About this Event
It's time! Reimagine Careers, Businesses & Leadership for a Lifetime
In a world experiencing profound changes, the way we work, conduct business, and thrive is evolving. Join us to gain a unique perspective from distinguished speakers and panel of diverse industry experts and hear different perspectives, what's worked and not. Discover what's crucial now and learn how to prepare for your best life!
Who Is This For?
- 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: Stand out in a changing job market while making successful career moves from starting out to later stage of business & work.
- HR & Talent Professionals: Shape talent strategies that align with what's next now, in the workforce, regardless of stage and sector.
Join Us for Real Conversations, Innovative Ideas, and Meaningful Connections:
The event kicks off at 4 PM with a dynamic networking ecosystem. Engage with a vibrant 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 presenters.
Inspiring Presentations includes:
- Keynote Address: Begin with an insightful keynote 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 reimagination.
- 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 - with some takeaways in mind...
- 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.
Agenda:
Registration open - 4pm
Networking (includes table top info & sampling plus attendee meet & greets) starts 4pm
Buffet Dinner open from 5pm
Introduction:
-Brenda Seto & Amanda Cucullo, Event Co-Hosts
Keynote Presentation
-Niluka Kottegoda, Founder Nuii & DCCM Foundation, Former Sobey's Senior Executive
Moderated Panel Discussion-
1) Moderator:
-Jo-Ann McArthur, President Nourish Marketing
Session 1: Esteemed Panelists:
-Eric Wood, Sector Development Officer for Food & Beverage Production, City of Toronto
-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:
-Joined by 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-
-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: Fireside Chat featuring:
-Alison DeMille, Former CHRO McCain, Board Member
-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...
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. Through Aviclair, Amanda helps businesses develop training materials, online courses, company policies, onboarding resources, and operational tools that strengthen clarity, consistency, and performance across teams.
With a background in human resources, 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 they can apply in their workplaces, businesses, and careers.
Brenda Seto
CMO & Licensing Guru & Independent Consultant, bConnective, division of Seto&Co!
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 both corporate giants and SMEs. Her experience spans diverse industries, 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.
Feature Presentations:
SESSION 1: Keynote Speaker
Niluka Kottegoda, Founder Nuii & DCCM Foundation, Former Sobey's Senior Executive
Niluka Kottegoda is a firm believer 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.
Through Nuii Brand Management, Niluka collaborates with purpose-driven food and beverage brands to prepare them for retail success and intentional growth. She guides emerging brands through the intricacies of buyer meetings, trade marketing strategies, and retail forecasting, transforming them from "great products" to "on shelf" successes. Just as importantly, she helps them develop the capabilities needed to maintain their retail presence.
Niluka also established the Dream Chaser Change Maker Foundation (DCCM) to nurture the next generation of Change Makers. Since its inception in 2017, DCCM has focused on empowering the individuals behind the ventures, assisting student social entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their ideas into impactful, sustainable enterprises.
What unites these two efforts? Strategy, clarity, and a steadfast belief that purpose and profit can coexist harmoniously. Whether a founder is seeking their first retail listing or aiming to empower future entrepreneurs, Niluka is eager to connect, share insights, and explore avenues for creating meaningful impact.
Her mission is straightforward: to support the builders of our future.
Moderator
Jo-Ann McArthur
President, Nourish Marketing
Jo-Ann spent her first career client-side, successfully connecting brands with consumers and retailers at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Cadillac Fairview. Then, as a divisional President of Molson Coors, and a member of its North America Management Board, she led the charge to sell more beer more profitably.
Now leading the agency she co-founded, Jo-Ann continues to build powerful strategies for food and beverage products in Canada, the US, and Europe. She works hands-on with the Nourish Team, guiding the creation and execution of marketing plans that move products off shelves, into consumers’ shopping baskets, and, perhaps most importantly, into their hearts. Nourish also helps bridge the gap between farmers and consumers to foster genuine conversations around sustainability.
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 currently 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 a few 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
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)
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 and
Head of Department Private Label, Merchandising Division, Kaufland Bulgaria (Schwarz Group)
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:
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-Presented by:
bConnective, powered by Seto&Co!
in concert with-
CFIN Canadian Food Innovation Network
IWB - Immigrant Women in Business
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.