2025 Speaker Lineup

Abbie Keirstead

Creative Studio Coordinator, Back of House

Afshin Mousavian

CEO, Atlas Hospitality Automation

Alana Steele

Sommelier & General Manager, The Ostrich Club

Alex Black

Director of Bars, Our House Hospitality

Alex Fraser

VP, Concept Development, The Fifteen Group

Alida Solomon

Chef & Owner, Tutti Matti Restaurant

Amanda Barresi

Senior Employer Services Manager, WCG Services SSM Employment Ontario

Amer Matar

CTO, TouchBistro

Amrita Bhalla

Managing Director, A.B Consulting

Andrea Buckett

Chef & Cookbook Author, Andrea Buckett Cooks

Andrew Whibley

Owner, Cloakroom Bar, Dominion, French Line

Andrew Zimbel

Idea Generator & Problem Solver, Andrew Zimbel Enterprises

Ashkan Mirnabavi

CEO, NextGen Kitchens Inc.

Avi Behar

Chairman & CEO, The Behar Group

Azim Pirani

Director of Operations (Ontario), Pirani Group

Bal Dosanjh

Director of Employer Startegy for North America, Fedcap Canada

Brad Crepeau

CEO, Food Cycle Science

Bronwen Clark

Operations Partner, Rodney's Oyster House

Casey Ryan

Bar Owner, Electric Bill

Charlotte Langley

CEO & President, Langley Foods

Chris Commandant

Chef & Educator, Otsenha - Indigenous Culinary Solutions

Chris Elliott

Chief Economist & Vice President, Research, Restaurants Canada

Chris Knight

Senior Consultant, The Fifteen Group

Chuck Ortiz

Founder & Creative Director, Back of House

CJ Hélie

President, Beer Canada

Corrin Bulmer

Labour Market Information Specialist, WCG Services

Cristina Carpio

Media Personality & Editor-in-Chief, Evolve Magazine

Crystal Hamilton

Founder & CEO, Knowbie

Dana McCauley

CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network

Daniel Tavares

Partner, Nice Ice

David Beaudoin

Canadian Cheese Ambassador, Dairy Farmers of Canada

David Hopkins

President, The Fifteen Group

Debbie Shing

Founder, Quvé

Deborah Childs

Director, Strategic Partnerships, WCG Services

Devan Rajkumar

International Chef & Culinary Consultant

Donald Guse Salah

Director, Pathways to Careers in Foodservice, Restaurants Canada

Dwania Peele

Founder, Canadian Small Business Women

Dwight Smith

Chef, Chef Dwight Smith Inc.

Emma Balment

Director, Ipsos

Emma MacFarlane

Economic & Business Advisor (Eastern US), OMAFRA

Eric Pan

Owner & GM, Slice of Life

Erin Henderson

Founder, The Wine Sisters

Eva Chin

Executive Chef & Culinary Director, Hong Shing Restaurant Group | Yan Dining Room

Evelyn Chick

Entrepreneur, TV Personality & Beverage Expert, Evelyn Chick Projects Inc.

Fabiola Sicard

Economic & Business Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Frank Hennessey

CEO, Recipe Unlimited Corporation

Gabby Peyton

Food Writer & Author

Hannah Harradine

Owner, Down Home Farmhouse Restaurant

Hannah O'Donovan

Somatic Guide, somasoma

Hassi Sadri

Academy Director, Napoli Culinary Academy

Hugo Togni

Bar Director, Bar Pompette

Imrun Texeira

Chef & Owner, Wanderlust

Irene Matys

Author of My Cypriot Table | Farm-to-Table Advocate|Food Stylist & Photographer | Recipe Developer

Jenny Companion

VP Consulting Operations, The Fifteen Group

Jeremy Bonia

Sommelier & Co-owner, Raymonds

Jim Taylor

Founder & CEO, Benchmark Sixty Restaurant Services

Joanna Jagger

Founder and Executive Director, WORTH Association

Joel Gray

Owner, Down Home Farmhouse Restaurant

John Gutekanst

Owner & CEO, Avalanche Pizza

John Higgins

Principal, @Haggisracer Caterer to Kings and Queens

John Winter Russell

Chef, Candide

Jordan Darling

Head of Commercial Sales, Amazon Business Canada

José Andrés

Chef & Founder, World Central Kitchen & Think/Food Group

Julia Matthews

CEO & Founder, Not Your Child Corp.

Karen Baxter

Executive Director, Taste Canada

Kat Bobrowska

Sr. Business Development Manager, Rivercity Innovations Ltd.

Kate Longmire

Vice President, Poultry Commercial Optimization, Maple Leaf Foods

Kate Reid

Director, Food Service, Food Allergy Canada

Katie Bridges

Editor, Twenty Two Media (Foodism & Escapism)

Kelly Higginson

President & CEO, Restaurants Canada

Kim Wheatley

Anishinaabe Traditional Grandmother

Leland Harper

DEI Consultant, Leland Harper Consulting

Lindsay Jones

Bar Manager, Ostrich Club

Lori Stahlbrand

Professor and Program Coordinator, Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts - George Brown College

Makina Labrecque

Regional Bar Manager, Concorde Entertainment Group

Malindi Taylor

Proprietor & Marketing Director, Fanny Bay Oysters

Margot Swindall

Director, Business Development, Technomic Inc.

Marissa Leon-John

Chef, ElleJay's & Quell

Marsha Druker

Regional Innovation Director (Ontario), Canadian Food Innovation Network

Matthew Crompton

Vice President - Americans On Premise, CGA by NielsenIQ

Matthew Ravenscroft

Commercialization Chef, NEW/SCHOOL FOODS™

Matthew Sullivan

Corporate Chef, Aegis Brands

Melissa Finn

Founder, The Honourable Harvest

Michael Graydon

Chief Executive Officer, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP)

Mike Watt

National Sales Manager, BSC / Retail / Group Purchasing, Diversey

Mirella Amato

Senior Business Development Manager - Beer, WSET

Miriam Foell

Owner, Fergies Fine Foods

Mo Jessa

Retired President Emeritus & Board Member, Earls Restaurants

Moeen Abuzaid

Chef & Owner, Arbequina Restaurant

Monique Godinho

Bar Manager, Sunnys Chinese

Myles Soulliere

Manager, Windsor Regional Employment Network, City of Windso

Nicholas Moss

Senior Advisor, Indigenous Entrepreneurship, BDC

Oren Borovitch

Co-Founder & Head of Digital, Kitchen Hub

Ozoz Sokoh

Writer, Food Historian, Recipe Developer & Culinary Anthropologis, Feast Afrique Platform

Rebecca Mackenzie

President & CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance

Reid McEachran

Associate Marketing Manager, Ardent Mills

Ren Navarro

Owner & Operator, B Diversity Group

Richard Alexander

Executive Vice President, Government Relations & Public Affairs, Restaurants Canada

Richard Cazeau

Executive Producer & Content Creator

Richard Robinson

President, Tyne Valley Oyster Festival

Rob McCelland

Regional Chef, JOEY Restaurants

Robert Byrne

Senior Director, Consumer Research, Technomic

Robert Granicolo

Bar Owner, Cry Baby Gallery & Le Tigre

Robert McCaughey

Global Head of Business Development - Spirits , WSET

Rocco Agostino

Executive Chef & Partner, Pizzeria Libretto Restaurant Group

Romain Avril

Executive Chef & Author, Romain Avril Inc.

Rudolf Fischbacher

Dean, George Brown College

Ryan Hinkson

Food Culturalist & Content Creator, @EatFamous

Sandrine Ramoisy

Founder, TIPS Academy

Sash Simpson

Proprietor & Executive Chef, Sash Restaurant + Wine Bar

Sean Van Humbeck

Team Lead, WCG Services

Shane Harker

Founder & President, Rethink Resource

Shingo Gokan

Founder, SG Group

Spencer Michiel

Consultant, Back of House

Stephanie Lui-Valentim

Co-founder & President, Quell

Todd Finlayson

Owner/Operator, Finlayson Hospitality Partners Inc.

Travis Doering

Chief Technology Officer, Ask JADA by MomentPort Inc

Trevor Lui

President & CEO, Highbell Hospitality Group

Trevor Sainsbury

VP, Business Intelligence, Aegis Brands Inc.

Trish Paterson

Brand Vice President, MTY Group

Tuệ Nguyễn

Restaurateur & Content Creator @TwayDaBae

Val Upfold

Executive Recruiter & HR Expert

Vince Sgabellone

Foodservice Industry Analyst, Circana

Wallace Wong

Chef, Fitness Athlete, TV Personality & Entrepreneur, SixPackChef

- Stay Tuned for More Speaker Announcements -

Explore the 2025 Schedule

Check out our schedule for more details on our educational sessions and solution-based content.