Som attended the University of Toronto for Engineering. Although he took a more unconventional route to finance, it taught him the core skills of not only how to learn, but more importantly, how to fail yet keep moving forward!

After that, he started a career at RBC Investment Banking. It was a crash course in effort and learning and accelerated his career meaningfully at a very young age – and helped him figure out what he really wanted in his life and career.

He loves building unique products that people love, and that change their lives for the better. But he’s most proud of the people he’s inspired to join him along the way, and the daily effort and constant challenges that come with building a great business. He skips to work every day because he doesn’t see it as work.

His goal for the future of Purpose has always been to set a high standard that inspires his industry peers and helps move the industry forward. He starts with the mindset that if his customers win, his team wins. He believes leading this industry through innovation can drive systemic change. While it takes time, the ripple effect is profound.

Devon Kirk is Co-Head & Partner, Portage Capital Solutions at Portage, where she is responsible for leading growth equity investments in the financial technology and financial services sectors globally and driving the fund’s overall strategy. Prior to Portage, Devon was Managing Director & Head of Capital Solutions at CPP Investments. Previously, Devon was a Managing Director in the Direct Private Equity team at CPP Investments. She has previously worked in corporate law and investment banking in the US and UK. Devon is currently a Director on the boards of Thetaray and AuxMoney, as well as Chair of the Bishop Strachan School. She has previously served on a number of other boards in the technology and financial services sectors. Devon received a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with Great Distinction, from McGill University and a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School. She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Abraham is a leader in financial services with globally recognized expertise in open banking. Over the span of his career, he has worked with financial institutions and regulators with respect to cutting-edge technological changes in banking, new business models and disruption from innovation. In March 2022, the Government of Canada named him the country’s Open Banking Lead. He was tasked with the mandate to empower Canadians and businesses with greater control over their financial data and to be better equipped to manage their finances. He established the foundation for Canada’s open banking system with a framework that is being implemented through legislation. He was previously a Director at PwC where he heads the firm’s Canadian open banking practice. Before joining PwC, he was one of the founders of Mox, a digital bank in Hong Kong built from scratch which has since gained prominence in the market. Prior to that, he was a director in digital banking in Singapore where he was responsible for the implementation of emerging technologies as well as making banking simpler and more intuitive. Abraham is a frequent speaker at conferences as well as to board of directors and regulators on emerging topics in financial services.  As a common law and civil law qualified lawyer, he bring a multidisciplinary approach that bridges the gap between banking, technology and law

Lucas Matheson is the Country Director CEO of Coinbase Canada, overseeing Coinbase’s strategic direction and growth within the Canadian market since January 2023. In this role, Lucas is dedicated to making digital assets more accessible to Canadians and expanding our regulatory framework to help upgrade the financial system in Canada. Before his current position at Coinbase, Lucas led various operational and financial teams at Shopify as Senior Director of Operations and Director of Strategic Expansion

With 10 patents, a best-selling author of ‘Your AI Survival Guide’ (top 100 AI books), and voted Forbes ‘AI Maverick & visionary of the 21st century’ Sol is a Data & AI technology executive with a strong business acumen who’s lead massive transformations for enterprises and the commercial AI marketplace. Helping IBM launch Watson in 2011, and holding the 1st Chief Data and Chief AI Officer role appointed back in 2016 Sol has operated as a CDO, CAO, CDAO, and CAIO for several Fortune 100’s, Voted as the ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Tech’, ‘Top 100 AI Thoughts Leaders’, and ‘Top 100 Data & Analytics Leaders’ Sol is a SHAPER, combining her pragmatic approach with visionary thought leadership to drive change where it matters, while motivating and helping others with their Data & AI footprint. She ensures technology is leveraged as an enabler, and not a replacer of human intelligence, in order to amplify human capabilities and ingenuities while generating Catalytic Commerce.

Mr. Greg Orencsak was appointed Deputy Minister of Health, effective August 19, 2024.

Prior to this appointment, he was Deputy Minister of Finance and, concurrently, Chair of the Ontario Financing Authority, Government of Ontario, since 2018.

Deputy Minister Orencsak has held other senior leadership positions including Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Government of Ontario from 2017-2018. From 2016-2017, he was Partner, Government and Public Sector, and National Leader, Public Policy and Fiscal Innovation, at EY (Ernst and Young).

He has held other positions with the Government of Ontario, including Chair of the Public Service Commission from 2015-2016; Deputy Minister, Secretary of the Treasury Board and Secretary of the Management Board of Cabinet, Treasury Board Secretariat from 2014-2016; and Deputy Minister of Government Services in 2014. Prior to these appointments, he was Associate Deputy Minister of Finance from 2011-2014 and Assistant Deputy Minister of Finance from 2009-2011.

He holds Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Brazeau is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy, Department of Finance. He has led several key initiatives at the Department, and was instrumental in advancing other key government financial sector priorities including consumer-driven banking. Prior to joining the Department of Finance, Mr. Brazeau held a number of executive-level roles in both the private and public sector, including at Deloitte LLP, Global Affairs Canada, and McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP.

Since its establishment in 1998 as a non-profit organization, Toronto Centre has trained over 30,000 central bankers and financial supervisors globally to become change agents for building more stable and inclusive financial systems. Its mission is supported by Global Affairs Canada, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the International Monetary Fund.

Kaz Nejatian is Shopify’s VP of Product & Chief Operating Officer and has been at Shopify since
2019. Prior to becoming COO, Kaz was VP of Product, Merchant Services, and Commercial.
Kaz oversees a cross-functional team that develops and delivers tools for entrepreneurs to
supercharge their growth on Shopify. These products give independent merchants access to
commerce innovations that have historically only been available to big businesses. After
working as a lawyer in his early career, Kaz parlayed his life interests of entrepreneurship,
finance, and technology into co-founding and serving as the CEO of Kash, a payment technology
company which was acquired in 2017 by one of the largest fintech companies in the U.S. Kaz
then served as Product Lead for Payments and Billing at Facebook, reducing the barriers for
businesses in cash-dependent markets to purchase digital ads without a credit card.
Kaz is a graduate of Queen’s University’s School of Business and the University of Toronto
Faculty of Law. Along with being a key player in making commerce better for everyone, Kaz and
his wife are the proud parents of four children.

Head of Digital Strategy at Interac, Debbie provides strategic leadership, product visioning and launch expertise for the payment innovation and digital transaction industries.
Debbie has over 25 years of experience and a dynamic international career launching and marketing successful initiatives for large corporates, mid-stage and startup companies.
Debbie has been involved in early iterations of the digital economy including crypto currency, mobile commerce, electronic cash, prepaid, EMV, contact and contactless solutions on an international scale. Previous roles include co-founder and SVP Product and Strategy at Dexit Inc. and Head of North America for Mondex International (a subsidiary of MasterCard).
More recently, Debbie has been engaged in providing thought leadership and consulting services to a number of companies including Interac, The Royal Canadian Mint, Visa, Telus, Ontario Lottery & Gaming, Bell and others, providing strategic insights and innovation expertise for emerging payment and digital commerce trends.
Debbie is passionate about leveraging technology and bold ideas to improve how society interacts.
Debbie sits on the Advisory Board of FINCA International (a world leading microfinance nonprofit, focused on providing financial services to the world’s

Eyal Sivan is a seasoned technologist specializing in all aspects of open banking. Eyal leverages his 25 years of IT experience in management, business analysis, systems integration and distributed application architecture to drive his clients towards open banking readiness, client-focused agility, rapid innovation and global technology leadership.

Beyond his technology expertise, Eyal has excellent leadership and communication skills, consistently striving to inspire the teams he works with. He also has extensive public presentation experience, having spoken at numerous international conferences on APIs, integration architecture, open banking & the general impact of technology on our lives.
‍
As Mr. Open Banking, Eyal has dedicated his career to help drive the evolution of open banking forward. He believes it can improve millions of lives by enabling a more innovative, resilient & inclusive financial ecosystem.

Sachin Aggarwal is a Canadian entrepreneur, lawyer, and executive with a distinguished career leading technology-driven organizations at the intersection of healthcare, data, and public policy. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Think Research Corporation, a Toronto-based healthcare technology company with 200 employees and operations across North America and Europe. Under his leadership, Think has grown into a global provider of digital clinical solutions, used by over 300,000 clinicians and licensed by more than 14,000 healthcare facilities worldwide.

Since assuming the CEO role, Sachin has transformed Think into a platform of complementary healthcare businesses, acquiring and scaling brands such as MDBriefCase, Rx Briefcase and Oncology Education (continuing medical education), PostCall (physician newsletter) and Pharmapod (medication safety and pharmacy compliance). Today, Think’s portfolio spans software-as-a-service, data infrastructure, healthcare services, and medical education—delivering evidence-based tools that support decision-making and improve patient outcomes.

In addition to his role at Think, Sachin is an active advisor and board member to multiple growth-stage companies, particularly in the technology and healthcare sectors, including Sciteline Inc, and LifeSpire Inc. Earlier in his career, he practiced law at Torys LLP, served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Leader of the Official Opposition in Ottawa, and worked with several start-ups and public policy organizations. He currently sits on the board of the Council of Canadian Innovators.

Sachin was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2017 and recognized by MaRS Discovery District’s Portraits of Innovation for his leadership in Canadian technology. He holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and a law degree from the University of Toronto, having been called to the Bar in Ontario and New York.

Robert Bell served as Ontario’s Deputy Minister of Health from 2014 to 2018. Prior to this role, he worked as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Health Network (UHN) for nine years. He was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Princess Margaret Hospital, the Chair of Cancer Care Ontario’s Clinical Council and the Cancer Quality Council of Ontario. Today he provides advice to a number of private and public organizations and has published three novels with all proceeds from these books benefiting UHN foundations.

As Group Head for the Strategic Solutions Group at Merrill Lynch Bank of America, Rasha established Merrill at the top of securitization league tables, instituted strategic partnerships and built the largest non-bank residential mortgage funding business. As Managing Director, her mandate expanded to Debt and Equity with focus on financial services, consumer finance, automotive, real estate and REITs. Rasha was a key advisor to Canadian pension funds, global sovereign wealth funds, and large institutional clients. In addition, Rasha was a member of the Asset/Liability Committee and the Management Committees for Debt Capital Markets and Equity Capital Markets.

Rasha was President and Chair of the Mortgage Backed Securities Issuers Association, a Director of the Board of Russell Investments in Canada, and a part of the Russell Investments Audit Committee.

Rasha founded Brim Financial in 2015. Brim is a fully integrated digital platform at the intersection of tech, finance & lifestyle. Brim leverages technology to deliver a state-of-the-art financial platform, to enable a more rewarding financial experience, and to introduce first to market features designed for consumers of today.

Dr. Peter Nord is an accomplished healthcare executive with extensive leadership experience in Canada and the US, currently serving as Chief Medical Officer at Medcan. In 2016, he founded the charitable organization Stillbrook Accessible Retirement Residences in order to provide affordable seniors care for this growing demographic. Previously, Peter held positions at Unity Health Toronto as V.P., Chief Medical Officer and Site Lead, at Providence Healthcare. Working with the Ministry of Health, Peter chaired the Rehabilitative Care Alliance and served as the provincial Physician Champion for ALC (improving patient flow through the health system). In the US, Peter previously served as Physician Executive at Sentara Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and also founded several organizations, including Global Health Ventures and Voyager International Airlines, Inc. Academically, Peter obtained his MD degree from McMaster University and is currently an Assistant Professor at U of T’s Faculty of Medicine. He has been recognized nationally for making significant contributions to the health of Ontarians throughout a distinguished career.

Paolo Sironi is the global research leader in Banking and Financial Markets at IBM Institute for Business Value. A trailbrazer in fintech, his insights resonate across the industry, making him one of the most respected voices in the field.

As the host of THE BANKERS’ BOOKSHELF podcast, ahead of brings cutting-edge research to live, shairng the stories and startegies behind financial innovation.

With a career spanning from start-up entrepreneurship to leading risk management as a quantitative engineer in investment banking, Paolo’s expertise bridges the gap between technology and finance.

His groundbreaking books, including the Amazon bestseller Banks and Fintech on Platform Economies, have become essential reading for professionals navigating the evolving financial landscape.

Skurka has played a key role in WonderFi’s growth, having initially taken the position of interim CEO in 2022 before being permanently appointed in July 2023. As the CEO, Dean is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and overseeing its operations. Before joining WonderFi, Skurka had a successful tenure at Bitbuy, a major Canadian cryptocurrency exchange, where he was instrumental in scaling the company’s operations. His expertise spans regulatory strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and financial management. Skurka holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), where he majored in finance and minored in accounting​.

Rob Galaski is Chief Journey Officer at Questrade Financial Group, where he has overall leadership responsibility for the Group’s businesses in financial markets, banking, cryptocurrency, insurance, real estate and consumer finance. Rob brings extensive experience across regulated sectors (both private and public) having worked in 27 countries. Rob’s governance and board work spans multiple sectors including finance, health care and education. Rob serves as Executive Advisor to the World Economic Forum on Disruptive Innovation in Financial Services, where he has led groundbreaking work on behalf of the global industry. In recognition of his global accomplishments, Rob was honored by the IIF as a Global Leader Under 40. Rob and his wife Chantal are parents to Henri and Élodie. Rob and family are active within the community and supporters of several important organizations.

Tanya Woods leads Government and Regulatory Affairs for Questrade Financial Group, a successful private Canadian company with $45B AUA and a portfolio of leading companies offering innovative financial, home, lending, and insurance services online to help clients become much more financially successful and secure. She is a dynamic and specialized technology, regulatory, and trade lawyer, former Canadian trade negotiations expert advisor, and technology policy expert. Woods advises governments and companies on digital trade, open finance and fintech issues, intellectual property, sustainability and resiliency, cyber security policy and global enforcement, digital literacy, and emerging technologies. She has served in Advisory, Board and C-suite legal and business roles successfully advancing the commercial and regulatory agendas of technology companies for 20 years, including Microsoft, Nintendo, Interac, and BCE Inc. Woods also launched and led Canada’s first blockchain and digital assets trade association, served as General Counsel & Corporate Secretary to launch Canada’s first digital asset miner on NASDAQ, supported the development of the first global charity-led algorithmic (AI) literacy program, and sat on the Board of Canada’s first publicly traded 4D “metaverse” studio. Tanya’s leadership and contributions have been recognized by the Government of Canada, IT World, the Obama Foundation, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, amongst others.

Eric Richmond is Shakepay’s new General Counsel and Head of Business Development. He leads the legal, public policy, and regulatory affairs functions at Shakepay and also forges strategic partnerships, explores new markets, and seeks opportunities to further the financial product offerings at Shakepay.

Eric brings significant experience in financial services, as well as the cryptocurrency sector. Prior to joining Shakepay, he was the President at Coinsquare, a leading Canadian cryptocurrency exchange. He is also a founder of Tetra Trust Company – Canada’s first digital asset trust company and custodian. Eric played a key leadership role in Coinsquare and Tetra’s strategic partnerships, and has an in-depth knowledge of the principles, applications and current developments relating to blockchain technologies across multiple jurisdictions.

Prior to Coinsquare, Eric was a lawyer at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, where he advised clients on a variety of corporate and capital markets transactions, as well as corporate governance and securities regulatory matters.

Raman is responsible for Deloitte’s four financial services sectors – Banking and Capital Markets, Insurance, Investment Management and Real-Estate. Working alongside preeminent leaders, Raman sets the overall strategic direction and go-to-market strategy for the practice. She also serves as the Global Lead Partner for one of Deloitte’s key global banking clients and co-leads the Global Commercial Banking segment. Prior to Deloitte, Raman spent over 17 years with the HSBC Group, working in over 20 countries, igniting her passion for entrepreneurship and global businesses. Throughout her tenure, she held various leadership positions in Commercial Banking, including Global Head of Business Banking, Senior Vice-President & Head of Global Liquidity and Cash Management, and European Regional Head of Commercial Insurance. These experiences deepened her conviction in the transformative power of financial services to drive purposeful growth and innovation on a global scale. Raman is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity. Having worked across the globe, she brings a unique perspective to her role and thrives in culturally complex environments. She actively seeks opportunities to mentor others and promote inclusive leadership.

Jeremy Wilmot is the President and CEO of Interac Corp. A seasoned leader in payments, real-time solutions and growth strategies, Jeremy joined Interac in August 2023. He leverages his more than 30 years of global experience to drive Interac growth and deliver shared value for its Canadian Financial Institution customers and for the millions of Canadians using its debit, money movement and verification services.

Jordan Jacobs is Managing Partner and co-founder of Radical Ventures. Before Radical, Jordan co-founded Layer 6 AI and was co-CEO prior to its acquisition by TD Bank Group where he joined as Chief AI Officer (Business & Strategy). Jordan is also a founder of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, a concept he devised with Radical Ventures and Layer 6 co-founder Tomi Poutanen and Professor Geoffrey Hinton. Jordan is a Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), which administers on behalf of the Government of Canada the world’s first national AI strategy, which Jordan helped author. Jordan is also a member of the University of Waterloo President’s International Advisory Board, a Director of Tennis Canada, and has been selected as one of Toronto’s 50 Most Influential People. Jordan previously co-founded Milq, a cultural content discovery platform and early adopter of machine learning for personalization. He also founded SpyBox Media, through which he developed and partnered with Elton John’s Rocket Pictures to executive produce the Emmy-nominated music TV series Spectacle, hosted by Elvis Costello. Jordan started his career as a technology and entertainment lawyer,and received his JD from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto where he was admitted at age 19.

Nicole Foster is Director of AWS Global AI/ML and Canada Public Policy at Amazon, where she leads the direction and strategy of artificial intelligence public policy for Amazon Web Services (AWS) around the world as well as the company’s public policy efforts in support of the AWS business in Canada. In this role, she focuses on issues related to emerging technology, digital modernization, cloud computing, cyber security, data protection and privacy, government procurement, economic development, skilled immigration, workforce development, and renewable energy policy. Prior to joining Amazon in 2018, Nicole led the Toronto office for Global Public Affairs, providing senior public affairs counsel to clients. Before joining Global in 2004, Nicole worked for a number of years in political roles in Ottawa. Nicole is the immediate Past National Chair of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan group dedicated to raising the issue of women’s under-representation in Canadian legislatures.

Dr. Ernest Kwamina Addison was appointed Governor of the Bank of Ghana by the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in April 2017. Under his leadership, the Bank of Ghana has undertaken broad reforms to safeguard the stability of the financial system and the Ghanaian economy. Dr. Addison is currently the Co-chair, of the Economic Policy Coordination Committee for Ghana; the Chairman, Committee of Governors of West African Monetary Zones; the Co-chair FSB Regional Consultative Group for Sub-Saharan Africa; and the Chairman, Ghana International Bank (GHIB) London; Chairman, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS) Board; and Member, Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Board. Dr. Addison holds a PhD with a specialization in monetary economics and economic development from McGill University in Canada, a master’s degree in economics and politics from the University of Cambridge, and a degree in economics from the University of Ghana.

As Chief Digital Officer and Head of Canadian Products at BMO Financial Group, Mat is responsible for driving BMO’s digital transformation while overseeing the bank’s retail deposit, investing, unsecured lending and home financing businesses in Canada. Mat joined BMO in 2010, where he has held progressively senior roles in the Corporate Strategy, Digital and Personal and Business Banking areas. He holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business. On February 8, 2024, Interac Corp. announced that Mat has joined its Interac Board of Directors. Mat also serves on the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Ministries in Toronto, which provides over 450,000 meals and shelters over 1,500 people annually. In addition to sponsorship and advocacy, he is passionate about helping the organization leverage digital to drive more significant, sustainable, and consistent donations.

Faryar Shirzad is Chief Policy Officer at Coinbase, where he leads the company’s engagement with policymakers around the world and has become a trusted source for thought leadership in the global crypto policy space. Under Shirzad’s leadership, Coinbase has become a driver of crypto-regulation discourse in the U.S. He oversaw the creation of Coinbase’s Digital Asset Policy Proposal (or dApp), which laid out a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for the rapidly-emerging industry and was recognized as “a dramatic shift from current policy in the United States”, sparking an ongoing conversation on how crypto should be regulated while safeguarding American innovation. Before joining Coinbase, Shirzad was Global Co-Head of Government Affairs at Goldman Sachs. Shirzad has served as counsel to the highest levels of the U.S. government, including as deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs for President George W. Bush. In that role, he served as The President’s personal representative to the G-8 (the “G-8 Sherpa”). Prior to his time in the White House, Shirzad was assistant secretary for import administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce and international trade counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Earlier in his career, he practiced law in Washington, DC. Faryar earned a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, a MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a BS from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Francisco Rivadeneyra is the Director for CBDC & FinTech Policy and Research at the Bank of Canada. In this role he leads a team developing policy advice in areas of central bank digital currency, electronic money and payments, and the implications for central banks of broader financial innovations. He also is an active researcher working in the intersection of technology, payments infrastructures and finance. His current research studies the security and convenience trade-off of digital currencies and the use of artificial intelligence in the liquidity management problem of commercial banks. His previous work has been on the management of domestic debt and foreign reserves for the Government of Canada. Mr. Rivadeneyra holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Head of the Toronto Innovation Hub Centre within the Bank for International settlements, his role is to contribute to the creation of digital financial public goods such as settlement systems, identity solutions and open finance environments. Before this position he was the head of Payment Systems and Financial Market infrastructures at the central Bank of Mexico where he guided the development, operation, analysis, and regulation of financial market infrastructures. He oversaw the modernization of the payment systems in Mexico, directed the creation of a fast payment system denominated in dollars, and was deeply involved in the development of the operational and regulatory strategy of the Central Bank regarding financial market infrastructures, including CBDC and the inclusion of new market participants in the ecosystem and the opening of the market to open finance solutions. In his previous roles he directed strategic planning and managed macro-financial analysis for the Bank of Mexico, and he is an Economist with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Daniel Eberhard is a Co-Founder of Koho Financial Inc. and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Daniel Eberhard served as Vice-President of Business Development at Kineticor Renewables Inc. acquired by Algonquin Power. He previously worked as a Business Transition Consultant for De Regenboog and was the recipient of the H.G. Schippel Junior Consultant of the Year award. Daniel Eberhard holds two degrees, Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship -International Business. Daniel Eberhard also holds a Consulting Diploma from Hoegenschool De Zeeland, Netherlands.

Professor Peter Loewen is the Director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is cross-appointed to the Munk School and the Department of Political Science. For 2020-2022, he is a Distinguished Visitor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Tel Aviv University. Professor Loewen received his B.A. from Mount Allison University (2002) and his PhD from l’Université de Montréal (2008). He held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and the University of California at San Diego. Since joining the University of Toronto he has held visiting positions including the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Mr. Tapscott is an entrepreneur, author and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of Bitcoin, blockchain and other digital assets on business and financial markets. Mr. Tapscott is the co-author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction best-seller, Blockchain Revolution, which has been translated into more than 15 languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. He is also the Editor and Co-author of Financial Services Revolution (January 2020). Mr. Tapscott is sought after world-wide for his expertise by business and government audiences. He has delivered over 200 lectures and executive briefings at firms like Goldman Sachs (Talks at GS), Google, Allianz, IBM, Microsoft and Accenture. His TedX talk, “Blockchain is Eating Wall Street” has been viewed over 700,000 times. Mr. Tapscott has also written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Globe and Mail, National Post and many other publications. In 2017, Mr. Tapscott co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), a global think-tank investigating blockchain strategies, opportunities and use-cases. Previously, Mr. Tapscott was Director of institutional equity sales at Canaccord Genuity. Mr. Tapscott is a graduate of Amherst College (Cum Laude) and is a CFA Charterholder.

José Manuel Marqués is Head the Financial Innovation and Market Infrastructures Department Bank of Spain (Banco de España). In this position, he coordinates the contribution from Bank of Spain to Infrastructures captured under the TARGET Services (Target 2 Securities and Eurosystem Collateral Management System) and Market Activities Processing System. He also coordinates the analysis of the main trends transforming the financial system: Big tech and Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, CBDC, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Blockchain and DLT. Marqués has joined Bank of Spain in 1996 and has written a number of articles on financial markets and is chair of the Working Group of Green Finance in the BIS Innovation Network and represent Bank of Spain on the High Level Taskforce on the digital euro, the CEMLA Foro Fintech. He has a BA in Economics and Business from University of Zaragoza, and an MSc from University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona.

Raman is responsible for Deloitte’s four financial services sectors – Banking and Capital Markets, Insurance, Investment Management and Real-Estate. Working alongside preeminent leaders, Raman sets the overall strategic direction and go-to-market strategy for the practice. She also serves as the Global Lead Partner for one of Deloitte’s key global banking clients and co-leads the Global Commercial Banking segment. Prior to Deloitte, Raman spent over 17 years with the HSBC Group, working in over 20 countries, igniting her passion for entrepreneurship and global businesses. Throughout her tenure, she held various leadership positions in Commercial Banking, including Global Head of Business Banking, Senior Vice-President & Head of Global Liquidity and Cash Management, and European Regional Head of Commercial Insurance. These experiences deepened her conviction in the transformative power of financial services to drive purposeful growth and innovation on a global scale. Raman is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity. Having worked across the globe, she brings a unique perspective to her role and thrives in culturally complex environments. She actively seeks opportunities to mentor others and promote inclusive leadership.

Jeremy Wilmot is the President and CEO of Interac Corp. A seasoned leader in payments, real-time solutions and growth strategies, Jeremy joined Interac in August 2023. He leverages his more than 30 years of global experience to drive Interac growth and deliver shared value for its Canadian Financial Institution customers and for the millions of Canadians using its debit, money movement and verification services.

Jordan Jacobs is Managing Partner and co-founder of Radical Ventures. Before Radical, Jordan co-founded Layer 6 AI and was co-CEO prior to its acquisition by TD Bank Group where he joined as Chief AI Officer (Business & Strategy). Jordan is also a founder of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Toronto, a concept he devised with Radical Ventures and Layer 6 co-founder Tomi Poutanen and Professor Geoffrey Hinton. Jordan is a Director of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), which administers on behalf of the Government of Canada the world’s first national AI strategy, which Jordan helped author. Jordan is also a member of the University of Waterloo President’s International Advisory Board, a Director of Tennis Canada, and has been selected as one of Toronto’s 50 Most Influential People. Jordan previously co-founded Milq, a cultural content discovery platform and early adopter of machine learning for personalization. He also founded SpyBox Media, through which he developed and partnered with Elton John’s Rocket Pictures to executive produce the Emmy-nominated music TV series Spectacle, hosted by Elvis Costello. Jordan started his career as a technology and entertainment lawyer,and received his JD from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto where he was admitted at age 19.

Nicole Foster is Director of AWS Global AI/ML and Canada Public Policy at Amazon, where she leads the direction and strategy of artificial intelligence public policy for Amazon Web Services (AWS) around the world as well as the company’s public policy efforts in support of the AWS business in Canada. In this role, she focuses on issues related to emerging technology, digital modernization, cloud computing, cyber security, data protection and privacy, government procurement, economic development, skilled immigration, workforce development, and renewable energy policy. Prior to joining Amazon in 2018, Nicole led the Toronto office for Global Public Affairs, providing senior public affairs counsel to clients. Before joining Global in 2004, Nicole worked for a number of years in political roles in Ottawa. Nicole is the immediate Past National Chair of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan group dedicated to raising the issue of women’s under-representation in Canadian legislatures.

Dr. Ernest Kwamina Addison was appointed Governor of the Bank of Ghana by the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in April 2017. Under his leadership, the Bank of Ghana has undertaken broad reforms to safeguard the stability of the financial system and the Ghanaian economy. Dr. Addison is currently the Co-chair, of the Economic Policy Coordination Committee for Ghana; the Chairman, Committee of Governors of West African Monetary Zones; the Co-chair FSB Regional Consultative Group for Sub-Saharan Africa; and the Chairman, Ghana International Bank (GHIB) London; Chairman, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GHIPSS) Board; and Member, Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Board. Dr. Addison holds a PhD with a specialization in monetary economics and economic development from McGill University in Canada, a master’s degree in economics and politics from the University of Cambridge, and a degree in economics from the University of Ghana.

As Chief Digital Officer and Head of Canadian Products at BMO Financial Group, Mat is responsible for driving BMO’s digital transformation while overseeing the bank’s retail deposit, investing, unsecured lending and home financing businesses in Canada. Mat joined BMO in 2010, where he has held progressively senior roles in the Corporate Strategy, Digital and Personal and Business Banking areas. He holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business. On February 8, 2024, Interac Corp. announced that Mat has joined its Interac Board of Directors. Mat also serves on the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Ministries in Toronto, which provides over 450,000 meals and shelters over 1,500 people annually. In addition to sponsorship and advocacy, he is passionate about helping the organization leverage digital to drive more significant, sustainable, and consistent donations.

Faryar Shirzad is Chief Policy Officer at Coinbase, where he leads the company’s engagement with policymakers around the world and has become a trusted source for thought leadership in the global crypto policy space. Under Shirzad’s leadership, Coinbase has become a driver of crypto-regulation discourse in the U.S. He oversaw the creation of Coinbase’s Digital Asset Policy Proposal (or dApp), which laid out a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for the rapidly-emerging industry and was recognized as “a dramatic shift from current policy in the United States”, sparking an ongoing conversation on how crypto should be regulated while safeguarding American innovation. Before joining Coinbase, Shirzad was Global Co-Head of Government Affairs at Goldman Sachs. Shirzad has served as counsel to the highest levels of the U.S. government, including as deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs for President George W. Bush. In that role, he served as The President’s personal representative to the G-8 (the “G-8 Sherpa”). Prior to his time in the White House, Shirzad was assistant secretary for import administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce and international trade counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Earlier in his career, he practiced law in Washington, DC. Faryar earned a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, a MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a BS from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Francisco Rivadeneyra is the Director for CBDC & FinTech Policy and Research at the Bank of Canada. In this role he leads a team developing policy advice in areas of central bank digital currency, electronic money and payments, and the implications for central banks of broader financial innovations. He also is an active researcher working in the intersection of technology, payments infrastructures and finance. His current research studies the security and convenience trade-off of digital currencies and the use of artificial intelligence in the liquidity management problem of commercial banks. His previous work has been on the management of domestic debt and foreign reserves for the Government of Canada. Mr. Rivadeneyra holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Head of the Toronto Innovation Hub Centre within the Bank for International settlements, his role is to contribute to the creation of digital financial public goods such as settlement systems, identity solutions and open finance environments. Before this position he was the head of Payment Systems and Financial Market infrastructures at the central Bank of Mexico where he guided the development, operation, analysis, and regulation of financial market infrastructures. He oversaw the modernization of the payment systems in Mexico, directed the creation of a fast payment system denominated in dollars, and was deeply involved in the development of the operational and regulatory strategy of the Central Bank regarding financial market infrastructures, including CBDC and the inclusion of new market participants in the ecosystem and the opening of the market to open finance solutions. In his previous roles he directed strategic planning and managed macro-financial analysis for the Bank of Mexico, and he is an Economist with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Daniel Eberhard is a Co-Founder of Koho Financial Inc. and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. Daniel Eberhard served as Vice-President of Business Development at Kineticor Renewables Inc. acquired by Algonquin Power. He previously worked as a Business Transition Consultant for De Regenboog and was the recipient of the H.G. Schippel Junior Consultant of the Year award. Daniel Eberhard holds two degrees, Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship -International Business. Daniel Eberhard also holds a Consulting Diploma from Hoegenschool De Zeeland, Netherlands.

Professor Peter Loewen is the Director of the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is cross-appointed to the Munk School and the Department of Political Science. For 2020-2022, he is a Distinguished Visitor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Tel Aviv University. Professor Loewen received his B.A. from Mount Allison University (2002) and his PhD from l’Université de Montréal (2008). He held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and the University of California at San Diego. Since joining the University of Toronto he has held visiting positions including the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

Mr. Tapscott is an entrepreneur, author and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of Bitcoin, blockchain and other digital assets on business and financial markets. Mr. Tapscott is the co-author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction best-seller, Blockchain Revolution, which has been translated into more than 15 languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. He is also the Editor and Co-author of Financial Services Revolution (January 2020). Mr. Tapscott is sought after world-wide for his expertise by business and government audiences. He has delivered over 200 lectures and executive briefings at firms like Goldman Sachs (Talks at GS), Google, Allianz, IBM, Microsoft and Accenture. His TedX talk, “Blockchain is Eating Wall Street” has been viewed over 700,000 times. Mr. Tapscott has also written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Globe and Mail, National Post and many other publications. In 2017, Mr. Tapscott co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), a global think-tank investigating blockchain strategies, opportunities and use-cases. Previously, Mr. Tapscott was Director of institutional equity sales at Canaccord Genuity. Mr. Tapscott is a graduate of Amherst College (Cum Laude) and is a CFA Charterholder.

José Manuel Marqués is Head the Financial Innovation and Market Infrastructures Department Bank of Spain (Banco de España). In this position, he coordinates the contribution from Bank of Spain to Infrastructures captured under the TARGET Services (Target 2 Securities and Eurosystem Collateral Management System) and Market Activities Processing System. He also coordinates the analysis of the main trends transforming the financial system: Big tech and Fintech, Cryptocurrencies, CBDC, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Blockchain and DLT. Marqués has joined Bank of Spain in 1996 and has written a number of articles on financial markets and is chair of the Working Group of Green Finance in the BIS Innovation Network and represent Bank of Spain on the High Level Taskforce on the digital euro, the CEMLA Foro Fintech. He has a BA in Economics and Business from University of Zaragoza, and an MSc from University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona.