YELL Day - YELL Canada

When life hands us lemons and we can’t bring you on field trips out in the community, we make lemonade and bring the community to you!

YELL Community Day is presented by CPA of BC and powered by RBC Future Launch and happening on Friday, February 5th! We’re bringing bring 30+ community partners, business professionals and industry leaders straight to your screen. With engaging keynotes, fireside chats, and breakout sessions full of entrepreneurs from a range of industries – there’s something for every YELL student!

It’s your journey, so choose the sessions that will guide and inspire you!

Conference Schedule

All details below including the schedule and the speakers are subject to change as we are finalizing the details. Please come back often to check for updates.

9:00AM – YELL COMMUNITY DAY KICK OFF

Location: Stage

Join us as we kick off an exciting day ahead!

Opening remarks by:
Amit Sandhu, Managing Director @ YELL Canada
Dr. Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship @ Simon Fraser University
Sharon Hummel, Manager, Student Recruitment @ CPA of BC

9:10AM – KEYNOTE

Location: Stage

Speaker: Steve Rio

Steve Rio is a “Good Life” Designer. He’s learned that the quality of our life is defined by what we pay attention to and what we nurture along the path. He works to embody this truth and to share it with others through his work at Nature of Work and Enfold. He’s a successful social impact entrepreneur, investor, coach, and musician living on Bowen Island. Steve is President of the Board for A Network for Grateful Living, and an advisor to Canadian Psychedelic Association, Therapsil, and numerous other non-profits and start-ups.

9:30AM – UNIVERSITY PREP

Location: Stage

High school graduation is fast approaching! Are you ready for University? From application processes to scholarship opportunities, this panel will get you feeling more prepared for post-secondary education!

Moderator:
Dr. Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship @ Simon Fraser University

Speakers:
Martina Meckova, Executive Director @ Beedie Luminaries
Madison Guy, Founder @ GrantMe
Matthew McLellan, Co-Founder @ HALP
David Semail, Manager of Student Recruitment @ SFU Beedie School of Business

10:25AM – Get Up and Get Moving!

Location: Stage

Instructor: Andrew Devlin

We’ve got a long day ahead so make sure to join Andrew Devlin, Studio Manager @ Innovative Fitness for a morning stretch so you have the energy to keep going!

10:40AM – Breakout Sessions

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART (AND BUSINESS) IS

Location: Sessions

Entrepreneurs located in big cities and rural communities share their successes, obstacles and experiences of building and operating their business in their community.

Moderator:
Laura Khokhar, Student Recruitment Officer @ CPA of BC

Speakers:
Sagar Saxena, Director of Operations @ YELL North
Ray Walia, CEO @ Launch Ventures
Chris Peacock, CMO @ Traction on Demand

WHO RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS!

Location: Sessions

Female entrepreneurs bring amazing new ideas, services, products, and approaches to a business and the community! Our panelists will share their stories, advice and resources that are available to aspiring female entrepreneurs!

Moderator:
Isabela Moise, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Paulina Cameron, CEO @ Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
Humaira Ahmed, Founder @ Locelle
Jessica Bannister, HVAC Apprentice

INDUSTRY: SPORTS

Location: Sessions

Did you know you can be in sports AND business? Athlete Tech Group will be joined by some Canadian athletes and share how their passion for sports has helped them launch business ventures.

Moderator:
Daniel Shmidov, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Nate Behar, Founder @ ATNMY and CFL Player @ Ottawa Redblacks
Patrick Lago, CEO & Director of Instruction @ Lago Golf Academy
Andrew Safranko, Managing Director, Venture and Technology @ Athlete Tech Group

INDUSTRY: GAMING

Location: Sessions

You spend so much time on games, and now you want to get paid working on them! Canadian game studios get together to share their stories with you to help you unlock that achievement!

Moderator:
David Zou, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Josh Nilson, CEO & Co-Founder @ East Side Games
Lidi Giroux, Communications Manager @ East Side Games
Jean-Guy Niquet, Studio Lead @ LDRLY Games

11:40AM – Tradeshow and Networking Lunch

Locations: Your home kitchen and table, Networking and Expo

Take this lunch break to experience what some would call, one of the best parts of attending a conference! Head to the kitchen, grab some food to fuel up, and come back to check out the Expo and visit some booths or join Networking to connect with your peers across the province!

Don’t forget about our #YELLCommunityDay contest!
Snap a selfie of yourself in your YELL Community Day shirt! Share it on Instagram as a post or story, using #YELLCommunityDay and tag us @YELLCanada to be entered to win a prize pack!

1:00PM – YOUTH ARE OUR FUTURE!

Location: Stage

Think you’re too young to start? Think again! We’ve invited local youth entrepreneurs who’ve found success at a young age to share their stories.

Moderator:
Anjali Dhaliwal, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Mateo Pekic, Founder & Chief of Innovation @ 3DQue Systems
Arman Mottaghi, Co-Founder @ Lambda Science Inc.
Lucy Lei, Student Entrepreneur @ Simon Fraser University

1:55PM – Get Up and Get Moving!

Location: Stage

No time for naps during this afternoon break. Join Andrew Devlin, Studio Manager @ Innovative Fitness for a nice stretch to keep you going!

2:10PM – Breakout Sessions

INDUSTRY: APPAREL

Location: Sessions

What you wear can say a lot about you! So why not dip your toes not just in your shoes, but in the business behind fashion?

Moderator:
Cassandra Ratcliffe, Community Manager @ Shopify

Speakers:
Caroline Bertrand, Founder @ Borderline Bodysuits
Valerie Braacx, Founder @ Veespoke
Josephine Kwan, Founder & CEO @ Flow 2 Apparel

INDUSTRY: CREATIVES

Location: Sessions

Left brains unite! Our panelists will give you the ins and outs on design, photography and copywriting and get your creative juices flowing.

Moderator:
Taryn Wou, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Mark Ponce, Branding & Digital Designer @ Mark V Ponce Design
Zafira Rajan, Copywriter & Branding Strategist @ Zafira Rajan Inc.
Ben Glassco, Owner @ Ben Glassco Photography

INDUSTRY: FOOD

Location: Sessions

This session will get your bellies growling as local entrepreneurs in the food industry share their experiences of breaking out of the kitchen and into the world of business. Bon Appétit!

Moderator:
Andy Nguyen, YELL Alumni and Ambassador

Speakers:
Victoria Perez, Owner @ MIEL Snackplatters
Heat Laliberte, Owner @ One Arrow
Jenell Parsons, Owner @ Pie Hole

3:15PM – FIRESIDE CHAT and CLOSING REMARKS

Location: Stage

Speakers: Dr. Sarah Lubik and Charles Chang

Join Dr. Sarah Lubik and Charles Chang for an engaging fireside chat. Learn how Charles went from being the VP of Sales and Marketing at The Great Little Box Company to becoming a successful entrepreneur! Recognized by Business in Vancouver as a Top 40 Under 40 Entrepreneur, he founded the popular protein powder brand, VEGA and investment company, Lyra Growth Partners.