Amanda DeVries is a graphic designer of 17 years and the owner of Eye Candy Design, specializing in branding and packaging for food & beverage companies. She spent 10 years in Ottawa, where governmental agencies kept her busy but not terribly inspired. Moving to Southwestern Ontario in 2009 presented her with the opportunity to work with small businesses and real people. In her past life, she was an electrical engineer which made her no stranger to project management, budgets and timelines.

Ana is a seasoned Food Safety Professional with a remarkable 20-year track record in different food industries, including dairy, condiments, and water, and in various roles. She has diverse expertise in quality assurance, quality control, good manufacturing practices (GMPs), and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Currently serving as a Field Technical Service Representative at Neogen Corp, Ana provides crucial technical support to the sales force and customers, specializing in troubleshooting and product training and acting as an industry expert. Holding an MSc in Food Safety Quality Assurance from the University of Guelph and being a member of AMQ, Ana is a multilingual professional fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

Candace Rabkin is the Business Development Manager at Nuts For Cheese (NFC), responsible for US market development and expansion. In this role, Candace liaises with inside and outside sales teams, distributors, broker partners and retailers to expand the availability of Nuts For Cheese’s line of cashew cheese and butter. Today, Nuts For Cheese is sold nationwide in Canada and more than 45 US States. Prior to joining NFC, Candace worked in business development at the London Economic Development Corporation, supporting the growth and retention of London’s manufacturing and food processing sectors. She is well-versed in a variety of government funding programs. A passionate community builder, she is chair of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Southwestern Ontario.

Founder & Owner – True Leaves Consulting Expert in launching innovative products in retail & foodservice from concept to plant scale-up.
Over 11 years of experience in product development, quality assurance, and operations management. Some of the brands she has worked with Kraft Heinz, Nuts for Cheese, Nestlé, Subway, Starbucks and McDonalds.

Lisa is a Certified Packaging Professional, Food Safety expert and owner of Shelf Ready Inc. She is passionate about all things food and packaging. Throughout her career
she has worked with brands like Ferrero, Kinder, Nutella and Tic Tac along with many private label brands. Her experience as a Professor of Food Safety and Traceability at Fanshawe College coupled with her packaging expertise has given her a unique perspective to share with foodpreneurs.

Michelle has over 10 years of experience in food labelling, regulatory affairs and sensory evaluation specializing in non-meat, meat, and seafood products. She performs labelling and compliance reviews for both Canada and U.S. products including nutrition information (database or lab analysis), ingredient declarations, allergen and label compliance/formulation reviews and label translation. Michelle holds an Honours B.Sc. in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Western Ontario (Brescia) as well as Honours B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Molecular Biology from McMaster University.

Peter Chapman understands the food industry and he works hard to figure out where it is going. Peter’s experience includes both sides of the desk.  Prior to working with suppliers and launching SKUFood, Peter worked for 19 years with Canada’s largest food retailer, Loblaw. He is committed to using this experience to help producers and processors understand retailers and consumers. Peter is the author of A la cart; a supplier’s guide to retailers’ priorities and has provided food industry insights to Canadian Grocer, The Globe & Mail, Maclean’s magazine and Canada AM. 

Ramona (Ciparis) Gallagher is a serial entrepreneur who has owned a number of her own successful businesses and who has coached and mentored over 4,000 entrepreneurs across Canada and abroad. She has a unique way of melding book learning, holding a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University, with experiential life learning. She is a connector – if it is helping a client with their business start-up or growth, accessing investment, or funding opportunities, or developing strategic community partnerships – she is there. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and is always looking at new ways to solve problems, establish relationships and provide top quality results in a changing environment.