About this Event
How do you lead in business, work & life when the economy is challenging with unprecedented changes?
It can be done. Shape the Future of Leadership & Thrive NOW!
Reimagine Careers, Businesses & Leadership for a Lifetime
In a world experiencing profound changes, the way we work, conduct business, and thrive in life is evolving.
Join us to gain unique perspectives from distinguished speakers and sessions of diverse industry experts to hear different experiences, what's worked and not. Discover what's crucial now and learn how to prepare now for your best life despite the headwinds, challenges we are all dealing with.
This is not an easy time for anyone. Hearing from industry & community, it was very loud & clear a candid conversation across the ecosystem is needed now.
In response, Brenda Seto & Amanda Cucullo joined forces to create an opportunity across industry to community for a candid discussion for us to learn & consider ways to harness and thrive collectively.
In that spirit, we invite you to an evening to discuss these challenges & offer key insights and thoughtful solutions during unprecedented times.
Who is this for?
Note: This will be a highly interactive event where attendees are encouraged to participate in the event. Our speakers have navigated change and here to share the challenges and opportunities open to us...
- Entrepreneurs & Founders: Innovate and adapt for the future, driving business success, whether CPG, Tech, retail & service industries.
- Leaders & Management: Build future-ready teams and organizations to thrive in the evolving landscape for FMCG, Consumer, Industrial sectors, tech & more.
- Professionals: Navigate growth & change effectively in today's dynamic environment
- Job Seekers & those in transition/pivoting/starting out: Stand out in a changing job market while making successful career moves from starting out to later stage of business & work. (NOTE: Contact [email protected] to inquire about special codes for groups ie. students, in transition, retired or non-profit organizations & special demo groups to get discount. Limited codes. Don't wait. Otherwise until Nov.18th, or until codes unavailable)
- HR & Talent Professionals: Shape talent strategies that align with what's next now, in the workforce, regardless of stage and sector.
- We also encourage you to invite aspiring leaders in your company, family, association or industry colleagues and friends that are looking for inspiration on managing and thriving in change during these challenging times... Contact for special group code rate!
Join Us for Real Conversations, Innovative Ideas, and Meaningful Connections with the Right People in the Room:
The event kicks off at 4 PM with a dynamic networking ecosystem. Engage with a broad mix of attendees and connect with presentation participants, including leaders from CPG, tech, retail, and more, all at various stages of their careers and community involvement.
Explore and Engage:
- Networking Opportunities: Meet key suppliers, community and industry partners driving impactful change during the evening for networking segments and over dinner.
- Gourmet Buffet Dinner: Enjoy a delicious meal while connecting with fellow attendees and during presentations and event.
Inspiring Presentations includes:
- Keynote Talk: Begin with insights on the role of social impact concerning important topics such as age populations and immigration demographics. Learn how these factors can transform leadership and positively impact communities now and in the future.
- Expert Speakers, Esteemed Panelists, Round table Unplugged, and special Fireside Chat: Following the keynote, join a moderated panel discussion, round table unplugged, and fireside chat on the impact of AI, talent innovation, and career and leadership reimagined.
- Q&A with Diverse Focus Areas: From private to public sectors, profit to non-profit, addressing community and global needs.
Gain Insights, Learn and be Inspired across Career Stages:
- Explore insights relevant to all career stages, from those just starting out to individuals in later stages of their careers. Gain valuable perspectives on functional roles and responsibilities across various industries.
A Thought Provoking event & key takeaways ... Don't miss out!
- Aligning Goals: Learn to align personal & professional goals at any stage of life.
- Social Impact: Explore topics on making a meaningful difference.
- Personal Growth: Be your best self while learning, growing, & transitioning to make an impact both personally and professionally, now and for future generations.
- Plus BONUS: The Early Bird gets the Prize! Register by Nov.15th for a chance to receive one of Kirstine Stewart's best selling book "OUR TURN", a must read for those ready to lead in this world!
- Register more than one person and increase your chances! (Up to 70 copies, pending quantities available)... This would a great holiday gift for your aspiring leaders in your life!
Agenda:
Registration open - 4pm
Networking (includes table top* info & sampling, an opportunity for attendee meet & greets with presentators) starts 4pm (*contact Brenda Seto by Nov. 15th to apply for table tops)
Buffet Dinner from 5pm to 8pm (open during presentation period)
Introduction:
-Brenda Seto & Amanda Cucullo, Event Co-Hosts
Keynote Talk-
-Niluka Kottegoda, Founder Nuii & DCCM Foundation, Former Sobey's Senior Exec, who joins the panel...
Moderated Panel Discussion-
1) Moderator:
-Jo-Ann McArthur, VP Innovation & Growth, Pigeon Brands (acquired Nourish Marketing)
Session 1: Esteemed Panelists:
-Eric Wood, Sector Strategist, including Food/Bev. Production, Toronto, Canada
-Sara Curwen, Executive Coach & Mentor, Supply Chain Sr. Leader (past Sage, Sofina, LaRocca, Weston)
-Shawn Nava, MacMillan Supply Chain Group, Sr. Leader President
Session 2: Roundtable Unplugged / Unfiltered:
-Host/Moderator Dana McCauley, President CFIN & Guest Host Sylvain Charlebois, Director/Professor, Agri-Food Analytics, Dalhousie University (hot off his Canadian Food Press Release from Ottawa!),
including unfiltered insights from:
-Monica Walker, Head of Food and Grocery, Healthy Planet
-Margaret So, Marketing Insights Consultant, MSo Connects
-Ivo Petroff, Former Walmart, IP Retail Consult
Session 3: Wrapping with Fireside Chat (translating global & local trends along the leadership journey)
-Alison DeMille, Former CHRO McCain, Board Member, Advisor to C-Suite
-Kirstine Stewart, Former CEO of Twitter Canada, World Economic Forum, Global Media and Tech Executive, CBC VP and more...
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT'S PRESENTERS:
See below...
Feature Presentations:
SESSION 1: Keynote Speaker
Niluka Kottegoda, Founder Nuii & DCCM Foundation, Former Sobey's Senior Executive
Niluka Kottegoda believes that when individuals build businesses with purpose, they deserve unwavering support. With over two decades of experience in grocery retail—spanning 17 roles, managing a $2 billion portfolio, and holding executive leadership positions—Niluka transitioned from the corporate world to pursue her passion: creating support systems for people engaged in purpose-driven work.
Today, Niluka champions two distinct groups of entrepreneurs: CPG founders with products deserving of grocery shelf space and student entrepreneurs committed to ventures that drive meaningful social change - Nuii Brand Management, working with purpose-driven brands to prepare them for retail successw & growth
Niluka also established the Dream Chaser Change Maker Foundation (DCCM) to nurture the next generation of Change Makers. to empower individuals, assist students social entrepreneurs to develop & scale ideas into impactful, sustainable enterprises.
Both bring strategy, clarity, and a steadfast belief that purpose and profit can coexist harmoniously. Her mission is straightforward: to support the builders of our future.
Moderator
Jo-Ann McArthur
VP Innovation & Growth (Pigeon Brands, recently acquired Nourish Marketing)
An authority in food and beverage marketing, Jo-Ann McArthur has spent decades helping North American brands move from initial concept to the shelf, the table, and consumers’ hearts. Now Vice President of Transformation & Growth at PIGEON following PIGEON’s acquisition of Nourish, Jo-Ann spearheads commercial evolution while serving as the driving force behind the acclaimed annual Trend Report, published under Nourish by PIGEON. Her background balances enterprise operational experience—including serving as a divisional President and North American Management Board member at Molson Coors—with an entrepreneurial drive that took Nourish from a startup agency to a cross-border marketing powerhouse. A sought-after speaker on international stages and television series like Eat Me (or try not to), Jo-Ann tracks cultural shifts to show businesses how to turn shifting consumer palates into measurable commercial success.
Esteemed Panelists:
Eric Wood
Sector Development Officer for Food and Beverage Production at City of Toronto
Eric Wood is an executive leader working at the intersection of economic development, food systems, innovation, and entrepreneurship. With more than 25 years of experience across municipal government, startups, hospitality, consumer packaged goods, and social enterprise, he specializes in connecting policy, business, and community to create economic opportunity.
Eric is Sector Development Officer for Food & Beverage Production with the City of Toronto, where he leads strategy for one of Canada’s largest urban food manufacturing ecosystems. He is an Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow, part of a global community of leaders examining the complex relationships between food, society, economics, and public policy. He is also a TEDx Alumni and frequent speaker and moderator on food systems, manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
Eric is driven by a simple belief: Canada’s next economic advantage lies in creating more value from what we grow, make, and invent.
Sara Curwen
Executive Leadership Coach, Mentor, Former Sr. Exec Supply Chain (Sage, LaRocca, Sofina, Weston Bakeries)
Sara Curwen is here to help others unlock their full potential. She has spent the past three decades building a career in supply chain and operations, driving results, inspiring change, and building high-performing teams.
Now, thrilled to offer up business knowledge to coach other leaders in this field, fostering transformational change, making strategic pivots, and navigating cultural overhauls to drive purposeful action for their teams. Sara knows firsthand that strong leadership and clear vision cannot be overlooked, leading to a career in Coaching at this stage of her life, bringing together her life's work.
Shawn Nava
MacMillan Supply Chain Group, Sr. Leadership President
Shawn Nava's journey is a testament to the power of resilience and optimism. Having faced and learned from setbacks, he continues to forge ahead, driven by perseverance. These qualities have profoundly influenced both his personal life and professional career. Shawn is committed to thriving through adversity, embracing the journey, and aiding others in their pursuit of success.
As the President & CEO of MacMillan Supply Chain Group, Shawn is passionate about assembling high-performing teams and crafting practical, scalable supply chain solutions that yield tangible results. His leadership is characterized by an unwavering commitment to operational excellence and a client-centered approach, consistently elevating the standards of service and performance within the industry.
Shawn's extensive experience encompasses consumer goods warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics, supporting brands in dynamic, high-demand environments. He excels in collaborative, execution-focused settings and upholds integrity, innovation, and accountability as the pillars of sustainable performance.
At MacMillan, Shawn takes pride in fostering a culture that continually elevates service reliability, operational excellence, and client trust. He is eager to engage in meaningful conversations with leaders and organizations interested in exploring supply chain partnerships, operational enhancements, or opportunities to share insights and ideas.
Next Featuring...
SESSION 2: Roundtable Unplugged
Moderator / Host:
Dana McCauley
CEO, Innovator, Thought leader shaping Canada's food sector future
Dana McCauley is an internationally recognized food innovation leader whose strategic vision and entrepreneurial expertise have driven wide-ranging advancements within Canada’s food sector. Throughout her career, Dana has successfully launched many food products and programs in collaboration with domestic and international food companies and entrepreneurs. She has long had her finger on the pulse of food innovation as a successful food writer and editor, a television food trends commentator, and a senior executive in the food manufacturing sector. Dana was the founding Executive Director of Food Starter, a Toronto-based food business incubator that earned the Ontario Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. As Director of New Venture Creation at the University of Guelph, she empowered agri-food innovators to transform inventions into economic growth opportunities that enhance Canada's international reputation.Dana has been recognized by WXN as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category and was named the 2024 Food Industry CEO of the Year Award by the Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST)—testaments to her ongoing leadership and impact in the food industry.
Guest Host:
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is Professor of Food Distribution and Policy at Dalhousie University and Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, where his research focuses on building more resilient, sustainable, and technology-driven food systems. Internationally known as "The Food Professor," he is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chains, traceability, and food systems, with more than 775 peer-reviewed publications, and serves as Editor of Trends in Food Science & Technology. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast—Canada’s most listened-to management podcast—and has published the influential Canadian Food Price Report annually since 2012. A frequent keynote speaker and trusted media commentator, his research has been featured by leading international outlets, including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CBC, CTV, and BNN Bloomberg, and he regularly advises governments on food policy and innovation. In recognition of his contributions to public understanding of food systems, he was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025.
Roundtable Confirmed Guests:
Monica Walker (Healthy Planet Head of Food & Grocery)
Monica is an experienced Sales and Marketing Category Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Organic and Natural food & beverage industry. Broker distributor and Retail Ownership experience, who brings an in-depth knowledge of the industry and a passion for great tasting clean food . Skilled in Key Account Management , Purchasing negotiation,
Customer Service, Retail Marketing, Brand and Category Management.
Supply chain optimisation vendor relations, forcasting and contract negotiation skills .
Ivo Petroff (Former Walmart/Consultant, IP Retail Consult)
Ivo is IP Retail Consult with a focus on market strategy, brand building & new market entries, development of discount best practices and efficiencies in product & retail concepts. Past experience include Category Manager Walmart and domestic & international retailers
(Lidl, Target Canada, Starbucks, Sobeys, LS Travel Retail, Kaufland Germany & Bulgaria, Private Label, Merchandising expertise)
Margaret So (Marketing Insights Consultant, MSo Connects)
Margaret has over 20 years of market research and consumer insights experience. She began her career as a supplier but then went to the client side to provide her innovative thinking to some of the biggest FMCG organizations in the world like Mondelēz, Kraft, Unilever, and Campbell’s. She thrives on building insights for growth that are faster, more affordable, and better than anyone else.
SESSION 3: Fireside Chat Speakers:
Alison DeMille (Board Member, Advisor to CEO's, former CHRO McCain Foods)
Alison is a board and CEO consultant, lending her experience to boards after 30 years in global executive leadership, most recently Chief Human Resources Officer of McCain Foods, following a variety of roles at Gap Inc. and PepsiCo.
Alison is a fixer. Her career has taken her from Toronto to San Francisco, New York, London and Shanghai, to lead market entries, restructurings, culture change, and business transformation. It’s been a wild journey from her first role, working nights in labour relations on the floor of a unionized auto-parts plant, being close to the real world, and then attracted to complex problems.
Alison has retired from McCain, however big problems haven’t lost their allure – She is just a little more picky about where to dig in. I work with executive teams and boards on operating models and restructuring, entering new markets, family-enterprise governance, large-scale change, and of course, people and culture topics.
Having spent 12 years working with a multi-generational family business, I have a particular interest in effective governance of family-run companies and making sure that they stay in the family for future generations.
Alison is drawn to organizations driven by purpose, and has a particular commitment to supporting women’s success. She runs mentoring circles for women earlier in their careers, and is always happy to make time for a frank conversation about what it really takes to get ahead. It’s the most rewarding thing.
Alison is open to discussions about board director roles, advisory opportunities (including HR-related) with companies or startups, project-based consulting and special assignments, philanthropic leadership, and mentorship, speaking, or teaching opportunities.
Kirstine Stewart (Former CEO Twitter, VP CBC, World Economic Forum, Hallmark, Board Member, Sr. Advisor to Canadian Olympic Committee LA28, Chair of Blink49 Studios)
Throughout Kirstine's career, she has been at the forefront of change, guiding organizations as they navigate the transformative impact of technology, shifting audience behaviors, and industry reinvention.
Kirstine has had the privilege of leading during significant shifts in modern media. As the Executive Vice-President of English Services at CBC/Radio-Canada, she oversaw news, entertainment, sports, and digital. Kirstine launched Twitter in Canada and later became Vice-President of Media for North America, collaborating with studios, broadcasters, publishers, sports leagues, and global brands as social platforms revolutionized audience engagement. Her role in leading the Future of Media initiative at the World Economic Forum involved working with top media and technology companies worldwide to anticipate future trends.
Currently, Kirstine is Chair of Blink49 Studios, where they produce premium film and television for global audiences. She advises CEOs, founders, creators, and leadership teams on navigating growth, disruption, AI, and the evolving dynamics between content, platforms, and audiences. Additionally, she serves as a Senior Advisor to the Canadian Olympic Committee for LA28 preparations and is a Governor in Council appointee to Ingenium, Canada’s national museums of science and innovation.
In every role, Kirstine's focus has been on answering a critical question: How can organizations maintain relevance when technology alters how people discover, trust, and engage with content?
Kirstine is the bestselling author of "Our Turn" (Penguin Random House), a keynote speaker, board director, and strategic advisor. She frequently writes about the future of media, leadership, influence, and reinvention, offering insights for executives and creators adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape.
Based between Los Angeles and Canada, Kirstine works across North America and internationally, helping leaders understand not only the current state of the industry but also its future trajectory.
Event Co-hosts:
Amanda Cucullo
Founder Aviclair Inc.
Amanda Cucullo is the Founder of Aviclair Inc., a consulting company that supports growing organizations and professionals navigating career development and transition. Amanda helps businesses develop training materials, online courses, company policies, onboarding resources, and operational tools that strengthen clarity, consistency, and performance across teams.
With her HR background, learning and development, recruitment, adult education, course design, career coaching, and post-secondary teaching, Amanda brings a practical, people-focused perspective to conversations about work, talent, leadership, training, and professional growth.
Amanda is passionate about creating meaningful dialogue, highlighting diverse perspectives, and helping individuals and organizations walk away with practical insights to apply in their workplaces, businesses, and careers.
Brenda Seto
bConnective, division of Seto&Co! / CMO & Licensing Guru
Marketing Strategist | Forward-Thinking Consultant | Trusted Licensing Advisor
Brenda Seto is passionate about connecting people, driving growth, and generating revenue to make a positive impact on today's world through sustainability, inclusion, and cultural relevance. As a curious and creative connector and collaborator, she thrives on fostering growth and innovation with corporate giants and SMEs, having worked in both during her career. Her experience spans diverse sectors, including food & beverage, toys, stationery, entertainment, sports, home & apparel, and non-profit associations.
Brenda has led companies to achieve prestigious industry awards, such as Licensee of the Year for Disney North America and Mattel Canada, through strategic market expansions, innovation, and contract negotiations. Rooted in her immigrant family values, Brenda is dedicated to linking people and the planet to ignite growth for positive change. Her life's purpose is to empower companies, communities, and individual consumers to make meaningful impacts now and for the future.
Event Co-Presented by:
Brenda Seto for bConnective, powered by Seto&Co!
in concert with-
CFIN Canadian Food Innovation Network
IWB - Immigrant Women in Business
Amanda Cucullo for Aviclair Consulting
Dalhousie University, Agri-Food Analytics Lab
Products of Change
Grocery Business Magazine
Event venue & nearby stays
2110 Dundas St E #4, 2110 Dundas Street East, Mississauga, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.