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Brief profiles of presenters at the Thunder Bay workshop from August 12 - August 13.

Assistant Professor, Entrepreneurship & Strategy, Ryerson University
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Neil Wolff is the Chair of Management, Entrepreneurship and Strategy at Ryerson University. Neil earned a MBA from Clarkson University and a BComm from Ryerson University. Neil has been involved in many business start-ups and consulting endeavors. His research interests feature a strategic framework to acquire resources, opportunity identification in business development and self-employment. He currently sits on a loan approval committee for the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and actively mentors young nascent entrepreneurs. Neil is also the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Academic Computing at Ryerson and the faculty advisor for ACE Ryerson.

Dave Valliere
Associate Professor, Entrepreneurship & Strategy, Ryerson University
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Dave Valliere is Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. He holds BASc and MEng degrees from University of Toronto, an MBA from University of Western Ontario, and is currently in the final stages of his PhD research into the information asymmetries in the early-stage private equity markets. His research interests include cognitive and behavioural psychology in entrepreneurs and investors, technology commercialization, and effectiveness of early-stage capital markets. His writings include numerous academic and professional articles and books. He is also an award-winning lecturer at the Schulich School of Business, York University. Dave has previously worked in industry as a venture capitalist, commercial banking analyst, senior IT manager, and software design engineer. He serves as director or advisor to numerous small, high-growth technology firms. He is an experienced adventure traveler and mountaineer, and was recently Research Director and a high-altitude climber on the 2005 Kanatek Expedition to Mt. Everest. He is married and has two teenaged daughters.

Melana Borovich is Senior Manager, Valuing Diversity, HSBC Bank Canada.

HSBC Bank Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 170 offices and is the leading international bank in Canada. With around 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories and assets of US$1,738 billion at 30 June 2006, the HSBC Group is one of the worlds largest banking and financial services organizations.

With over 19 years in the financial services industry as a human resources practitioner, Melana has provided consulting services to internal clients to support them in the process of organizational change, identifying and creating initiatives to meet their business strategies and to make sustainable change in their diverse work environments.

In Melanas current role, she is responsible for development and execution of human resources policies and procedures related to HSBCs Valuing Diversity strategy, the companys employer branding strategy including external recruitment campaigns, and working with internal communications to promote the HSBC Brand.

Prior to joining HSBC Bank Canada, Melana worked at a major Canadian bank where international recognition was given for progress made in Closing the Gender Gap with the presentation of an award from the American Society for Training and Development.

Melana has facilitated workshops on a range of employment equity, diversity and change issues, both within the financial services industry and externally in North America for other corporations, government departments and professional conferences.

With 15 years experience in marketing, Lisa Kember has a proven track record in building successful marketing and communications programs. Since 1999, when she launched Hyperactive Communications, Lisa has been helping companies plan and implement results-driven marketing programs designed to meet targeted objectives.