Milton Tootoosis was raised on the Poundmaker Indian Reserve west of the Battlefords in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Since his university education days he has enjoyed a forty year career in management roles and continues to research and share his findings. He served a term as a TLE Trustee and as an elected Headman for the Poundmaker Cree Nation (2016-2020). He was instrumental in getting the legendary Chief Poundmaker posthumously exonerated, for alleged crimes associated with the North West Rebellion / Resistance of 1885, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019. He owns his own consulting firm aside from serving as SREDA’s first ever Chief Economic Reconciliation Officer.

Dr. Mendez received his MD and PhD from the University of Western Ontario, where he also completed his post-graduate training in Neurosurgery. His research Fellowship was done at the Department of Medical Cell Research, University of Lund, Sweden. Dr. Mendez was the Chairman and Founding Member of the Halifax Brain Repair Centre and Head of the Division of Neurosurgery at Dalhousie University and the QEII Health Sciences Centre for more than a decade. He was the Fred H. Wigmore Professor and Provincial Head of Surgery for Saskatchewan from 2013-2022. Dr. Mendez is the Director of the Virtual Health Hub, a highly innovative facility designed to provide virtual healthcare services, currently being built at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan.

Erin is the CEO of SREDA, the economic development organization dedicated to advancing the Saskatoon Region. Appointed in June 2023, she is the first female CEO in the organization's history. Erin joined SREDA in 2015, serving most recently as the Chief Marketing Officer. Born and raised in Saskatoon, Erin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Under her leadership, SREDA champions the people, potential, and prosperity of Saskatoon and surrounding communities. Erin is passionate about fostering meaningful relationships and collaboratively ensuring a diverse and dynamic economy. Committed to being a steward of progress, she is dedicated to addressing community needs and creating opportunities for growth and success. Erin takes pride in leading an organization that plays a vital role in shaping Saskatoon, a City she’s proud to call home.

Chris Lane is the President & CEO of Economic Development Regina (EDR), the agency tasked with driving investment attraction, sector growth and leading a cooperative approach to marketing Regina around the world. Prior to leading EDR, Chris was CEO at Canadian Western Agribition, one of North America’s premier agricultural events and international marketplaces. Chris graduated from the University of Regina in 2002 with a degree in Journalism and spent 15 years working in local and national news across Canada.

Christina Birch, founder of The Community Cafe, provides vital support to regions, communities and entrepreneurs by crafting innovative solutions to address the unique challenges they face. A rural enthusiast and community builder at heart, her passion for supporting rural communities has been evident throughout her many years of experience in community and economic development.

Erin is the CEO for Creative Saskatchewan. She is responsible for the overall operation of the organization, by providing strategic leadership and working closely with the provincial government, industry stakeholders, the Board of Directors, and the senior management team. Erin was Creative Saskatchewan’s first employee, as the Director of Programs, and has been heavily involved in the creation of programming right from the start. Previously, Erin was a Program Officer at the Saskatchewan Film Commission and has experience working in Business Affairs for several independent production companies. Erin obtained her BFA in Film and Video Production and BA in English at the University of Regina. Erin also holds a Certificate in Entertainment Law from the Osgoode Hall Law School. In her spare time, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, especially baking with her daughter, watching the silver screen, and game nights with friends. “At Creative Saskatchewan, we accelerate opportunities for Saskatchewan’s creative industries – we make Saskatchewan a great place to live and work.”

Remi is the Director of Film Finance and Economic Reporting for Creative Saskatchewan. He is responsible for leading the Film Department by supporting business attraction initiatives, including administering film production and development incentives, and reporting on metrics and outcomes. Remi also manages locations package delivery and location scout planning. Remi has a strong background with multinational accounting firms such as KPMG and Deloitte, as well as the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance. Remi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, Certificate in Economics, Certificate in Entertainment Law, and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. In his spare time, Remi is active in recreational sports, and enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and cycling with his partner and friends. “Creative industries are essential to Saskatchewan’s economic success, and our agency creates a mechanism for which creative entrepreneurs can achieve their business goals. Our funding drives job creation, economic growth and external investment into our province while allowing local talent market their skills and works.”

Robert Hardy is the Executive Director of ScreenSask, an association of creatives, producers, crew & stakeholders in Saskatchewan’s film and television industry. Robert has been working in Canadian television production for over 25 years as an executive, writer, producer & director focusing on documentary, lifestyle & scripted television. Among his recent credits are Pamela’s Cooking With Love (StackTV/flavour), Pamela’s Garden of Eden (HGTV/Hulu), Big Timber (History/Netflix) and Extracted (Fox/Crave). Robert helped create one of the world’s first web series in 1997 and has built an extensive network within the media industry since then. He has served as President, Canada for Fireworks Media Group, Senior Vice President Development at Entertainment One, VP Development at Paperny Entertainment, network executive with Bell Media and Senior Communications Officer with CBC-Radio Canada. Before that he was a fundraiser, communications director and advertising writer & director.

Jesse, a dynamic entrepreneur and investor, founded his family office, WieGrow Capital and Consulting, in 2021 alongside his father, Doyle Wiebe. After launching Startup TNT in Saskatchewan in the same year, Jesse has led the continued expansion of the organisation across the country as well as the programming in the Agri-Food sector. His knack for fostering synergistic connections has empowered prairie startups to secure over $7 million in venture capital funding. Holding an honours degree in economics from York University, Jesse's diverse background spans from studying chemical engineering to hospitality management. His global perspective, enriched by stints in Bangladesh and London, fuels his passion for tackling challenging problems and connecting innovative minds. Jesse enjoys giving back to the community through numerous activities including the annual Art in the Garden Festival and SYPE, where he currently acts as President of the Saskatoon Chapter.

Trevor Lewington is the Chief Executive Officer for Economic Development Lethbridge. Together with a 31-member volunteer, community-based Board of Directors, Trevor is proud to work with a talented team that develops and delivers on initiatives to promote Lethbridge as an excellent place to live, work, experience, invest and do business. With many years of executive leadership experience in the food processing industry, in addition to living the trials and tribulations of a small business owner combined with additional roles in the public sector, Trevor strives to provide a broad-based perspective and collaborative approach which will enhance initiatives that drive continued economic growth in southern Alberta.