Calgary Archives

Jamie Conroy is the beating heart of Orenda, an Alberta-based non-profit organization that promotes the mental health and well-being of youth, families, and individuals through a range of mentorship programs, workshops, and retreats. With a Bachelor of Education and 12 years of experience, Jamie has worked with youth and communities across various projects — from the Inspired Youth School Project to the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary, as well as the NHPCA, the Chamber of Okotoks, CBE, and the Foothills School Division. She is also certified in yoga and life coaching, and brings both depth and versatility to guiding people and building systems that make a lasting, positive impact. Guided by the principle of challenging and loving simultaneously, Jamie develops family- and community-driven programs that prioritize trust, safety, and connection. Through Orenda, she is helping create a world where personal and collective transformation, youth and family development, and community-building thrive.

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Calgary is having a cultural renaissance

June 23, 2025 0:18:22

David Leinster leads Contemporary Calgary with a strong vision, a creative mindset, and a focus on community, collaboration, and partnership. Since joining the organisation in 2018, David has been dedicated to advancing the gallery’s mission of making modern and contemporary art accessible to all while fostering a vibrant cultural hub in Calgary.

David’s connection to Contemporary Calgary runs deep. As a key leader in the city’s Expression of Interest process for the Centennial Planetarium, he collaborated with arts community leaders to secure the Planetarium’s future as a home for contemporary art. His dedication to this process cemented his reputation as a creative and strategic thinker, advocating for modern and contemporary art in Calgary. This work followed his involvement with the Institute for Modern and Contemporary Art (IMCA), which later merged with other arts organisations to form Contemporary Calgary in 2014.

Under David’s leadership, Contemporary Calgary has achieved transformative milestones. He secured a 35-year lease of the historic Centennial Planetarium, guaranteeing the gallery’s future in one of Calgary’s most iconic buildings. Additionally, he led efforts to secure a $30 million federal government commitment for future renovations and expansions and has helped raise millions of dollars in private philanthropy, significantly elevating the gallery’s profile locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2024, David’s advocacy was instrumental in achieving Civic Partner status for Contemporary Calgary, aligning it with the City’s major cultural and tourism attractions and ensuring its financial stability.

Before joining Contemporary Calgary, David built a diverse professional background that uniquely prepared him to meet the challenges the gallery faced. At Enbridge, the largest energy transportation company in the world, he oversaw the strategic development and execution of the company’s long-term brand vision. He also led high-profile corporate and nonprofit accounts at Karo Group, a leading Western Canadian branding agency. These roles gave him a deep understanding of the many facets of business, equipping him with the diverse skills needed to lead a complex cultural organization at a pivotal moment.

David’s passion for art stems from his grandmother, an artist who inspired his lifelong appreciation for art, culture and creativity. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from St. Francis Xavier University, where his education also included studies in drawing and painting. This unique combination of artistic insight and business expertise shapes his leadership style and continues to guide his vision for Contemporary Calgary.

Committed to accessibility, collaboration, and innovation, David leads a team of passionate employees who are driving change in Calgary’s arts community and beyond. His work has earned recognition, including being named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2022..

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Helcim – most loved payment company

June 2, 2025 0:26:44

At the very core of who we Helcim is, is the mission to be the world’s most loved payments company. We are relentless in our pursuit to provide a radically transparent and honest payments solution that flat out saves business owners money, all while treating them like human beings.

Nicolas Beique is the founder and chief executive officer at Helcim. His goal is to deliver a better payment, experience and better tools to merchants who just want to run their business. Today Helcim serves thousands of merchants in Canada and the United States, and has been has built a reputation for being a friendly and transparent payment processor. At the very core of who we are is our mission to be the world’s most loved payments company. It’s like a necessary kind of evil that you have to have but and we really try to. You know, flip that on its head and be like, what if?

Nicolas has been recognized for his contributions to the payment industry and technology as the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Prairies technology overall category winner in 2018, and is a member of the Avenue Calgary top 40, under 40 class of 2019.

#payments #accounting #entrepreneur #entrepreneurinsights

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Helping transform the workplace

May 27, 2025 0:19:52

Sam Jenkins is the managing partner of Punchcard Systems, a digital transformation studio focused on transforming people, workplaces, and communities through technology. He has always believed that enriching people’s whole selves serves as a cornerstone to creating a better community. That’s why his entrepreneurial journey started as Co-Founder and CEO of Wellnext, a software startup focused on building technology for workplace wellness, and later as one of the founding team members of Startup Edmonton.

He has provided leadership and expertise to several organizations, including the boards of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Awards Foundation, as well as held governance roles with the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

Sam’s commitment to his community led him to being named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine (2012), and in 2013 the University of Alberta recognized him with the Horizon Award as an outstanding young alumnus. Currently, Sam serves as Vice Chair of the Winspear Centre for Music, and is leading the facility’s 40,000 square foot expansion, including new performance venues, classrooms, and creative spaces.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samjenkins/
https://www.instagram.com/samjenkins/

#TechForGood #DigitalLeadership #StartupCommunity #YEGBusiness #SocialImpact

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What makes a good leader

May 22, 2025 0:24:11

Andrew Brooks, CPA, ICD.D, BBA
Executive Leader | Fractional CEO | Board Director | Strategic Advisor |Speaker

Andrew Brooks is a respected executive and strategic advisor with extensive experience leading organizations through transformation, growth, and transition. As the founder of Had To Holdings Ltd., he provides fractional CEO and executive advisory services to companies across Canada and internationally.

He began his relationship with Waiward as a fractional CEO before becoming its President and CEO, and has held similar leadership roles with the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association and Flint Transfield Services.

Andrew’s early international experience in Nigeria helped shape his global perspective and culturally informed leadership style.

Today, he serves as Vice Chair of the Calgary Drug Treatment Court, a board member of The Future of Energy Global Summit and a director of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce, where he supports corporate and economic development with cross-cultural collaboration.

As a public speaker, Andrew regularly shares insights on energy, leadership, organizational alignment, and navigating change. Whether on stage, on a panel or in the boardroom, he’s known for his solid integrity, loyalty, steady presence, and his belief that “everyone has a story.”

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-brooks-leadership/
https://hadtoholdings.com/

#LeadershipMatters #FractionalCEO #BusinessTransformation #GlobalLeadership #EntrepreneurInsights

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A mission of helping women solopreneurs

May 2, 2025 0:19:32

The combination of getting fired shortly after a failed marriage made Vera Ilnyckyj feel like a complete failure, purposeless, disconnected and stuck.

She’s grateful for this challenging time because it was the start of discovering her purpose – helping other women get back on track after a major life change.

Ultimately, it led Vera to leave her corporate job and step into her business full time. While she had no training on how to run a business and no formal plan, what she did have was a deep desire to help and inspire others, create belonging, and empower people to take action towards their goals.

A major learning that Vera has had as an entrepreneur is the realization that intense inner work is required to step into a new version of yourself. As a result, she’s developed tools, resources and practices that support self-trust, confidence, resilience, mindset and intuition, along with strategies to support discipline, consistency, goal-setting, marketing, sales and business growth.

Today, Vera’s approach combines the spiritual and the material in order to create impact and income. Her mission is to help women solopreneurs live a genuine, fulfilled and positive life through their business. Vera believes we’re not meant to be on this journey alone which is why she’s committed to uplifting others in community – through her mastermind success collective, in-person and online workshops, retreats, speaking, her podcast, blogs, videos or social channels.

Learn more about Vera and her work: www.createyourbestchapter.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createyourbestchapter/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verailnyckyj/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@createyourbestchapter
Website: https://www.createyourbestchapter.com/

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Juggling acting and a homebuilding business

April 1, 2025 0:20:41

Robert Daprocida is a Canadian and international actor, singer and pianist, and is a first-generation born Canadian to Italian parents, working in the United States, Europe and his birth country. Robert began studying classical piano at the age of 4 with the Royal Conservatory of Music and shortly after, began singing, which led him to musical theatre, the stage and eventually into film and television appearing in many notable film and television productions.

Robert has continued to work throughout the years and is known for X-files (1998), Wrongfully Accused (1998), Creature (1998) and Out for Vengeance (2023).

He is also owner of Ancora Homes in Calgary.

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A stellar track record in business that began on Wall Street

March 26, 2025 0:26:13

Patricia Phillips is CEO and Chair of The PBA Group of Companies, a diversified real estate company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Since her appointment in 2005 – at a time when fewer than 1 in 50 Canadian CEOs were women – Patricia has led PBA’s transformation from one of the city’s leading landowners and property managers into one of the most innovative developers in Western Canada. Drawing on her international experience in finance and energy, Patricia has spearheaded PBA’s creation of a distinctive ‘managed development’ model attracting global hospitality and capital partners while transforming Calgary’s hospitality market.

As CEO she has presided over a period of robust growth in the face of a challenging market, a transformative expansion of the team, and the adoption of a new strategic direction that promises to take the company well beyond its roots. During her tenure with PBA Group, the team has been awarded several prestigious awards such as Fodor’s – Best Hotel Travel Award, Autograph Collection Opening of the Year and a Michelin Key – one of the first awarded in Canada for The Dorian Hotel development, while leading over $2 Billion accretive transactions. In addition to chairing PBA, PBA Hotels and The Phillips Foundation (which she co-founded), Patricia currently sits on several private and non-profit boards, including Jostle, Headversity (which she chairs), WITHORG (Women In Tourism And Hospitality) and The Glenbow Museum.

Before PBA, Patricia established a stellar 28-year track record in business that began on Wall Street. After competing at a national level in alpine racing and achieving an economics degree, Magnum Cum Laude, from Mount Holyoke College (one of the Ivy League’s ‘Seven Sisters’), and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. She began her career as a trade policy advisor for the Tokyo Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in Geneva. This led to a coveted offer from Credit Suisse First Boston, where she became one of the first female Financial Analysts on Wall Street.

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Helping executives move from reactionary to strategic thinking

March 24, 2025 0:22:15

Shawn Gibson is Partner at Incito Executive and Leadership Development, and leads the Executive Strategy practice. As a former senior executive, startup founder and Professional Certified Coach, he possesses a deep understanding of the challenges and dynamics that leaders face in today’s competitive landscape. Known for his strategic mindset, deep business acumen and results-focused approach, Shawn guides leaders and organizations through strategy development, systems thinking, conflict management, change management and effective communication, ultimately unifying leadership teams to fulfill their entire vision.

In 2022, Shawn received the prestigious SupportHER Award from The Universal Women’s Network™️ in recognition of his dedication and support towards advancing women’s empowerment and equality. Since Shawn became Partner in 2021, Incito has also achieved notable recognition, including the Best Leadership Coaching Firm awarded by Acquisition International – Global Excellence Awards in April 2023.

Shawn is passionate about helping executives and founders lead with intention to strengthen their organizations and scale-up. He leads Incito’s strategic partnership with Mount Royal University’s Growth Catalyst Program to support over 105 businesses and empower more than 300 entrepreneurs and leaders. Shawn also serves as a volunteer mentor for Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta to support high-growth businesses in the community.

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Belting out the tunes the Frank Sinatra way

March 21, 2025 0:25:22

Paul Michael Stoia (https://www.paulmichaelstoia.com/home) made his US debuts in the fall of 2024 at the legendary Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood, with the orchestra led by Grammy Award Winner Quinn Johnson. He then sold out his very first “A Frank Sinatra Christmas” show live in Las Vegas at the Maxan Jazz Club. In 2023, he made his international debut in Martigues, France with Lyrique en Provence under the direction of Paris Opera “Chef de chant” Phil Richardson.

Paul got his start singing jazz in high school, then studied opera in Canada, Italy, the USA, Germany, and France. He has performed in musical theatre and opera productions in Canada. In May 2024 he debuted a Frank Sinatra tribute concert at the Polaris Theatre. He currently performs regularly at private events and lounges in Calgary, including, a sold out first show at the Ironwood Stage and back by popular demand, the historical King Eddy. In 2022 Paul performed Canada’s national anthem before an international audience live on ESPN for the inaugural Women’s MMA Fight (Pallais Athena) at the Grey Eagle Casino.

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Calgary

Transforming Youth Mental Health Through Mentorship & Community

Calgary is having a cultural renaissance

Helcim – most loved payment company

Helping transform the workplace

What makes a good leader

A mission of helping women solopreneurs

Juggling acting and a homebuilding business

A stellar track record in business that began on Wall Street

Helping executives move from reactionary to strategic thinking

Belting out the tunes the Frank Sinatra way

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