2024 Speakers
We have an exciting group of speakers ready to share their skills and knowledge with you, with more to be added. Select a speaker below to learn more.
Help Your Market Vendors Expand Their Business!
Alex Lau is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder and Senior Relationship Manager, Corporate and Senior Accounts with FCC. Based out of FCC’s downtown Vancouver office, he is responsible for managing all syndicated lending and large corporates files in BC for the food and beverage sector. With over 20 years of banking experience, Alex has spent the last four years with FCC where he is able to match his passion for food and corporate finance. In his free time, he spends time with his wife and young son enjoying the many different culinary adventures available in the Lower Mainland.
Making your Organization Irresistible: Recruiting and Engaging Great Board Members
Alison Brewin is a consultant dedicated to lifting and amplifying BC’s non-profit sector. She has been an Executive Director (West Coast LEAF 1999-2011; 2016, Vantage Point 2018-2021), Interim Executive Director (VAST, BCCLA, Seniors First, Access Pro Bono etc.), and continues as a non-profit leadership consultant (see alisonbrewin.ca for a full list). She currently serves on the UBC Board of Governors, teaches in SFU’s Non-profit Management program, and is working on a book loosely entitled ‘How purpose-driven non-profit management will save the world.’ She raised a pack of children with a community of parents in East Van and has recently moved to Pender Island with her wife, Elisabeth.
Strengthening Your Market Using BC Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study Results & Toolkit
Chloe joined BCAFM on contract as the project manager for the 2023 BC Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study. She brings her experience implementing community-based research and monitoring programs to her role managing all facets of the Impact Study. Chloe excels at priority-setting and information management for large-scale data collection. She is passionate about supporting non-profit and Indigenous organizations to develop accessible tools for informed decision making and advocacy.
Chloe is an alumna of Queen’s University and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She currently lives in Kelowna, with her pet family of a dog and two cats.
Farm Visit Guide for Market Managers
Chris Bodnar has 17 years of experience farming at Glen Valley Organic Farm Co-operative, an organic farm in Abbotsford. During this time, Chris has sold at farmers’ markets, served on the board of farmers’ markets and other agricultural organizations and conducted a variety of wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales channels. Chris holds a PhD in Communication from Carleton University. He developed and taught the Business of Agriculture course in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Sustainable Agriculture program. Since 2014, Chris has worked with the Young Agrarians program to develop the Business Mentorship Network program, and teaches in the YA Business Bootcamp program. From 2014 to 2022, Chris was a Director with a rural Credit Union in Abbotsford. He is currently an Appeal Board member with Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada’s Farm Debt Mediation Service.
Streamline Your Market Operations with MarketWurks
Chris Quinlan served his passion for regional economic and food security as the manager of the Whistler Farmers’ Market for 8 years, a role that gave rise to his development of Marketwurks.com.
His experience as a business owner taught Chris to find practical solutions to everyday challenges, such as being presented with four, 4-inch binders of paper applications to the market.
The existing technical solution was cost prohibitive, so over time, he developed an intuitive market management software program with the goal of making market managers’ lives easier. MarketWurks currently provides market management solutions for nearly 200 farmers’ market locations across North America, Australia and Europe.
From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of Farmers’ Markets Across Canada
Christie is a passionate advocate for sustainable living, local economies, and education. With a background in education and a commitment to fostering a connection between children and the origins of their food, Christie developed the Market Buds children’s program focused on local food education at farmers’ markets. Christie has pioneered initiatives to teach shoppers of all ages about the journey of their food from farm to table. She strives to educate consumers about the significance of knowing where their food comes from and the vital role local farmers play.
Christie’s commitment to local farmers’ markets is resolute. In the pursuit of more connected, sustainable, and thriving communities, she actively advocates for and champions the vital role of both farmers’ markets and the small business entrepreneurs who contribute to them.
Strengthening Your Market Using BC Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study Results & Toolkit
Dr. David Connell is a Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. David’s interests centre on community, land, and food systems. His areas of research include land use planning to protect farmland and socio-economic benefits of farmers markets. In collaboration with BCAFM, David led the province-wide studies of farmers markets in BC in 2006, 2012, and 2023. He was a member of the project team that completed a study of the socio-economic benefits of farmers markets in Canada in 2009.
Tech Panel: Harness the Power of Digital Tools
Eli loves to be a connector, bringing community together. He’s been a volunteer manager, an event producer and a digital campaigner. Basically, he’ll take any job that allows him to enable a group of passionate people to join together to create meaningful relationships.
Currently Eli works as Project and Community Manager with TechSoup.
Considerate Marketing: Taking an Inclusive Approach to Farmers’ Market Communications
Greg McLaren is Managing Director of Farm Food Drink. Greg is a business management and marketing professional specializing in marketing, business development, and workshops for farm, food, drink business and organizations. Greg has over 30 years of experience in marketing and sales operations and the teaching of these same processes. Greg has delivered multi-day agri-food business planning programs and has delivered dozens of agricultural business workshops and presentations across BC.
How to Build a Bad A** Budget, From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of Farmers’ Markets Across Canada
Heather brings over 15 years of leadership experience in non-profit, social enterprise and social innovation to her role as Executive Director at BC Farmers’ Markets. A creative thinker and doer, Heather is passionate about all things farm and food, along with entrepreneurship, small business and empowering the local economy in communities of all shapes and sizes, small and large, rural and urban in all corners of BC.
Heather is an innovative leader and elevator who brings organizations and initiatives to the next level. Prior to joining BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, Heather served as Executive Director with the award winning social enterprise Potluck Café & Catering, which creates jobs and provides healthy, fresh food for people living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, along with a brief role as Executive Producer with CityStudio.
Beyond Sustainability: The Role of Farmers’ Markets in Regenerative Tourism
Hollie is the Tourism Project Lead at Number Creative in Victoria, British Columbia.
After spending a decade as a photography guide and expedition leader for sustainable, wildlife-focused expeditions worldwide, she redirected her focus to local endeavours. Armed with a diploma in Marketing Communications from Camosun College, Hollie seamlessly applied her background in tourism to her role with The Number Creative. Her passion lies in tourism marketing, especially where it intersects with her love for wildlife, ecological integrity, and sustainable visitation.
From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of Farmers’ Markets Across Canada
With a degree in international relations and a specialty in integrated rural development, Jean-Nick Trudel is passionate about Quebec’s food sector, which he has been navigating for the last 10 years. Before assuming the position of general director of the Quebec Farmers’ Markets Association (Association des marchés publics du Québec – AMPQ), Jean-Nick managed three farmers’ markets and coordinated the regional food label and the food tourism sector in his native region, la Mauricie.
It all started when the icewine vines whispered to him about the importance of terroirs.
Risk Management for Farmers’ Markets
James Yang is the Partner Success Specialist at Duuo by Co-operators, our preferred vendor insurance partner for all BCAFM vendor events! Part of James’ duties is to ensure partners like us are equipped with the tools and information we need to provide our vendors with the coverage they need.
We’re incredibly excited to have James give a presentation on the importance of vendor insurance at the 2024 BCAFM Conference this year, and how Duuo provides a simple and affordable insurance solution that meets the needs of BCAFM vendors and market managers.
Keynote Speaker | From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of Farmers’ Markets Across Canada
A 2023 Nuffield Scholar, Justin lives and breathes farmers’ markets and local food systems. He presently serves as the Executive Director of Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia, a non-profit cooperative of over 40 farmer’s markets. He is the Co-founder and President of Canadian Farmers’ Markets, Canada’s national farmers’ market association and a founding member of the World Farmers’ Markets Coalition. Justin also serves as the Chair of the Centre for Local Prosperity, a charitable organisation specialising in relocalisation, and is a Director with the Halifax Regional Food Hub.
When he’s not crafting up ideas to re-localize our economy and promote local businesses, you might find Justin running in the woods, cooking up big hearty meals with friends, or relaxing at his off-grid cabin by the sea.
Kate Poirier embarked on her journey as a Communications Specialist, bringing a wealth of skills to the table, with a focus on small business development and a passion for technology-driven innovation. Transitioning from this role, she ventured into farm labour, gaining hands-on experience in the field. Now, as the Executive Director of the Cedar Farmers Market, Kate has merged her diverse background in market management, marketing, and data analytics, effectively steering the organization through both
turbulent and transformative change. Her mission centres on inclusivity, utilizing technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to simplify and automate processes for the benefit of all. Join her in exploring the potential of AI in farmers’ markets.
Kate also served as the Project Coordinator for the 2023 BC Farmers’ Market Economic Impact Study with the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM). In this role, she organized market assessments for 70 farmers’ markets, contributing her expertise in program coordination and her familiarity with BC’s market landscape. Kate‘s dedication to inclusivity, flexibility, and showcasing farmers’ market value played a supportive role in advancing the study’s mission, aligning with BCAFM’s goal to support and promote member farmers’ markets across the province.
From Coast to Coast: A Snapshot of Farmers’ Markets Across Canada
Kristie Beynon is the Executive Director of Direct Farm Manitoba (DFMB), a non-profit cooperative supporting Manitoba farmers’ markets and small-scale producers. Kristie developed DFMB’s Manitoba Community Food Currency Program, a sector building initiative that connects food insecure households across Manitoba with fresh, farm food at their local farmers’ market. In addition to her work with farmers’ markets and farmers, Kristie was a member of the Provincial Government Relations team for Farmers’ for Climate Solutions, and also sits on the board of Canadian Farmers’ Markets.
Create a Kids Club for Your Market: An Intro to BCAFM’s New Kids Club Programming
Lily Nichol is the Knowledge Coordinator at the BCAFM, a Secondary School teacher, and was a Market Manager at New West Farmers Market for more than 5 years. In 2019 she started NWFM’s Sprout Club Children’s Program that, over the years, has engaged hundreds of children in learning more about food, agriculture, and the environment. She is a big believer in the power of community. She lives in New Westminster with her dog, cat, and fiance.
Melissa is an event planning and logistics professional with over 15 years of experience. She has previously worked with the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, New Westminster Farmers Market and most recently was the Executive Director of the Fraser North Farmers Market Society overseeing the management of the Port Coquitlam and Haney Farmers Markets. She is an award winning fundraiser and has assisted in generating over $1 million in revenue for the BC SPCA helping animals in need of veterinary care. Melissa is dedicated to helping small businesses succeed and enjoys working with passionate individuals who are contributing to the well-being and economic success of their communities. When not thinking about or visiting farmers markets Melissa is hanging out with her young son, Logan in the City of Port Coquitlam. During her “off” time she loves to preserve food, bake yummy cakes and go camping and explore British Columbia.
Food safety and sanitation have always been among Peter Lee’s areas of interest. Peter received his CPHIC to be a Public Health Inspector in 1973. He worked in Alberta and BC as a health inspector for about 39 years and retired in 2012.
He has taught FOODSAFE Levels 1 & 2 since 1988 for Vancouver Community College, Kwantlen University, Capilano University, several School Districts, reputable restaurants and fast food chains, churches, and non-profit organizations. He has also taught many sessions of the Marketsafe course.
In 2015, he published a memoir titled Health Inspector, Eh? about his career and it received a very positive book review by Vancouver Sun reporter, Tom Sandborn, which resulted in an overwhelming and unexpected warm reception of his book nationally and even internationally.
Beyond Sustainability: The Role of Farmers’ Markets in Regenerative Tourism
In his role as Director of Business Development at The Number Creative in Victoria, BC, Ryan works to align large groups of diverse stakeholders who share a common vision to tackle projects that are larger than any one organization.
Ryan’s passions have always led him down the path of hospitality, networking and storytelling—which also happen to be some of the core values of tourism. Over the years, this passion has led him to convene community in nearly every aspect of his career, inherently knowing that we thrive when we all hold each other up.
Indigenous Engagement Principles Workshop
Sharon Marshall is a a proud mom to two young adults, and a Cree/Métis entrepreneur, originally from Edmonton, Alberta, which is Treaty 6 Territory. With three decades of experience in private and public administration and ten+ years working with First Nations organizations, Sharon has dedicated her professional life to uplifting Indigenous communities and is excited to bring her skills to the Indigenous Community for Leadership Development, in her role as Indigenous Corporate Lead.
Sharon lives on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Snaw’naw’as First Nations of the Coast Salish People on Vancouver Island, BC. She is currently pursuing her MBA at Royal Roads University and expects to graduate in June 2024.
When Sharon is not busy studying, training, facilitating, and creating, she enjoys reading, writing, strength training, meditation, learning new things, and creating experiences with her family and close friends.
Media Training 101 for Market Managers
Sonam is a driven and passionate communicator who brings a dedication to helping clients build brand awareness and reach their online marketing goals.
Having joined the The Social Agency team back in 2014 (shortly after attaining a Diploma in Public Relations from Kwantlen Polytechnic University), Sonam has worked with a variety of clients and businesses from nonprofit organizations to food and restaurant-related businesses to credit unions and more. With a keen eye-for-detail and deep understanding of the ever-involving marketing world, Sonam knows what it takes to strategically market a product or service, and helps clients improve communication efforts each and every day.
Tech Panel: Harness the Power of Digital Tools
Trish Riswick is the Social Engagement Specialist at Hootsuite. Over the past 6 years, Trish has worked her way from a freelance social media manager to a small marketing team to an enterprise-level company. At Hootsuite, Trish wears many hats but her main role is to build a strong online community with Hootsuite’s 9+ million followers. You can see her on Hootsuite’s social channels offering social advice, hosting webinars and demoing Hootsuite products.