Welcome to our very first Level Up Mentors Forum! This is the place where young brands will present to a panel of mentors to gain advice on everything from positioning to packaging to pricing. The forum will serve to connect people, increase knowledge and build brands. And it’s not just the mentees that will benefit. All show participants, including exhibitors and attendees, are invited to a front row seat to watch this invaluable exchange of knowledge.
We all know that having a mentor can help us adapt more quickly and that is why this forum has been created. The brands that have been selected to present have expressed an interest in having the opportunity to lean in to the experience that our panel can offer. The panel includes a distributor, a retailer and an investor, providing different view-points and a wealth of knowledge that could take months or years to earn on their own. This is an amazing opportunity for both mentees and spectators to learn from our industry pioneers.
Join us at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for the presentations and then tune in at 5:00 p.m. when we will announce the winner of the Innovation Award which will be presented to the brand that the mentors have identified as Most Innovative New Product.
As lead for all Natural Products Canada (NPC) investment activity, David is responsible for the overall direction of the organization’s portfolio and the management of the individual investments within it. David works closely with the CEO and the Investment Sub Committee (ISC) of the NPC Board of Directors to lead the team in identifying high-potential opportunities in natural products. With over 20 years’ experience in the innovation commercialization landscape, David is a great judge of the viability of a product or technology and its market potential. He has served as Director of Business Development with Performance Plants Inc. and as Vice-President with Foragen Technologies Management Inc., which managed a national venture capital fund specialized in advanced agricultural technology investments. He was a Regional Director for the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program, and was the Chief Executive Officer of the Entrepreneurial Foundation of Saskatchewan. He has also operated a consulting company, advising entrepreneurs on corporate strategy and financing and assistance with various regulatory requirements. David has served on a number of boards for both profit and not-for-profit organizations, including AgWest Bio Inc. and is former Chair of the Board of Directors of Genome Prairie. David was educated at Queen’s University where he obtained BSc Honours (Biology), PhD (Biology), and MBA degrees.
Gary Macdonald has over 40 years’ experience in the retail industry in both Canada and the UK. Currently Executive Leader of Operations and Purchasing for Whole Foods Market Canada, Gary has also led the Product Development teams at Marks and Spencer Canada and A&P/Dominion. Gary’s experience extends into many areas of the food industry including Import, Export, Packaging Design, Legislation and Logistics. Gary loves to share his knowledge of all things Organic & Natural, he bemoans gaps in food legislation and if you want to talk Travel, Soccer or Rugby, he is up for that too.
Stacey Kravitz has served as President UNFI Canada since August 2020. Previously Ms. Kravitz served as UNFI Canada’s Senior Vice President of Sales, UNFI Canada. Prior to joining UNFI in 2015, she spent 20 years at Kraft Canada then Kraft Heinz Company Canada in progressive sales roles, culminating in leading Canada’s largest retailer Loblaw Companies LTD., as Customer Vice President. Ms. Kravitz is a graduate of McGill University and the Queens and Ivey Executive Program where she holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree and an Executive education in Strategic Planning and Finance certificate. In May of 2019, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) and is currently serving as the vice chair and chair of the Human Resources committee. Most recently in October 2020 she was elected to the Board of Directors of the Grocery Foundation another non-for profit organization whose vision is “no hungry kids at school”, believing in a Canada that is True, North, Strong and FedTM.
Mike oversees the accelerator and incubator programs at District Ventures, an ecosystem dedicated to supporting consumer packaged goods entrepreneurs, which includes a $100M investment fund. As District Ventures’ first hire, Mike helped establish the accelerator program before joining one of the accelerator companies, Purple Frog. Before returning to DV, Mike was the Executive Director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association and served on the board of the Canadian Craft Brewers Association. Mike has strong experience in connecting private and public partners to support Canadian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining DV in 2015, Mike was an advisor to Canada’s Minister of Finance. More recently, he served on Calgary’s Task Force for Small Businesses in response to COVID-19.
Millia Wong is an experienced leader in retail merchandising, having spent time in both the Fresh & Grocery businesses at Loblaw Companies Limited, joining the Centre of Store & Natural Foods team in 2018. She also leads Loblaw’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion pillar, Go Further Women, for Market Division. Born and raised in Ottawa, Millia has been a lifelong naturals customer and enjoys discovering new health & wellness products in Canada and on her travels. In her spare time, she enjoys all things food related and is a loving horse owner & equestrian.
Krista Cunningham is the General Manager of Indigo Natural Products Management. Krista is a senior sales and marketing executive with two decades of experience in building some of the world's largest brands, and fostering exceptional customer relationships with North America's leading retailers. Having spent a majority of her career in Tier One CPG organizations in both Canada and the US, Krista is a creative leader with a strong focus on execution and delivering results. She has a passion for food and sustainable living, and her growing interest and concern surrounding what we put in and on our bodies led her to the Natural Products Industry. Outside of work, and in a non-COVID world, Krista enjoys spending time outdoors, at the gym and practicing yoga. She is an intrepid world traveler and is always looking for her next destination. She also enjoys cooking, reading, live music, spending time with friends and family, and spoiling her Northern Rescue pup, Finn.