Arlene Dickinson is a serial entrepreneur and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a venture capital fund focused on helping market, fund and grow entrepreneurs and their companies, in the food and health space. She is a three-time best-selling author, podcaster and accomplished public speaker. Dickinson is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon/Venture Capitalist for over 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning CBC television series, Dragons Den.

Ms. Dickinson’s leadership has been recognized many times, including Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Hall of Fame, the Pinnacle Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, as well as PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Business Owners. She is a Marketing Hall of Legends inductee and a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award. Dickinson has served for many years as an Honourary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy. She sits on several public and private boards and is actively involved in supporting community and country.

As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre. As the driving force behind the development of over 100 million books sold through the Chicken Soup® franchise, Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success. His proven formula for success reached global acclaim with his most recent National Bestseller and 10th Anniversary of “The Success Principles™: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.” This new standard in self-improvement has powerful principles for success used by top achievers!

Kristina Kuzmic is a cheerleader for her fellow humans. It’s not something she ever anticipated doing, but after immigrating to America from Croatia during the war in her homeland and later facing more challenges (divorce, single parenting, poverty, mental health challenges), Kristina’s goal became clear: to be for others what she needed when she was at her lowest. Now, with well over one billion video views, Kristina is providing her audience with encouragement, hope and humor in a role she never expected to fill.

 In 2011, when Oprah crowned Kristina the winner of Mark Burnett’s reality TV competition “Oprah’s Search for the Next TV Star,” Oprah said, “What is that THING…that’s so charming and charismatic and connected to the audience that makes you feel like, ‘I know her, I want to be her, I’m like her’… Kristina has all of that. She is an ‘IT PLUS’ girl… I wanna watch her!” 

Since working with Oprah, Kristina has branched out on her own, creating videos about juggling all of life’s challenges, and encouraging her audience to prioritize their mental health. She has quickly become a viral sensation with 2.9 million Facebook followers and well over half a million Instagram followers. Kristina recently completed a national comedy tour where she performed her “Hope & Humor” show in 50 cities across the country. She is also a sought after international keynote speaker who has a unique way of connecting with audiences of all ages. Her first book, Hold On But Don’t Hold Still, was released through Penguin Random House in February 2020, and made it on multiple bestseller lists. It has been translated in seven languages so far. Kristina recently signed a publishing deal for her second book, I Can Fix This! (And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself), which is expected to be released in 2023.

Corliss Rassyle is a coffee-drinking, nature-loving, serial entrepreneur, and Mom of 3. Corliss was born the third of eight children to a working-class farming family in rural Saskatchewan. Before starting a consulting business, she spent three decades working in a direct sales organization coaching, mentoring, and training thousands of independent entrepreneurs to meet their personal goals. Over time, she felt called to extend her coaching and speaking to others, which led her to starting her Company, Corliss Co.  

Corliss has been a student of world-renowned leaders such as Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Brene Brown, Rachel Hollis and Lewis Howes. Corliss is a Canadian inspirational speaker, a certified Success Principles Coach and Dare to Lead trainer. She is the best-selling author of the book Lead Your Life; How to Live With Purpose, Passion and Confidence and the host of one of Canada’s most popular self-improvement podcasts, Conversations With Corliss.

Afua is a leadership disruptor. Her unconventional life path as a woman of colour, growing up in a rural community and navigating the world of work through start-ups and multinational corporations alike, is why she claims she can relate to almost anyone. Born in Ghana, raised in Canada, Afua discovered the world of entrepreneurship through direct sales while she was working as a pharmaceutical engineer and completing her graduate program in pharmacology. It was during this transition that she learned how to embrace her authentic self, develop leaders, and use her voice to empower others. She is dedicated to causes that promote and uplift individuals whose life choices are limited by their circumstances.

In addition to being a sought-after leadership speaker, Afua runs a boutique executive search firm, advises the McGill University Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and mentors young professionals in their careers.

Throughout her career, Afua has worked with, and coached hundreds of leaders to increase their revenues, develop their teams and achieve record breaking success in their companies. Her people-first approach has become her signature in driving results for those who want to become top performers. She describes her coaching style as “no-nonsense with love” and attributes this to her pragmatic way of viewing life, using real experiences as learning milestones. When she’s not working, Afua enjoys spending time with her husband, their 2 sons, extended family, and friends. Even with a full life, those who know Afua know that she is always available for a meme, a mini cupcake, a tropical destination, or a good story.

Dr. Murray Howe is the author of the National Bestseller, Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father. He is also a recipient of the University of Michigan’s prized Avery Hopwood Award for journalism. He is head of Sports Medicine Imaging for Toledo Radiological Associates and Promedica Health System Sports Care program. He is an associate clinical professor at the University of Toledo Medical Center. He has four decades of experience as a keynote speaker across Canada and the US covering various topics including sports medicine, health and wellness, and hockey. And happens to be the youngest son of hockey legend, Gordie Howe.

Rather than an Entrepreneur, Laurie calls herself an Adventurpreneur... Meet Laurie Renton, an entrepreneur who ran her Insurance and Investment firm for over 25 years. As a lifelong learner, she has taken a unique approach to create wealth, prosperity, and growth around money, which led her to win a YWCA Women of Distinction award in the category of entrepreneurship and innovation in 2016. She is also a CPCA Certified, Certified Coach Practitioner, Professional Leadership Trainer, Miracle Minded Coach as well as a DreamBuilder Coach.

Laurie believes when you allow money to be your teacher, you will eventually recognize that you are directly impacted by your own wealth and prosperity. Laurie was a financial advisor, and she incorporated a holistic approach to her practice, adding coaching and personalities to guide people through their blocks. Laurie is an empowering woman who is on a path to help make the world a better place by being the change you want to see in the world.

Allan is a mental health advocate, international keynote speaker, and best-selling author of four books. His writing has been published in countless national magazines and he has been featured on several television and radio programs. He has also instructed various mental health related courses at the college level, and spent years working as an addiction counselor and clinical case manager.

Allan is one of Canada’s most sought-after speakers when it comes to the topic of mental health and wellness. He has stood on more than 500 stages and is recognized for his engaging style and captivating approach. Having persevered through his own mental health issues and addiction, Allan speaks from a place of experience. His moving stories tug on heartstrings, inspire a new perspective, and allow people to connect with themselves and others at a deeper level. He uses humor and compassion to create a safe space where people feel seen, heard, and supported. Allan has developed a genuine appreciation and passion for learning and working with Indigenous people and communities. This has played a key role in his own recovery and these cultural teachings can be found in his presentations.

Recently, Allan and his wife, Tanya, launched Born Resilient™ - a clothing line that empowers people to persevere through their challenges and find their inner strength. They are proud to donate a percentage of their profits to organizations that promote wellness. Allan currently resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He shares his life with Tanya, four boys, four dogs, and a tank of fish.