Koleya Karringten

CEO | Executive Director Chairwoman | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Lucas Koutroumanos

VP Relationship Manager | RBCx

Janine Moir

Digital Assurance Leader | Deloitte

Janine is passionate about technology and the impact of emerging technologies, like Blockchain, are having on finance teams and businesses. Janine is a founding member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW.io) and a board member of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC). At Deloitte, Janine collaborates with clients on Blockchain education and assurance, technology assessments, process improvements, and process analysis and redesign.

Richard Jones

Partner | Brownlee LLP

My law practice focuses on dispute resolution and risk/litigation management. I enjoy working with clients and helping them with the myriad of issues that come along with commercial transactions and conducting business.

Specialties: complex commercial litigation, water and irrigation, environmental, municipal and planning, and agriculture and agri-food, along with tech and blockchain.

McMillan Vantage is a unique service. We offer strategic advice and messaging in government and media relations.

Katryna Fermaniuk

Program Manager, Agriculture Products | MNP

Emma Todd

CEO | MMH Blockchain Group

Emma is an Executive Board Member of Blockchain for Impact, which works alongside the United Nations, and is CEO of MMH Blockchain Group which specializes in developing strategy, marketing, corporate communications, PR and events for technology companies. Named one of 2019’s Top 100 Influencers for Sustainable Development Goals, Emma is host to the longest running crypto mining conference in the world, the largest free blockchain conference in Canada and co-organizer of the largest enterprise conference in Canada. She is also a judge for the prestigious Canadian Marketing Awards. Emma’s strengths include a proven track record of achievements and relationship building as well as completing multiple successful projects simultaneously.

Matthew T. Burgoyne

Partner | Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Matthew is the co-head of Osler’s Digital Asset practice. His practice includes private market financings, mergers and acquisitions, secured and unsecured lending transactions, stock exchange listings, regulatory compliance, and securities issues facing the cryptocurrency industry. Matthew routinely advises national and international clients in digital currency law. He has assisted in the formation of cryptocurrency exchanges and has advised digital token and coin developers, decentralized finance platforms, centralized finance platforms, non-fungible token (“NFT”) issuers, stablecoin issuers, cryptocurrency ATM providers, cryptocurrency miners, cryptocurrency investors, anddecentralized autonomous organizations (“DAOs”). Matthew was one of the first Canadian lawyers to act for cryptocurrency companies in Canada and is regularly called to give his opinion to the media on issues relating to cryptocurrency and Canadian law, and has been quoted in Fortune Magazine, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, Bloomberg, The Logic, the Toronto Star, the Winnipeg Free Press and has also been interviewed on CBC radio and CBC television. Matthew is also an author on Coindesk.com, the world’s largest cryptocurrency and blockchain news site. Matthew sits on a variety of advisory boards of his clients and is currently an advisor to the Alberta Securities Commission’s New Economy Advisory Committee.

Chase Christensen

Vice President, Relationship Management | RBCx

Hubert Lau

President & CEO | Trust Bix

I am a passionate Technology Entrepreneur who wants to continue to make a difference for my customers, partners and the communities. I achieve my goals through “Collaborative Economics”. This means everyone works together to create successes socially and financially. The focus is always triple win. You win, I win and our communities win.

Wayne Logan

Partner | Miller Thomson LLP

I have been working in the entertainment industry all of my life: first as a musician and for the past thirty five years as an entertainment, sports and intellectual property lawyer. My interest in Entertainment Royalty distribution led to deep research into Blockchain Technology. I now lead our Miller Thomson focused area of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Smart Contracts. When you have a question about blockchain, intellectual property, entertainment and media industries, you can trust I have the answer or can get it and share it with you. I love what I do and I am pretty darn good at it. Working with celebrities began in 1987 with Mr. and Mrs. Hockey – Gordie and Colleen Howe. This led to working with other Hockey Hall of Famers, many Canadian Olympians, TV and radio talent, adventurers, actors and authors – generally assisting them with their contracts, publishing, endorsement, sponsorship and business transactions. I have proudly been the lawyer for the Canadian Country Music Association for the past 16 years and many of their artist members such as George Canyon and Brett Kissell, to name a few. Proudly represent many blockchain business eco-system participants including GuildOne. I am well established, respected and networked within the entertainment, sports, intellectual property, venture capital and blockchain industries. Best way to reach me is wlogan@millerthomson.com

Neeraj Gupta

Founder & Angel Investor | Lawcubator

Neeraj is expert on AI/ML/IOT, Product Management, Innovation Management, Strategy, International Business Expansion, Patent Consulting, Legal-tech.

Neeraj is Chief Strategy Officer and Advisor to the CEO at Attabotics which is one of the most successful 3D robotics supply chain companies headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.

Neeraj is Chairman at India Alumni Chapter for KTH, Sweden and is on the Board of KTH Alumni Advisory Board. He is Governing Council Member at IIT Alumni Centre Bengaluru, IITACB .

Neeraj is one of the experts at Swissnex India and advises Swiss startups. He is also senior Technology Advisor at Sweden-India Business Council.

Neeraj holds Bachelors of Technology degree from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Metallurgical and Material Sciences and Masters of Science Degree from Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden in Scientific Computing and Mathematics. Neeraj is PGPX in General Management from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Neeraj is author of book “Creating & safeguarding a strong Intellectual Property Portfolio” which was written in collaboration with SIDBI, Adelphi and KFW Bank Germany.

Neeraj is senior mentor and visiting faculty in several engineering and MBA colleges.

Lawrence Truong

Chief Executive Officer | Binance

Lawrence Truong is the CEO for Binance Canada and UDP for Binance Canada Capital Markets Inc. He holds CFA and CAMS designations as well as MBAs from Queen’s University and Cornell University and has over 25 years of experience in financial markets across front and middle office roles with financial institutions, hedge funds, and large corporations. In the capital markets, he traded billions of dollars in spot fx, fixed income and derivatives. Lawrence began his journey on a boat out of Vietnam with his family escaping the crisis in the country as a refugee to Canada in 1979. In the late 90’s armed with a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Calgary, he headed to Bay Street where he traded billions of dollars a day as a spot Canada trader at TD Bank. Having spent the last decade in regulatory compliance roles, Lawrence appreciates and values the part regulators and government play in fintech and innovation.

Kunal Bhasin

Director and Co-Leader of Canada’s Cryptoassets and Blockchain CoE | KPMG

Kunal is the Director and Co-Leader of KPMG Canada’s Cryptoassets and Blockchain CoE. He possesses over 10 years of experience conducting and leading compliance and risk assessments, and technology audits for crypto, fintech, TradFi and technology sectors. He has been involved in the crypto and blockchain space since 2015, and has been with KPMG since 2018 where he was tasked to build the Crypto & Blockchain Advisory practice. He led the firm’s strategy for its products and services related to cryptoassets, and recently led the firm’s crypto treasury and NFT initiatives. Kunal continues to work with the community, regulators, as well as financial services and institutional investors in both traditional finance and crypto space globally for promoting and enabling institutionalization of cryptoassets while managing the risks in the space

Lee Ackerman

Distinguished Digital Learning Architect | TEKsystems

With more than 20 years of experience driving digital initiatives, Lee is a firm believer that organizations and individuals who embrace change get ahead. Lee takes a holistic view of the work needed to successfully transform, embracing systems thinking, co-creation and a healthy dose of experimentation. Often heard proclaiming that “the most interesting aspects of digital happen at the intersections,” Lee enthusiastically brings together new areas, ideas, and people – while breaking down silos along the way.

Lee is a digital leader and learning strategist. He received his Master of Educational Technology from the University of British Columbia in 2019 and holds a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina. He has championed digital initiatives for leading enterprises through his work with TEKsystems Global Services, Deloitte, and IBM. His work has impacted solutions and organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Lee has advanced digital and learning in the community through participation on boards, committees, presenting, and guiding a leading Canadian post-secondary as they launched digital initiatives advancing the future of learning and future of work. Lee holds three tech-related patents, has published multiple books, and has presented at many industry events on topics including digital transformation, software engineering and DevOps.

Al Del Degan

Founder & CTO | New Idea Machine

As a well-known leader in Calgary’s innovation ecosystem, Al Del Degan has a background in computer science with a diverse career working as a software developer, business analyst, and project manager. He has held various leadership roles, started multiple entrepreneurial ventures, and is the creator and producer of the Leaders, Innovators, and Big Ideas podcast for Rainforest Alberta. Recognizing a gap in the industry where graduates from bootcamp programs lack experience to get hired, Al created New Idea Machine, a company that provides mentored hands-on experience to new developers to better prepare them for their future career positions with other software companies. Al is also a photographer and a cryptocurrency enthusiast who enjoys SCUBA diving, golf, and woodworking.

Sid Sharma

CEO and Co-Founder | Rehuman Inc.

Sid is a co-founder and CEO of REHUMAN Inc. a decentralized identity & metaverse company with a mission to build an inclusive and equitable global digital economy. REHUMAN is based in the US, Canada, and Tanzania (Africa).

REHUMAN was founded in 2019 with a dream to make a positive impact in the world through innovative products and philanthropy. And for the past 3 years, REHUMAN Foundation is committed to providing daily meals to 1500 children in Tanzania, along with funding for the school infrastructure and maintenance.

Sid has over a decade of experience in HR tech, identity management & cybersecurity, He got involved in blockchain development in 2016 starting with Ethereum, and Hyperledger which eventually led him to self-sovereign identity/ decentralized identity/ ToIP in 2018.

He is also a contributor at W3C, DIF, and Hyperledger. Sid currently leads the Hyperledger chapter for Alberta and the Western Canada chapter for Government Blockchain Association. Sid is a community builder and a supporter of Alberta’s startup ecosystem. In 2019, he launched a western Canada chapter of the Founder Institute. And built a team of over 100 mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners.

John MacPherson

Lead Relationship Manager for the Americas | Cardano Foundation

With a deep-rooted journey in the blockchain sector since 2011, John MacPherson has exemplified a blend of leadership, technical acumen, and community engagement across several notable positions. His tenure at the Cardano Foundation, progressing from an Exchange Relationship Manager to Lead Relationship Manager for the Americas, showcased his commitment to fostering blockchain ecosystems. Prior to Cardano, his roles, including as Director of the PIVX Foundation, demonstrated his versatile expertise in the blockchain domain. Currently as an ecosystem advisor, and as a Web3 Committee Member at the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, John continues to champion the adoption of Web3 technologies across Canada, underscoring his enduring dedication to blockchain innovation and community enrichment.

Graeme Fox

Co-Founder & CEO | Societal

Graeme Fox is the Co-Founder & CEO of Societal, a specialized blockchain designed for the creation and management of DAOs. He was accepted with a full ride scholarship to the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, held at Cambridge University. Prior to this, Graeme has held many roles in and out of web3. In web3, he was previously Head of Product at Ruby Protocol, a privacy project implementing Functional Encryption. Prior to web3, he was the Lead Product Manager at Connectus. During this time, his team developed real-time location systems for Oil & Gas process plants. It was in this role that Graeme was first introduced to blockchain development, as the main product line integrated with the Corda Blockchain to allow for automatic and secure transactions. Graeme has held other engineering roles in the past and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Dalhousie University. He lives and breathes the entrepreneurial mindset, building and scaling early-stage startups for the last five years.

Sumaiya Noor

Chief Product Strategy and Talent Officer | Letus

Phil Burgess

3x Founder | Hiring Operations | Space and Time Labs

Phil Burgess is an accomplished entrepreneur and team builder with a decade of experience in the startup industry. He currently manages hiring operations for Space and Time, a Web3 startup that connects off-chain storage with on-chain analytic insights. Phil and his team have grown the organization to over 50 employees and secured a $30M Seed round led by Microsoft and Framework Ventures. He also advises startups in non-profit, carbon, and supply chain industries, and is interested in energy tokenization and smart-contracts.

Phil’s passion for building successful teams and delivering results has been the driving force behind his achievements in the startup industry. His experience in various leadership roles has provided him with a deep understanding of how to build and manage teams that are capable of meeting and exceeding expectations.

Phil’s interests in energy tokenization and smart-contracts reflect his passion for exploring emerging technologies and their potential to disrupt traditional industries. He is dedicated to staying at the forefront of these developments and helping startups harness the power of these technologies to achieve their goals.

Randall Baran-Chong, CPA, CA

Lead Steward and Architect | NorthstarDAO

Randall Baran-Chong is an internationally-experienced Web3 founder, investor-advisor, and thought leader based in Toronto. His Web3 journey started in 2017 when he left consulting to found his startup DoTell, a graduate company of Founder Institute Toronto’s first Blockchain cohort sought to help people “live forever” by eliciting, preserving, and sharing people’s life stories on the blockchain. He subsequently joined as a Principal in a pre-seed emerging technologies venture capital and consulting firm where he supported companies in the asset tokenization, behavioural science, and robotics space. As the pandemic emerged, Randall founded MyBubble, which gamified good COVID behaviours and graduated out of the Creative Destruction Lab, followed by its acquisition. Returning to consulting in Amsterdam, became KPMG Global’s Director of Digital Health Strategy and Ecosystems, within the Digital Health Hub, a firm-funded practice he founded to incubate/invest/scale Web2/3 health solutions. He left the firm to found Pathfinders for Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where the non-profit became a leading ‘front door’ Canadian presence in Ukraine and Poland providing emergency visa, flight support, and even developed an app to make jobs-based city relocation selections. 

Upon his return to Canada in late 2022, he became re-ingrained in the Web3 community, founding NorthstarDAO Foundation in 2023, a non-profit whose mission is to bring economic, societal, and individual prosperity by bridging the mainstream to exponential technologies through research, education, and advocacy – leveraging his experience in influencing policy and regulation across 3 House of Commons Committee appearances, including the Industry and Technology Committee. The DAO is a first-of-its-kind community-based advocacy DAO in Canada, coordinating/actioning the voices and interests of grassroots ecosystem of builders, investors, creators. In summer 2023 he co-founded and is CEO of BizBridge.io, a technology company built to serve the 70%+ of small-and-medium businesses transitioning ownership over the next 10 years due to boomer retirement, connecting new generations of ownership and wealth leveraging AI and Web3-rooted technologies. 

David Koroma

Market & Client Experience Lead | Apaylo Finance Technology

Jade Alberts

Founder | Peer Guidance
Vice President Canada | Canada Blockchain Consortium

Executive

Koleya Karringten

President / Founder | Executive Director | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Layne Nadeau

Founder & CEO | NVAL

Layne has over 19 years of enterprise software experience across multiple industries including institutional finance, retail banking, and digital assets.

Currently: creating the NFT market data and analytics technology that enables the NFT ecosystem.

Leander Mclean

Marketing & Sales Director | QuickBit Crypto Boutique

Results-driven COO with a solid background in brand development, marketing, and compliance within the crypto industry. Adept at fostering financial inclusivity through education and innovation. Skilled in cross-functional collaboration, project management, and customer engagement. Committed to demystifying cryptocurrencies and driving positive change. Cryptocurrency Tracing Certified Examiner.

Leanne Forbes

| MediaLogic Inc.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, it makes sense that Leanne embarked on her entrepreneurial journey with a fishing marina venture.  Her passion for technology led her to the world of computer consulting and training in Victoria, BC, where she was at the forefront of the burgeoning Internet revolution or Web 1.0 as we now call it.

Leanne moved to Calgary in 1997 to run SCI (now MediaLogic), a national electronic publishing and web consulting company.  Under the MediaLogic brand, Leanne ran a full-service Marketing and Advertising agency, a .NET development team, and for over 26 years, the well-known NRES Regulatory Monitoring SaaS.  In a significant milestone, Leanne facilitated the sale of this business to Nimonik in September 2022, where she is currently the Director of Business Development. 

Leanne’s enterprising spirit extended into the real estate sector in 2002, where she actively participated in sales, marketing, procurement, and development for prominent properties and resorts.  The need to furnish these resorts led to the inception of another business endeavor—an import business and overseas furniture factory in Vietnam.

Leanne is a Certified Blockchain Expert

Today, all things Blockchain and Web3 is Leanne’s focus!  

Surinder Padem

Program Manager | NAIT

Vickram Agarwal

|

Vickram is a digital and technology entrepreneur who founded Daddy’s Digest (acquired in 2021), an online platform that bridges the parenting gap through the creation and curation of expert and user generated content. Raised in India and the Middle East, educated in the UK, he started his marketing career with General Motors in Dubai.

In 2011, he founded Stroke Consulting, a Strategy & Digital Marketing Agency with a client portfolio that included brands like GMC, Chevrolet, Kawasaki, Fiat, Suzuki and MasterCard. In 2019, Vickram moved to Canada and took the helm of the Black Rock Marketing Group as Partner & Managing Director.

More recently, he was the Chief Marketing Officer at Credit Canada, the country’s first and longest-standing non-profit credit counselling agency. 

Vickram serves on several Advisory Boards and mentors start-ups across the EMEA region through the Techstars Founder Catalyst program. 

In 2023, he received The Globe and Mail’s Changemaker Award, recognizing emerging leaders reinventing how Canada does business.

Yohann Calpu

Co-Founder and CEO | Aloomii Inc.

Yohann is a recognized thought leader in the Web3 space. With a strong background in the crypto industry, Yohann has been actively involved in shaping and promoting this emerging technology. 

Drawing from his extensive experience as an experienced technologist and formally trained software architect, Yohann has been working closely with various Web3 clients since 2018. His expertise has been instrumental in driving project growth and establishing strategic deals and partnerships within the Web3 ecosystem.

Yohann’s dedication to Web3 shines through his role as the host of “NFT Hype,” an innovative NFT podcast that debuted in August 2020. By leveraging this platform, he actively contributes to the advancement and expansion of the Web3 industry. Additionally, as the original Co-Founder of EOS Go, Yohann played a pivotal part in bringing together the early EOS community and generating public interest through his podcast.

Prior to his involvement in Web3, Yohann had an impressive professional history, having served as a technologist at renowned organizations such as JP Morgan Chase, IBM, Maersk, and the Ministry of Transportation Ontario. With over 20 years of experience, Yohann has held various roles ranging from systems admin to senior program manager, further enhancing his ability to deeply understand Web3.

Koleya Karringten

President / Founder | Executive Director | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Jade Alberts

Founder | Peer Guidance
Vice President Canada | Canada Blockchain Consortium

I am the Founder of Peer Guidance – Purpose Before Profit and an active Angel Investor. I have exited a business and helped three others exit. We help Startups, Entrepreneurs, and Small Businesses through their challenges focusing on Scale, Growth & Raising Capital. I believe in sharing your knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs because the lack of capital should not get in the way of what you need to succeed.

Telling It Like it Is LIVE Interview is every Wednesday 9:30am MST. It’s a 25-minute discussion that shares Entrepreneurs, startups and Small Business Owners’ stories.

Founders Coffee is every Tuesday 7.30am at Red’s Diner in Kensington. Founders Coffee YYC is for #Entrepreneurs #Startups #smallbusiness Come on out and meet like-minded people.

Alexis Pappas

Chief Innovation Officer | GuildOne

Kevin Huang

Junior Data Scientist | Crestview Strategy

Kevin Huang is a Data Scientist with Crestview Strategy, based out of Toronto, and works to leverage data to optimize digital campaigns for clients.

He has previous experiences in research and public policy roles at the federal and provincial levels, including conducting bioinformatics research for large-scale projects at the federal level and assisting in the modernization process of operational policy within the Ontario Public Service using modern data-driven approaches.

Jonathan Hartney

Independent Management Consultant & Innovator | YYC Tech Consulting

Sid Sharma

CEO | Innovation Leader | Blockchain, Digital Identity, Future of Work | Rehuman

Koleya Karringten

CEO | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Dina Mainville

Founder & Principal | Collisionless

Dina Mainville is the Founder of Collisionless, a consulting and advisory services firm that provides strategic guidance, fractional management, and outsourced staffing solutions to the blockchain industry. She is a cryptocurrency regulatory compliance specialist who, since 2016, has presented to tens of thousands of people across six continents on blockchain, money laundering controls for blockchain assets and global regulatory policy. 

 Dina has advised numerous Global Fortune 500 companies on blockchain initiatives and has trained hundreds of government and law enforcement professionals on cryptocurrency forensic investigations to combat money laundering and financial crime, human trafficking and other illicit activity. 

 Dina currently serves as Head and Chair of the FinTech Committee at the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, and as a member of its Access 2 Banking Committee. She is an Advisory Board member for the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and a key cryptocurrency spokesperson for Mastercard.

Erik Kryski

CEO | Bidali

Sheereen Khan

Global, Chief Compliance Officer | Coinsmart

Sheereen is purpose-driven compliance executive and has spent the last 25 years of her career helping
CEOs within the Financial Services sector to execute the right strategy, solve complex problems, create
solutions and get effective results with minimal risks.

She is renowned by local and foreign regulators for the standards she brings to the table and have been
invited by them to review international standards and regulations and speak at risk conferences.

Sheereen is described by her peers as someone who has mastered the art of balancing innovation and
compliance and type of person the crypto space requires.

George Bordianu

Co-founder, CEO | Balance

Rodney MacInnes

COO & AML Compliance Ninja | Outlier Solutions Inc.

Rodney is currently the COO & AML Compliance Ninja at Outlier Solutions Inc. (Outlier) a Canadian-based consulting company that set out to break the consulting mould by focusing on 3 core principles: Value, Open-Source & Continuous Improvement. His financial compliance experience includes anti-money laundering (AML), counter terrorist financing (CTF), fraud and Legislative Compliance Management (LCM). Over the past 10 years, Rodney has held positions in-house, as a consultant, as a strategic leader and as a founder. He has been involved with numerous activities by reporting entities, including MSBs, financial institutions, real estate and securities. He became a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) in early 2011 and is also a graduate of the Canadian Institute Financial Crime Analysis course at Seneca College. Rodney is also a Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP) who fell down the rabbit hole in 2013. Since then he has been somewhat obsessed with how Bitcoin and other technologies are impacting the financial and regulatory landscape. 

Wayne Logan

Partner | Miller Thomson LLP

Wayne Logan, an experienced Intellectual Property specialist, leads the firm’s focused area of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Smart Contract.  He is also co-leader working in the areas of Entertainment and Media law. When you have a question about the blockchain, entertainment and media industries, you can trust Wayne has the answer, or can get it and he will be happy to share it with you.   Wayne knows how to support and work with the genius that drives entrepreneurs, software developers, musicians, authors, athletes and celebrities to excel.  Wayne’s passion and creativity is what fuels his drive to continuously advance his clients’ careers and business plans.

Koleya Karringten

CEO | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Kunal Bhasin

Director and Co-Leader Cryptoassets and Blockchain CoE | KPMG

Kunal is the Director and Co-Leader of KPMG Canada’s Cryptoassets and Blockchain CoE. He possesses over 10 years of experience conducting and leading compliance and risk assessments, and technology audits for crypto, fintech, TradFi and technology sectors. He has been involved in the crypto and blockchain space since 2015, and has been with KPMG since 2018 where he was tasked to build the Crypto & Blockchain Advisory practice. He led the firm’s strategy for its products and services related to cryptoassets, and recently led the firm’s crypto treasury and NFT initiatives. Kunal continues to work with the community, regulators, as well as financial services and institutional investors in both traditional finance and crypto space globally for promoting and enabling institutionalization of cryptoassets while managing the risks in the space.

Mark A. Morency

Financial Institutions Practice Leader | Arthur J. Gallagher Canada

Mark Morency is the Financial Institutions Practice Leader for Arthur J. Gallagher
Canada, providing insurance solutions to the financial services industry across Canada.
As a leader in Gallagher’s Global Digital Assets practice, Mark works with
cryptocurrency and blockchain companies globally, along with educating the insurance
industry, to increase the availability of insurance for emerging fintech companies.
Mark joined Gallagher after a 25 year career at Canada’s largest banks. Mark has an
M.B.A. from the Schulich School of Business at York University and a B.Sc. in Actuarial Science
and Economics from the University of Toronto.

Frank Maione

Founder and CEO | Bitcoin4U

Frank Maione is the founder and CEO of Bitcoin4U, a non-custodial cryptocurrency exchange based in Toronto. His interest and passion for Blockchain technology grew from experience in the technology and electronics security sectors in Canada and South Africa, founding  Bitcoin4U in 2019. Frank holds a degree in Electronic Engineering.

Paul Burak, LLM, CAMS

Compliance Officer | Shakepay

Paul Burak is a compliance professional specializing in the crypto space. With over 15 years of experience across various private and public sector roles, Paul brings a wealth of knowledge on anti-money laundering and securities compliance. He is passionate about financial innovation including DeFi and trustless peer-to-peer transactions. Since discovering bitcoin in the early 2010s, Paul has seen the incredible potential that crypto has to make the world a better place.

Matthew T. Burgoyne

Partner | Committee Chair | Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Matthew is the co-head of Osler’s Digital Asset practice. His practice includes private market financings, mergers and acquisitions, secured and unsecured lending transactions, stock exchange listings, regulatory compliance, and securities issues facing the cryptocurrency industry. Matthew routinely advises national and international clients in digital currency law. He has assisted in the formation of cryptocurrency exchanges and has advised digital token and coin developers, decentralized finance platforms, centralized finance platforms, non-fungible token (“NFT”) issuers, stablecoin issuers, cryptocurrency ATM providers, cryptocurrency miners, cryptocurrency investors, anddecentralized autonomous organizations (“DAOs”). Matthew was one of the first Canadian lawyers to act for cryptocurrency companies in Canada and is regularly called to give his opinion to the media on issues relating to cryptocurrency and Canadian law, and has been quoted in Fortune Magazine, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, Bloomberg, The Logic, the Toronto Star, the Winnipeg Free Press and has also been interviewed on CBC radio and CBC television. Matthew is also an author on Coindesk.com, the world’s largest cryptocurrency and blockchain news site. Matthew sits on a variety of advisory boards of his clients and is currently an advisor to the Alberta Securities Commission’s New Economy Advisory Committee.

Koleya Karringten

CEO | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Ana Badour

Partner | McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Ana Badour co-leads McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s national Fintech Group.  She is a partner in their Financial Services Group and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. She advises financial services entities, including financial institutions and Fintech entities, on regulatory compliance matters, including with respect to consumer protection, anti-money laundering and other regulatory requirements. She holds a LLM in Banking and Financial Law from Boston University, a LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a BMath (Operations Research) from the University of Waterloo. 

Jonathan L. Doll

Partner | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

Melissa Smith

Partner | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

Melissa is a partner in the Securities and Capital Markets Group in BLG’s Calgary office. Melissa focuses her practice on corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations of public and private issuers including take-over bids, amalgamations and plans of arrangement. She also advises clients on financing transactions including public and private offerings of debt, equity and convertible securities, and compliance with corporate and securities regulatory requirements and drafting of a large number of corporate and commercial documents including governance documents, shareholder agreements and other business agreements.

In addition, Melissa assists with plans of arrangement, mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations, prepares a wide variety of commercial, securities and corporate documents, and conducts due diligence on behalf of issuers, agents and underwriters in a variety of contexts.

Melissa is the Chair of the BLG’s Calgary Student Committee.

Evan Thomas

Head of Legal | Wealthsimple

Sam Gabor

Gowling WLG | Counsel

Sam is Counsel in Gowling WLG’s Calgary office. He has a longstanding litigation and solicitor practice focused in restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy law. Sam also has extensive expertise in intellectual property matters. Sam advises and acts on behalf of companies, borrowers, lenders, court-appointed officers (such as receivers, trustees and proposal trustees), and other interested parties in lending, restructuring and insolvency scenarios. Sam provides advice pertaining to out-of-court and court supervised restructurings, insolvency related court proceedings, debt enforcement, personal property security, and other matters. Sam has written several publications regarding digital assets, the metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). He has consulted with the Government of Alberta regarding amending Alberta’s Personal Property Security Act to specifically incorporate a framework for digital assets. Sam has further presented on amending personal property security legislation to specifically incorporate new laws and regulations for digital assets. Sam works with a group of knowledgeable and experienced lawyers at Gowling WLG who also have a vast array of expertise in blockchain technology, smart contracts and digital asset law.

Pouya Makki

Crypto Asset and Fintech Lawyer | Renno & Co

I am a forward-thinking business and regulatory lawyer in the blockchain and digital asset space with a keen interest in innovative and disruptive technologies.

Dina Mainville

Collisionless | Founder & President

Emma Todd

CEO | MMH Blockchain Group

Emma is an Executive Board Member of Blockchain for Impact, which works alongside the United Nations, and is CEO of MMH Blockchain Group which specializes in developing strategy, marketing, corporate communications, PR and events for technology companies. Named one of 2019’s Top 100 Influencers for Sustainable Development Goals, Emma is host to the longest running crypto mining conference in the world, the largest free blockchain conference in Canada and co-organizer of the largest enterprise conference in Canada. She is also a judge for the prestigious Canadian Marketing Awards. Emma’s strengths include a proven track record of achievements and relationship building as well as completing multiple successful projects simultaneously.

Ben Gagnon

Chief Mining Officer | Bitfarms

As Chief Mining Officer of Bitfarms, Ben manages mining operations and strategy for one of the largest and oldest publicly traded Bitcoin mining companies in the world.   Before joining Bitfarms, Ben started building and operating Bitcoin mining facilities in mainland China in 2015. Ben has also founded multiple mining companies where he was responsible for sourcing and developing strategic low-cost power opportunities, facility planning, economic analysis, equipment sourcing, operation, and optimization of industrial-scale crypto mining facilities in Asia and North America.   Ben brings over 7 years of real-world Bitcoin mining experience and is a recognized industry thought leader whose expertise is regularly requested at conferences and from industry leaders around the world.

Koleya Karringten

CEO | Executive Director Chairwoman | Absolute Combustion International

A proud Albertan technology entrepreneur, advocate and leader, Koleya Karringten has a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of product commercialization, ecosystem building and fostering inclusion in the technology industry. As the co-founder and CEO of Absolute Combustion, she has spent a decade successfully designing and developing ground-breaking cleantech solutions for multiple industry sectors, including aerospace and Oil & Gas. She is a driving force in Alberta’s blockchain technology industry as the CEO of Bitquest Corp., the Executive Director of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC), co-founder and board member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW), and CEO of Civitas Events Corp. In her leadership role at the ABC, she has merged her passions for technology and social good to bring together blockchain companies, corporate leaders and government to build the province’s largest blockchain ecosystem organization. An influential public speaker, writer and community volunteer, Koleya strongly believes that uniting diverse voices behind a common goal is the path to creating a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous Alberta.

Ron Dizy

Managing Director | Red Jar Capital

Ron is co-founder and Managing Director at Red Jar Capital with over 25 years of experience as both an operator and investor in the technology and advanced energy sectors. Ron’s role is to manage the day to day operations and the investment process at Red Jar, lead investments and find ways to consistently add value to Red Jar’s portfolio and partner companies. 

Prior to joining Red Jar, Ron was the Chief Commercial Officer at Spark Power, where he led sales, product management & marketing, business development, and corporate strategy, with a focus on bringing new customer-centric solutions to the industrial, commercial, and utility markets.  Before that, he was the SVP of Partnerships at MaRS where he was responsible for helping utilities around the world find ways to adopt innovation at scale, to help them survive in a world being rapidly changed by technology, customer preferences, and regulation. His previous career experience also includes:

• Founding Managing Director of the Advanced Energy Centre at MaRS Discovery District

• President and CEO of ENBALA Power Networks

• Partner at Celtic House Venture Partners ($500M venture fund)

• Founding member of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan venture capital team where he was responsible for sourcing and managing investments across the technology sector in Canada and in the United States.

• Founder & Managing Partner of Altera System Corp.

An active participant in the advanced energy sector, he is frequently sought out by government, agency, and utility organizations to offer his pragmatic perspective and lend his deep and varied experience.  He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.  

Ron holds a BASc, Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto.  

Jaime Leverton

Chief Executive Officer | Hut 8 Mining

As CEO of Hut 8, Jaime sets the strategic direction for the company that is defining the digital asset revolution.

Since joining the organization, she has transformed Hut 8 into a high-performance operation: in addition to bringing a third mine online in North Bay, Ontario, she has pursued a uniquely diversified strategy and acquired five high performance computing data centres that will provide the innovative infrastructure to support companies in the nascent Blockchain and Web 3.0 industries.

Jaime is passionate about advancing high-growth and future-forward technology companies, most recently serving as the Chief Commercial Officer at eStruxture Data Centers. Her 20-plus years of leadership experience also includes driving revenue programs as General Manager of Canada and APAC, with data center and cloud provider Cogeco Peer 1 (now Aptum). Previously, she held leadership roles with National Bank, BlackBerry, Bell Canada, and IBM Canada.

Jaime sits on the boards of the Stratford Festival and Technation, and serves as the Chair of IMWomen Canada.

Gabriel Ibghy

Chief Legal Officer | Hive Blockchain Technolgoies Ltd.

Gabriel Ibghy joined HIVE in 2021 as Director of Legal Affairs further to the acquisition of GPU Atlantic’s 50MW data center site in New Brunswick, Canada. At GPU.ONE, the parent corporation of GPU Atlantic, he acted as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Legal Affairs. Originally from Montreal, Québec, Mr. Ibghy is a practicing attorney who holds a law degree from the University of Montreal and is member in good standing of the Quebec Bar. Moreover, he holds a Global MBA from the Reichman University as well as a certificate from IE Business School IMBA. Mr. Ibghy has extensive experience in the field of cryptocurrency mining, data centre construction, operations and management and has gained international experience in complex and challenging environments. Mr. Ibghy applies his experience and profound knowledge of this fast-paced industry to the sustained growth and development of HIVE Blockchain Technologies.

Taras Kulyk, JD, MBA

Founder & CEO | SunnySide Digital

Taras Kulyk, JD, MBA is SunnySide Digital’s Founder & CEO. He has extensive global experience in digital mining, fintech, and capital markets.

Prior to founding SunnySide Digital, Taras served in a number of senior roles within the digital mining sector; including as SVP Growth at Core Scientific while it was the largest public digital mining company where he originated several billion dollars in total contract value.

 Before beginning his career in the digital asset sector, Taras was an investment banker with BMO Capital Markets covering the traditional mining sector, followed by two years with TD Securities in the Communications, Media and Technology team, where his coverage included technology and media companies.

Anthony Levesque

Digital Mining Advisor |

Anthony is a veteran in the tech industry and has been involved in the digital asset mining to close to a decade. Previously, a VP of Operations at Bitfarms(NASDAQ/TSX), Anthony helped secure power and builtout in addition to day-to-day operations. He went onto build Tier3 Data Centers in a private Canadian company. He currently helps private and public companies overseeing Data Centers and HPC operations in 4 countries.

Ben Harper

Financial Associate | Luxor Technologies

As a Financial Associate with Luxor Technologies, a Seattle-based digital mining services company, Ben helps build the software and financial service infrastructure to support the next generation of digital assets. Before joining Luxor, Ben spent six years working in numerous positions in the public and private sector, in Canada and abroad, as a financial, economic, and public policy analyst. Ben sits on the Canadian Blockchain Consortium’s Policy and Advocacy Committee and is passionate about advancing policy to encourage the development of the blockchain industry, and digital asset mining specifically, in Canada. Ben holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Queen’s University.

Mohamed El-Masri

Founder & CEO | PermianChain Technologies Inc.

Mohamed has over eight years of corporate finance experience, giving him a detailed understanding of how to structure alternative investment products. He is the Founder and CEO of PermianChain Technologies Inc., a proprietary technology platform that brings together the crypto-asset mining and energy sectors. Mohamed also serves as Director and CEO of Brox Equity Ltd., which oversees a group of portfolio companies active in oil and gas, power generation and bitcoin mining data centers.

Laurent Féral-Pierssens

Managing Partner | BlockZero Advisors

Mike Shidler

Chief Executive Officer | SustainHash Technologies Ltd.

Mike co-founded SustainHash out of a passion for Mining. Having been a hobby miner since 2013, he’s been through some of the best and worst times in blockchain history. With the belief in a more sustainable industry in both business practices, energy consumption, and e-waste management, he’s embarked on a mission to push the boundaries of the Crypto Mining industry.

Fanny Philip, CPA

Chief Operating Officer | SATO Technologies Corp.

Fanny PHILIP had worked for over 10 years as an auditor, mainly at Grant Thornton in which she rose through the ranks rapidly. As an external advisor, she supports entrepreneurs in achieving their strategic goals. She has worked with SATO since the end of 2018 and joined SATO as CFO at the end of 2020. She was a key player in the transition from private to public market. In January 2022, she was promoted to COO following her involvement and related successes that were achieved.

Ethan Vera

Chief Operating Officer | Luxor

Ethan serves as the COO of Luxor, a full-stack mining software and services company. Ethan’s expertise in cryptocurrency mining stems from five years of operational experience. Beginning in late 2017, Ethan helped launch altcoin mining pools across North America. In mid summer 2018, Ethan helped build a mining colocation company that hosted a few thousand ASICs, utilizing 4 megawatts of power. Since then, Ethan has helped Luxor grow to one of the largest Bitcoin mining companies globally, pioneering new products such as hashrate-based derivatives and the first ever mining ETF (NYSE:RIGZ).

Previously, Ethan worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, on the M&A team. Ethan covered the blockchain, semiconductor, energy, internet and real estate sectors at Goldman.

Mike Cohen

Chief Executive Officer | Pow.re

Mike is a systems engineer who has been directly involved in digital asset mining since 2013. Mike actively participates in the blockchain industry as an advisor, systems architect and investor for leading industry stakeholders, regulatory and industry bodies, and enterprise customers.

Magdalene Gronowska

Advisor | PRTI Inc.

Magdalena has 5 years of experience in the Bitcoin and digital asset space, where she helped launch the first Bitcoin fund in Canada, oversaw the $215M Quadriga exchange bankruptcy, held senior roles at Bitcoin wallet and mining companies, and spearheaded industry advocacy efforts on proposed crypto exchange regulations. Magdalena has a decade of experience delivering strategic advice to Ministers on low-carbon and energy policy and leading complex, multi-stakeholder, $100+ million public sector projects.

Will Paul

Public Policy Lead - Bitcoin Mining & Wallet (Bitkey) | Block

Will is an experienced public policy thinker, specialising in developing, influencing, and implementing trade, economic, and innovation policy. Will is currently the Public Policy Lead for the Bitcoin Mining & Wallet (Bitkey) businesses at Block, INC. (NYSE: SQ), a global technology company focusing on financial services. Made up of Square, Cash App, Spiral, TIDAL, and TBD, and united by a shared purpose of economic empowerment, they build tools to help more people access the economy. Will joined Block in June 2023 from HM Treasury in the UK, where he was the Head of Trade Negotiations, overseeing HMT input to the UK’s Free Trade agenda – including deals with Australia, New Zealand, and CPTPP.  

Babak Shafiei

Head | Incrypt

Babak is an innovative leader with over 20 years of hands-on experience in Data, Analytics, AI and Blockchain technologies. He previously worked at IBM, Deloitte, and Suncor and recently founded and exited a start-up.

Hoda Rezaei

Head of Operations | Incrypt

Hoda holds a master’s degree in mining engineering and has hands-on experience in Data & Analytics and AI/ML. She has led product development, strategy and operations of successful start-ups.

Chase Christensen

Vice President, Relationship Management | RBCx

Amber Scott

Founder & CEO | Outlier Solutions Inc

Amber is a compliance geek with a passion for technology.

After graduating from the University of Waterloo, Amber joined the compliance group at one of Canada’s largest insurers where she focused on the implementation of technology-based processes to streamline compliance. She has since worked in in-house roles with major securities firms and banks. Somewhere along the line, she added MBA, CBP, and a few other letters after her name.

Amber joined a boutique compliance consulting firm, then larger consulting firm, before getting frustrated enough with the status quo to launch Outlier Solutions Inc. (Outlier) in 2013. Outlier specializes in anti-money laundering (AML) and privacy compliance. The company is based on one of the premises of Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: that to be really good at something you need a lot of practice (about 10,000 hours). Each of Outlier’s team members has 10,000 hours or more of in-house (not consulting) compliance experience. Amber loves leading this team of entrepreneurial compliance badasses.

Amber is a firm believer in the idea that good compliance can enable good business. Find out how at www.outliercanada.com or reach out to her directly at amber@outliercanada.com.

Dina Mainville

Founder & Principal | Collisionless

Dina Mainville is the Founder of Collisionless, a consulting and advisory services firm that provides strategic guidance, fractional management, and outsourced staffing solutions to the blockchain industry. She is a cryptocurrency regulatory compliance specialist who, since 2016, has presented to tens of thousands of people across six continents on blockchain, money laundering controls for blockchain assets and global regulatory policy.  

Dina has advised numerous Global Fortune 500 companies on blockchain initiatives and has trained hundreds of government and law enforcement professionals on cryptocurrency forensic investigations to combat money laundering and financial crime, human trafficking and other illicit activity. 

 Dina currently serves as Head and Chair of the FinTech Committee at the Canadian Blockchain Consortium, and as a member of its Access 2 Banking Committee. She is an Advisory Board member for the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and a key cryptocurrency spokesperson for Mastercard

Lucas Koutroumanos

VP Relationship Manager | RBCx

Laure Fouin

Partner, Co-Chair, Digital Assets and Blockchain | Osler

Laure is the co-head of the Digital Assets and Blockchain group and a partner in Osler’s Montréal office. Her practice focuses on financial institutions, financial products and services regulation, securities regulation and investment products (including crypto assets and crypto contracts), structured finance and debt capital markets (DCM). As such she notably helps her clients navigate digitization and ESG strategic and regulatory matters.

Laure is regularly called to share her expertise on matters relating to the use of blockchain technology, cryptoassets, digital tokens, artificial intelligence in financial services, regulatory and compliance issues relating to financial services entities and financial products, including banks and investment funds. She is also recognised as a Rising star in Banking and Finance by IFLR 1000: Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, ‘One to Watch’ in Corporate Governance by Best Lawyers Canada and won IFLR 1000’s Rising Stars Awards Americas 2020.

Pascal St-Jean

President | 3iQ Corp.

I believe in helping create opportunities to help businesses unleash their true potential and as such, I work with founders & entrepreneurs, who recognize the value of investing in personal and professional growth, not only for their own benefit, but also for that of their employees and customers. My focus is helping companies grow faster, easier, with less risk.

As a serial entrepreneur, I understand the importance of leadership development, team culture building, strategic thinking, and clear operational processes. My long-term vision is simple, yet ambitious – to lead and inspire businesses and their teams so they can reach their full potential. I have done so over the past 20 years, largely by facilitating the understanding and development of the kind of strategic thinking, planning, and execution that helps businesses to succeed.

Sandi MacGregor​, MBA

AVP Business Solutions | connectFirst credit union

As your banking partner, I am solutions-focused and have a passion for helping you and your business reach new levels through connections, resources and advice.

As a leader, I am an adaptable and fast learner, with a solid track record of success across a variety of industries and projects. My leadership style focuses on creating collaborative environments for people to grow and thrive. Resilient and perseverant with strong financial acumen, I keep a growth mindset when problem solving, and love business development and creating go-to market strategies.

I have experience in multi-stakeholder management, end-to-end project management, change management, risk management, sales and lead development, networking and building industry-level relationships, attaining objectives, defining KPI’s, as well as managing internal culture and engagement. I clearly articulate the vision to motivate teams towards organizational goals.

New assignments or challenges energize me. I rally to gather new ideas, concepts and technologies. I have strong presence, can lead the charge and empower people with my passion for action and success. A wholly committed lifelong learner, I love challenging myself and am always looking for new ways to add value.

Dania Moazzam

AVP, Banking | RBCx

Dania is an AVP in RBCx’s banking pillar where she provides advice to a portfolio of high growth technology companies in Calgary. 

She joined RBCx in Feb 2022 with over 6 years in relationship management advisory roles within the financial services sector spanning roles within retail, wealth management, capital markets and treasury. She also spent 3 years at a global tech company delivering a SaaS based human capital management software solution.

She is member of Startup TNT community and Platform Calgary as she builds her connections within the Calgary tech market. She also serves as a coach to a group going through Avatar Innovation’s Ignite 2023 Program. Moreover, she mentors a CFA candidate as part of the 2023 mentorship program.

Dania has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and is a CFA charter holder since October 2021. She is also an active member of the Member Services Committee at the CFA Society Calgary.

In her spare time, Dania likes to go hiking, playing badminton, basketball, and poker.

Amreen Sodhi

Head of Digital Product: Payments and Rewards | Scotiabank

12+ years of leading teams in Digital Product Management to launch innovative technology and financial products. Extensive experience in Payments, Lending and Automotive finance domains.

Alexis Pappas

Chief Innovation Officer | GuildOne

James Graham

CEO | GuildOne Inc.

GuildOne Inc. is a leading provider of innovative technology solutions that help organizations better understand and use data to enhance business performance. Driven by its SynergyDNA technology, solutions are designed to transform complex data from various systems into valuable information assets that are easily understood, shared, and exploited to enhance business performance.

Integrated solutions include software and services enabling organizations to acquire a clearer understanding of operations, make more informed business decisions, identify gaps and streamline business processes, recover lost revenue, yield better bottom line results and achieve compliance. Flagship products include SynergyStudio cross-system data exploitation software and FacilityStudio data-driven measurement schematic software.

Founded in 2001, GuildOne is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Luticia Miller

Chief Executive Officer | NineIrons Solutions

Passionate about ecologic/economic sustainability in industry, and ardent supporter of Canada’s energy transformation. 20 years Industrial Construction. Proud Metis, proud Canadian.

Business Building • Facilitation • Strategic Solutions • Production Analytics • Leadership • Speaking • Launching

Dan Rickard

Chief Innovation Officer | Nature's Vault

Chief Innovation Officer at Nature’s Vault
Passionate Entrepreneur. Product Evangelist.

Manavi Garg

Head of Strategic Partnerships | dClimate

Manavi Garg is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at dClimate, where she leads strategic collaborations with leading companies around ESG and sustainability. Manavi previously worked with Deloitte’s Economic Advisory and Strategy and Operations teams, where she worked on ESG projects, in addition to leading other business development and strategy initiatives for c-suite clients. Manavi has been following blockchain technology for many years, having completed a thesis on understanding the relation between social media activity and price volatility of Bitcoin. Manavi has been an active volunteer since a young age, having led initiatives for women and young girls, in increasing awareness about technology and career opportunities for women in business. Manavi is also a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, involving work with local communities around sustainability, improving conditions of living and engaging in social projects among other activities, which led to Manavi’s interest in the ESG and sustainability space. Manavi has also worked in the public sector at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Canadian Dairy Commission on policy decisions around Canada’s natural assets. 

Wayne Logan

Partner | Miller Thomson LLP

Wayne Logan, an experienced Intellectual Property specialist, leads the firm’s focused area of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Smart Contract.  He is also co-leader working in the areas of Entertainment and Media law. When you have a question about the blockchain, entertainment and media industries, you can trust Wayne has the answer, or can get it and he will be happy to share it with you.   Wayne knows how to support and work with the genius that drives entrepreneurs, software developers, musicians, authors, athletes and celebrities to excel.  Wayne’s passion and creativity is what fuels his drive to continuously advance his clients’ careers and business plans.

Martin Delaney

Sr. Vice President, ESG Transactions | Gallagher Insurance

A specialist in developing innovative solutions for business risk and ESG challenges, Martin has a diverse background in financial risk management, structured surety solutions like On-Demand Payment bonds (ODP), trade credit and cyber security, with expertise in the financial and energy sectors that includes product development. As Sr. Vice President of ESG Transactions at leading global insurance firm Gallagher, he is engaged in building a new generation of carbon and sustainability products to help organizations meet the demands of accelerating climate risks and regulatory pressures. 

Demien Newman

Founder and CEO | Greenworks ESG

A veteran sales executive with over 20 years in the Canadian energy sector, Demian experienced the nuanced and complex world of environmental reporting, sustainability optics and business ethics from the perspective of an industry insider. Frustrated by issues of poor data reporting and insufficient storytelling, in 2019 he founded GreenWorks ESG, a platform designed to increase transparency by making it easier for any size company to track, manage, and validate their true ESG impacts. GreenWorks ESG is built on the belief that ESG is the key to building real, tangle, quantitative substance into Sustainability reporting.

Melissa Smith

Partner | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

Melissa is a partner in the Securities and Capital Markets Group in BLG’s Calgary office. Melissa focuses her practice on corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations of public and private issuers including take-over bids, amalgamations and plans of arrangement. She also advises clients on financing transactions including public and private offerings of debt, equity and convertible securities, and compliance with corporate and securities regulatory requirements and drafting of a large number of corporate and commercial documents including governance documents, shareholder agreements and other business agreements.

In addition, Melissa assists with plans of arrangement, mergers, acquisitions and other business combinations, prepares a wide variety of commercial, securities and corporate documents, and conducts due diligence on behalf of issuers, agents and underwriters in a variety of contexts.

Melissa is the Chair of the BLG’s Calgary Student Committee.

Ashley Wright

Founder & CEO | The Wright Success & Crypto Strategy Academy

Ashley is the creator of the Crypto Strategy Academy, a 7-week Crypto & Blockchain coaching program, author of “The Crypto Strategy Workbook for Youth”, co-founder of Crypto Babes, a community for women in Web3 and Black Web3 Collective, an initiative to increase the representation of the Black community in Web3. 

Alexis Pappas

Chief Innovation Officer | GuildOne

Pamela Draper

President and Chief Executive Officer | Bitvo

Pamela Draper is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bitvo Inc., a crypto asset trading platform launched in Canada in 2018 (entered agreement to be acquired by FTX Trading Limited in June 2022, transaction pending). Prior to joining Pateno and Bitvo, Pamela spent approximately 14 years with top tier Canadian banks, in the areas of corporate and investment banking. Most recently Pamela held the position of Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Equity Capital Markets group in Toronto where she was responsible for assisting North American corporate clients raising capital in public and private markets. Pamela obtained an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Current voluntary positions include acting as a Director for the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and for the Calgary Public Library Foundation. Pamela also serves as an Advisory Committee Member to Rallie, a financial technology company on a mission to get more women investing.

Andrea King

Head of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships | Verafin

Andrea is the Head of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at Verafin, an anti-financial crime platform that helps financial institutions and crypto companies with regulatory compliance and detecting criminal activities. 

She is a thought leader on topics including crypto regulation, anti-money laundering, human trafficking and information sharing for financial institutions. 

Andrea brings a global perspective from working in over 25 countries and experience building corporate partnerships that elevate customer experiences and provide mutually beneficial outcomes. 

A passionate supporter of female founders and building the community of women investors, Andrea sits on the board of the Atlantic Women’s Venture Foundation and is currently launching the Atlantic Women’s Angel Fund. 

She has an M.A. in International Relations, an MBA from London Business School and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Janine Moir

Digital Assurance Leader | Deloitte

Janine is passionate about technology and the impact of emerging technologies, like Blockchain, are having on finance teams and businesses. Janine is a founding member of the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women (CBAW.io) and a board member of the Alberta Blockchain Consortium (ABC). At Deloitte, Janine collaborates with clients on Blockchain education and assurance, technology assessments, process improvements, and process analysis and redesign.

Vickram Agarwal

Chief Marketing Officer | Credit Canada

Vickram Agarwal is a digital and technology entrepreneur who founded Daddy’s Digest, an online platform that bridges the parenting gap through the creation of expert and user generated content. Raised in India and the Middle East, educated in the UK, he started his marketing career with General Motors in Dubai.

In 2011, he founded Stroke 

Consulting, a Strategy & Digital Marketing Consultancy with a client portfolio that included brands like GMC, Chevrolet, Kawasaki, Fiat and MasterCard. In 2019, he moved to Canada with his wife and daughter and took the helm of the Black Rock Marketing Group as Partner & Managing Director.

More recently, he is the Chief Marketing Officer at Credit Canada, the country’s first and longest-standing non-profit credit counselling agency. Their mission is to help people get out of debt so they can get back into life

Brown Eagle

Founder & CEO | Decolonized Capital

Brown Eagle is the CEO and Founder of Decolonized Capital. Supporting digital identity and banking as a service for indigenous peoples and communities. Eliminating predatory financial institutions from holding their customer’s value against them to receive their assets. Decolonized Capital supports digital identity, utilizing blockchain technology and the rest of the blockchain ecosystem. Brown Eagle has many life experiences from the start of his childhood, which makes him separate from the rest, he is solving social issues he once lived with himself. Brown Eagle started as a community helper, working his way to a CEO of a fintech company. He believes crypto and the blockchain ecosystem will solve the long-waited gaps that outside infrastructure could not fulfill.

Jennifer Edgar

Client Executive, Commercial Lines | NFP Canada

Experienced professional with a demonstrated history in the the Commercial Risk Management & Insurance industry – building strong connections with the global market, as well as clients from all industry spaces.

I excel in technical sales and communication skills, with a focus on developing relationships through all levels of the business community internally and externally. I thrive on working within a team, helping to create unique and creative solutions.

Skilled in Negotiation, Analytical Skills, Sales, Team Building, and Teamwork.

Tamie Dolny

Associate | Aird & Berlis LLP

Corporate insolvency litigator, cross-listed between Financial Services (Insolvency & Restructuring) and Litigation at Aird & Berlis LLP, with a practice emphasis on complex commercial restructuring and enforcement proceedings

Anish Kamboj

Corporate Tax Associate | Miller Thomson LLP

Anish Kamboj is an associate in the Miller Thomson LLP corporate tax group. He is one of the few Canadian lawyers whose practice is in tax law (tax litigation, corporate tax and international tax planning) and the digital asset space. Anish regularly advises clients on their crypto-related concerns. He presents and publishes on the taxation of crypto-assets with his publications cited by the National Insolvency Review, the Practitioner’s Income Tax Act, Canada Tax Service, and Taxes & Wealth Management (a Thomson Reuters quarterly newsletter). His goal is to shed light on this developing area while keeping Canadians informed of the tax implications of their personal and business activity. Anish can be reached at akamboj@millerthomson.com.

Sophia Cote

Head of Policy and Communications | Shakepay

Steve Oliver

Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Calgary | Tetra Trust

Member

Anne Ramsay

FinTech/Crypto Advisor | Ramsay Advisors

Anne is a lawyer and financial services veteran, most recently focused on innovation, FinTech and digital assets.  Anne currently helps private companies with regulatory, compliance, risk management, governance and scale up.

Andrea King

Head of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships | Verafin

Andrea is the Head of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at Verafin, an anti-financial crime platform that helps financial institutions and crypto companies with regulatory compliance and detecting criminal activities. 

She is a thought leader on topics including crypto regulation, anti-money laundering, human trafficking and information sharing for financial institutions. 

Andrea brings a global perspective from working in over 25 countries and experience building corporate partnerships that elevate customer experiences and provide mutually beneficial outcomes. 

A passionate supporter of female founders and building the community of women investors, Andrea sits on the board of the Atlantic Women’s Venture Foundation and is currently launching the Atlantic Women’s Angel Fund. 

She has an M.A. in International Relations, an MBA from London Business School and is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

Pascal St-Jean

President | 3iQ Corp.

I believe in helping create opportunities to help businesses unleash their true potential and as such, I work with founders & entrepreneurs, who recognize the value of investing in personal and professional growth, not only for their own benefit, but also for that of their employees and customers. My focus is helping companies grow faster, easier, with less risk.

As a serial entrepreneur, I understand the importance of leadership development, team culture building, strategic thinking, and clear operational processes. My long-term vision is simple, yet ambitious – to lead and inspire businesses and their teams so they can reach their full potential. I have done so over the past 20 years, largely by facilitating the understanding and development of the kind of strategic thinking, planning, and execution that helps businesses to succeed.

Laure Fouin

Partner, Co-Chair, Digital Assets and Blockchain | Osler

Laure is the co-head of the Digital Assets and Blockchain group and a partner in Osler’s Montréal office. Her practice focuses on financial institutions, financial products and services regulation, securities regulation and investment products (including crypto assets and crypto contracts), structured finance and debt capital markets (DCM). As such she notably helps her clients navigate digitization and ESG strategic and regulatory matters.

Laure is regularly called to share her expertise on matters relating to the use of blockchain technology, cryptoassets, digital tokens, artificial intelligence in financial services, regulatory and compliance issues relating to financial services entities and financial products, including banks and investment funds. She is also recognised as a Rising star in Banking and Finance by IFLR 1000: Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, ‘One to Watch’ in Corporate Governance by Best Lawyers Canada and won IFLR 1000’s Rising Stars Awards Americas 2020.

Julie Bogle

Partner in the Securities and Capital Markets Group | Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Julie is a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and is a member of BLG’s Securities and Capital Markets Group and Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Group. Julie acts for public and private companies in connection with mergers & acquisitions, initial public offerings, corporate financings, corporate reorganizations and compliance matters. Julie represents a growing number of technology companies, and has helped cryptocurrency companies become publicly listed on the NEO, TSX Venture Exchange and CSE. She is the founder of the Driven by Women Initiative and dedicated to helping more women get into leadership positions.

Joshua Weiss

Enterprise Sales Team Lead | Elliptic

Joshua Weiss, CAIA, leads the Americas sales team for Elliptic, the global leader in crypto compliance. Prior to joining Elliptic, Josh spent 7 years at Bloomberg as Relationship Manager, where he oversaw the firm’s relationships with hedge funds in NYC and the Mid-Atlantic region. 

Kunal Bhasin, MBA, CISA, CBP, CCI

Director & Co-Leader, Cryptoassets & Blockchain CoE Advisory Services | KPMG LLP

Kunal is the Director and Co-Leader of KPMG Canada’s Cryptoassets and Blockchain CoE. He possesses over 10 years of experience conducting and leading compliance and risk assessments, and technology audits for crypto, fintec, TradFi, and technology sectors.

Didier Lavallee

Chief Executive Officer | Tetra Trust

Didier has spent the last 16 years in capital markets and asset servicing experience across Canada and the US. Prior to becoming CEO of Tetra, Didier held various leadership positions at the Royal Bank of Canada including Head of Canadian Custody Product for RBC I&TS. Before that, Didier also ran RBC I&TS North American FX Sales Trading team, FX Product and held various roles in capital markets with RBC, UBS and Genuity. Didier holds a B.A. in Finance and Administrative Studies from Western University.

Pamela Draper

President and Chief Executive Officer | Bitvo Inc and Pateno Payments Inc

Pamela Draper is the President and CEO of Pateno Payments Inc., a firm that provides development solutions in the payments space, as well as the President and CEO of Bitvo Inc., a crypto asset trading platform launched in Canada in 2018. Prior to joining Pateno and Bitvo, Pamela spent approximately 14 years with top tier Canadian banks, in the areas of corporate and investment banking. Most recently Pamela held the position of Director in BMO Capital Markets’ Equity Capital Markets group in Toronto where she was responsible for assisting North American corporate clients raising capital in public and private markets. Pamela obtained an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. Current voluntary positions include acting as a Director for the Canadian Blockchain Association for Women and for the Calgary Public Library Foundation. Pamela also serves as an Advisory Committee Member to Rallie, a financial technology company on a mission to get more women investing.

Adam Cai

Chief Executive Officer | VirgoCX

Dean Skurka

President | Bitbuy/Wonderfi

dean@bitbuy.ca

Farhan Memon

Vice President, Digital Asset and Block Chain Product Management | Mastercard

Experienced product management executive with a demonstrated history of creating innovative websites and apps in Fintech and Digital Media. Extensive knowledge in Financial Services and Card Payments, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Advertising, and Social Media. Strong entrepreneurship background with a JD focused in Law from Golden Gate University School of Law.

Lucas Matheson

Country Director (Canada) | Coinbase

Hashim Mitha

CEO | MeetAmi

We are witnessing the evolution of our financial services sector and the emergence of digital assets. The amazing team at MeetAmi Innovations is building for the future… A platform to empower Wealth Management Advisors to transact in digital assets and to meet the evolving demands of their clients.

Chris Zuehlke

Global Head | Cumberland DRW

I am a Partner at DRW, where I serve as the Global Head of Cumberland, a global leader in crypto assets and a subsidiary of DRW.

Proven leader in operational excellence with extensive experience building trading operations from the ground up. Skilled in software development, trade research, automated and OTC trading, compliance, operations, market structure and regulation design.

Giles Anderson

Digital Asset Sales and Relationship Management VP @ Fidelity Clearing Canada | Fidelity Clearing Canada

I lead the sales of our IIROC and OSC approved Crypto Assets trading and custody platform in Canada. FCC is Canada’s first IIROC approved dealer for Crypto Assets and, as Carrying Broker, we offer our Crypto Assets platform as a service to other investment dealers and institutional investors. We are compliant for Crypto Assets under both IIROC and NI 81-102 (we can custody for investment funds).

Lisa Durnford

Director, Crypto Compliance and Product Risk | Wealthsimple

I have experience in risk management, compliance, product management and design, legal research, managing teams, building partnerships with strong values alignment, advocacy, negotiating, and event planning. I love tackling a new challenge, incorporating creativity into every role, and helping teammates and communities grow in any way that I can.

Mark Greenberg

Managing Director (Canada) | Kraken

I am the Managing Director, Canada for Kraken Digital Asset Exchange. Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrency so that you and the rest of the world can achieve financial freedom and inclusion.

I am known for jumping into the white spaces of an organization, solving problems where no one’s succeeded before and identifying opportunities that were previously unnoticed. I do this because I’m unsatisfied with the status quo, both professionally and personally.

Jonathan White, CBP, CRC

FinTech Management Consultant | Jonathan White

Jonathan has been a key stakeholder managing global payments, cryptocurrencies, and AML/KYC compliance for financial services firms for 20+ years.  A founder of Payline Financial Inc., a successful online global payments company, and a crypto exchange startup in Latin America, he is known for his strategic vision, analytical mindset, and ability to navigate complex business landscapes.  He is a trusted advisor to executive teams and successfully guided organizations through periods of transformation.

Lili Infante

CEO | CAT Labs

Lili Infante is the CEO of CAT Labs building digital asset recovery and cybersecurity tools to fight crypto crime. She spent the last decade as a Special Agent at the US Department of Justice, DEA chasing crypto criminals, and leading some of the most prolific crypto cases in history, to include the takedown of Hydra Market – the largest and longest dark web market in the world accounting for over 80% of all dark web cryptocurrency transactions.

Brent Bowden

Financial, Tax and Regulatory Account Exec | Chainalysis

Sean Tweed, CFE, CAMS, CCAS, CCI

Cryptocurrency and Fraud Investigator | The Preston Matthews Group Inc.

Sean is a Cryptocurrency and Fraud Investigator at The Preston Matthews Group and has received certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, and a Certified Cryptoasset Anti-Financial Crime Specialist. Sean’s work predominantly focuses on helping individuals who have fallen victim to cryptocurrency romance, pig butchering, and investment scams.

Lorne Lantz

Founder | Breadcrumbs

Lorne Lantz is the founder of Breadcrumbs, the crypto investigation tool. He co-authored the book, “Mastering Blockchain”, and has produced educational videos on blockchain. With almost a decade worth of blockchain experience spanning from Silicon Valley to Asia, Lorne has founded several startups from a Bitcoin remittance service, a cryptocurrency wallet, a Bitcoin Point of Sale system, to a crypto trading platform. Lorne has a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Manitoba and an MBA from McMaster University.