "a buddy comedy set in a void," the film involves a couple of eccentrics who literally wish the outside world out of existence, and (along with their house and pet turtle) turn up on a seemingly limitless white landscape. The film like its predecessors -- garnered worldwide critical kudos. Two years down the road, Natali shot a documentary on Terry Gilliam's production of the 2005 feature Tideland; which premiered almost concurrently with the feature, in the autumn of 2005. Natali then contributed a segment to the 2006 film-à-sketch Paris Je T'aime along side The Coen Brothers, Alexander Payne and Gus Van Sant, and -- that same year -- announced production on his fourth feature project, Splice starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley. Splice premiered at the 2010 Sundance Festival. It was subsequently acquired by Joel Silver through his Dark Castle label and received a wide summer release through Warner Brothers.  ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
[ TOP ] 

Susan Nation
Owner
Hop To It Productions 

   Susan Nation is a dynamic Independent Producer and President of Hop To It Productions, with over 20 years of experience in digital content production, sales, marketing and event management. She has lived and worked in Canada, Brazil, Chile, Australia Singapore and Europe. Susan’s recent producing credits include 2 Seasons of the Gemini and ACT Award nominated Cross Platform kids dance project “Pop It!” www.popittv.com shown on TVO, ACCESS, SCN, Knowledge, and Nickelodeon Australia/NZ, award winning documentary “Suck It Up Princess” www.superstarrenee.com in English and Portuguese for OMNI Television and award winning multi-platform project “Cupids Café” www.cupidscafe.ca.

Andrea Nemtin
Partner/Executive
Producer
PTV Productions Inc. 

   After several years as a freelance producer, Andrea Nemtin became a Partner and Executive Producer at Toronto's PTV Productions Inc., in 1997. Under her guidance, PTV has produced over 60 hours of television. Andrea has produced and executive-produced one-offs, limited series and series and has worked on international co-productions with Europe and the UK. Andrea’s recent successes include the multi award-winning feature documentary Passage, and a biography on the Aga Khan. She also recently executive produced Star Portraits Canada, restoration series Saving Places for History Television and the upcoming series Inside Disaster for TVO and ITV. Andrea has been a board member of both Hot Docs and Documentary Organization of Canada and is currently a member of the CFTPA, WIFT and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.
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Jonathan Newth
Partner
Tenshi Ventures LLP 

   Jonathan Newth has been working in the games industry for more than 20 years. After co-founding Simis and writing a number of the best selling flight simulators in the early 1990's he went on to lead the development studio (re named Kuju in 1998) through diversification and growth over the next twenty years to become one of the world's largest multi-studio developers with offices on three continents and over 250 staff. At the start of 2010 Jonathan co-founded Tenshi Ventures, a privately managed advisory group focusing on early stage businesses in the games and related sectors, with fellow ex-Kuju partner Ian Baverstock.
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Michael J. O'Farrell
Founder
The Mobile Institute 

   As a global subject matter expert on mobile Internet and digital media initiatives, Michael J O'Farrell has been a featured speaker and considered a leading mobile media industry futurist. In addition to shaping the early marketing practices of the Open Mobile Alliance, he was a co-founder of the dotMobi Advisory Group & Policy Advisory Board, the Wireless Advertising Industry Association (now operating as the Mobile Marketing Association) and the WAP Forum's Developers Expert Group (now operating under the Open Mobile Alliance).
Over the last 15 years, Michael has played a key strategic role in the launch of innovative new products and service globally with: Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, TD Waterhouse, National Bank of Canada, RBC Financial, Carlson Marketing, Whirlpool, Ford, VeriSign, RSA Security, the dotMobi company and mobile network operators globally including Eurotel, Orange, Telecom Italia, Rogers Wireless, Fido, Bell Mobility and many more.
Additionally, Michael is the Founder of The Mobile Institute; Founder of MOBILEINNOVATIONWEEK.com; Board Member of the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre; and Co-Author of Mobile Internet For Dummies.
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Siobhan O'Flynn
Digital & Interactive Storytelling
NarrativeNow 

   Siobhan O’Flynn has been on faculty with CFC Media Lab since 2001 advising on digital & interactive storytelling across media in over 70 projects, including screen-based works, in situ & social media installations, online social networking sites, cross-platform projects, interactive short films, ARGs and interactive graphic novels. In 2006/07 she was the narrative design consultant on Late Fragment, a feature film/dvd produced by the CFC & NFB that screened at Cannes in 2008 as part of the Future of Cinema Salon. Siobhan has mentored for the Digital Development Lab (CBC/BC Film/New Media BC) 2008 & 2009 and Melting Silos (NFB/SFU Praxis), & given numerous workshops on digital storytelling for a variety of audiences (traditional to digital). This past year’s talks have addressed strategies for trans/crossmedia development, digital storytelling, & ‘Disruptive innovations in a digital world,’ amongst other topics.
As an instructor in the Canadian Studies Program at University of Toronto, Siobhan’s teaching focuses on how artistic works & practices across media engage with political, social & cultural concerns. Her academic research examines: the function, design, & experience of narrative in interactive environments; foresighting emergent trends in digital storytelling & entertainment in a Web 2.0/3.0 world; the social benefit of interactive art on community in the context of arts festivals such as Toronto’s Luminato & Nuit Blanche.
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Paul Pope
Producer
Pope Productions Inc. 

   St. John’s native Paul Pope has been a dynamic force in the Canadian film industry for over 30 years. After graduating from Ryerson in 1980 with a degree in Film and Photography he returned home to make experimental films at the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Cooperative (NIFCO), the renowned co-op which he had helped found in 1975. He cut his teeth in advertising, producing dozens of commercials and corporate videos, while also gaining a reputation as a first-rate Assistant Director in the independent film community. In 1992 he produced his first feature, Secret Nation starring Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh and a very young Rick Mercer. Since then he has produced a host of award winning productions including the features Extraordinary Visitor (1998) and Rare Birds (2003) starring William Hurt, the Gemini winning documentary My Left Breast (2002), the dramatic miniseries Above and Beyond (2006) starring Richard E. Grant, Gordon Pinsent’s MOW (movie of the week) Heyday! (2006) and the hit family series Life With Derek (2005). Documentary series include Going the Distance (2003) and Legends and Lore of the North Atlantic (2004). 
Recent productions include the short documentary Mistaken Point (2010), the performance short Play (2010), commissioned by the Olympics, the Sundance Award winning feature film Grown Up Movie Star (2009), the MOWs The One that Got Away (2008), Behind the Wall (2008) and Diverted (2009) and the sci-fi thriller Screamers: The Hunting (2009). Paul is currently producing The Drunk and On Drugs Happy Funtime Hour, a ½ comedy series for Showcase starring Mike Smith, John Paul Tremblay and Rob Wells of The Trailer Park Boys fame. He sits on the board of directors of the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association (CFTPA) and is the recipient of the 2006 Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctorate from Memorial University (2010). 
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Juliette Powell
Author, Pundit, Integrated Media Specialist

  

Juliette Powell is a media entrepreneur, a community catalyst and the author of 33 Million People in the Room: How to create, influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking, (Financial Times Press, 2009). Drawing on first hand experience as a social media expert and co-founder of The Gathering Think Tank, an innovation forum that connects technology, media, entertainment, and business communities, Powell writes about the patterns and practices of successful business leaders who bank on social networking to win. Powell’s background includes a decade of experience in broadcast television as well as in interactive/new media content and formats, and a lifelong interest in people and community building. With her deep knowledge of the people and technologies at the forefront of social media, Powell has gained a solid reputation for discovering the latest developments and distilling their social and business implications. 

According to Forbes: "Juliette Powell's new book, 33 Million People in the Room, is right on brand--a crash course in social media. She has an enviable network, as evidenced by her A-list clientele. This consultant is the ultimate connector." (January, 2010)

Powell’s consulting services have been employed by corporate, media and government organizations including UBS, Microsoft, Compaq, the United Nations, the Department of Justice, Cirque du Soleil and Nokia. 

Powell has also assisted in the production of the world-renowned TED Conference. and began her career as a television producer – interviewer and Founder of Powell International Entertainment, Inc. (PIE, Inc.), an integrated media production and development company that produces cross-platform content with newsmakers such as Nelson Mandela, Prince Charles, Sir Richard Branson and Steven Spielberg. 

A popular keynote speaker, Powell has been featured at Harvard’s Leadership Summit, NYU’s Interactive Technology Program, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Producer’s Guild of America New Media Council and MIT’s Innovation Forum.
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Adam Powers
Head of User Experience and Design
BBC Future Media & Technology

    With a design career spanning almost two decades, Adam Powers has successfully navigated a path from traditional Graphic Designer to User Experience and Design Leadership within the BBC’s Future Media and Technology Division. The first half of his career was spent either designing books and magazines for some of the UK’s pre-eminent publishers or creating eye-catching design for globally renowned musicians and DJs.
Entering as a design practitioner in 1999, Adam has worked his way through most of the BBC, securing his first Head of User Experience and Design post in 2005. During 2008/09,  Adam and his team were responsible for the ux&d of all of the BBC’s Radio networks, music events and mobile services. These include products such as Radio in iPlayer, the iPlayer Mobile service and the critically lauded linked data services around programme support and music.
An underlying passion during this period was the exploration of what a world-class ‘universal user experience for radio’ bringing the much loved medium into the 21st century might be and how might the BBC play a part in defining it. The first manifestation of this work, UK Radio Player, will be emerging soon. 
In the last few months, Adam’s UX leadership remit has been expanded even further. As Head of UX&D for Branded Experiences, he is now taking on many other areas of BBC Online content including BBC Homepage, Lifestyle and Education sites and all TV and Radio programme support. 
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Jade Raymond
Managing Director
Ubisoft Toronto

   Jade Raymond is the head of Ubisoft’s new Toronto studio, and is perhaps best known as the Producer of Assassins’ Creed and Executive Producer of Assassins’ Creed II.  Well, maybe Jade’s not best known for Assassins’ in some of the danker corners of game fandom, but hey, thanks to Jade’s incredible team, Assassins’ is  the fastest selling original IP in video game in history – The franchise has sold over 17 million copies and counting and Assassins’II is widely regarded as one of the best games of 2009.  Jade got her start in games at IBM and Microsoft, while she was studying Computer Science at McGill, and took her first full time job in the game industry at Sony Online where she was lead programmer on titles such as Jeopardy! Online and got to start up SOE’s first R&D team.  After Sony, Jade was recruited by EA/Maxis to be a Producer on The Sims Online.  Jade likes long walks on the beach, unicorns, and poking dead things with a stick. 
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Howard Rosen, MBA
CEO/Founder
LifeWIRE® Corp

   Howard Rosen graduated with an MBA (International Finance & Marketing) and spent the past 25 years producing over $100 million of feature films and television programs. In 2005, while working on an interactive DVD on Type II Diabetes that led Howard to his interest in developing/inventing  LifeWIRE®, a patent pending technology designed  to foster patient engagement pairing interactive mobile technology with messaging content.  
LifeWIRE Corp now has offices in Toronto (CANADA)  and Annapolis (MD) working with clients on both sides of the border in both the public and private sectors, military and civilian. As a result of his work with Life:WIRE and patient engagement solutions , HHHoward has presented and spoken at  many conferences and invited sessions  including  the Congressional Sub-Committee on Health, Capitol Hill  Steering Committee on Telehealth , HIMSS, Worlds Best Technology Conference, BioFinance, the Canadian Embassy, mHealth  and TEPR+ to name a few. 
Outside of the LifeWIRE  environment  developed a 12-month 48 course  college curriculum  and facilitates  seminars on Creative Thinking for the corporate world. On the personal side, Howard is past Chair of the Courcelette Community Council and a parent rep representing his Ward/District at the Toronto District School Board.  And sometimes he even gets a chance to sleep.
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Thom Ryder
Executive in Charge
of Digital
CBC Arts &
Entertainment 

   Thom Ryder is one of "those" guys.  The guy behind the scenes, saying "wouldn't it be amazing if..." and then making sure it happens.  Beginning in 1995, Thom joined ChumCity Interactive with a simple mandate from CityTV's founder, Moses Znaimer; "Make us the most interactive broadcaster on the planet." 4 years, 10 channels and almost 100 international television shows later, the flagship site MuchMusic.com" was found to be "the most popular site on Earth with Canadian youth," using a business model that has since been replicated by broadcasters around the world including:  Viacom, CTV/Globemedia, Canwest, China’s PCCW and Finland’s Jyrki. Leaving Chum, Thom founded RPM Interactive Media, and worked with large scale clients to bridge the gap between traditional and digital advertising and, “turn 30 seconds into 3 minutes.”  In late 2007, Thom was offered and accepted the position of “Executive In Charge of Digital” at CBC Arts and Entertainment, overseeing digital initiatives for some of Canada’s best known television productions including; The Rick Mercer Report, The Tudors, Little Mosque on The Prairie, jPod and Being Erica.  In his current role, Thom’s role encompasses: digital strategy, audience research, creative direction, production executive, contact and rights negotiations and budget management.  Currently, since his arrival, his group's work has been nominated for a Gemini Award (The Border, Being Erica) and has won a BC New Media Award (Heartland).
[ TOP ]

Alan Sawyer
Principal
Two Solitudes

  

 Alan Sawyer is the principal at Two Solitudes Consulting.  Two Solitudes focuses on the changing face of television.  Alan has an extensive background in the area of digital content and brings a unique combination of technical and business perspectives to his analysis of emerging technologies and business models.

Alan works with conventional film and television producers to create innovative cross-media projects and is currently exploring new dimensions in Augmented Reality (AR) and Alternate Reality Games (ARGs).  As a creator, a frequent evaluator for the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, and an evaluator for the inaugural Independent Production Fund Web Drama Series pilot program, Alan has unique insight into the state of the art in cross-platform programming.

Alan has advised and consulted with broadcasters, associations, government organizations, funding bodies and companies up and down the media industry value chain.  

Alan has been involved with the Interactive Exchange conference since its inception, having been a speaker in 2006, 2008, and 2009 and having programmed the 2007 conference.
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Gary Schwartz
President and CEO
Impact Mobile

   Gary Schwartz was born and spent much of his youth in mining towns in central Africa. He graduated from Columbia University in New York and the Stanford University Center in Yokohama where he was the recipient of the Asia and Japan Foundation Fellowship.
Gary was a columnist in Japan and produced international documentary programming for Asahi Television.  After working with UNICEF and the World Bank on educational web development and running a number of technology start ups, Gary founded Impact Mobile in 2002.
Over the past nine years, Gary has played a leadership role in the mobile industry, running the first cross-carrier short code campaign in North America.
Gary founded the mobile committee for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) (www.iab.net) in 2006 and has worked to publish literature such as the Mobile Buyer's Guide helping extend the digital buy into mobile (for which he received an IAB award for industry excellence in 2009).
Additionally, in 2007, Gary started work to help establish a joint task force between the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the IAB with the aid of the Media Rating Council (MRC) to develop global, auditable mobile measurement standards.
In 2010, Gary was elected as the Chair of MEF North America (www.m-e-f.org) with a remit to develop a Mobile Commerce practice to service brands, retailers and content owners (for which he received a MEF award for industry excellence).
Gary is the recipient of the Macromedia People Choice Award as well as the Dodge Foundation award for innovation and is presently writing a book on mobile called Click2K’Ching: The Mobile Shopper & The Impulse Economy.
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Rick Segal
Co-Founder
FixMO

  

Rick Segal is Co-Founder of Fixmo, a mobile utilities software company.  Mr Segal Co-founded the company in July 2009 after 8 years as a partner with JL Albright Ventures Partners.  In addition to his venture duties at JLA, Mr. Segal was part of the founding team that help set up the BlackBerry Partners Fund, a $150 million joint venture with RBC Venture Partners. Mr. Segal served as a director of Planeteye, HealthUnity, B5 Media, MusicIP Corporation, Sirit Inc., NetShelter, Paymentus, and Truition Marketplace Solutions. Prior to joining JLA Ventures, Mr. Segal was President and Chief Executive Officer of Microforum, a leader in providing integrated e-business solutions in a wide array of industry verticals. Mr. Segal joined Microforum in July 2000 from Chapters Online Inc., a leading Canadian e-commerce company, where he held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer (1997-2000). Mr. Segal began working with Chapters Inc. in 1997 as a consultant on the technical development of the Chapters e-commerce venture. Based on this successful collaboration, he was named the President of Chapters Online in August 1998.

Prior to joining Chapters Online, Mr. Segal was a partner at the international firm of TMS Consulting from 1996 to 1998. Mr Segal worked at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington from 1992 until 1996 as Director of technical services for the Internet Customer Unit. Mr. Segal is also the author of four books on Network Management and Windows software development.
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Ken Seto
Co-founder & CEO
Endloop Studios

    As the Co-founder and CEO of Endloop Studios, a leading mobile applications development studio, Ken Seto leads a growing team of designers and developers in building some of the most entertaining and innovative iPhone and iPad applications on the market, garnering media attention from Wired, CNN, The National Post, The Globe and Mail, Mashable.com, Engadget.com, TUAW.com and many others.
Prior to starting Endloop Studios, Ken served as the Manager of Web Services at OntarioMD and was responsible for launching OntarioMD.ca, the official physician portal for the Ontario Medical Association.
He joined OntarioMD from Telepresence Systems, where he was a senior consultant specializing in front end development, interaction design and usability. During his time there, he helped launch AT&T’s first VOIP service, CallVantage.
Ken is well regarded for his passion and expertise in mobile, social media and user experience design. He has been interviewed and profiled many times in the media – from TechVibes and Unlimited Magazine to the CBC and The National Post. 
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Yona Shtern
CEO
Beyond the Rack

  

Yona Shtern is co-founder and CEO of Beyond the Rack – North America’s leading online private sale club with over 1.4 million members and sales in excess of $50 million. He is an accomplished consumer marketer with over 20 years experience in online, direct and retail marketing across a variety of product categories, including beauty and fashion, telecommunications and consumer products.

Prior to co-founding Beyond the Rack in 2008, Shtern was CMO of Ice.com, one of North America’s most successful jewelry e-tailers. He was also CEO of Gosh Marketing, a leading consumer products company that supplies many of North America’s most important retailers.

Previously, he was CMO of My Virtual Model, CMO of Microcell (Fido), VP Direct and Database Marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue, and Director of Direct Marketing at Avon Product. Yona is a frequent speaker at international marketing and technology forums, and has received numerous awards for his advertising, product launch and marketing strategies.
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Scott Simpson
Co-Founder & CEO
Playbrains 

   In 1995, Scott Simpson co-founded Ottawa-based bitHeads (www.bitheads.com), a behind-the-scenes product development partner to some of the world's most respected companies, including RIM, IBM, HP, Cryptologic, Adscape Media (now Google) and hundreds of others. In 2007, Scott drove the strategy to expand bitHeads' game business through the creation of the HeadGames (www.playheadgames.com) division and the establishment of Playbrains (www.playbrains.com). HeadGames provides game development outsourcing services to studios and game middleware providers. In 2008, Playbrains secured a major licensing agreement with American Greetings and a distribution agreement with Microsoft's Xbox LIVE Arcade platform for the 2009 release of "Madballs in...Babo:Invasion", a fast-paced, multi-player combat game. With these successes and other efforts, HeadGames and Playbrains are leading the charge to develop Ottawa as an international centre of game development excellence. In 2001, Scott led bitHeads to successfully incubate the founding of Natural Convergence Inc., a successful VoIP product company. He has mentored many other start-up companies and was the founding sponsor of the Ottawa Wireless Cluster (OWC), the Ottawa e-business Cluster (EBC) and the Ottawa Angel Alliance (OAA).
While obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Honors) degree from the University of New Brunswick, Scott is a past recipient of the Ottawa Forty-under-forty award, recognizing his business and community accomplishments. He is an active member in several professional associations including the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA). Known for his keen insight and sense of humor, Scott is a sought-after speaker for game and software industry events.
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Eli Singer
Founder & President
Entrinsic 

   Eli Singer offers distinctive thought leadership in the world of social media. Deeply engaged in the social web since its inception, Eli founded Entrinsic out of a belief that thoughtful, strategic social engagement online can be a strong driver of business goals.
Before starting Entrinsic, Eli worked at Segal Communications, the exclusive Canadian representatives for Facebook, with the specific mandate of developing sustainable brand communities for TD Bank and Playstation inside the social network. Prior to that Eli was at Cundari, where in 2006 he pioneered Social POV - one of Canada’s first social media practice areas in a fully integrated advertising agency.
In 2008 Eli was published in the Harvard Business Review, writing about how social media can create a culture of collaboration, transforming civic institutions and reinvigorating their relationships with stakeholders. He is also the creator of Casecamp, Canada's social media unconference.
Eli holds an honours degree from The Richard Ivey School of Business.
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Michael J. Steinberg
Principal
Rushlight Media

   Michael J. Steinberg is fifteen-year veteran of the Canadian media industry who has successfully overseen hundreds of hours of new content that has aired on multiple platforms in Canada, the US and around the world.
As the Principal of RUSHLIGHT MEDIA, Michael leverages his past experience with privately-held and publicly-traded companies, helping clients build revenues and streamline operations, and providing both strategic and  legal advice on all matters related to the development, financing, production and exploitation of filmed content across multiple platforms.  RUSHLIGHT MEDIA has also been active in the harvesting, honing, pitching and executive producing of third-party creative concepts.  Stay-tuned for a soon-to-be-announced joint-venture with Canada's leading commercial film group, focusing on the creation of banded content.   
With his extensive business development and sales experience - with both new concepts and finished programming, forging co-productions and establishing new joint-venture partnerships - Michael is a seasoned negotiator, having navigated complex deals with publicly-traded companies in the production, distribution and merchandising of children's programming as well as North America’s leading sponsorship consulting firm.  Michael holds combined degrees in law and business from Osgoode Hall and the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Neil Sweeney
President
JUICE Mobile

   Neil Sweeney has over 15 years experience in the International media & technology industries. Most recently Neil worked as the Senior Vice President of International Markets at StreamTheWorld (STW), where he was responsible for developing & implementing the strategic plans for this growing software firm prior to its sale.  Prior to his term at StreamTheWorld Mr. Sweeney was Director of Business Development & Strategy at Canwest where he was tasked with transitioning Canwest’s traditional media assets to online, mobile and digital signage.  During that time, Mr. Sweeney was also directly involved in the due diligence and execution that led to the merger of Canwest and Alliance Atlantis, as well as the deal that brought Comcast's E! Entertainment channel to Canada.
Neil has been the recipient of numerous academic and business awards a well as industry firsts.  Neil has won numerous industry medals including a three consecutive Gold medal's at the Media Innovation awards for his integration of mobile technology into the Grammys’ award show - an initiative that the Grammys have since taken global & the integration of mobile into Deal or No Deal Canada.  Neil was also responsible while at Canwest for bringing the first US based primetime programs online to Canada through deals with Paramount (Survivor) and Deal or No Deal (Endamol).
[ TOP ]  

Rob Tait
Founding Partner
and President
Fresh Baked
Entertainment

   An early convert to the untapped potential of branded content and entertainment, Rob Tait is a founding partner and President at Fresh Baked Entertainment, a hybrid company dedicated to integrating a brand’s narrative into various branded entertainment initiatives especially branded web shows. Currently with the web show Motherload (for Johnson & Johnson) in market and another for Con Agra set to launch soon, Fresh Baked is one of the country’s most successful pioneers in this new genre.
A seasoned writer who is known as much for his strategic acumen as he is for his passion for words, Tait’s first foray into the world of branded content was as Vice President, Creative Director at Redwood Custom Communications (now Totem Brand Stories). There Rob worked on such branded content programs as Kraft’s North American CRM initiative anchored in the branded magazine What’s Cooking and Mazda’s Global magazine  Zoom, Zoom. Prior to getting on the branded content train, Tait held senior creative positions at MacLaren McCann where is headed up the Microsoft account and BBDO where for 12 years he worked on a variety of businesses including Ontario Tourism, Kraft, Apple, Wrigley’s and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Rob’s way with words and creative leadership has won him awards in content, interactive, advertising, CRM, direct mail and screenwriting.
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Karen Thorne-Stone
President & CEO
OMDC

   Karen Thorne-Stone was appointed President and CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation in July 2007.
The OMDC is a provincial agency which supports economic development in Ontario’s cultural media industries. In this capacity, Karen is responsible to promote growth and investment in the province’s entertainment and creative industries including:  film and television, interactive digital media, music, book and magazine publishing.
Previously Karen was with the city of Toronto, where, for over 18 years, she served in a variety of roles, including film commissioner and executive director of economic development.  As film commissioner, Thorne-Stone supported successful negotiations for a new state-of-the-art film studio complex on Toronto’s waterfront, developed an innovative economic development strategy for the screen-based sector and worked with the OMDC on the development of a new brand positioning and marketing materials to promote film and television production.
[ TOP ]  

Ivor Tossell
Freelance Writer
Globe and Mail

   Ivor Tossell has been writing for the Globe and Mail's online-culture column since 2005, interpreting everything from passing web fads to the lasting changes that new media has brought. A freelance journalist, his writing about urban affairs and technology has also appeared in the Toronto Star, the National Post, Report on Business Magazine, Toronto Life, and Spacing Magazine, among others. Previously, Ivor worked on ICT projects in Africa, and ran a small software business developing web applications.
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David U.K.
Founder, Managing Director and Executive Producer
Digital Percent/Digital Branz

   David U.K., a 17-year media veteran is the Founder, Managing Director and Executive Producer of Digital Percent and Digital Branz.  Digital Percent is a Digital Entertainment Company that develops, produces and syndicates Digital Branded Entertainment/Video Content for Agencies and Clients. 
Digital BranZ wholly owned by Digital Percent sells online advertising, branded content opportunities and partnerships to major Advertising Agencies and Fortune 100 brands in Canada on behalf of established and high profile U.S. and International Broadcaster and Publisher Web Properties.
Prior to Digital Percent, David was the Managing Director Worldwide of Heavy.com, where he oversaw Heavy’s International operations, including all revenue, ad sales, affiliate relations, content licensing and distribution. David launched and managed the first International division for Heavy.com.
Heavy is a leading broadband destination in Canada providing an engaging and measurable marketing platform in a television-like environment reaching the elusive 18-49 year old male. Heavy currently reaches 2.5 Million Unique Visitors in Canada as reported by ComScore Media Metrix, May 2010. Since inception in January 2007 Heavy doubled its audience and tripled its revenue in Canada. David launched three Heavy TV shows on the Alliance Atlantis Canada Network - IFC, Showcase Diva and Showcase Action and established Heavy as a primary content partner with Virgin Mobile Canada.
In 2005 David launched and managed Standard Interactive, a Premiere Online Entertainment Network for Canada’s largest private broadcast company, Standard Broadcasting.  David held the position of Vice President, Sales and Strategic Alliances. In 2008 Standard Broadcasting was acquired by Astral Media for 1.3 Billion.
David’s professional activities include; Professional Speaker; Chair, Video Committee - IAB Canada; Advisory Board - nextMEDIA: Monetizing Digital Media; Advisory Board - Interactive Ontario; Board Member IRC- Pro-Financial Asset Management Inc.
Internationally experienced, David has worked with a number of prominent media companies, including: Promenade Magazine, New York (VP and Publisher); UGO Networks Inc., New York (Director of Sponsorships, Sales and E-commerce); Shift Multimedia (East Coast Advertising Manager); and Time Warner, Hong Kong (Senior Advertising Manager).
He resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
[ TOP ]  

Pablo Vio
Creative Director
Jam3media

   Pablo Vio joined Jam3media as Creative Director/Partner near the end of 2004. His style and flavour was an integral part of the re-birth of Jam3. Since his integration here, Jam3 has won numerous awards and garnered much recognition among the online community. His passion and drive within the digital space has led him to produce award winning productions such as Waterlife, Crash & Burn Autotopsy, NFB Interactive, Halo 3 ODST and many more. His honors and awards range from Webby, Marketing Award GOLD, OneShow, DMA, ADCC, FWA, FITC, CNMA, Applied Arts Interactive and Communication Arts.
Prior to his move here at Jam3media, Pablo was a Art Director at several design and print firms in the city and produced work for key Canadian & US clients ranging from artists, photographers to interior designers. He is a graduate of the Arts Fundamentals program at Sheridan, the International Academy of Design and Sheridan’s Interactive Multimedia program.
[ TOP ]  

Jon Walsh
CEO
Bytemark Games Inc. 

   Jon Walsh founded Bytemark Games in the fall of 2009 to pursue opportunities in the smart phone game industry. Bytemark Games is a digital mobile game publisher that works with world leading developers and brand holders to deliver outstanding game experiences to casual mobile gamers across the globe.  The company most recently published Jaws and Dawn of the Dead for iOS devices.   Jaws has sold over 100,000 units since launch in mid-August, hitting the top 10 in all major world markets. 
Jon has been in the games business for more than 15 years.   In 2001 Jon founded Groove Games, a retail game publisher.  Groove published more than 20 game titles that were released globally for PC and console platforms that have sold over 5 million units combined, including Playboy: The Mansion, Pariah and Marine Sharpshooter. The company also released Marine Sharpshooter for the iPhone in 2009, which reached the number 1 spot in iTunes worldwide with more than 2 million downloads to date.  Prior to starting Groove, Mr. Walsh was the Canadian Sales Manager of Activision, the world’s largest publisher of video games.  Jon received his Honours BA in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario and his MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. 
[ TOP ]

Emma Westecott
Assistant Professor,
Games Design,
Digital Futures Initiative
Faculty of Design
OCAD University

   Emma Westecott is Assistant Professor in Game Design at the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) University in Toronto, Canada (http://www.ocad.ca). She has worked in the game industry for over 17 years: in development, research and the academy. She achieved international recognition for working closely with Douglas Adams as producer for the best-selling CD-ROM Adventure Game, Starship Titanic (1998, Simon & Schuster). Since then, Emma has built up a worldwide reputation for developing original as well as popular game projects. Emma has been invited to present her work at many prestigious venues including BAFTA, the Tate, the Banff Centre and DIGRA (http://www.digra.org). Between 2001-4, Emma directed the zerogame studio for The Interactive Institute (http://www.tii.se) in Sweden, where an impressive body of applied research was created under her leadership. More recently she has been Games Research Fellow at NSAMD, UWN where she ran both Synergy (http://synergy.newport.ac.uk) and organized 2007’s Women in Games conference (http://www.womeningames.com).
[ TOP ]  

Geoff Whitlock
Director
Social Media Marketing 
Research In Motion 
Limited 

   Geoff Whitlock: I presently work at Research in Motion as the Director of Social Media Marketing.
Worked as the Interactive Director at Venture Communications in Toronto March 2009 - March 2010.
From 2003-2009 I was the President and CEO of Lifecapture Interactive where I operated in many roles online. Lifecapture was sold to Venture Communications in March 2009.
I have worked with many types of professionals in the marketing and advertising industry, I specialize in strategy for interactive advertising, social media marketing and interactive development. I have worked with great Brands, like; Toyota, UNICEF Canada, CTV, Alliance Films, Rexall Pharma Plus, Empire Theaters, Husky Mohawk, Yak, Roots Canada, Presidents Choice, OMDC, among others.
The teams I have contributed to were continuously challenged to deliver above and beyond client expectations, while encouraged to collaborate, enhance their skill sets and build their careers.Always looking for opportunities to build the knowledge base and learn from others.
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Byron Kent Wong
Executive Creative Director
Random Media Core Inc.

  

Byron Kent Wong is a media producer, artistic/business director, musician, and composer. He founded Random Media Core Inc, in 1993, a Canadian company dedicated to music, design, marketing, and new media and hosted and co-produced Citytv's The NewMusic from 1997-1999. In 1999, he co-founded Blue Spark, with entrepreneur, Kevin Bartus. Bluespark became one Canada's premiere web and e-commerce development companies. Clients included, Rogers, Bell, CHUM, Harlequin, The Score, TSN, Purolator, Alliance, National Ballet, TIFF, and many more.

In 2004 it was acquired by OnX Enterprise Solutions, which in 2006 re-branded as Momentum. As a music and tv/media producer, he has worked with The Crystal Method, The Eurythmics, David Usher, Delerium, David Bowie, Beck, Ben Harper, and many others. Recent work includes albums with Montreal's Hexes and Ohs, Luke Nicholson, Winhara, NLX, Tyler Yarema, Roger Mooking, and remixes with and for Glenn Morrison, Craig Armstrong, Lange, Mendo, Blank and Jones/New Order's Bernard Sumner. Composing for broadcast has earned Byron a share in 19 Broadcast Design Awards for work on spots with Astral Media/HBO, CuppaCoffee Animation, and CHUM/CTV. Other clients include Acura, Nike, MTV, BRAVO, CBC, McDonalds, Toshiba, Virgin Mobile, and many more. In 2006 Byron was nominated for a Genie for his work scoring Clement Virgo’s Lie With Me. "Sync", directed by Marco Brambillia, from the 2007  "Destricted" series, was a fan favorite at Sundance, Cannes, and the Amsterdam Film Festival. In 2008, he scored the music for Poor Boy’s Game, starring Danny Glover and Rossif Sutherland. He and Luke Nicholson were co-nominated for another Genie for Best Original Song for Poor Boy's Game.

Recent work has included scoring and producing the film, “Off World”, from director, Mateo Guez. He is currently developing  zero11zero.com, a new company that encourages collaboration between musician, artists, composers, film makers, broadcasters, and new media producers through business and artistic development. With Iron Bay Sound and Picture, Byron is producing 2 more feature films as well in 2011. 
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Tom Wujec
Fellow
Autodesk 

   Tom Wujec is a Fellow at Autodesk, the world's leader in 2D & 3D design software. As a recognized thought-leader and award-winning innovator, Tom works with the Fortune 500 to foster innovation practices at all stages, from strategic and business planning to the design and implementation of advanced digital design tools. He has brought several software applications to market, including Autodesk SketchBook Pro, PortfolioWall, and Maya which won an Academy Award for its contribution to the film industry.
Tom is a pioneer in business visualization, the emerging practice of using images, sketches and data-driven info graphics to help teams solve complex problems. Tom's work has been featured in many international conferences, such as TED, Pop!Tech and the Fortune Innovation Summit.
Tom is also the author of three books on creative thinking and is a highly sought after international speaker, and delivers visually rich innovation keynotes, workshops and knowledge maps. Tom has worked as a creative director, writer and animator, has designed dozens of museum exhibits, and lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.

(TOP)

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