Rebecca Coleman
Value-Added Content; Adding Flavour to Your Brand

What is value-added content? And how can it help your brand to attract new clients and potential clients? In this workshop, we’ll discuss how value-added content can take your website, email list and social media to the next level, making them more attractive, and giving you more opportunities to connect with current and potential customers. We’ll also look at lots of different examples of value-added content, and we will walk through a demonstration on how to create a short, value-added content video.

Rebecca Coleman is a content creator and recipe developer who specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. She has two published cookbooks: Aquafabulous!: 100+ Vegan, Egg-free recipes using Aquafaba and Vegan Baking Made Easy: 60 Fool-proof Plant-Based Recipes. Rebecca teaches Social Media Marketing at the School of Business at BCIT and consults with small businesses. She lives in Vancouver and is currently writing a novel. Find her on most social networks @RebeccaColeman and at cookingbylaptop.com.

Jody Marshall, Sustainable Results Group
LEAN Manufacturing

Jody is a LEAN certified business coach, with over 25 years of experience across many sectors. As a consultant and business coach, Jody works with a wide range of clients, from small start-ups to medium and large producers and chains. He is known for his ability to analyze and diagnose issues and opportunities, quickly and develop effective solutions that help his clients achieve their goals. His expertise includes business planning, financial analysis, process improvement, product development, sales and marketing, staff training and development and supply chain.

One of Jody’s strengths is his ability to identify areas for improvement quickly. He uses a data-driven approach to analyze financial statements, customer feedback, and other key metrics to identify trends and patterns that may be impacting a business’s bottom line. He then works closely with his clients to develop targeted strategies that address these issues and help the business achieve its goals.

He holds a C.P.P./S.C.M.P. designation from the most respected Supply Chain Association in Canada (Purchasing Management Association of Canada) and the United States (Institute for Supply Management). Jody holds a Lean Certification from The University of Tennessee, a degree in Management from the University of Calgary and is a Ticketed Journeyperson.

Kenny Vannucci, This Commerce Life

I’ve spent my life in retail. I worked front line retail in customer service and retail management, in the warehouses picking and packing orders, and I have worked in corporate office as a merchandise manager buying for numerous and varied categories within grocery and drug. I know how a buyer thinks and what the triggers are. I know how to spot emerging and how to maintain/grow existing categories.

I’ve spent 40+ years in retail, 26 years at London Drugs before striking out on my own to now helping small CPG companies and retailers with sales and operating fundamentals. Helping you get and understand the mechanics of business right so you can turn a profit and scale up your business. I love retail, love CPG and love working with and helping entrepreneurs and founders grow by using This Commerce Life – The Podcast as a platform to reach as many as I can.

Jeff Vilar, Naida Communications
Elevate your Sales

In 2009, Jeff Vilar launched Naida Communications, a sales and marketing
growth consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses generate and elevate
their sales. With more than 28 years of experience in the sales and marketing arena, Jeff has been instrumental in the growth of many businesses involved in a variety of industries including manufacturing, agriculture, telecommunications, technology, distribution, insurance and financial services. His high energy facilitation and presentation style for the Trade Accelerator Programs (TAP) across Canada is coupled with his deep-rooted sales, marketing and export knowledge and expertise.

Jeff’s diligent and no-compromise attitude to strategic sales and marketing initiatives and sales process development enables him to provide his clients with a high level of accountability. However, his most prominent asset is his relentless dedication toward growing the companies with whom he partners.
His one goal, always, is to “Elevate your Sales”!

Dr. Siyun Wang is an Associate Professor and the principal investigator of the Wang Lab of Molecular Food Safety (http://foodsafety.landfood.ubc.ca) at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches and conducts research on ensuring a safer food supply system.

Dr. Wang has authored over 60 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on food safety. Awards she received included Notable Distinctions at UBC, the Food Safety Award from BC Food Protection Association, the Young Researcher Initiative from the European Food Safety Authority, and the scholarship for young women scientists underrepresented in STEM from the US National Science Foundation. Siyun currently serves as an Associate Editor of Current Research in Food Science, an editorial board member of Journal of Food Protection and Food Microbiology, and a review editor of Frontiers in Microbiology|Phage Biology.

At UBC, Siyun serves as the graduate advisor of the Food Science Program as well as sits on the COVID-19 expert panel as a food safety expert.

Dr. Keith Warriner, Department of Food Science, University of Guelph
Developing Food Safety Guidelines for Controlled Environmental Agriculture

Dr. Warriner is currently a Professor within the Department of Food Science at University of Guelph, Canada. Dr. Warriner received his BSc in Food Science from the University of Nottingham, UK and PhD in Microbial Physiology from the University College of Wales Aberystwyth, UK. He later went on to work on biosensors within the University of Manchester, UK and subsequently returned to the University of Nottingham to become a Research Fellow in Food Microbiology. He joined the Faculty of the University of Guelph in 2002.

In the last twenty-five years in the field of microbiology and food safety research, Dr. Warriner has published more than 200 papers, book chapters, patents, and conference abstracts. His research interests are focused on enhancing food safety within meat processing, fresh cut sectors and more recently, in the area of marijuana edibles. To this end, his research team have advanced knowledge in emerging pathogens, intervention technologies and development of biosensor devices to detection of foodborne hazards. His research in UV is developing novel decontamination methods based on gas phase hydroxyl-radicals for treating food surfaces and more recently N95 masks along with other personal protective equipment. He was awarded the Ontario Innovation of the Year award in 2017, OCE Mind to Market award in 2018, IAFP Food Safety Innovation award in 2019 and University of Guelph Innovation award in 2020. He is frequently contacted by the media to provide commentary on food safety issues and is the past President of the Ontario Food Protection Association. He is currently the Chair of the University of Guelph Biosafety committee, Director of the OMAFRA HQP Scholarship program and Associate Editor for several journals. He has given media interviews and appeared on CBC Marketplace on the subject of best before dates.

Jennifer Waxman is a prominent figure in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), Agribusiness, and Natural Wellness. She co-founded and served as the Executive Director of The Villages Grown, the largest CEA facility in the South-East United States. Jennifer’s approach focused on a Food-as-Medicine, CommunityCentric, Local Food System, connecting agriculture with wellness by highlighting the benefits of locally grown food. She is a respected leader in the Local Food Movement, collaborating with organizations, mentoring young leaders, and serving on important boards. Jennifer promotes sustainable local food systems, educates on nutrient-dense growing methods, and emphasizes the benefits of a clean, plant-forward diet. Her efforts have bridged agriculture and wellness, advancing these industries significantly.

Adam Wright is a Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Seed2Source, specializing in Controlled Environment Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, Hydroponics, and Local Food Systems. With diverse skills in design, operations, and marketing, he has worked on agricultural projects for organizations like the City of Orlando, Orlando utilities Commissiond YMCA. Adam’s notable contributions include establishing The Villages Grown, a large-scale food production facility, and pioneering innovative production methods in aeroponics and hydroponics. He is dedicated to integrating technology and sustainable practices into the agricultural industry.

Rickey Y. Yada, PhD Professor and Dean Faculty of Land and Food Systems University of British Columbia (UBC)

In 2014, Professor Rickey Yada was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. Prior to UBC, Dr. Yada was at the University of Guelph where he held numerous leadership roles, including Chair, Department of Food Science, Assistant Vice President Research, Canada Research Chair in Food Protein Structure, Scientific Director of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (Networks of Centres of Excellence), and Founding Member of the Food Institute. Dr. Yada is currently the North American Editor of Trends in Food Science and Technology as well as serving on the editorial board of several journals. He is the author of over 230 refereed journal publications as well as numerous book chapters and books. His areas of research include the structure – function relationships of enzymes (aspartic proteases) and carbohydrate biochemistry as related to nutrition and food quality. Dr. Yada serves in a leadership capacity to several research and industry organizations, some of which include Board of Bioenterprise Inc.; Advisory Committee Member – Arrell Food Institute; Member of the Scientific Advisory Panels – Riddet Institute (New Zealand); and AgResearch (New Zealand). He is also a Past President and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology and the International Academy of the International Union of Food Science and Technology, and is also a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists. Dr. Yada has an honorary DSc from the University of Guelph and was the 2019 Harraways 1867 Visiting Professor, University of Otago, New Zealand.