Canada’s Entrepreneur

Jen Ray, Director & Owner of Dancinema. Dancinema is a Canadian and American-based company founded in Vancouver that fuses the arts and industries of Dance & Film through productions, education and events. Next up is the 3rd annual Cascadia Dance & Cinema Festival, happening June 2 and 3 in Vancouver.

Melanie Ewan is Managing Partner at local startup advisory firm, Volition, where she oversees operations and communications, in addition to working with entrepreneurs on funding research and grant writing projects. As COO and Head of Research at Women in Tech World, a national grassroots organization based out of Vancouver. Melanie took to the road for two months this past fall, to provide a platform for Canadian women in tech, and their allies and advocates, to share their experiences and ideas for creating more inclusive and diverse tech communities nationwide. When Melanie isn’t working with clients, colleagues and community members, she can be found traveling.

Diane is an award-winning communications strategist and a sales & marketing expert. She is a master storyteller who has spoken on stages internationally and worked with hundreds of clients to initiate massive growth in their businesses. She has helped clients secure millions of dollars in funding and sales contracts, and initiate change through creating story-based speeches, webinars and investment pitches. Diane is the founder/CEO of “Be a Better Story” business services.

Fergus leads acquisitions and strategic partnerships at Glance Technologies. He has a background in strategic advising and management consulting for startups in Toronto, Vancouver and Silicon Valley. He holds a Master of Finance from the Rotman School of Management at U of T.