2023 Speaker BIOS

Kemp Edwards is the President and CEO of Ethical Profiling Ltd. (EP), a Canadian based company that consults, designs, sources and produces high quality, ethical, sustainable products for private label partners as well as the retail and corporate sectors. Ethical Profiling produces proven socially compliant and environmentally responsible apparel and merchandise for leading corporations including but not limited to: Coca-Cola, TELUS Communications, LUSH, and the UNEP, as well as a wide range of charities and non profit organizations such as: the David Suzuki Foundation, Arbor Day, Ancient Forest Alliance, and the World Wildlife Fund. Beyond managing its own domestic production under the label ECONIC Apparel, EP works with third party audited international suppliers to ensure social and environmental compliance in manufacturing and to create ways to minimize environmental impact through innovative product design and production methods. Mr. Edwards sits on the Board of Advisors for Kwantlen Polytechnic University and speaks regularly on topics of Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethical Sourcing, and Ecopreneurism.

PROPOSED TOPICS:

• - Sustainability as Storytelling
• - Localization and Domestic Manufacturing

In body inclusivity discourse, we’re usually talking about normalizing larger sizes. Why aren’t we also talking about height inclusivity? Miranda Sam is the founder of SHORTLISTED (www.theshortlisted.co), a responsible clothing brand dedicated to make life simple for short women (5'4 and under) through effortless styling + easy care clothing. She has also worked as a Fashion Marketer, Fashion Writer, Retail Manager and Retail Consultant in a career spanning 15 years. Miranda has also been a guest speaker at VCC, JCI, UBC and looks forward to speaking with you at ApparelCamp.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Find your Niche: Targeting Overlooked Markets

David Nagy is a technology and ecommerce expert and an avid entrepreneur. He has spent over 15 years working with small-to-large retailers, helping businesses accelerate in the areas of ecommerce, digital transformation and software-as-a-service (SaaS). He is well known as a co-Founder of LiveOutThere.com – one of Canada’s leading online outdoor retailers. David has advised hundreds of businesses at every stage of maturity and has worked with some of the world’s most compelling brands, including Bayer, HBO Comedy, Virgin Mobile, Facebook (France), Wendy’s, General Motors and more. In Canadian retail, he has advised notable SMBs such as Rocky Mountain Soap, Swimco, Fitterfirst, Livify, NuVessl, Nurosene, iTel Networks and many others.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Generate More Revenue Online: 6 KPI's to Fuel Your Success

Spanning over two decades, Emily’s career in Fashion is marked with consulting and leadership roles in Creative Direction and Marketing for both independent and global brands. Emily’s formal training began in Vancouver in 1998 with a Diploma in Fashion Design from Helen LeFeaux. Following this, she relocated to London, U.K. to study at UAL, London College of Fashion and apprenticed with both established and cult labels such as Roland Mouret, Fake London and Future Classics. In 2003, she was chosen by the British Fashion Council as a rising star to complete certification in Fashion Management under Industry Guru, David Jones. In 2013, Emily returned to education and achieved a Master in Fashion Trend Forecasting from esteemed Institute, Polimoda, then under the direction Linda Loppa. She is among one of the few graduates based in North America with this specialized degree. A serial entrepreneur, Emily has worked since 2006 as an independent Fashion and Trend Consultant based in both Toronto and Vancouver. In this time, she has maintained partnerships with some of the Industries top Think Tanks & Creatives such as Promostyl Paris, WGSN, Hilde Francq, Mode...Information and Shoesplanet.Com. In this time, Emily is has been sought to provide future and brand solutions to clients such as Lululemon, Aldo group, TJX Canada (Winners, Marshalls) and The Hudson’s Bay Company as well as countless Small and Medium Enterprises within the realm of fashion and consumer goods. Most recently, she returned to the West coast to spearhead Merchandising and Curation at award-winning startup, Respect your Universe and is currently the Interim Program Director of Fashion at LaSalle College Vancouver as well as Fashion and Trend Consultant to established and emerging brands. Emily is passionate about shaping fashion through branding, trend forecasting, sustainability and thought leadership. She continually enjoys working with individuals who make creative investments for their futures in the Industry.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - The Re: Session ,Trend forecast

Roz McNulty has always seen the future of clothing and computers starting with illustrating clothing on a computer over 30 years ago. She has experience with fashion design, pattern drafting, and manufacturing. Roz teaches CLO 3D with Beginners in CLO, Intermediate and Advanced online courses at www.rozfic.com Roz has had students from all over the world who love her courses. When not teaching – Roz enjoys creating historical fashion in 3D for her VR Fashion museum.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - CLO 3D Basics

Ryan Amore is an experienced and skilled apparel developer based in Vancouver, Canada. He has been working in the fashion industry for over 13 years and has had the opportunity to work with several prestigious global brands, including Christian Dior and Zac Posen. Ryan is known for his expertise in pattern engineering and grading, as well as his skill as a designer of women's evening and dress wear, athletic apparel, and high-fashion garments. Ryan received his education from Ryerson School of Fashion, where he honed his skills and developed his passion for pattern engineering and grading. He began his career as a junior pattern engineer and quickly rose through the ranks to become a senior pattern engineer and manger. Ryan has a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the technical aspects of garment construction, which allows him to create patterns that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. In addition to his technical expertise, Ryan is also an accomplished designer who has a strong sense of aesthetics and a passion for creating beautiful garments. He specializes in women's evening and dress wear, as well as athletic and high-fashion apparel. His designs are known for their sophisticated yet modern aesthetic, and he has a talent for combining different fabrics and textures to create unique and striking pieces. Ryan is dedicated to staying true to himself and maintaining a healthy mind and body in his work. He believes in the value of continuous learning and challenging himself, and follows the motto "never expect, never presume, always work hard and stay true to who you are." His dedication and expertise have made him an asset in the fashion industry.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - THE ART AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF HAUTE COUTURE

Lynette has more than 20 years of market research, strategic, operational and financial planning in organizations ranging from 20 to more than 5000 employees. Her interests include exploring the analytics of competitive space, understanding consumer needs, and creating super-charged employee engagement that delivers new insights, dynamic business tools, and business analytics that lead to success. Engaging strategic line planners, designers and product or program development managers is her area of expertise. Before founding Concurrent Strategies she worked as a Senior Consultant at Concurrent Product Development where she developed new approaches for consumer segmentation studies and functional line plans for small- and mid-sized consumer goods manufacturers. Prior to that she held senior management roles as the Assistant Vice President for Strategic Planning, University of Utah’s Health Sciences group and as the Director of Strategic Planning at the MetroHealth System, a large teaching hospital affiliated with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH.

PROPOSED TOPICS:

• - Visual Control Boards
• - Target Consumer Segments: The Post Pandemic Consumer

Since the mid ‘70’s, Pete has been developing new and improved products and driving them to market. Beginning with build-to-print composite aerospace components, he graduated to one-off build-to-spec deep space and terrestrial applications at CalTech/JPL. From there, he moved to Seattle to head consumer-driven product development at Cascade Designs. During his 20 years at Cascade, he oversaw the integrated growth and development of several well-known product-driven outdoor brands, including Therm-a-Rest, MSR, SealLine, Platypus, PackTowl and Tracks. Along the way, he was instrumental in the planning, research, development and commercialization of hundreds of new products. For the past 17 years, Pete has been an independent consultant specializing in the application of pragmatic product development management processes, methods and tools that have proven themselves to be effective at getting more of the right products to market, faster, and with fewer resources.

PROPOSED TOPICS:

• - Visual Control Boards
• - Target Consumer Segments: The Post Pandemic Consumer

Sarah Murray has worked in the business of fashion for over 20 years in a variety of capacities. Currently she is the program coordinator for Vancouver Community College's fashion program. When she isn’t on campus, she is building community through her facilitation work. www.flashandsoul.ca

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Fashion from the Heart

Laela Blanchet has been working in the Ontario & British Columbia fashion industries since 1994. She is a skilled pattern maker, and has had extensive experience with all pre-production & production apparel and accessory manufacturing tasks from design & fit, to grading and marker making. She has been running her own pre-production & pattern making business, Dampkring Designs, since 2004; offering pattern making & design development services to Vancouver’s rapidly expanding fashion industry over the past 19 years. Laela has many years of both manual & CAD pattern drafting experience that she brings to the Computer Pattern Drafting & 3D Design classes she both wrote and taught at LaSalle College, formerly the Art Institute of Vancouver for 15 years. Laela has been the fashion coordinator implementing an updated and finely tuned new fashion program, called “Fashion Design with Specialization in Marketing” at the Visual College of Art & Design (VCAD) since 2019. www.dampkringdesigns.com

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - THE PRE-PRODUCTION PROCESS ON THE WEST COAST

Stacy specializes in apparel technology applications, guiding the integration of cross-functional strategies and tools—such as PLM, inclusive sizing, fit and block development, pattern CAD, body scanning, 2D-to-3D product modelling, and digital product creation (DPC). Her domestic and international experience spans across all categories and soft goods. Some career highlights include: product engineering for a NASA Shuttle Craft Life Preserving Unit (LPU), creating the Bernina MyLabel MTM pattern system, developing a made-to-measure (MTM) fit program for Indochino, and directing the R&D production of a scan-to-MTM capsule collection. As a Channel Partner for Style3D, she’s leveraging years as an Optitex (North America) andKwantlen Polytechnic University educator. Throughout her roles, digital technology has always been pivotal to driving successful outcomes. Stacy continues demystifying technology and breaking down adoption barriers, while remaining at the forefront of DPC management. Ever an optimist, she believes we can use DPC to sustainably build and optimize profitable businesses.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Navigating Digital Product Creation for Apparel

Dave began his textile career in 1989, as a sales representative for Les Tricots Manoir Inc, a circular knitting mill and dyehouse in Montreal, Quebec. In 1993, he was transferred by Manoir to Vancouver, British Columbia to open a West Coast office servicing Canada and the Pacific North West of the USA. He created a textile sales agency, D.Kasper Agencies Inc in 2003, with a focus on the industrial workwear market place, working with Davey Textile Solutions, Peerless Garments, American & Efird and YKK. In 2012, along with business partners Ted Parker (CEO) and LarrySuzuki (V.P Finance), they created General Recycled, based in Canada, with a focus on “closed loop” recycling of Meta and Para aramid textiles.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Closed Loop Recycling of Aromatic Polyamide Used Garments and Fabrics in Canada

Ana d’ Carvalho is a Personal+ Fashion Stylist and Colour expert. She holds a Master's in fashion styling from Instituto Marangoni in Milan, Italy where she also worked for brands such as Dolce and Gabbana and John Galliano. With over 15 years of experience as a consultant and educator in the areas of Personal Branding, Fashion Design, Styling, Trends, and Colour strategy. She devoted her work to developing methodologies in the advanced application of colour innovation through strategic communication and image consultation where she also manage to publish her first book in Spanish “ 21 days of style”. Over the years Ana has lived in fashion capitals like London, NY and Brazil and Expanded her colour and style methodology on tour, through Lectures and workshops in Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Telling stories through colour

Glynis is a clothing brand owner turned Business Consultant & SEO Specialist with 20+ years apparel industry experience. She helps fashion entrepreneurs and clothing brand owners launch, build and grow their fashion e-commerce business. She’s the founder of Chase Your Dreams, which is an apparel consulting agency that specializes in SEO for fashion e-commerce companies who want to increase organic traffic, rank higher in search engines and make more sales online. She's also the host of Chase Your Dreams Podcast. This is a podcast for fashion entrepreneurs who are ready to pursue their passion and make a living doing what they love. Glynis has expertise in technical design, product development, domestic and overseas garment manufacturing, fabric sourcing, new business development, and search engine optimization. She has been featured on the front page of the business sections of the Vancouver Sun, National Post, The Globe & Mail and has been interviewed on CBC Radio.

PROPOSED TOPICS:

• - Best SEO Tips for Fashion E-Commerce in 2023
• - Let’s Chat! Fashion Entrepreneurs: What's your biggest challenge with growing your brand right now?

Specialties: USMCA, CUSMA, NAFTA, Trade Compliance, C-TPAT/PIP, Customs Compliance and pre-audit preparation.Non Resident Importer Specialist.

PROPOSED TOPICs:

• - Ecomm out of Canada and accessing the US marketplace without paying US duty on clothing, footwear and Accessories.
• -Importing garments/footwear/Accessories into Canada using Trade Agreements for zero duty

Hélène Day Fraser is a first-generation Canadian, of Welsh and English descent, born in North-Eastern Quebec. She has been formed by life in a small town on the Canadian Prairies, an island in the Philippines, downtown Toronto, Strasbourg, the outskirts of Paris, France, and most recently Vancouver and the North Shore. Hélène is also an Associate Professor of Design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in the faculty of Design and Dynamic Media, a founding member and Co-Director of the Material Matters research hub, an active member of Emily Carr’s DESIS lab, and a Visiting Associate Professor at UBC’s BioProducts Institute. Between 2013 to 2018 Helene led the cloTHING(s) as Conversation research initiative, funded by the Canadian Social Science and Humanities Research Counsel (SSHRC). Drawing on this body of work, she subsequently developed the Textile Adaptation Research Program (TARP) lab connected to Material Matters. Her research and mentorship currently explores how new approaches to the design, making, use of material objects - understood as companions - might be used to expose colonial/modernist assumptions that currently limit design’s capacity to address needed care for the ecosphere and environment. Recently, this cumulative and highly collaborative body of work has led to an invitation to participate in an upcoming 4-month exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2023.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Fashion Fictions, a living research lab

Keith Doyle is Associate Professor, Ian Gillespie Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media and the Jake Kerr Faculty of Graduate Studies at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD), Vancouver. He holds both a BFA and an MFA in Sculpture and maintains an active material practice in the studio, the lab and in the public realm. As a post-secondary educator, Doyle focuses on product, craft and industrial design. He is a founding faculty member and current Co-director of Material Matters, a faculty-led and student-driven material research centre at ECUAD where research-creation activities and design-led research partnerships are enabled by funding from the National Research Council Canada and the Canadian Councils for research (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC. Keith actively presents, promotes and exhibits nationally and abroad on our collaborative research activities and creative endeavours. Recent exhibitions and works in the public realm include, Liminal Labs, XX1T Triennale di Milano 2016, New Craft Symposium, Emily Carr University of Art + Design 2017, Radial Change: Art in the Seventies, University of British Columbia Belkin Galleries 2018, and Pedestrian Protest, Vancouver Art Gallery 2020.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Fashion Fictions, a living research lab

James has a unique lens on the Go-to-Market process. From beginnings in a start-up, where he built and developed his own snowboard brand Class Five Snowboards, to working as a Product Manager at Mustang Survival, James has lived through the Go-to-market process on both sides. Currently, James works at MEC as a retail buyer, where he receives hundreds of product pitches every year. Through it all he’s seen the inner workings of top brands & retailers, and gained insight on how successful products are brought to market.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - Retail Ready: 3 Step Formula to Grow your Business through Retail

Tracy is a Professional Sustainability Nerd and believes we’re all superpowers for good in this world. Founder of Sustainable Living School, an award-winning author, public speaker and sustainability advisor. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability and has over a decade of experience in leadership and applying this science-based framework for decoding sustainability. Her own superpower is to bridge sustainability principles with the practical “how-to” for everyday life. Her approach is to teach others how to tackle their eco-overwhelm and feel empowered to take actions from home that meet their goals of “doing good” for the the planet, helps them save time and money plus that best matches their lifestyle. Her mission is to massively boost awareness and empowerment of individuals and provide hope during the creation of a sustainable society & healthy planet.

PROPOSED TOPIC:

• - How to Fast Track Embedding Sustainability & Circularity in Your Business