Cherry Rose Tan

Fifth-generation entrepreneur Cherry Rose Tan is the Entrepreneur in Residence at the Schulich School of Business, based in Canada’s third largest university, where she advises an ecosystem of 250 startups and 3,000 members. She leads Advisory and Fundraising services, where Schulich founders have raised $60M in four years, while teaching three MBA courses on Entrepreneurship.

With 18 years of experience in Tech, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, she has a reputation as the First Mover in several industries. Tan served as Pre-Seed Investor of Paycase Financial, a Canadian blockchain pioneer that provides infrastructure to global markets. She was also a General Partner at Renew Venture Capital, an early-stage firm focused on impact and underrepresented founders.

DJ Sures

DJ Sures is a Canadian technology entrepreneur who has successfully founded and exited multiple companies. His first venture, EZ-Robot, brought advanced robotics to education and hobbyists, and was acquired after scaling internationally and impacting millions of users.

DJ’s journey has taken him from the Canadian West Coast to Silicon Valley and back to Canada, working with global organizations like NASA, Cisco Systems, and Symantec, where he developed a deep foundation in AI, robotics, and digital security. Building on that experience, he founded Synthiam, a global platform that now powers over 4 million robots with autonomous AI capabilities used in education, industry, and research.

In this talk, DJ shares the story behind his entrepreneurial journey — the risks, the pivots, the unexpected wins, and how he turned bold ideas into global success. His experience proves that even from humble beginnings, Canadian innovation can have a worldwide impact.

Jason Thompson

A proud member of the Red Rock Indian Band, Jason Thompson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Superior Strategies Inc. and Warrior Engineering Ltd teams. With over 25 years of business and management experience, Mr. Thompson has proven to be a skilled executive and visionary entrepreneur.

Jason sits as the President and CEO of Superior Strategies Inc., Warrior Engineering Ltd, as well as All 3 Innovation. All three of the businesses Jason is affiliated with are majority Indigenous Owned and Operated Businesses, and have demonstrated continued growth year after year. The never setting and opportunistic traits are also evident in the recent launch of his very own Warrior Brand, which includes a variety of PPE, Work Wear and most recently Warrior Apparel.

Throughout his career Jason has always demonstrated strong leadership skills and has realized the importance of building and maintaining a successful team. Never settling, collaborative, out of the box thinker are a few adjectives that can be used to explain Jason. A proud father of three, who recently welcomed his third Grand Child, Jason and his wife high Tara (High School Sweethearts) are celebrating 28 Years of Marriage, ultimately linking his success to his strong family support, as well as great support system in and outside his many businesses.

Jason remains a very strong advocate for meaningful participation of Indigenous People and Businesses on a local and National level.

Hernan Galvez

MBA graduate specialized in the strategic development of digital and e-commerce business models, with over 15 years of experience in digital businesses. Trilingual, with a strong focus on global marketing. Key competencies include Digital Transformation, Market Research, Business Model Creation, Digital Product Development, and the Launch of Digital Platforms.

Brook Dallaire

Brook founded Sociable Solutions in early 2020. Brook moved to Thunder Bay from Minnesota in 2018 where she had been working with the Minnesota DNR, State Parks and Trails Division for 8 years as their Digital Marketing Specialist and Project Manager. She started with Confederation College in early 2019 as their International Marketing Lead and recently left that role to pursue Sociable full-time.

Ian Lane

Ian Lane is the Executive Director of the Northern Ontario Angels. With a diverse career in economic development, he enjoys fostering connections between entrepreneurs and angel investors across Northern Ontario. Ian has lived across Canada and has called Northern Ontario home since 2012. He is fortunate to work with innovators that are answering the unique challenges of Northern Ontario while also stimulating regional economic development opportunities. He holds a MA from Metropolitan Toronto University in Immigration and Settlement Studies. He still enjoys playing music, sports, and the odd sail.

Jarrett Popowich

Jarret Popowich has spent years helping businesses and organizations elevate their brands and transform creative ideas into impact. Recognized for his leadership and vision, he drives projects and campaigns from the spark of an idea to full-scale success.

Before focusing on content production, Jarret was COO at a full-service marketing agency leading operations and business development. He is now Marketing Manager at Westfort Productions, a video ad agency and creative powerhouse based in Thunder Bay serving clients across Canada. In addition, he owns and operates Industrial Athletics, a gym providing athletic development and sports performance training.

Beyond his professional work, Jarret is a proud father of four. He and his wife, Kim—both born and raised in Thunder Bay—volunteer countless hours in the community and are proud to have permanent roots in Northwestern Ontario.

Jayna Dawd

Jayna is the Information and Marketing Officer at the Thunder Bay CEDC, where a key part of her role is managing the Thunder Bay Lifestyle brand. Through this platform, she’s had the honour of showcasing her hometown in the digital space—helping to position Thunder Bay as the destination for people to thrive! Under her direction, Thunder Bay Lifestyle has grown a dedicated following of nearly 20,000, becoming a powerful attraction tool that inspires others to see the value in choosing Thunder Bay as their place to live, work, and learn. Jayna’s passion lies in content creation and social media—she’s always on the pulse of new trends, finding fresh and engaging ways to connect with audiences!

Suzanne Tighe

Suzanne Tighe is a seasoned entrepreneur and mentor with a lifelong passion for supporting women in business. Originally from Toronto, she moved to Thunder Bay in 1984 and launched Weed Man company that still operates today. Her entrepreneurial journey has taken her across Canada, from developing a golf course in Prince Edward County to launching business ventures in Calgary.

After returning to Thunder Bay, Suzanne spent six years at PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, helping women grow and strengthen their businesses. She then opened Nurse Next Door Private Home Care, building it into a successful company.  Following the sale of that business in 2021, she rejoined PARO as a Business Growth Advisor.

With decades of hands-on experience and a deep commitment to fostering women-led enterprises, Suzanne continues to mentor and guide entrepreneurs toward sustainable success.

Kirk Petroski

Kirk Petroski, Founder and Executive Chairman of SYMX.ai (formerly Symboticware), has deep roots in Northern Ontario and over 30 years of experience in the mining and mining technology industry. He is an associate mentor with Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Minerals, an advisor and investor to several mining tech start-ups, a member of the Northern Ontario Angels and a past president of MineConnect. Kirk has extensive experience leading and supporting industry and government funded collaborations and partnerships with a focus on bringing technology development to commercialization as well as follow on venture capital rounds for successful scale-up.

Tara Parry

Tara Parry is Lead Client Partner at BDC Advisory Services, where she helps Canadian businesses align strategy with sustainable growth.

Known for her practical, business-first approach, Tara supports leaders in building resilient teams and connecting HR fundamentals to broader business goals.

Her sessions deliver clear, actionable insights rooted in real-world execution.

Michelle Feder

Michelle Feder has been with BDC for nine years, holding various leadership roles at head office and nationally. She was instrumental in developing the Small Business advisory practice and has led the Human Resources and Financial Management Centers of Expertise. A project manager and HR professional, Michelle has helped hundreds of clients build their HR function, coaching managers on hiring practices and creating a culture that promotes retention and engagement. She is currently leading various strategic initiatives, including the Trade Resilience program, offered by BDC to help entrepreneurs facing trade challenges between the United States and Canada.