About Kristi Knowles:

Kristi Knowles is the Chief Executive Officer of Mother Raw, a brand of delicious, organic, plant-based products with a mission to encourage everyone, everywhere to eat more plants! This mission anchors Kristi’s focus to lead the Mother Raw brand to success in Canada and the US. In 2020, she led a fundraise effort, securing $8.1M (CAN) and under her leadership the brand has grown from 300 retail listings in 2018, to 3500 listings across North America as of 2021, and from a line-up of 10 products to 25 products.

With more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive with S&P 500 companies including Unilever, Campbell’s and Molson Coors, Kristi is known for building brands, innovation, strategic acumen, and executional excellence. As CEO, defining the vision, building the team and culture, and designing the overall brand experience unites her years of business experience with her dedication to personal wellness and wellness-related initiatives. Beyond business, she is also an Advisory Board member with The Heart and Stroke Foundation and also with Plant-Based Foods of Canada.

About Balmoral Multicultural Marketing:

Balmoral Multicultural Marketing is a full-service multicultural marketing agency helping clients target Canada’s growing multicultural communities. We are a strategic, holistic, knowledgeable and action-driven agency. We assist clients to build brands, promote offerings and deepen relationships within these diverse communities.

Balmoral is celebrating our 32nd anniversary and we are recognized as a leading multicultural marketing specialist agency. Our team is multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-functional.

Our strength is the breadth and depth of our experience and best practices. Our leadership team is on top of current trends and behaviours of these new markets, to develop strategies for our clients through a cultural lens to effectively resonate with immigrant markets.

About Arthur Fleischmann:

Arthur co-founded john st. advertising in 2001. After growing into one of Canada's top independent shops, john st. joined the WPP network in 2013. Over the next five years, john st. continue to thrive winning creative accolades, Agency of the Year medals and new business. With over 150 employees and offices in Toronto and Montreal, john st. is one of WPP's largest and most successful brands in Canada.

In 2019 Arthur was promoted to Group CEO, overseeing the operations of john st., Ogilvy and Ogilvy Health Canada. In January 2021, Arthur added the role of Country Manager to help deliver WPP's extensive technology, CE&C and communications offerings to Canadian clients and improve collaboration among its agency brands.

Arthur brings his sense-making skills, vision for innovative service and products and pursuit of building high functional teams to some of Canada's most successful blue chip clients in retail, package goods, financial services, automotive and healthcare.

Born in the US, Arthur received his Honours BA in Economics and English Literature from Brandeis University in 1984. After several years in sales at Xerox Corporation in the Boston region, he earned his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, concentrating on Finance and Marketing.

About Dr. Chitra Anand:

Dr. Chitra Anand is an award winning communications & marketing executive. With over 20 years in the technology industry, she has spent time as the head of Communications for Microsoft Canada, Director of Marketing at TELUS Corporation and Director of Operations at Open Text.

Currently, Dr. Anand leads ESG and Impact with Clariti Strategic Advisors and is a Professor with Centennial College.

About Alan Middleton:

Alan spent 26 years working in marketing and advertising in 6 countries finishing as  a Board Director of the global J. Walter Thompson advertising agency and President/CEO of its agency in Japan. Then following his PhD in marketing he joined the Schulich School of Business in Toronto where for 20 years he was head of their Executive Education Centre and. Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Marketing.

He has been on the AMA Mentor Exchange since its inception and has been a mentor for them every year over the last 12 years. He sits on boards, teaches, consults and was the author of the book “Mentorship Matters - Now More than Ever” published by AMA Toronto.