Cheryl is a philanthropic advisor who impacts lives with a unique and strategic approach. She guides her clients in shifting from short-term, less structured giving to sustained, focused, high-impact philanthropy. After a career driving profit and growth at TD Bank Financial Group, Cheryl served as Director, Corporate Engagement, at World Vision Canada. Through her philanthropic advisory practice she works with clients to design innovative programs and direct large-scale philanthropic investments to many organizations in arts and culture, education, vulnerable communities, the environment, health, and relief & development.

Hayley is a strategic financial and operations executive with over 25 years’ experience in the media and entertainment industry. Hayley is currently the SVP of Finance and Operations at Shaftesbury Inc, an award-winning creator and producer of original content for Television, Film and Digital. Shaftesbury’s current primetime slate includes 18 seasons of the international hit series Murdoch Mysteries and 7 seasons of Hudson & Rex. In her role at Shaftesbury, Hayley is responsible for managing all aspects of corporate, production, development, and distribution financial reporting. In addition to her finance role, Hayley is responsible for setting the overall operational direction of the company to ensure alignment with long-term strategic goals and implementation of efficient operations and cost-effective systems to meet current and future needs of the organization. Hayley was honoured as a 2013 Trailblazer at the Reelworld Film Festival.

Marsha Greene was most recently the co-creator and showrunner of the Emmy-nominated series The Porter for CBC and BET+, which won a record 12 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Writing, Drama Series. An accomplished Executive Producer and writer, Marsha previously served as a showrunner on the final season of Mary Kills People, a Co-EP on Coroner; a producer on ABC’s 10 Days in the Valley, and has staffed on shows such as Private Eyes and Departure. Marsha is also the Chair of the Writers Guild of Canada’s Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Accessibility Committee.

As VP of Creative Affairs at Cameron Pictures, Karen Tsang works with some of Canada’s most exciting talent developing and producing scripted series for the international marketplace. She’s passionate about creator-driven stories and fostering shows that explore characters and themes that have been underrepresented on screen. Karen was previously SVP of Creative Affairs at Pier 21 Films and Executive Producer of RUN THE BURBS (CBC/Hulu/The CW) co-created and starring Andrew Phung, LATE BLOOMER (Crave) created by and starring YouTube sensation Jasmeet Raina (aka JusReign), and Indigenous comedy DON’T EVEN (Crave/APTN). Before joining Pier 21 in 2020, Karen spent eight years working in scripted content at the CBC, most recently as Executive in Charge of Production, Comedy, where she oversaw the creative development and production of over 150 episodes of original television series including BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW, MR. D, TALLBOYZ and Canada’s iconic political satire show THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES.

Combining a passion for inclusive stories and original voices, KarmaFilm founder Anand Ramayya has built an impressive track record as a BIPOC and equity seeking producer with over 100 hours of content notably DONKEYHEAD(2022), OUR BIG PUNJABI FAMILY(2023) & the ground breaking stop motion series WAPOS BAY. Karma has received over 50 awards for excellence. As a creator of content Ramayya has written and directed numerous award-winning documentaries including COSMIC CURRENT, MAD COW SACRED COW, WHO KILLED GANDHI? and series LANDING: STORIES FROM THE CULTURAL DIVIDE. Ramayya has over 25 years of service to the industry through juries and boards, is a recipient of the Reelworld TRAILBLAZER & CMPA Established Producer Awards, is a member of ScreenSask, CMPA(past Board member), the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the ACE Producers Network. Embracing emerging technology, Ramayya is also an advocate for Virtual Production.

Terry E. Markus is an independent lawyer/consultant providing business & legal affairs services to the entertainment, broadcasting and screen-based media industries for over 30 years. She is also part-time faculty at Humber College, Faculty of Media + Creative Arts, Toronto Canada, teaching Entertainment Law & Ethics. Terry is currently executive producing the feature-length dramatic films “Cidic” and “Concession Nine”, and executive produced the feature-length dramatic film “Happy F’K’IN Sunshine” (2020) (premiering at the 2022 Dances With Films Festival) Terry is a member of the Board of Directors of Women in Film & Television – Toronto (Secretary) and the Reelworld Screen Institute (Secretary).

Tanya Brunel, Red River Métis from south west Manitoba, has been developing and producing motion picture, television and digital media content with a focus on Indigenous stories as an integral part of the White Bear Films production team since 2001. She was Producer on Mr. Soul, 4 seasons of youth series, Cool Jobs, multiple award winning Juliana & The Medicine Fish, The Corruption of Divine Providence which premiered at the Reelworld Film Festival and Whistler Film Festival in 2020, and The First Encounter, an Indigenous sci-fi feature. Most recently, she produced Little Bird, a six part limited drama series on Crave.

A leader, mentor, and advocate for creators, Sharon Stevens has more than 20 years of experience in the film and TV industry. As Vice President, Programming at Hollywood Suite, her specialized knowledge of acquisitions and programming has contributed to the growth and success of the company. Sharon is committed to supporting the Canadian film industry and its people, especially those who have been historically under-represented. She is proud to have helped many filmmakers get their projects off the ground. Outside of work, she is a proud dog mom, an avid cinephile and a dedicated admirer of Keanu Reeves.

Anishinaabe filmmaker, Lisa Meeches, is a Member of the Order of Canada and Order of Manitoba. Lisa has produced critically acclaimed projects including The Sharing Circle, Ice Road Truckers, Tipi Tales, Elijah, and Jack. She was Executive Producer on the CSA-winning We Were Children and most recently on Finality of Dusk, Night Raiders, Burden of Truth and Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On. Lisa was honoured as a 2020 Trailblazer at the Reelworld Film Festival.

Niki Singh is an entertainment lawyer based in Toronto. As the Director of Business and Legal Affairs at WildBrain, Niki spearheads pivotal development, production, and distribution deals for the company. Her expertise touches upon a rich portfolio of iconic programs and brands, including "Teletubbies," "Degrassi," and "Peanuts." Prior to her role at WildBrain, Niki was a Business & Rights Manager at CBC, a lawyer at a national law firm, and was the Student-at-Law at the Toronto International Film Festival. Niki holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Beyond her professional pursuits, Niki is an avid traveller, food enthusiast, and karaoke aficionado. She is often found immersing herself in the Toronto food and wine scene or unleashing her inner diva with an off-key rendition of “Say My Name” by Destiny's Child.

Gina is an award-winning marketer with over 25 years experience across verticals ranging from technology to telecom and financial services, and has worked for and on leading brands including Del Computers, ING DIRECT, Rogers and ADP. She’s currently Sr. Director of Online Community Strategy at Verint, a leader in CX automation, where she owns the strategy and delivery of Verint Connect, the information and support destination for Verint Customers and partners. Since 2022, Gina has been the Marketing Expert in Residence at the TMU DMZ working with startups locally and globally, supporting various DMZ incubator programs, and has a special focus on Black Innovation Program founders. Gina holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary.

Supinder Wraich was born in the Punjab region of India and raised in a suburb just outside of Toronto, Ontario. A graduate of the CFC –Canadian Film Centre’s acclaimed Actor’s Conservatory and an alumnus of Sheridan College’s Film & Television program, Supinder has a background both in front of and behind the camera. Supinder earned a Canadian Screen Award as the lead in the Emmy Award-winning digital series GUIDESTONES. Her series, THE 410 (CBC), which she created and stars in, was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards: ‘Best Program’, ‘Best Writing’, and ‘Best Lead Performance’. Supinder has guest-starred on ABC’s THE GOOD DOCTOR and recurred on several series, including THE EXPANSE (SyFy), PRIVATE EYES (Global), CRAWFORD (CBC), THE BEAVERTON (Comedy Network) and the award-winning CBC/ HBO Max series SORT OF. She is currently gearing up to shoot season three as the lead of the hit series ALLEGIANCE (CBC).

Erica is an accomplished producer and production manager with over 20 years of experience in the film, television, media and education industries. Her commercials, for international brands such as Coca-Cola Ltd, RBC and Microsoft, have aired nationally on HGTV, Food Network Canada and other Shaw Media Inc properties. Erica currently works at Sheridan College as a professor and manager of the Creative Studio.