Rob is a lifelong businessman who was appointed to the role of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in March of 2025. He previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, as well as Associate Minister of Housing.

Prior to entering politics, he enjoyed a fulfilling career as CEO at Masterfeeds Inc. and held numerous industry and community leadership roles.

A dedicated advocate for his community, he has proudly represented Elgin-Middlesex-London since 2022. He looks forward to leveraging his career in business and local leadership to strengthen municipalities across the province and build more homes, faster.

Andrea Khanjin currently serves as Ontario’s Minister of Red Tape Reduction in Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet. Since her election in 2018 as the MPP for Barrie–Innisfil, she has been a driving force behind our government’s efforts to modernize public services, reduce regulatory burdens, and strengthen Ontario’s economic competitiveness.

As Minister, she leads our government’s ambitious red tape reduction agenda, which has eliminated over 14,000 regulatory compliance requirements since 2018 – saving Ontario families and businesses more than $1.2 billion and 1.8 million hours annually. In addition, under her guidance, Ontario now has the lowest regulatory burden per capita in the nation, with an A grade from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses – Ontario’s highest grade to date.

Todd McCarthy is Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Acting Minister of Infrastructure, and the Member of Provincial Parliament for Durham.

Minister McCarthy is a well-respected and established lawyer across Ontario. He served as a Deputy Judge presiding over Small Claims Court cases at the Durham Region Courthouse, and as a former President of the Durham Region Law Association. During this time, McCarthy taught as an Adjunct Professor at both Queen’s University Faculty of Law and the Durham College Faculty of Justice and Emergency Services. Furthermore, he has proudly served as a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Durham Catholic District School Board and is a founding donor and supporter of the Durham Abilities Centre.

Brian Lilley is a political columnist with the Toronto Sun, where he covers federal and Ontario politics. A veteran political journalist with more than two decades of experience, Brian has covered Parliament Hill, numerous federal and provincial elections, and major political events across Canada. He has worked across print, radio and television. In addition to writing columns for the Sun, Brian is also the host of Lilley Unleashed and the Full Comment Podcast and is a regular political commentator across Canada.

Stephen Crawford is Ontario’s Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. He was elected as MPP for Oakville in 2018 and was re-elected in both 2022 and 2025.

As Minister, Stephen is helping build a stronger future for Ontario through modern public services and policies that drive innovation, economic growth, and long-term competitiveness. Together with Premier Ford, he introduced the Buy Ontario Act to help public sector organizations prioritize Ontario and Canadian goods and services while supporting homegrown businesses and local jobs.

Stephen oversees the delivery of vital programs through ServiceOntario, ensuring Ontarians can access the government resources they rely on every day.

He has also led initiatives to strengthen consumer protection, enhance cyber security, and advance Ontario’s approach to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Under his leadership, Ontario has capped ticket resale prices, increased penalties for illegal resellers, advanced cyber security measures across the public sector, and strengthened protections for children’s data.

Before entering public service, Stephen held senior leadership positions in the financial and investment industry for more than 20 years, including roles at Acuity Funds Ltd. and O’Leary Funds LP.

He is a member of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, 100 Guys Who Care Oakville, and the Royal Canadian Military Institute. He is also a vocal supporter of Plan Canada’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign to champion equality for girls worldwide.

Stephen studied Political Science at Western University and Business at the University of Toronto before earning his Chartered Investment Manager designation.

He resides in Oakville, where he lives with his wife Najia. Stephen is blessed to be the father of two sets of identical twin girls.

Graydon Smith serves as Ontario’s Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Member of Provincial Parliament for Parry Sound-Muskoka. 

Minister Smith was first elected in 2022 and immediately appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, where he supported ground-breaking legislation to encourage innovation and reduce red tape across Ontario’s natural resource sectors. He also showed strong leadership in forest fire management, coordinating closely with municipalities and frontline crews to ensure Ontario was prepared to respond to record wildfire seasons. 

Following the 2025 election, Minister Smith was appointed Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, where he is working with Minister Rob Flack to strengthen partnerships with municipalities, accelerate housing construction, and ensure local voices are heard as Ontario builds stronger, safer, and more affordable communities. 

Graydon was first elected as a Town of Bracebridge and District of Muskoka Councillor in 2006. In 2010 he was elected as Mayor of Bracebridge and from 2018 also served as Deputy Chair of the District of Muskoka. He is recognized for his leadership during devastating community floods in 2013 and 2019. 

 He is a Past President of Ontario Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM) and also served as the President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) from 2020-2021. 

In 2019, Graydon was selected as the Bracebridge Rotary Club’s “Citizen of the Year” and made an honorary Paul Harris Fellow. 

 Graydon was also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. He lives with his wife and two children in Bracebridge. 

Joe Preston began his political career in 2004 when he served as the Member of Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London. He was subsequently re-elected for three additional terms until his retirement from federal politics in 2015. In 2018, Preston was elected as the Mayor of St. Thomas and is presently serving his second term. His focus as Mayor includes affordable housing, enhancing public transit, and economic development. Mayor Preston is well recognized for his commitment to his community and, in addition to his public service, has been a local businessperson for the last 45 years in St. Thomas.

Frank Campion is currently serving his third term as Mayor of the City of Welland and on Niagara Regional Council, following seven terms on Welland City Council.

Throughout his municipal career, he has held numerous leadership roles and currently serves on the Welland Hydro-Electric Systems Corporation Board and Niagara Region’s Planning and Corporate Services Committees.

Outside of public service, Campion has been President and Owner of Campion Marketing Services Limited since 1977. He also spent more than 20 years as an Adjunct Professor at Niagara College, teaching courses in business, entrepreneurship, marketing and advertising.

Cam Guthrie was re-elected Mayor of Guelph in 2022, after serving two terms as Mayor from 2014 to 2022, and as a Councillor for Ward 4 from 2010 to 2014.  He completed a 3-year term, serving as the Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), a group of 29 Mayors of cities with 100,000 people or more, who collectively represent 70 per cent of Ontario’s population, in December 2022.  In March 2022, he was appointed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Board of Mayors, representing North America.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic was elected in 2014 as the 68th Mayor of the City of Kitchener since its founding as the Village of Berlin in 1854. As Mayor, he also sits as a member of the council of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served as a City Councillor from 1994-2014. 

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Mayor Vrbanovic moved to Canada as a young child. He is a graduate of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Wilfrid Laurier University and the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Coming from an immigrant family himself, he understands the challenges and issues facing the thousands of Canadians who have made Kitchener their new home. 

Mayor Vrbanovic was recently re-elected Co-President of United Cities and Local Governments and in April 2026 was appointed as the Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund Council.  He also serves on FCM committees including its Big Cities Mayors’ Caucus, as well as with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Big City Mayors. 

David Wilkes is a seasoned business leader with a deep understanding of large-scale transformation. Drawing on his extensive retail experience, he currently leads over 197,000 employees and brings $30 billion in investment value to the Greater Toronto Area as the CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). David has also been a powerful advocate for land developers and home builders in this role – building meaningful partnerships and maintaining exceptional government relations that move our industry forward.

Over his 40-year career, David Wilkes has built a strong reputation for his unmatched ability to bridge public and private interests. His passion for industry advancement enables him to act as a strategic partner to a wide variety of stakeholders and partner organizations. From housing supply to safe construction practices, David always looks for mutually beneficial solutions to major industry problems.

Mayor Hamlin has served her community as a Town Councillor (2018 to 2022), Chair of the Development and Operations Committee and Vice Chair of the Regional Physician Recruitment Committee. 

As Mayor, her priorities include increasing affordable housing for people who work in Collingwood, ensuring respectful development, and creating a sustainable, livable Town for our residents. She has worked to enhance communications, including increasing opportunities for residents to hear about things Council is discussing and to ask questions about matters that mean the most to them. 

Prior to being elected, she practiced as a senior lawyer in the municipal law field for 27 years and chaired the Canadian Property Tax Association. 

Christina Giannone is Senior Vice President at Fram+Slokker, a mid-sized community builder based in Mississauga.

As the 5^th generation in her family to be in the construction industry, and with almost 20 years of experience in real estate development, Christina has successfully delivered complex, multi-phased projects spanning brownfield redevelopment, large-scale master plans, affordable housing, luxury condominiums, and transit-oriented communities.

Christina’s passion and commitment to the building industry are reflected in her industry participation. Christina currently serves as Chair of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) – and is the first female Chair, after having served on its Board since 2019. She has also served as a member of the Home Construction Regulatory Authority’s (HCRA) Industry Advisory Council from 2022 to 2025, where she previously also served as Vice Chair. Her leadership has been recognized through various honours, including the 2023 BILD Member of the Year, the 2024 Canadian Women in Real Estate Award (Ontario) by Connect CRE, and the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario’s Business Excellence Award for Next Generation Leaders.

Christina holds a Master’s Degree of Business Administration in Real Estate and Infrastructure from the Schulich School of Business at York University, where she graduated on the Dean’s List. She also earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce & Finance (with Distinction) from the University of Toronto.

Sue Wastell is Co-President of Wastell Homes and is responsible for overseeing every facet of the home building process, from sales and design to advertising and land acquisition.

Sue currently serves as Past President of CHBA National and was the Chair of CHBA’s Urban Council for five years. She has made important strides towards developing workable policies to deal with housing affordability, always reminding policymakers locally, provincially, and federally of the impacts of their decisions. Sue has made this a major focus of her advocacy efforts; with her own children coming into adulthood, she wants to ensure that home ownership isn’t out of reach for Canada’s youth.

Sue also serves as a Past-President and Board Member of London Home Builders’ Association (LHBA), where she spearheads a number of important initiatives to improve the building industry, including housing affordability and the skilled trades shortage, acting as a conduit between the municipality and LHBA members.

Most recently, Sue became Chair of CHBA’s inaugural Women in Residential Construction Council (WIRCC) and is 2nd VP of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association.

Jacqui Collier is a dedicated community builder and leader with more than 25 years of experience in Ontario’s residential development and construction industry. As Vice President of Brookland Homes, she combines deep industry expertise with a strong commitment to building and strengthening the communities she serves.

Jacqui’s extensive leadership includes serving on the Regimental Senate of The Princess of Wales’ Own Regiment; as Chair of the Boards of the Boys and Girls Club of South East Ontario and Habitat for Humanity Kingston Limestone Region; as Vice-Chair of the City of Kingston’s Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee; and as a Director on the Boards of the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, the Great Lakes Museum, and EnerQuality Corporation. She is also a Past President of the Kingston Home Builders Association and has held leadership roles with numerous charitable and community organizations.

Her contributions have been recognized with the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Kingston Economic Development Corporation’s inaugural 40 Under 40 Award in 2023, and EnerQuality Corporation’s Ontario Builder Achievement Award in 2018.

For more than a decade, Jacqui has hosted a weekly news segment with Global News, now titled Welcome Home with Jacqui. The segment is a finalist in the Social Media category at this year’s OHBA Awards of Distinction. Jacqui is also the proud mother of two daughters, Summer and Scarlett.

Melissa Jonker is the CEO of the Grand Highlands Home Builders’ Association, where she leads advocacy, events and member engagement in support of a strong residential construction industry. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she works closely with builders and industry partners to move important issues forward. Melissa brings a practical, modern approach to growing the Association, strengthening connections, and celebrating the people and projects shaping the region’s communities.

Dani’s connection to home building began early. Growing up in a family deeply involved in the industry, housing was a constant topic of conversation and curiosity. That connection became hands-on at a young age. As Dani explains, “I started working at Marz Homes when I was 14, in the design studio, and seeing homeowners excited to bring their vision to life really stuck with me.”

That early exposure shaped not only her career path, but also her perspective on responsibility, quality, and pride in what builders deliver. Today, as Director of Operations at Marz Homes, Dani oversees a wide range of functions including operations, sales and marketing, customer care, design, and development. The diversity of her role reflects what she values most about the industry: its complexity, its constant evolution, and the opportunity to keep learning.

Dani started with WE HBA in 2018 and quickly became more involved beyond attending events. After serving on committees and councils, she was invited to join the Board of Directors in 2019, she was elected chair in 2026.

At the core of Dani’s leadership philosophy is accountability. She believes builders have a responsibility to stand behind their work, deliver quality housing, and remain accessible to the communities they serve. For Dani, leadership means being proud of the product, addressing concerns directly, and ensuring homeowners feel heard and supported throughout the process.

This principle extends to her view of industry advocacy. Dani is clear-eyed about the pressures currently facing the housing sector, noting that “municipal red tape, attainability, and consumer confidence are major roadblocks we’re facing right now.” In her view, progress depends on alignment across industry, municipalities, and all levels of government, with collaboration serving as the foundation for meaningful change.

Daniel Foch is the Chief Real Estate Officer at Valery.ca, and Host of Canada’s #1 real estate podcast. As co-founder of The Habistat, the onboard data science platform for TRREB & Proptx, he helped the real estate industry to become more transparent, using real-time housing market data to inform decision making for key stakeholders. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Daniel has advised a broad spectrum of real estate market participants, from 3 levels of government to some of Canada’s largest developers. 

Daniel is a trusted voice in the Canadian real estate market, regularly contributing to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CBC, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail. His expertise and balanced insights have earned him a dedicated audience of over 100,000 real estate investors across multiple social media platforms, where he shares primary research and market analysis. 

Christopher Smith is the founder of Woodsmith Construction Inc., a design-build renovation company that has specialized in older homes in Toronto’s east end since 2001. That work began in childhood, on Victorian homes in Cabbagetown alongside his architect-builder father. A Red Seal Carpenter and BCIN licensed designer, he takes projects from first sketch to final trim — full-home renovations, additions and restorations.

Christopher is the incoming Chair of the Renovator Executive Committee at BILD, sits on its Government Relations Committee, has been a RenoMark member in good standing since 2016, serves on the OHBA Renovators’ Council, and is a featured contributor to Canadian Contractor.

Over the past two years he has rebuilt how Woodsmith runs its day around AI — not as a pilot, but as the working operating system of a small renovation company. AI now drafts his client correspondence, files and codes every vendor invoice, prepares his bank feed and bills for approval, checks City of Toronto permit and zoning notices against the OBC and By-law 569-2013, builds site statistics and takeoffs, lays out the crew and trade schedule each week, and turns site-meeting recordings into project logs. Nothing leaves unreviewed — every draft, entry and post waits for him — and that approval discipline is what made the scale possible.

He is candid about what has worked, what quietly broke, and what it cost to tell the difference. His interest on this panel is practical: what a small builder can actually put into production, and where the failure modes hide.

Brendan has spent the last 20+ years designing and building additions, renovations and custom homes for the discerning homeowner. A grizzled industry veteran, who along with his business partner Jim Cunningham, recognized the continuing demise of the housing situation in the GTA and started investing in creating low rise multi-unit housing as a means to create a longer term residual income stream. Now uses about half the time helping to create additional housing as both an investment vehicle, but also as a solution for residents of the City seeking to intensify their own properties. 

Craig Race is a Toronto-based architect, sustainable housing advocate, and founder of Craig Race Architecture and co-founder of Lanescape 

Pulkit Arora is a technology entrepreneur and product leader with more than 15 years of experience taking emerging technologies from experimentation into live business operations. His career has spanned Canada, the United States and Europe, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and enterprise technology. 
 
As Founder and CEO of Dabadu.ai, Pulkit has led the development of an AI-first enterprise platform used in complex, high-value customer environments. His work has focused on embedding intelligence directly into day-to-day operations rather than treating AI as a standalone feature. 
 
At Dabadu, that has meant applying AI to real business workflows: understanding and prioritizing customer opportunities, analyzing conversations across voice, text and email, automating follow-up and next actions, helping teams identify customers who may otherwise be missed, extracting insight from large volumes of operational data, and building AI-assisted workflows around sales, service and customer engagement. His work also extends into regulated environments, where AI and automation have to operate alongside requirements around identity, credit, privacy, consumer communication and compliance. 
 
That experience has shaped Pulkit’s view that the most meaningful application of AI is not simply generating content or adding a chatbot. It is redesigning how work gets done, how decisions are made and how businesses move from reactive processes toward more predictive and autonomous operations. 
 
Pulkit has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 honouree for technology and innovation and has spent his career working at the intersection of product, technology and business transformation. 
 
He joins the panel to bring an outside-in perspective on AI, drawing on more than a decade of implementing emerging technology in other industries and challenging builders to think not only about where AI can save time today, but how it may fundamentally change the way their businesses operate tomorrow. 

Patrick McManus is Executive Director of both the OSWCA and GTSWCA, providing strategic leadership and direction on issues affecting Ontario’s civil construction industry. Together, OSWCA and GTSWCA champion sustainable clean water and wastewater infrastructure through advocacy, education, labour relations, and environmentally responsible practices. Patrick also serves as a Director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO). 

Scott Andison was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) in April 2024. 

His professional background includes extensive leadership experience spanning the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. His public service includes Chief of Staff and senior executive roles in the Ontario ministries of Finance, Education and Health. He has also held executive positions in both the private sector and with leading provincial and national industry associations. 

A strong voice for housing policy and investment in Ontario, Scott previously served as President & CEO of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario. In his current role with OHBA, he continues to lead practical, solutions-focused advocacy, promote sustainable policy development, and build high-impact partnerships that deliver tangible outcomes for Ontario’s residential construction industry. 

Scott holds a Bachelor of Administration in Management and Business Administration from Laurentian University. He has completed executive education programs in Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Management and Leadership at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and Governance at Queen’s University—underscoring a lifelong commitment to professional growth and effective leadership. 

Vince Musacchio is the Deputy City Manager of Planning and Infrastructure Development for the City of Vaughan, where he leads municipal planning, growth management, and the delivery of major infrastructure for one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. With over 25 years of experience across the public sector, Vince is recognized for advancing integrated infrastructure planning, championing evidence-based decision-making, and guiding large, multidisciplinary teams through complex city-building initiatives.  

Before taking on his current portfolio, Vince served as Vaughan’s Deputy City Manager of Infrastructure Development and previously as Director of Infrastructure Planning and Corporate Asset Management, where he oversaw long-range Master Plans, Secondary Plans, and the City’s corporate asset management framework. His earlier municipal and consulting roles in Toronto, Bradford West Gwillimbury, and iTRANS Consulting helped shape his deep expertise in transportation planning, municipal engineering, and capital program delivery.  

Vince is a collaborative leader known for strengthening intergovernmental partnerships and aligning infrastructure investment with community priorities, work that continues to shape Vaughan’s long-term growth and resilience. 

Paul DeMelo is the Co-Managing Partner at the firm of KAGAN SHASTRI DeMELO WINER PARK LLP.  Paul has been practising in the field of Municipal and Planning Law since 1994.  Paul regularly appears as counsel before administrative tribunals and the courts including Ontario Land Tribunal and all levels of court in Ontario including the Divisional Court and the Court of Appeal, representing public and private sector clients in all aspects of litigation, including Judicial Reviews and defence of Municipal Council decisions and by-laws. Paul specializes in administrative, planning, expropriation law, and environmental matters and is regularly called upon to address matters related to development charges by both public and private sector clients.  Paul has authored numerous articles and summaries of the relevant legislative changes that have occurred in recent years and how they have impacted growth funding in the Province.

Mike’s career spans decades, always with a keen focus on building communities and helping others achieve home ownership across Ontario.

Based in Thorold, Ontario, Mike is Co-Owner and Operations Manager at Mountainview Building Group, where he leads a team dedicated to building high-quality residential and commercial properties across the region. Mike became co-owner of Mountainview Building Group, founded by his father and two uncles over 40 years ago, in 1994. Today, the company builds more than 250 homes per year in the Niagara region.

A man of many passions, Mike considered careers in programming, game design, music, and law before choosing to stay with his primary passion of building communities. With more than 30 years in the industry, Mike started as a construction labourer when he was a teenager and moved up through the ranks of Mountainview Building Group.

As a strong advocate for OHBA’s mission, Mike has volunteered his time and resources to the association for over 25 years, holding numerous positions on the Board of Directors and in various committees over the years, including serving as the 56th Chair of the Board of Directors. His greatest impact, however, has been through his work guiding building code, Tarion, and HRCA policies – which he is an expert in.

Miyoko Oikawa is the Director of Training and Strategic Initiatives at OHBA, where she leads the OHBA Futures Faster program. She specializes in workforce development and sector collaboration, bringing together industry, government, and educators to advance innovation and support the long-term growth of Ontario’s construction industry.

Paul has a diverse background in civil engineering, with experience in the design, construction and restoration of various building types. As a technically minded thinker, he spearheads innovative construction techniques and building science research to help guide the way homes and condos are built in the GTHA. At RESCON, Paul works closely with members and stakeholders to identify and overcome barriers which affect the residential development and construction industry. He also co-ordinates and chairs the RESCON Technical Council which provides strategic direction and advice to members, government and industry stakeholders on matters relating to technical regulations and construction practices.

Mike Seiling is the Director of Building & Chief Building Official (CBO) for the City of Kitchener and a Past President of the Ontario Building Officials Association (OBOA). 

As Director of Building/CBO for the City of Kitchener, he is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Building Code. He has 39+ years of construction experience in both the private and public sectors, including 34 years with the City of Kitchener Building Division.   

Mike is a graduate of Conestoga College in the Construction Engineering Technical Program and is a Certified Building Code Official with the OBOA. Mike is a Certified Engineering Technologist with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists. Mike is a past member of Engineers Architects and Building Officials (EABO) committee. Given Mike’s extensive building regulatory expertise, he is often asked to advise on both technical and practical issues.  

Mike is active in a number of volunteer community networks. Mike is a strong believer in partnering with peers, building networks, supporting proactive communications and finding solutions. 

Tom McLaughlin is Vice President and Controller at Thomasfield Homes Limited, a Guelph-based homebuilder and land developer, where he leads acquisitions, construction, and community development.  

He serves as 1st Vice President of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) and is a board member and past president of the Grand Highlands Home Builders’ Association. Tom is an active voice on housing policy and development, contributing articles and speaking at industry events, including the Central Ontario Housing Summit (Cutting Through Red Tape, 2024), HomeComing 2025 Knowledge Sessions, and as a panelist on Culture Code at the OHBA Renovators’ Summit.  

He holds degrees from the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto, as well as an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University. 

Dr. Mojgan Jadidi is Chair of the Civil Engineering Department at the Lassonde School of Engineering, York University, and a leader in geospatial intelligence, spatial digital twins, AI, smart cities, and construction innovation. As Chair of ISPRS Working Group W8/TC IV: Spatial Digital Twins for Buildings, Cities and Regions, she advances international collaboration in housing innovation and the digital transformation of the built environment. Her research integrates GIS, BIM, AI, sensor and IoT data, and digital twin technologies to enhance construction productivity, infrastructure resilience, urban sustainability, and data-driven decision-making. She is committed to fostering innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of future engineering leaders.

Xavier Toby is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Axe Living. He has more than 20 years of experience in modular construction, real estate development, manufacturing, construction management, and prefabrication strategy. Throughout his career, he has led residential, institutional, healthcare, commercial, and industrial projects ranging from small residential developments to multi-billion-dollar infrastructure programs. 

Recognized internationally as a leader in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Xavier has advised developers, contractors, manufacturers, and institutional owners on modular construction, prefabrication strategy, and scalable housing delivery. He has presented internationally on modular construction, prefabrication, and housing affordability. 

As Founder and CEO of Axe Living, Xavier leads corporate strategy, project development, financing, manufacturing, construction delivery, and business growth, positioning the company as an integrated developer, manufacturer, and builder of attainable and affordable housing. 

Will Sutter is Director of Housing Innovation at GroundBreak Ventures, Canada’s most active early-stage investor focused on technologies reshaping how housing is designed, built, and delivered. He works at the intersection of investment and ecosystem building, advancing new models and partnerships to accelerate housing supply, improve construction productivity and decarbonize the built environment. 

Will holds a Master’s in Real Estate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and brings a background spanning public policy, strategy, and finance. He previously served as a Research Fellow at Google’s Sidewalk Labs. 

Scott Kaplanis is the Managing Partner at GroundBreak Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Toronto committed to finding and funding early-stage property and home innovation technology companies. GroundBreak has invested in more than 30 companies in the space and is a recognized thought-leader and ecosystem builder. The firm also works to build partnerships with leading corporate, academic and government organizations to improve our built environment through technology.  

Scott is an active venture investor and capital markets professional having spent 20 years evaluating and supporting emerging businesses. He has worked in both origination (Scotiabank, Macquarie Capital Markets) and asset management (Epic Capital Management) and has experience across industries and throughout the business lifecycle. Scott has worked alongside dozens of entrepreneurs and has provided guidance on areas including company and capital formation, C-suite recruitment, resource planning, corporate governance, M&A assessment and exit evaluation. 

Deena is Founder and Managing Partner at Venturon Ltd., a venture capital group that invests in, and mentors North American Sustainable Proptech and Proptech companies developing innovative technologies, products and services for the construction and real estate industry.

Deena bridges the worlds of technology and property development. With her deep roots in real estate as Managing Partner and Board Director of Innovation at National Homes, Deena identified early on that the most successful industry in the world was also the least technologically innovative. Real estate, in every aspect, was ripe for the adoption of efficiencies, opportunities and new revenue streams driven by technology.

Venturon is the realization of that vision. Deena founded the company on the belief that new technology, products and services can create disruptive advantages, efficiencies and significant returns. The result has been an extraordinarily successful cross pollination from her work in both industries. To test innovative concepts in real-world construction, she pilots some of Venturons portfolio companies within the National Homes Eco-System. To date, the group has invested in 9 companies with 1 successful exit, 1 portfolio with an IPO currently in process and 4 companies that have completed subsequent funding rounds at higher valuations.

Deena’s investment expertise has years of proven accomplishment in part because of the unique advantage of Deena’s development industry ecosystem to leverage investments. It’s a win-win that’s building a foundation and a launchpad for delivering results through opportunities in real estate and Sustainable Proptech.

Mara Samardzic has spent 20 years building communities across Ontario with a career-defining stretch of it on both sides of the approvals table.

She started in land management, working alongside some of Ontario’s most sophisticated landowner groups, before moving into government relations at BILD, advocating directly with municipalities and the Province on development charges, green development standards, and approval process reform.

Today, as a land development leader with over 15 years of in-house, hands-on experience, Mara takes sites from acquisition through assumption, directing low-rise residential portfolios spanning thousands of units across the GTA.

Her dual perspective of regulator-facing and builder-facing is what makes Mara’s voice on the future of development approvals distinct.  She knows not just what the process is, but how and why it got that way, and what it will take to change it.

Mara is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP), a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and a Professional Land Economist (PLE).

John Livey is the President of JWLIVEY.INC. and specializes in solution driven approaches that work for clients with planning, development, and infrastructure projects. He is the former Deputy City Manager for the City of Toronto, the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Markham, and the Commissioner of Planning for York Region. As a professional planner and infrastructure advisor, he has a successful history of working with the development industry, government at all levels, and stakeholders on public and private sector projects. 

T.J. began his planning career with Design Plan Services in 1995 after graduating from York University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Canadian Public Policy and Administration. He joined the City of Mississauga’s Planning and Building Department in 1998 while pursuing a Master of Science degree in Planning and Development from the University of Guelph. T.J.’s employment with the City of Mississauga allowed him to gain experience in a variety of planning positions before returning to Design Plan Services in 2001. 

 T.J.’s experience includes working on official plan amendment, rezoning, site plan, minor variance, and consent files for industrial, commercial, institutional and residential developments. He has written municipal zoning by-laws and reports for city councils and committees of council, as well as making presentations in support of his work. He has also appeared in front of the Ontario Municipal Board as an expert planning witness on several occasions. 

 With years of experience working with members of the development industry, applicants, members of the public and municipal staff, T.J. has built extensive experience collaborating effectively with key industry stakeholders. A member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and the Canadian Institute of Planners, T.J. approaches his work with enthusiasm, professionalism and diligence. 

T.J. has volunteered his time as a Contributing Editor for the Ontario Planning Journal, has been a member of various BILD chapters and committees, and is involved in volunteer work within the local community. 

 In 2014, T.J. became the president and majority shareholder of Design Plan Services following a smooth transition and purchase of the firm. This major milestone in the company’s history was marked by the implementation of an updated business plan to help Design Plan Services build upon its past success and continue to grow in the decades ahead. 

Mark Antoine (MCIP, RPP) is a Senior Manager of Development Planning with the City of Vaughan, where he leads a team overseeing complex development approvals and planning initiatives in one of Canada’s fastest-growing municipalities. 

With more than 15 years of municipal planning experience, Mark has overseen major residential, mixed-use, and employment development projects, including the development, implementation, and ongoing evolution of Vaughan’s comprehensive zoning by-law. His work focuses on advancing housing and employment growth, modernizing development review processes, and implementing significant legislative and policy changes. 

Known for his collaborative approach and strong relationships across the development community, Mark believes that successful city-building depends on bringing together diverse perspectives to facilitate growth, deliver housing, and create complete communities. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for finding practical solutions to complex planning challenges and helping move projects forward while balancing growth objectives, infrastructure needs, and community interests. 

Beyond his municipal leadership role, Mark has a longstanding commitment to professional development and planning education, having served as a Course Director at York University and as an active mentor with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI). 

 Mark brings a front-line municipal perspective on the future of development approvals, drawing on firsthand experience implementing policy and regulatory change in a rapidly evolving planning environment. 

Ellen Hlozan is the Director of Strategic Alliances at Trax. Ellen builds partnerships across industry and government to accelerate Trax’ mission of consolidating & untangling regulatory requirements with AI. Prior to Trax, Ellen was a Research Collaboration Manager at Autodesk Research building partnerships that enabled practical testing of research in real world scenarios.

Her professional experience also includes managing a community of over 150 global start-ups and industry customers, developing customized programs and experiences to accelerate their R&D projects in construction & manufacturing.

As a certified facilitator for advanced design-thinking (LUMA) and certified foresight practitioner (IFTF), Ellen enables collaborators to speak the same language and focus on the right problems using targeted facilitation techniques.

Ellen has a B.A. from York University and a Masters degree from the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto centered in critical analysis. She has also volunteered her time with WIN: Women in Innovation as Global Partnerships Lead, a non-profit dedicated to closing the gender gap in innovation.

Andria is the Director of Planning & Growth for the Town of Innisfil, leading a dynamic team shaping this fast-growing community. An RPP and current OPPI Council Chair, she brings over 30 years of municipal experience and extensive service with OPPI. I hold an Honours BA (Geography), a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and an Executive Diploma in Municipal Management.

Peder Madsen is the Owner of CCR Build + Remodel and a Red Seal Carpenter with more than 20 years of experience in the residential construction and remodeling industry. His passion for building and design has driven him to deliver projects of all sizes—from small bathroom renovations to whole-home remodels and custom builds—each with the same commitment to quality, creativity, and client satisfaction.

A leader in his field, Peder is the current Chair of the Ontario Renovator Council, is a Board Member of the London Home Builders’ Association (LHBA), and has served as Past Chair of the LHBA RenoCouncil, and President of the LHBA. Through these roles, he has helped advance industry standards, supported local communities through volunteer projects, and championed initiatives such as promoting the work of quality contractors across Canada.

At CCR, Peder is known for his forward-thinking concepts, bold approach to problem solving, and collaborative spirit. He thrives on tackling new challenges, whether it’s advancing energy efficiency, integrating universal design, or bringing together talented professionals to create award-winning projects.

With deep roots in the London building community and a passion for innovation, Peder continues to shape the future of residential construction while delivering exceptional experiences for CCR’s clients.

A chartered quantity surveyor by trade, Marlon has almost 30 years of experience in the Construction and Development field. His expertise encompasses countless sectors of the industry from residential, through Universities & Colleges, highways, and large-scale transit. Over his career Marlon has been involved in more than 7,000 projects, with the past number of years more focused on residential, office and Industrial. Both the typology and scale are a vast array from $100K renovations to $35B master plan projects. In addition to his day job as an executive at a construction management company (CCM), Marlon has provided thought leadership, opinion and residential market commentary across Ontario for the past decade; focused more recently on the housing crisis and challenges faced by Developers and Builders to overcome the policy, economic, labour and tax hurdles needed to overcome to cure the shortage of housing. 

Tyler Hibbs is a Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Architects, part of the DLCG group of companies, which funds more mortgages than any other bank, trust company or credit union in Canada. 

With more than $100 million in annual mortgage volume and over 1,000 mortgages funded throughout his career, Tyler brings extensive experience across home purchases, refinances, investment properties, and complex financing scenarios. His approach is built around transparency, education, and helping clients understand their options so they can make informed financing decisions that support both their immediate needs and long-term goals. 

Through his work with buyers and existing homeowners, Tyler has a front-line perspective on the financial considerations that often shape one of the biggest housing decisions families face: whether to improve the home they already own or move into one that better fits their changing needs. 

Tyler’s industry recognition includes being named a Rising Star by Canadian Mortgage Professional, a finalist for Outstanding Young Achiever by CMBA Ontario, and Young Achiever of the Year at the Canadian Mortgage Awards. He brings a practical, front-line perspective on mortgage financing, affordability, housing costs, and the evolving factors influencing how Ontarians choose where—and how—to live. 

With more than 30 years of experience as a builder and custom renovator, Tony applies creative thinking and technical knowledge from concept through construction to achieve unique and timeless residential projects of the highest quality. 

Tony has built a skillful team of project managers, tradespeople and carefully curated suppliers who share his dedication to exceptional workmanship and who pride themselves on delivering the highest level of customer satisfaction. 

A carpenter by trade, Dwayne founded Master Edge Homes in 2005, after working many years in production housing as a framer and site supervisor. His vision was simple – to provide quality-built, personalized, homes for people to enjoy for many years. 

Master Edge Homes is built upon a foundation of expertise and unparalleled craftsmanship. With a team of dedicated and diligent personnel, Master Edge Homes executes home builds and renovations precisely how you envisioned them. Master Edge Homes was founded on the principle of integrity, so you know we are always delivering you the highest quality service. From design and build to complete renovation, we are passionate about exceeding excellence with meticulous design, skilled construction, and project management.