Canada’s Entrepreneur

Matt Lowe is co-founder and CEO of ZeroKey which produces transformational IoT sensor technology that provides wire-area, real-time, and millimetre-level 3D tracking across large spaces and buildings.

Marc Lafleur founded truLOCAL, an online marketplace that connects health conscious consumers to local suppliers, giving them a more convenient way to access clean, locally raised meat products. All orders are placed online with the ability to select everything from box size to frequency of deliveries, including the contents of each box. truLocal ships Shipping all across Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, truLOCAL is a game changer to the relatively slow-moving meat industry. Marc is an Honours grad in Health Sciences from University of Waterloo.

Paul Bain is the Tea Captain at JusTea, the first farmer-direct tea partnership between Kenya and Canada. Born and raised in Vancouver, Paul is passionate to connect tea drinkers with the small-scale farmer who made their cup possible. JusTea’s healthy new Purple Tea won the top food and beverage award in BC in 2018: Gold Medal for "Product of the Year".

In 2013 Lauren Shirreffs founded 2Social after recognizing an opportunity in the market to connect consumers with celebrated brands and multi-locational businesses though online communities. In 2017, 2Social opened its second office in Santa Monica, California, to focus on growth in the American marketplace and continue to best service our American clients. Lauren is passionate about community, and exploring ways to utilize social media to communicate positive messages and shed light on meaningful conversations. Lauren now divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles and is fuelled by an insatiable drive for success (And coffee. So much coffee).

Merissa Myles is the Co-Founder of Tree Island Gourmet Yogurt. Based in the Comox Valley, she is sending waves from Vancouver Island and shaking up the yogurt aisle at grocery stores with her grass-fed, gourmet products. She studied Communication & Community Economic Development at SFU. Her lifework is focused on building healthy communities through business. At Tree Island Yogurt she works with stakeholders throughout the food system from farmers to production staff, customers and chefs. Merissa is a Top 40 Foodie Under 40 and recipient of the BC Food Processors Product of the Year award.