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As an entrepreneur, you’re resilient, resourceful and no stranger to weathering difficult business conditions – but with the economy in a state of flux, it can be hard to know where to turn for guidance. 

 

If you’re looking for expert advice to guide you and your business through this challenging time, join Futurpreneur Canada at our FREE Digital Expert Exchange, in partnership with CIBC. We’ll connect business owners with business leaders who have different areas of expertise—from digital marketing and human resources to sales and e-commerce.  

 

Through a virtual panel discussion and targeted breakout sessions, entrepreneurs can consult with experts, ask their burning questions and get valuable advice on moving their businesses forward. 

 

Spots are limited – register today to be part of this exclusive event! 

 

Event Details: When: November 18 from 12:00-2:00 pm EST

Where: Online
Cost: Free

Register now!

Meet our Experts:

Arati Sharma
Director of Product Marketing, Shopify

Setting Up Your E-commerce Store

Arati Sharma leads Product Marketing at Shopify, where she is responsible for go-to-market strategies and campaigns, amplifying Shopify’s products to a global audience of thriving entrepreneurs. Prior to her current role, Arati led Offline, Experiential, and Community Marketing for Shopify, and launched the company’s annual conference, Shopify Unite. She joined the Shopify rocket ship in August 2013 through the acquisition of Jet Cooper, where she led operations, culture, and strategic projects. An active angel investor, Arati is focused on supporting Canadian-based, women-led companies. When not talking about product or mentoring early-stage startups, you can find her trying to replicate new recipes she’s discovered on her travels.

Shawn Bonnick
President, KinsBrae Packaging

Advice from a Mature Business Owner

With a background in entrepreneurship, Shawn Bonnick is currently the President of Kinsbrae Packaging, a one-stop shop for high-performance, premium packaging that builds brands. After launching several businesses early in his career, Shawn started a family with his wife Jen and welcomed his two daughters, Kinsley and Braelyn – and KinsBrae was born! Most recently, KinsBrae Packaging was announced as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies in 2020. Shawn is passionate about all aspects of starting and running a business, and keen to pass on his knowledge to current and aspiring entrepreneurs. He primarily wants to share his experience with balancing family and business, while treating his customers like family themselves. Outside of work, Shawn enjoys spending time with his kids, playing sports or racing cars on one of his local circuits.

Navdeep Dhaliwal
Business Development Manager, CIBC

Financing Your Growth Plan

Nav Dhaliwal has ten years’ experience in the financial sector and thoroughly enjoys working with business owners on a daily basis. He is a dedicated advisor who is always looking to support entrepreneurs as they weather the ups and downs of their business. Nav works with clients to better understand their business goals and support them in reaching those goals. One of Nav’s specialties is connecting owners with strategies to raise capital for their business, including helping them through the process of applying for loans or other beneficial programs. During his free time, Nav volunteers as a mentor for entrepreneurs looking to start a business.

Suzanne Huber
Principal Consultant, Suzanne Huber Inc.

Generating Leads and Driving Sales

Suzanne has worked as a marketing consultant for hundreds of companies over the last decade. She’s a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs and executives, with a proven track record of growing their companies.  Throughout her career, Suzanne has launched five businesses and four non-profits, driving their growth through innovative marketing strategies tailored to each organization. Today, Suzanne develops marketing strategies and provides outsourced digital marketing solutions to businesses across North America. Her company develops, implements and trains teams to launch their own innovative marketing strategies so they can take their organizations to the next level, all while building enduring relationships in the process.

Fredrik Westlund
Digital Marketing Consultant, WSI Evolution

Tailoring Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Fredrik Westlund is dedicated to helping companies determine the right digital marketing strategy to maximize their return on investment. Originally from Sweden, Fredrik has over 25 years of international digital marketing experience and is currently a Digital Marketing Consultant with WSI, the largest digital marketing agency in the world. His top priority is taking time to really understand each unique business and find the best digital marketing strategy that is right for them in order to meet or exceed their objectives. Outside of his career as a consultant, Fredrik lives a healthy lifestyle, competing in a variety of sports such as moto-cross, running and cross-country skiing. 

Adrian Demkiw
Director, Alliances Canada, Ceridian

Managing People During A Pandemic

As Director | Alliances in Canada, Adrian leads channel partner referral engagements and functional teams that align with Ceridian referral partners across the country. At Ceridian, Adrian knows the importance of supporting business owners as they navigate through challenges. Adrian will be speaking about things such as evolving best practices in people management, mental health check-in sessions, employee recognition, legislative changes due to COVID, and more. Born and raised in Toronto, Adrian is a graduate of York University and has partnered to establish several successful Toronto-based startups since 1995.

Robert Hoffele
Director, Business Banking, CIBC

Moderator

Robert Hoffele has been working with CIBC for seven years and is currently the Director, Business Banking for Ontario West. Upon graduating from an entrepreneurship program, Robert was introduced to a team at CIBC where he now applies his entrepreneurial mindset in the business world. With deep family roots in entrepreneurship, Robert is passionate about working with small business owners on a regular basis. Today, he is honoured to lead a team of specialists at CIBC who focus on servicing small business owners from inception to transition of their business, advising them throughout their journey. Above all, he believes he and his team are working to create something today that was not there yesterday, give back to their communities and see success at its most meaningful levels.