Informed by years of experience with top agencies Mullen, Arnold Worldwide, TAXI, and now Full Punch, Jack joins us from the West Coast to distill attendees with collaborative and agile approaches that have helped build brands like Four Seasons, Jack Daniel's and WestJet.
Jack is one of Canada’s leading strategists. Born on the West Coast, he obtained his master’s degree from Boston University’s College of Communication, where he also co-taught a graduate class in Brand Planning. Jack spent 13 years in Boston and Washington, DC, working with top agencies, Mullen and Arnold Worldwide, before returning to Vancouver, where he was head of strategy for TAXI. Jack’s collaborative and agile approach to brand planning is a welcome break from a tradition. Jack brings intelligence, ingenuity, and practical know-how to help brands take a stance and make an impact. His experience transcends categories from tourism, energy, and transportation to telco, finance, automotive, and health. Jack has worked on global, national, and local brands like Four Seasons, Jack Daniel’s, Moosehead, WestJet, Candor, Credit Karma, Sasktel, and Conexus.
With a rich background that includes pivotal roles at Google and Coinbase, Kai's expertise in accelerated product design and development is unparalleled. A visionary leader in design, Kai is currently leading a team at Alto Pharmacy to transform accessibility to healthcare and medicine.
Kai is an experienced leader with a proven track record in the Design and Innovation industry. With career-spanning roles at Alto Pharmacy, Coinbase, and Google, she has developed visionary strategies, led successful product launches, and nurtured high-performing teams. Currently, in her role as VP of Design and Research at Alto Pharmacy, she and her team are working to help people lead healthier lives through easy, fair access to medicine. Previously, at Coinbase, Kai played a pivotal role in expanding the company's international presence, leading the establishment of the International Design & Research team and spearheading the launch of critical new markets. During her tenure at Google, founded the Google Sprint Leaders Academy, the innovation engine that drove accelerated product development launches on Google’s platforms for top partners including Airbnb, Comcast, StubHub, and more.
Albert, the driving force behind zu's Experience Design division, brings over 20 years of experience in human-centered methodologies, brand planning, and design research to the table. His work, spanning strategy, workshops, and speaking engagements, has made him a pillar in the design community.
Albert is the Partner and the Chief Experience Officer at zu. He’s been a pioneering advocate for human-centered design since the early 2000s. Over his 20 years at zu, Albert has trained and consulted for startups and enterprises to design and develop seamless and delightful experiences, no matter the user. Albert is often found leading strategy projects, facilitating workshops, speaking at events, and leading zu's Experience Design division. Albert’s knowledge of branding, engagement, customer experience, and social business is both learned and shared in the trenches, having worked with most of zu’s clients. Albert is a sought-after speaker, and opinion leader in the industry, leading numerous UX workshops for, IABC, WESK, Cultivator, Co-Labs, the SPMA, and SCF.
Jayar guides organizations toward the future by blending science fiction with the precision of strategic analysis. Jayar has assisted clients in envisioning diverse futures, from scenarios where aging is conquered to worlds where automation dominates and global connectivity extends to every object.
Jayar is Resident Futurist at Lotic.ai, a company that uses artificial intelligence and behavioral science to unlock the power of our life stories. Formerly, Jayar held the role of VP of Foresight at Idea Couture, a Cognizant company, until 2020. During his tenure, he led the assembly of Canada's largest team of futurists. He also served as Resident Futurist at InteraXon, a Toronto-based startup renowned for developing Muse, the first consumer-grade brain-sensing headband aimed at enhancing mindfulness and sleep. Jayar helps organizations navigate the future by blending the imaginative realm of science fiction with the precision of strategic analysis. His expertise has assisted clients in envisioning diverse futures, from scenarios where aging is conquered to worlds where automation dominates and global connectivity extends to every object. Jayar's clientele spans various global industries, including healthcare, banking, energy, education, electronics, and information technology.
Dré Labre is a pioneering AI Future Creative, guiding organizations through the transformative integration of artificial intelligence with a career that spans the evolution from the internet's emergence to mobile's rise.
Dré Labre has witnessed many waves of technological integration over his storied career, from the emergence of the internet and social media to the rise of mobile. Now, as a pioneering AI Future Creative, he is helping organizations navigate the transformative integration of artificial intelligence. As organizations reckon with how to adopt and utilize AI, Dré provides invaluable guidance grounded in real-world application. His philosophy is that futures thinking rooted in science fiction offers glimpses of tomorrow that inform strategic decisions today. With digital roots in the mid-90s and a hands-on AI integration experience since 2017, Dré offers deep insights into adapting strategies for innovation. Recognized globally for disruptive campaigns for brands like Molson Canadian, Uber, and WestJet, his work reflects a forward-thinking approach fueled by curiosity and a drive for innovation.
Jasmine is a community-builder and placemaker who has worked with urban innovators around the world to create more innovative, imaginative places where ideas thrive.
Jasmine is a community-builder and placemaker who has worked with urban innovators around the world to create more innovative, imaginative places where ideas thrive. She's worked in startups, coached startups in Silicon Valley, launched crazy festivals with plenty of pyrotechnics, and designed innovation districts and community hubs. Her goal: enhancing serendipity between people in ways that make places and products that are better for humanity.
Raj's unique blend of hands-on practice, advisory roles, and academic teaching positions him at the forefront of Customer Experience innovation. Raj's work focuses on strategies that enable teams to effectively engage, gather, act upon, and measure the impact of customer feedback.
Raj is a seasoned Customer Experience leader with a diverse set of experiences as both a CX practitioner and a consultant. At Airbnb, Raj is focused on developing new approaches to capture and socialize the voice of the customer and to build processes that enable teams to act on customer feedback. Raj is also an independent advisor with the NPSx team at Bain and teaches a course on CX Measurement in the Master’s Program in Customer Experience Management at Michigan State. Prior to Airbnb, Raj was at Verint where he drove go to market strategy for CX consulting offerings and helped Verint’s clients optimize the business impact of their Voice of Customer programs. Prior to Verint, Raj was at eBay leading efforts to shift the NPS program’s focus from simply trending metrics to delivering actionable insights. Raj is a frequent conference speaker and advisor on the topic of customer-centricity, metrics, and customer feedback.
With a track record that includes spearheading global AI strategy at Mattel and revolutionizing customer experiences at Walmart Canada, Aqeel brings over a decade of expertise from top-tier companies like Ford, Nike, Petro Canada, Mariott, and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Meet Aqeel, a seasoned leader in experience design and innovation. With a track record that includes spearheading global AI strategy at Mattel and revolutionising customer experiences at Walmart Canada. Aqeel brings over a decade of expertise from top-tier companies like Ford, Nike, Petro Canada, Mariott, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Based in chilly Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Aqeel adds warmth and wit to every discussion on the future of design and technology.
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