CMA The Case for Canada, presented by Reality Engine

Branding, Marketing, Community Engagement, and AI

Canada is often defined by trust, inclusivity, and collaboration — values that are not only cultural but also marketable. If AI is transforming how stories are told and brands are built, how do we ensure Canada’s brand remains human-centered and authentic?

Bruce Symbalisty
Chief Solutions Specialist, Reality Engine

Bruce is a creative force at the intersection of strategy, technology, and brand marketing. With more than 30 years of experience, he has helped organizations like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Telus, and Mattel bring stories and identities to life through branding and digital transformation. In fact, during the 1990s, Apple acquired groundbreaking IP that he had developed.

Today, Bruce focuses on making organizations both observable and operational — turning bold ideas into systems that inspire, perform, and generate revenue.

He serves as Co-Chair of the Brand Council at the Canadian Marketing Association, championing branding as a living system built on trust, storytelling, and knowledge transfer.

Lisa Gibbs
Destination & Retail Marketing Strategy Manager, WestJet

Lisa Gibbs is a results-driven marketing professional with nearly two decades of expertise in strategy and campaign management. Known for bridging creative vision with business outcomes, she has delivered measurable growth across both travel and consumer brands. Prior to re-joining WestJet, Lisa spent seven years at Evans Hunt as a Group Account Director and Team Lead, and she serves as Board Chair for the Calgary Marketing Association. In her current role, she leads destination and retail marketing at WestJet, where she thrives on creating strategies that engage audiences and drive impact.

Jenn Delconte
Community & Events Strategist, ScaleUP Programming

Jenn Delconte is a marketing and community leader with 15 years of experience helping B2B tech and innovation ecosystems across Western Canada grow through authentic branding, human-centered engagement, and the connections AI can’t replace.

Peter Lafontaine
Executive Chairman, Rainforest Energy Corp.

Peter Lafontaine is Executive Chairman of Rainforest Energy Corp., a clean fuels company transforming forestry and agricultural waste into green gasoline in partnership with Indigenous communities. A former fur buyer turned tech entrepreneur, Peter’s career spans Apple, Microsoft, and enterprise software development. He mentors startups through Peer Guidance, Intergen, and Rainforest Alberta, blending purpose and profit to create jobs and drive innovation. Based in Calgary, he’s active with Stampede Rotary and enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and the outdoors. He lives with his wife Leila, and daughters Brandi (Economist/CEO) and Amber (Architect).

Process, People, Culture, Community, and AI

In today’s world, AI has been ubiquitous with growth and innovation. However, to innovate responsibility we must ground AI in human values and processes first. Explore how Canada’s identity as collaborative, diverse, and resilient could shape how we adopt and govern AI — not just within companies, but across society and communities.

Josh Rainbow
Founder, Future Summit

Josh Rainbow is the founder of Future Summit and an AI & data strategist, platform builder, and advisor focused on transforming enterprise strategy through emerging tech. He works at the front lines of AI, infrastructure, and growth - bridging capital, innovation, and impact.

Ezra Santos
Director and Senior Advisor, Reality Engine

Ezra is an advisor and mentor. Known for asking the hard questions, he brings a sharp lens to complex challenges—fusing natural intuition with a lifelong compulsion for pattern recognition. This approach has led to transformative insights and grounded brand and marketing strategies for corporations, government bodies, and non-profits across Canada.

Over the past 35 years, Ezra has made it a personal mission to support others on their journeys. He has consistently dedicated his time and energy to career mentoring—whether guiding young people, supporting employees, or working alongside client teams with honesty, care, and a touch of humour. He believes in the power of listening deeply, thinking differently, and walking alongside others to help them find their own paths forward.

Laura Pearce
Head of Marketing, Google Canada

Laura Pearce is Head of Marketing for Google Canada, where she oversees all marketing to Canadian consumers and customers across Google & YouTube products & services, including Google AI & Gemini.  

Laura is a strategic and innovative marketer with over 20 years of experience in digital/social and multi-platform brand, product and performance marketing. Prior to Google, she has held marketing leadership roles at Twitter, AOL/Huffington Post, Blue Ant Media and more.

Jeff Pratt
People and Technology Catalyst, Ormech Consulting & CapabilityGrid.com

Jeff Pratt is a strategist whose career bridges people, technology, and organizational design. As the founder of Ormech Consulting, he helps clients implement HR and ERP systems while navigating the complexities of organizational change. He developed the “Capability Grid,” a model that aligns people and systems with strategic objectives.

With over two decades of leadership across operations, digital transformation, and people development, Jeff works at the intersection of human potential and technology. He believes technology is not an ending itself, but a tool to strengthen communities, foster fairness, and support a more positive and sustainable future.