Dax Dasilva is the creative mind behind Lightspeed’s suite of retail, hospitality and eCommerce tools. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed develops a cloud commerce platform used by customers in over 100 countries. The company’s mission is to bring cities and communities to life by powering independent business. Lightspeed is about much more than transactions; it helps entrepreneurs work smarter, make data-driven decisions, and create the best possible experience for their customers. In 2015, Dax also founded Never Apart, a cultural non-profit determined to bring about positive social change and unity through original programming with global reach and impact. Housed in Lightspeed’s former offices, Never Apart cultivates a diverse following and has welcomed thousands into its 12,000 square foot space. Helping entrepreneurs become leaders in their communities through Lightspeed’s technology, and elevating artists through his work at Never Apart are fundamental to Dax’s philosophy. He fosters cultures of innovation, promotes diverse leadership, and values different viewpoints. Dax’s book, Age of Union, debuted in Spring of 2019.

Holder of a Master’s degree in History and thirty years’ experience working with cultural companies, Elizabeth-Ann has brought together her personal and her professional interests by co-founding MU.
Her career began at Place des Arts where she gained appreciation and a passion for the cultural milieu and the international spectrum of shows. Six years at the Fine Arts Museum of Montreal allowed her to expand her interest and knowledge of the visual arts medium. She then left Quebec to tour with Cirque du Soleil throughout the United States as an integral member of the Public Relations team.
During a stay in Philadelphia with Cirque du Soleil, she was exposed to the wall mural phenomenon (Mural Arts Program) and its impact on the art, economic and social development of the city. She felt that Montreal deserved a similar project. The spark was lit but it was several years later before MU became a reality. During those years, she spent some time in the conception and the production of special events. She produced large-scale events in Montreal and throughout the United States, as well as the large capitals of Europe.
In 2006, the time for MU arrived. Elizabeth-Ann has dedicated her energy and creativity to the organization ever since. In collaboration with local communities, youth and the city of Montreal, her charitable non-profit called MU, creates large scale murals anchored in local communities in order for people to experience art on a daily basis, to trigger a social transformation and to turn Montreal into an open-air art museum.

Philippe is a entrepreneur involved in the economy development through art and culture. He co-founded in 2009 MASSIVart, a Montreal agency connecting artists to brands and companies through events and innovative pieces. Organisations such as NBA, Converse, Ubisoft, Ivanhoé Cambridge and W hotels are listed as the agency’s clients. Philippe is also initiator of Chromatic festival, a vibrant art experience that gathered more than 500 artists and 50 000 festival goers in Montréal, Paris and Toronto. Philippe is a entrepreneur involved in the economy development through art and culture. He co-founded in 2009 MASSIVart, a Montreal agency connecting artists to brands and companies through events and innovative pieces. Organisations such as NBA, Converse, Ubisoft, Ivanhoé Cambridge and W hotels are listed as the agency’s clients. Philippe is also initiator of Chromatic festival, a vibrant art experience that gathered more than 500 artists and 50 000 festival goers in Montréal, Paris and Toronto.

For the past 13 years, Myriam Achard has worked with Phoebe Greenberg to promote and develop the avant-garde Canadian and international art scene. As Chief, New Media Partnerships & PR at the Centre Phi, Myriam travels the world in search of the most innovative immersive works to present them in Montreal and to deploy Phi’s expertise in the presentation of cutting-edge works abroad.

Clarence Epstein is Executive Director of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation. He oversees initiatives in the sectors of environment, culture, entrepreneurship and Jewish advocacy for a Montreal family in its third generation of philanthropy.

A woman proud of her Mik’maq, Acadian and Scottish roots, Nadine St-Louis is a social entrepreneur, change agent and speaker on Indigenous culture and the importance of decolonization. She is passionate about systemic change, sustainability, Indigenous values and ethics, the power of the arts, good questions and constructive conversations. Her work focuses on creating social structures that accelerate inclusion and bring balance to society.

NFB multi-award winning producer, Louis-Richard Tremblay works between documentary and technologies with an interest in projects where interactivity supports the creation of a narrative universe exploring phenomena that affect individuals and society. His most recent work concerns our connected and tech-infused society, played out in portable experiences and immersive environments.

After spending 6 year helping build one of the biggest incubators in Montreal, Noor joined the Zú team as a Director of Programs. Zú is an environment that gathers, helps and promotes a community of creative entrepreneurs in the entertainment sector to develop world-class innovative projects. She absolutely loves helping startups, and is now merging her two passions: tech and arts, through Zú.

Christophe Billebaud is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Rhizome, an innovation agency based in Montreal that helps for-profit and no-profit organisations as well as territories structure their innovation ecosystems and communities. As a consultant and entrepreneur, he has been working locally and internationally on innovation projects such as Living LABs, Change LABS and Startups connection programs. Since 2016, he is also the Co-Executive Director in charge of programs and innovation at La Piscine, the French Canadian acceleration platform dedicated to the digital, creative and cultural entrepreneurs and located in Montreal. Active in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem development and support, he is also a Lead coach/Design Thinking expert at Impact 8, the French Canadian acceleration platform dedicated to social entrepreneurs and is the co-author of the book “What is a Living LAB”.

Rebecca Duclos is the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University in Montréal. Prior to her teaching and administrative work in museum studies, art history, and studio art departments (Deakin University, the University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University), Duclos held institutional appointments at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Design Exchange, the Textile Museum of Canada, and The Manchester Museum. Duclos has taught in Montréal as a visiting and part-time faculty member in the Art History Department at McGill University and the MFA program in Studio Arts at Concordia University, as well as in Toronto for the Critical Writing and Curatorial Practice MFA at the Ontario College of Art and Design University. As an independent curator since 2004, Duclos has completed a number of projects including the Manchester Letherium at Cornerhouse, As Much as Possible in the Time and Space Allotted at the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Voir/Noir at the Musée d’art de Joliette, Magnify at the ICA at Maine College of Art, Telepathic Drawing Session at Articule, and In this lack of containment lies a danger but also a power at Skol.

At KPMG since 2000, Benoit is the Regional Managing Partner of the firm in the province of Québec. An art lover, he is inspired daily by the bright, creative and innovative spirit of Québec artists and entrepreneurs. It is with great pride to have been invited as a member of the jury of the Startup Festival, that Benoit wishes the best of luck to the participants!