Les Haut-Parleurs

Carla is the Human Resources Director at JAK’s Beer Wine & Spirits & Muse Cannabis, overseeing HR operations for 14 locations across BC. She provides strategic support in talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement, and compliance.

With a passion for compassionate leadership and inclusive work cultures, Carla has enhanced employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction. Her focus on growth and development drives organizational success in the competitive retail industry.

Laura is the co-founder of She Summits, where they empower organizations to enhance retail success through innovative customer acquisition and engagement solutions. Their transformative workshops for women have inspired thousands throughout North America at companies like Fjallraven, Athleta, icebreaker, Fairmont Hotels. 

As a Retail Success Consultant and Certified Mindset Coach Laura excels at fostering connections within businesses and between brands and customers. Join her as she moderates a discussion on adapting to shifting consumer demands and exploring creative strategies to elevate in-store shopping experiences.

Rob leads IBM Canada’s Generative AI consulting practice, a team of consultants, data scientists and developers who build leading-edge solutions for IBM clients. His team focuses on leveraging technology from domains like Customer Engagement, Supply Chain, Employee Support, IT Operations and other fields, to revolutionize business processes. IBM Canada’s Generative AI team is currently leading many transformative AI programs for our clients across industries such as Retail, Consumer Products, Travel & Transportation, Financial Services, Public Services and more. 

David is the Founder of Plastic Bank, a globally recognized social fintech that has
redefined prosperity by transforming waste into wealth. His vision addresses two of the
most pressing challenges faced by both people and the planet: poverty and plastic
pollution.
Under David’s leadership, Plastic Bank has opened pathways to prosperity for over
50,000 families living in underserved communities across the Philippines, Indonesia,
Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, and Cameroon by enabling the exchange of over 130 million kilos
of gathered plastic for income and social benefits. His solution offers individuals and
businesses the opportunity to prosper by reducing their environmental footprint,
promoting circularity, and supporting communities.
Recognized as one of the world’s most compassionate entrepreneurs, David has been
honoured with several prestigious accolades, including the United Nations Lighthouse
Award for Planetary Health and the Paris Climate Conference Sustainia Community
Award. Other notable recognitions include the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award,
The Globe and Mail’s Changemakers Award, and the Entrepreneur Organizations’ Global
Citizen Award.
His humanitarian work has garnered international acclaim, with features from major media
networks including BBC, CNN, Time Magazine, Forbes, Fast Company, Business Week,
and National Geographic. He has delivered impactful talks on TED.com, appeared in
award-winning documentaries, and starred in an international reality television show.
David is a steward of the earth, a champion for the underserved, and a thought leader on the prosperity mindset.

As the Head of AI and Emerging Technology at Canadian Tire, Cari is responsible for using AI as a lever to drive both cultural and digital transformation. With a human centered approach Cari has a successful track record of leading the development and execution of strategy, roadmaps and operating models for Automation and Artificial Intelligence resulting in revenue growth, increased employee engagement and operating efficiencies. Cari is passionate about developing innovative partnerships with start-up communities, research and academic institutions. These partnerships have led to the ideation, shared learnings, research, and development of novel AI products, education development and best practices on the operationalization of building and developing AI responsibly. Her approach to balancing the macro change required for successful adoption of AI with the value that it can generate has resulted in many international speaking engagements and advisory discussions.