Description

To cap off Small Business Month, influential thought-leader and author, James Hoggan is bringing an inspired conversation from the global stage to Whistler’s business community.
In the spirit of elevating business - this truly ground-breaking Power Lunch will challenge you to think bigger and engage with integrity.

Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation board and tireless advocate for ethics and integrity in public discourse, Hoggan has spent the past three years traversing the globe, speaking with leading thinkers about what may be the biggest collective challenge facing modern society – toxic public conversations. From climate change to immigration to gun control, debates about key issues are littered with misinformation and divisive rhetoric – as a result, society has never been more fractured (or confused). Hoggan’s research has culminated in his new book “I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up.” 

This is a special opportunity to connect with this global leader who has spoken at Yale University, Columbia University and the Empire Club of Canada; appeared in national print, TV and radio interviews; founded DeSmogBlog; and wrote Climate Cover Up which sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide.

Key takeaways: 
•    How engage with integrity on complex issues
•    How to interpret what’s really going on in our public discourse
•    How to elevate tough conversations to keep moving them forward

Guest Speaker:  James Hoggan
Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation board & president Hoggan & Associates PR firm
Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

James Hoggan has over three decades of experience in crisis and issues management for corporations, governments and public institutions such as universities and hospitals. A tireless advocate for ethics and integrity in public relations, he founded the influential website DeSmogBlog to expose misinformation campaigns that pollute public debate around climate change and the environment. Hoggan has chaired and served on numerous national and international boards and advisory committees including the Shell Global’s External Review Committee, the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education and Al Gore's Climate Project in Canada. He is the author of I'm Right and You're an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean it Up, Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming and Do the Right Thing: PR Tips for a Skeptical Public.

Mentor Garden (following the Power Lunch from 2-4pm) 

REGISTER HERE

Package your inspirational Power Lunch with energizing speed mentoring sessions – FREE for Members. $60/session for future members
4 speed mentor sessions, each 20 minutes in length. Book one or all four – it’s up to you how connected you want to be to the brightest business minds of our community and beyond. If you are unable to attend the power lunch please join us 2pm to kick off the mentor sessions. Complimentary tea and coffee will keep the creative juices flowing. Please remember mentors are here to share advice, not to be pitched.

Meet the mentors:

Diana Mulvey- Founder, Seeds Consulting
Speak to Diana for: Planning for conscious growth, marketing to connect positively and building tribes of brand advocates.
LinkedIn l Website 
Diana develops measurable and scalable plans for growing organizations, advising brands on corporate strategy, marketing and communications projects. Her background includes experience as a national marketing manager in the financial sector and as a marketing director for a retail start-up where she scaled its grassroots approach leading up to an IPO.

James Kirkwood - Founder, Kirkwood Consulting  
Speak to James for: advice to boost your sales, develop a killer marketing plan and strategies to motivate your team to succeed time and time again. You will walk away with a fresh perspective, a strategic approach and on your way to achieving your key business objectives.
Website  l LinkedIn 
Highly accomplished and experienced sales leader with a record of achievement in Sales, Management and Director roles for the largest Media businesses in Canada and Australia. Regularly called upon by Executive Leadership Teams to develop strategic plans to tackle today’s markets, develop tomorrow’s top sales leaders and give organizations the competitive edge


Joel Chevalier - Vice President Employee Experience, Whistler Blackcomb
Speak to Joel for: Guidance on all areas of Human Resources Management including but not limited to recruitment, engagement, performance management, coaching, compensation and benefits.
LinkedIn
Joel is the Vice President of Employee Experience at Whistler Blackcomb, North America’s premiere Mountain resort.  WB holds status as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young people, one of BC’s top 50 Employers, one of Canada’s Greenest Employers and one of Canada’s top 10 most admired corporate cultures. With WB since 2001 and in his present capacity since 2007, he is responsible for all Human Resource programs that support Whistler Blackcomb’s premiere status.  Previously, working in Human Resources with Sheraton, Delta and Canadian Pacific Hotels in Toronto. Education:  BA in Political Science - Wilfrid Laurier University, Diploma in HR Management - Humber College, certificate in Conflict Resolution - Justice Institute of BC, Diploma in Critical Incident Stress Response - University of Maryland, certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black-Belt. 

Tess Evans - Founder & Director, HR Galaxy
Speak to Tess for: Building your human resources systems so that your business can reach its maximum growth potential.
Website l LinkedIn 
Tess Evans has lived in Whistler for over 12 years along with her husband and two boys. She holds a B. Comm. from Ryerson University and is a recipient of the Kathy Barnett Leadership Grant. Tess is an avid alpine skier, runner, gardener and is a three time Tough Mudder. After 20 plus years in human resources and business operations, Tess used her experience to build HR Galaxy in the fall of 2014. She has become dedicated to streamlining HR systems so that any organization can be better prepared for their biggest investment – their people.  


Toni Metcalf- Economic Development Officer, RMOW 
Speak to Toni for: insights around Whistler’s economic development plan and priorities for the resort’s future, as well as drawing on her prior experience with developing strategic plans, pricing strategies and enabling business growth through operational efficiencies.
 LinkedIn 
With over 15 years of experience in multinational corporations across Europe, Australia and Africa - including several CFO roles prior to relocating to Whistler for the ideal lifestyle - Toni brings a unique perspective to her role as Economic Development Officer for the Resort Municipality of Whistler.


​Elmien Dicker - CEO-in-Residence, Empowered Startups
Speak to Elmien for: Advice for startups on turning a promising idea into a repeatable, scalable business model that delivers significant bottom-line results. 

Elmien is a proven leader of strategic business innovation and implementation specializing in the consistent application of three critical skill sets: deep customer orientation; innovative mind-set and inspirational style. Almost 20 years of experience in Royal Dutch Shell has afforded Elmien opportunities to build a potent combination of both specialist (Marketing) and general management skills (both entrepreneurial and ‘intrapreneurial’). 


​Josianne Fox - Director of People & Culture, The Westin Resort & Spa, Founder and Director, SmartFox Consulting 
Speak to Josianne for: Guidance on all areas of Human Resources Management including recruitment and retention strategies. 
Website l LinkedIn
Josianne has been working in the HR field for over a decade, combining experience from the hospitality, media and manufacturing sectors as well as recruiting executives for many of North America’s leading companies. Business savvy, Josianne has an entrepreneur’s mind having started, operated and sold businesses of her own. She understands the challenges that both employees and employers face and is able to provide solutions that result in higher profits, productive and engaged work force, and fulfilled goals.


Michael Janyk - Olympic Ski Racer and founder of Mike and Manny Foundation 
​Speak to Michael for: Advice and expertise on transitioning from the athletic world to the business world as well as insight and tactics on founding and growing a not-for-profit organization.
Website 
Michael Janyk is a retired Canadian alpine ski racer. Janyk is a three time Olympian who retired in 2014. He and teammate Manuel Osborne-Paradis turned an annual bursary for hardworking young ski racers in BC into a four-day all expenses paid ski camp for up-and-coming young ski racers… now known as Mike and Manny Foundation for skiers from around Canada who would not otherwise be able to afford off-season skiing, particularly with coaching from elite international competitors.

Jackie Dickinson- Whistler Community Services Program Leader
Speak to Jackie for: Advice, guidance and support with mental health in the workplace. 
Website 
Jackie has worked for Whistler Community Services Society since 2009 as part of the Outreach Services team. She originally started her working career as a High School Teacher in Toronto, Ontario and enjoyed working with individuals one on one helping them navigate their education, career paths, mental health and wellness needs. A week-long trip to Whistler with her husband had a lasting impact and after a year-long trip travelling the world she decided with her husband Jay to settle in the Whistler community. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Counseling and has recently assumed the role of Program Manager of Outreach Services for WCSS. When not working at WCSS she can be found on adventures with her three year old son and husband or literally "on the go" as she loves to run and participates in various trail and road running races in the Sea to Sky Corridor.  

Catherine Williams- Event Management Company Owner and Market Manager at Zipcar
Speak to Catherine for: Marketing, sales, operations and overall business strategy. Catherine brings diverse perspectives on business management to the conversation.
Website 
Catherine translated an international Fine Arts career in film and TV into her own business by founding a locally based event management company. Catherine is also the Market Manager at Zipcar in BC. Catherine began at Zipcar in 2010 as Brand Ambassador, within 3 years she progressed to Operations Manager and kept the lower mainland moving with an ever growing fleet of vehicles. In early 2016, Catherine is now Market Manager for Western Canada and has expanded Zipcar to Surrey, Coquitlam, Kelowna and Whistler. 

Robyn Ziebell - Founder,  ReSolve 4 Life, A Well-BE-Ing Co. 
Speak to Robyn for: Upliftment and empowerment through the application of new mindsets, habits and tools that support the alignment of your mind, body & spirit.
Website  l LinkedIn  l Instagram 
With a Commerce Degree from UBC, 10 years working in the corporate environment, including 5 years at a Fortune 500 company before creating her own business, She makes the potent information she has gathered from a range of health professionals, spiritual mentors, mindfulness experts and ancient wisdom easy to understand and apply in your real day to day life. Robyn brings a very powerful combination of professionalism, presence and dynamic authenticity to her work. Through an injection of contagious enthusiasm for investing in your well-BE-ing, Robyn's goal is to support you to build an unshakable foundation of inner strength, outer radiance and shameless self-love, so you can empower the unique and dynamic you, to live the life you consciously create, vibrantly.

Cindy O’Hara- Sr Account Manager, BDCSpeak to Cindy for: “demystifying the banker,” advice on all matters of finance that looks at your business as a whole and offers solutions designed to give your company added financial control, flexibility and operating efficiency
LinkedIn 
Cindy O’Hara has been in the financial services industry since 1988.  She has experience in personal lending and investments and holds a PFP designation from the Institute of Canadian Bankers.  For the past 20 years she has been both a small business and commercial banking advisor. At BDC, Cindy helps entrepreneurs who are seeking financing for projects. She works closely with BDC’s Consulting Team who provide excellent guidance and support to entrepreneurs seeking knowledge in Business Planning and Management, Market Development, Global Expansion, Technology Strategy, Innovation, HR Management and Business Transition.  

Mercedes Nicoll- 3x Olympic , 5x national Champion, halfpipe snowboarder
​Speak to Mercedes for: How to effectively manage and bounce back from injury and while maintaining a professional career and issues around mental health in the workplace.
Website l Facebook l Instagram 
Mercedes Nicoll is the most decorated rider of the Canadian women’s halfpipe team, Mercedes has represented Canada at 3 Winter Olympic Games ; Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. In front of a home crowd in 2010 Mercedes rose to the occasion finishing in sixth place – Canada’s best result in halfpipe for both sexes in 2010. Later that year, Mercedes went on to podium at two consecutive World Cup events, and placing 4th at the European X-Games and wrapping up the season ranked fourth in the world. Mercedes is a 6x Winter X Games athlete, 3x Olympian, and 5x National Champion. Competing at the 2014 Sochi Games Mercedes suffered a concussion that has taken her 2 years to come back from. She is back competing with the 2018 Winter Olympics in her sights.

Shea Emry- All-Star CFL Middle Linebacker, Entrepreneur
Speak to Shea for: How to effectively manage and bounce back from injury and while maintaining a professional career and issues around mental health in the workplace.
Website l Website 
AllStar Middle Linebacker, Shea Emry, was one of the fiercest and nastiest players in the Canadian Football League and has transitioned to tackling on a new field: men’s health and development. He’s become an advocate for Watson Centre for Brain Health at UBC, the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation,UBC Men’s Health Network, and Bell Let’s Talk. Sidelined with a concussion in 2011, Emry battled a lifetime of negative selfimage that had previously prevented him from taking risks and stepping outside his comfort zone. He began to share his story with the goal of inspiring others and has since turned that into his first entrepreneurial endeavour.
Shea founded Wellmen, an action based men’s adventure club that proves being a ‘real man’ is about being a balanced man; no tear, grunt, or hard work left out. Wellmen rewilds men by teaching them modern day survival skills throughout their endorphin inducing excursions in nature. Wellmen brings that stoke. Most recently — he’s launched a fully mobile Axe Throwing Axeperience
called Axewood; tournament style recreational axe throwing that can takes place across the lower mainland at different venues. Shea’s purpose is to challenge hypermasculine stereotypes wielding an axe and in tree pose.



Cancelation Policy: Payment is non refundable for cancelations made within 3 business days of the event, or non attendance on the day. If you have registered and paid for an event or training, you will be automatically added to the attendance list.