GUY KAWASAKI  Chief Evangelist, Canva

 

Guy is an expert on entrepreneurship, social media, and marketing. He is the chief evangelist of Canva, a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, and an executive fellow of the HAAS School of Business at UC Berkeley.

ALEX MILLER  President, Esri Canada

 

Alex Miller is president and founder of Esri Canada, which provides enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions to Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors. He founded Esri Canada in 1984 and has led the company through more than three decades of growth. With about 400 employees, the company serves more than 12,000 customers in various industries. In 2015, Esri Canada became a Gold Standard winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and in 2016 was named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures.

Mr. Miller has long supported the Canadian technology sector and a wide variety of technology-based businesses, startups and nonprofits. As a thought leader in the world of location analytics, he has delivered many keynote speeches and presentations at international and local conferences. He has often consulted with industries and the Government of Canada, on how location analytics can help them cope with the fast-paced nature of change currently disrupting their environments. He was a member of the Open Government Advisory Panel and recently has been advising on the creation of the Federal Geospatial Platform, being used by government ministries.

Mr. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. An outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys skiing, cycling and photography.

ARLENE DICKINSON  CEO, Venture Communications

 

“The purpose of marketing is to deliver business results,” says Arlene Dickinson, renowned CBC “dragon” and one of Canada’s most successful communications entrepreneurs. Whether explaining how to leverage marketing in even the toughest of economic times, sharing backstage stories from “The Den,” or giving audiences a look into her personal story of success, Dickinson’s experience and expertise always shine through.

Dickinson is one of Canada’s most renowned independent marketing communications entrepreneurs. As CEO of Venture Communications, her creative and strategic approach has turned the company into a powerhouse with a blue chip client list. She is also the CEO of District Ventures Capital a fund investing in Canadian companies in the food and health sectors.

Dickinson is best known to Canadians as one of the venture capitalists on the award-winning series Dragons’ Den, an investor on The Big Decision, and a judge on Recipe to Riches. She is the author of two bestselling books -- Persuasion, and her most recent bestselling release, All In.

Her success and leadership has been recognized with multiple honours and awards including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Award, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as being recognized with PROFIT and Chatelaine magazine's TOP 100 Women Business Owners Awards.

Dickinson is an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy and is the recipient of honorary degrees from Mount Saint Vincent University, Concordia University, Saint Mary’s University and NAIT. She is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal. She also sits on numerous public and private boards and is dedicated to giving back to her community and country.

DANIELLE CARNIVAL  Vice President, Biden Cancer Initiative

 

Danielle helps direct the Biden Cancer Initiative, leading organizational, program, policy, and partnership development. Prior, during 6+ at the White House, Danielle assumed leadership roles for the Cancer Moonshot, White House Science Fairs, College Opportunity Days of Action, and Computer Science for All initiatives. She completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Georgetown University.