Ainka Jess is a senior communicator and an award-winning business leader. She is passionate about empowering women and diverse communities through sport. In 2016, she combined her communications background and a purpose to give women a larger voice in sport, to launch She’s4Sports. The organization is a digital content and events hub that amplifies the contributions of women, girls and diverse people in sport and addresses the barriers to participation and representation. The over 5000 She’s4Sports community includes a diverse group of sports fans and leaders in the industry.

She’s4Sports has held 10 events and produced two digital series.

Ainka has 15 years of communications and media relations experience working for global and national companies including: CBC, The City of Ottawa, PwC, BMO and the University of Toronto. She is also a recipient of WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Woman: Top 100 Award.

Ainka has a B.A. in English and Communication Arts and a diploma in Broadcast Television from Seneca College.

Cristina Italia is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Program Coordinator for the Business Administration - Management Advanced Diploma with the School of Management and Entrepreneurship at Seneca College. She is also the Faculty Advisor to Enactus Seneca and a past mentor at HELIX. Cristina holds an International Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA.) She has occupied various roles in National Sales, Business Development and Marketing Research and Strategy; however, her passion for entrepreneurship led her to found three ventures along with partners in photography, wine trade and most recently software. Cristina continues to work with incubators and small businesses in consulting and business coaching capacities and loves to help people realize their entrepreneurial dreams!

A graduate from Seneca’s Biotechnology Advanced Diploma program in April 2020, Krisha was elected SSF President of the Seneca Student Federation and began her first term of office in May of that year, in the midst of a pandemic. The pandemic created an immediate need to initiate and accomplish “outside the box” projects to meet the needs of Seneca students in a physically responsible manner. While challenging to switch from on-campus to on-line and to continue to provide Seneca students with the programming and services they require to succeed and thrive, Krisha, leading the Seneca Student Federation, was able to do just that. Under the leadership of Krisha, the Federation witnessed many accomplishments this past year and looks forward to finding new ways to support Seneca students in the future.

While planning and spearheading the many new on-line programming and support options for students, Krisha was also involved in the Federation’s strategic and operational plan review where concepts of a global vision were introduced to achieve a tangible transformation of the organization’s vision, mission, and values and to ensure these values are reflected in the services and support the Federation offers students.

A member of many college committees has also provided Krisha the opportunity to ensure the student voice is heard by college administration. Committee participation also provided Krisha the opportunity to forge strong professional working relationships with senior Seneca executives which has proved to be instrumental in developing joint programs between the college and the SSF. While still a student, Krisha also volunteered her time to the Peer Mentorship program and conducted Welcome sessions to help students understand specific course details and outcomes.

In Krisha’s spare time she enjoys ZOOMing with her family and friends, listening to music, reading and planning her next steps to success!

Janine is the AVP of digital engagement at Manulife Bank.  In this role she looks at digital solutions for our Customer’s journey, from websites and mobile apps to chatbots, bank machines and debit cards. While looking at how digital, data and artificial intelligence can be used to improve outcomes and experiences for Customers, she champions new ways of working with an Agile mindset to deliver enhancements for Customers.

Janine has a degree in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and a graduate diploma in Internet and Electronic Commerce from Seneca College.  She is a member of the St. Mary’s General Hospital Board of Trustees and is a 2020 recipient of WXN’s top 100 most powerful women in Canada in the emerging leader category.

Janine lives in Waterloo with her husband and three teenagers.

Heather McCrory is Chief Executive Officer, North & Central America, Accor, responsible for the strategic direction of the Group in the region, with oversight of more than 100 hotels, 9 brands in 7 countries, 22,000 employees, and over $3 billion in revenue. Her focus is on building long-term growth and profitability in one of the largest and most influential consumer markets in the world. Beginning her career in the laundry department at Fairmont Banff Springs, Heather ascended the ranks over 30 years, ultimately developing expertise in both senior Corporate and Hotel based executive roles.   Heather’s previous role as Executive Vice President of Operations, North & Central America Region for Accor gave her wide-ranging oversight of hotel operations, technology, design and technical services, spa, retail, rooms, food & beverage, and integrations & openings, with a strong focus on driving operational excellence in key areas of employee and guest engagement, service culture, revenue, GOP margins, and owner relations.

Heather is the past Chair of Tourism Toronto, past Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), as well as a past board member of the Ontario Advisory Board for the Canadian Cancer Society.

In 2012, she was awarded the prestigious Pinnacle Award for Hotelier of the Year from Hotelier Magazine, and in 2014 she was honoured with the Gold Award for Hotelier by the Ontario Hostelry Institute. Heather currently serves as the Executive Sponsor for North & Central America for RiiSE, Accor’s international network to promote diversity, as well as Executive Sponsor for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for Accor’s North & Central America Region.

Heather holds an MBA from Queen’s University.

Laurel Schollen is a higher education leader with more than 35 years of teaching and administration experience in the Ontario public college sector. She rejoined Seneca as Vice-President, Academic, in September 2016 after serving as Vice-President, Academic, at Fleming College between 2014-16. Laurel was the Dean of Applied Science and Engineering Technology at Seneca between 2003 and 2010. Between 2005 and 2014, she was the Project Director for two Ontario college system-wide research studies: The College Mathematics Project and the College Student Achievement Project, which linked first-year college student achievement results in mathematics and language with their secondary school course choice and achievement, the first linked data set to span the secondary to postsecondary “divide”.

Since returning to Seneca, Laurel has overseen a growth in program development and enrolment growth, focused on digital learning including establishing Seneca as the first Adobe Creative Campus in Canada and the early development of a case writing and teaching centre. Laurel currently serves on the management board for the Ontario College Quality Assurance Service and the board of directors for ventureLAB. A life-long learner, Laurel is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Laureen (Blu) Waters: Istchii Nikamoon: Earth Song, Wolf clan. Cree/Metis/Micmac, Blu is a member of the Metis Nation of Ontario.

Blu’s family is from Big River Saskatchewan, Star Blanket Reserve and Bra’dor Lake, Eskasoni First Nations, Cape Breton Nova Scotia,and the Red River. Blu grew up with her grandmother and learned about traditional medicines learning healing methods and care of the sick. Her grandmother also shared her knowledge of the great teachings.

She is currently working at Seneca College as an Elder on campus providing traditional teachings and one-to-one counselling.

Blu spent 2.5 years working for the Nation Inquiry for Murdered and Missing Women as a Grandmother to commissioner Brian Eyelfson. and sits on the Grandmother Circle.

Blu sits on the Thunder Women Healing Lodge as a Director of the Board. Blu also sits as the Ontario representive for Metis people with 2 spirits in Motion Board. Blu also provides ceremony and teaching and counselling for 2 spirit people of the first nations, in Toronto. Blu was also the national caucus representative for the Toronto Urban Aboriginal strategies for five years working with the community of Toronto and the government. She is also a graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology receiving her business software micro-computer architecture and A+ certification.

Blu's gifts include:

Traditional teachings, giving traditional spirit names, hand drumming, song writer, creative writings, and full moon conductor. Pipe ceremonies and sweat lodge ceremonies and Traditional counciling.

Blu is a 2 spirit person

A mother of 3, a grandmother of 3, a sun dancer, pipe carrier.