Speakers
Rishard Rameez
Co-founder and CEO of Zown | Revolutionizing Real Estate
Imagine transforming a financial nightmare into a groundbreaking solution embraced by over a million Reddit users. That’s my journey. After saving for years and taking loans from my family to secure a mortgage, I finally achieved my dream of owning a house at 27. However, this joy was quickly overshadowed by the harsh reality of suffocating mortgage payments and the relentless demands of startup life. Just seven months later, I had to sell my home, navigating through a frustrating process of failed deals and ineffective marketing.
But from this challenging experience, Zown was born—a revolutionary real estate platform designed to empower and transform the home-buying and selling experience. Say goodbye to hefty commission fees and hello to a more cost-effective, efficient journey to homeownership!
Zown bridges the gap between first-time home sellers and buyers, slashing the time to homeownership by over 70% with our inventive down payment assistance program and AI-powered realtor services. We're on a mission to reshape the Canadian homeownership landscape, making it more accessible and less daunting.
If you've faced similar struggles in buying or selling a home, or if you're a first-time homebuyer looking to eliminate the usual challenges, I'd love to connect. Drop me a personal DM, and let's make your homeownership dreams a reality!
Sanjay Singhal
Author, Founder Audiobooks.com
Erin Smirle
Director, Partner Sales, Cisco Canada
Ali Afshari
Experienced Cybersecurity Leader @Fortinet Canada | Sales, Security Strategy
As the VP of Security at Fortinet Canada, Ali Ashari leads the comprehensive security strategy and direction for the Canada Central Commercial market, prioritizing solutions that drive positive business outcomes for customers. With over 18 years of experience in cybersecurity, Ali has cultivated deep expertise in securing infrastructure, healthcare systems, education, and government sectors, as well as collaborating with service providers in the financial services industry.
Ali is passionate about mentoring and developing talent within his team and throughout the organization. He believes that having a clear purpose enhances performance, and his team's mission is to #SecureTheNorth, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the impact they can make in the broader community. For Ali, cybersecurity transcends a mere job; it embodies a responsibility to leverage knowledge in service of those around them. Fortinet stands as the largest cybersecurity vendor globally and the largest employer of cybersecurity professionals in Canada.
Sylvia Ng
ReturnBear, CEO
Noureen Syed
Partner at IBM- Microsoft Practice
Empowering a team of Data, AI & Automation experts to help customers accelerate adoption of solutions to catalyze impact to their organization, businesses, people and their end customers!
Ozan Isinak
President, Keiretsu Forum Canada
Ozan is a serial entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years of international experience within the angel investment, venture capital and private equity sectors. Based out of Silicon Valley during the first dotcom boom in the 1990’s, Ozan worked closely with Fortune 1000 companies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Toronto, Hamburg, Stockholm, London and Istanbul. Ozan later acted as General Partner in various angel investment and private equity practices.
He is currently the President of Keiretsu Forum Canada, the world’s largest angel investment network operating on four continents. The global network specializes in syndication of deals and invested over $84 million USD into 168 early stage companies in 2018 alone.
Ozan also holds a Managing Partner position in Trendwell Ventures Inc., a Toronto based boutique M&A practice. He actively participates in portfolio investment decisions and helps technology enabled companies scale through hands-on management toward exit transactions.
Ozan received his MBA in Finance from the University of San Francisco – McLaren School of Business in 1998 and holds a double major in Economics & Political Science from the University of Western Ontario (1994). He speaks English, Turkish and French.
Walid Al Hilaly
Founder & CEO, Zoom Zoom
Walid Al Hilaly is the founder of Zoom Innovations Inc. Walid started the company in 2012, he was a student at Brock University studying computer science and working part-time as a pizza delivery driver. On weekends numerous students from the university would ask for short rides around the town, as other taxi services were expensive he began driving students on weekends. Walid saw an opportunity and decided to leave his studies and pursue his business full time. He hired friends and family, and was able to scale the business from students to all the locals in the region. ZoomZoom started from a grassroots setting. Through hard work, dedication and consistently pleasing customers, ZoomZoom has built its brand from the ground up.
For over a decade ZoomZoom has been dominating the Niagara Region's market in transportation services. With over 500,000 rides completed and working with 500+ drivers, he has taken his strong business model and turned it into Niagara’s safest and most affordable ride-share service.
Walid grew up in the Niagara Region, he had the vision of the ride sharing company in 2012 when he started the business. In 2018, ZoomZoom was granted ridesharing insurance from Northbridge the first company allowing insurance for small businesses and the mobile app was born. He is a hard worker with a passion for technology innovation. He plans to help the community at large while creating job opportunities in the region. Walid promotes that one should always believe in your dreams. He believes it’s never too late to follow your dreams. He empowers and encourages dream chasers to keep achieving.
Neha Khera
Venture Capital || Early-stage Investor
Neha has been an early-stage investor for over a decade, having led investments in over 60 companies, including Applyboard, Mejuri, Benchsci and Fightcamp. Most recently Neha was General Partner at 2048 Ventures, a NY-based early stage fund. Prior to that, Neha was co-founder and General Partner of 500 Startups Canada. She has also held senior roles at MaRS IAF and Scotiabank.
Neha is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She serves on the Dean's Advisory Council for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is also a mentor to female engineering students and startups.
Neha holds a BASc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Richard Ivey Business School.
Kevin Bourne
Founder, SHIFTER Agency
As a former Organizational Development consultant and political communications advisor turned corporate strategist, Kevin Bourne possesses expertise in multicultural marketing and youth engagement, assisting companies in building authentic connections with diverse audiences while achieving their marketing and revenue goals.
As the founder of SHIFTER Agency, he has created vibrant, high-quality corporate media assets, including video content series and social media graphics, which reinforce clients' personal and corporate brands, helping them stand out from the competition. With a background as a writer and strategist, his work has been published or featured in notable outlets such as CBC, CityNews, CTV, and more. Kevin collaborates closely with leaders to develop compelling thought leadership articles that establish personal brands, build trust with audiences, increase influence, and generate profitable conversations.
Carlos Chalico
EY, Cybersecurity and Privacy
Carlos is a cybersecurity and privacy professional. He joined EY in Mexico in 1996 and left to move to Canada in 2012. At that time, he joined Ouest Business Solutions and Led the East coast operations for them, in 2016 he moved to Nymity, and returned to EY In 2018.
In addition to being part of EY, Carlos is an instructor for the UofT School of Continuing Studies where he teaches cybersecurity and privacy. He also volunteers for ISACA, (ISC)2 and IAPP. He’s an active member of the Latin community supporting different organizations while leading the Toronto chapter of the Association of Latinx Professionals for America (ALPFA). In his free time, he enjoys riding his bike (not in winter), reading, writing, walking the dog, and playing drums at a hidden bar in the GTA.
Calvin Chiu
National Cybersecurity Partner Business Development Manager, Cisco Canada
Calvin is an accomplished professional with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, with a primary focus on cybersecurity. He currently serves as the National Cybersecurity Partner Business Development Manager at Cisco Canada.
Throughout his extensive career, Calvin has held key roles at reputable organizations, including TELUS, BearingPoint, Spanlink, UNIS LUMIN, and Avaya. His deep industry knowledge and diverse background have uniquely positioned him as a trusted expert in the field of cybersecurity.
Calvin is a valued 11-year veteran at Cisco, where he has gained a reputation for his exceptional understanding of partners' businesses. He is known for his dedication to helping partners thrive by enabling their growth in Cisco and security practices. His strategic insights and collaborative approach have played a pivotal role in driving success for both Cisco and its valued partners.
Calvin's commitment to the industry and his passion for cybersecurity make him a vital asset to the technology ecosystem in Canada. His wealth of experience and dedication to fostering partnerships contribute significantly to the growth and security of businesses in the region. Connect with Calvin to tap into his expertise and drive forward your cybersecurity initiatives.
Fatima Khamitova
Director, Startups and Scaleups, Vector Institute
Fatima has over 10 years of experience in AI through consulting, marketing, and startups. Currently, she leads the Startups and Scaleups teams at Vector Institute, Canada's leading AI research facility.
She has advised a diverse range of clients in retail, entertainment, and financial institutions on topics related to AI, digital transformation, and analytics.
As a strategic thinker, Fatima transforms customer experiences using AI-based tools. She develops and implements comprehensive roadmaps for her clients, covering a full spectrum of services from marketing and operational tactics to sound financial decision-making, all aimed at ensuring her clients' success.
Additionally, she is a public speaker, presenting at universities and schools, client events, and panels.
Abhishek Arora
Founder, Y Delay
Bio Coming soon!
