Guest Speakers:
Clara Ma, Founder & CEO, Ask a Chief of Staff
Ask a Chief of Staff is the premier resource for Chiefs of Staff looking to secure high-impact roles and drive results. Prior to founding Ask a Chief of Staff, Clara was the Chief of Staff to the CEO of Hugging Face, a unicorn AI startup, where she helped shepherd the company from its Series A to Series B. After serving as the Chief of Staff, Clara went on to become the Program Director of On Deck's (Series B) Chief of Staff Fellowship, growing its membership base from 80 to over 400+ Chiefs of Staff.
Emily MacKinnon, Chief of Staff, BigGeo
Emily MacKinnon is the Chief of Staff at BigGeo, where she supports operations across BigGeo, HeyAuto, and Vivid Theory, three interconnected companies focused on geospatial intelligence, automotive technology, innovation infrastructure, and data sovereignty. She works behind the scenes to keep strategic priorities moving forward, align cross-functional teams, and build internal systems that support long-term scale.
Stephanie Pahl, Chief of Staff, Glenbow Museum
Stephanie has played a pivotal role in two major cultural projects, first at the National Music Centre and currently at Glenbow Museum. The inaugural Chief of Staff for both organizations, she's made a demonstrable impact on the organization’s executive leadership and alignment, organizational effectiveness, and culture as they rapidly scale operations and offerings to meet the needs of the community in which they serve. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the Board of Alberta Music.
Lee Pham, Executive Partner, Teleiosis Consulting
Lee drives transformation for technology-focused organizations by optimizing leadership structures, sharpening decision-making, and strengthening executive relationships. As Chief of Staff at American Express, he led C-Suite relationships and oversaw a global team of 70+ experts in M&A, venture capital, and strategy. He brings deep expertise in corporate development, IP strategy, and board-level stakeholder management.
Miranda Russell, Chief of Staff, Helcim
Miranda Russell is a seasoned professional with diverse experience in leadership and marketing roles. She is the Chief of Staff at Helcim, where her responsibilities include enhancing CEO effectiveness, managing strategic initiatives, and fostering cross-departmental collaboration. Prior experience at Helcim also encompassed roles in Marketing Operations and Communications, where Miranda focused on audience engagement and content creation.
Nic Beique, Chief Executive Officer, Helcim
Nic Beique is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Helcim, a payments company that makes it faster, easier, and more affordable for businesses to get paid. Nic was the lead developer on the company's first software launch, Helcim Commerce. He has been recognized for his contributions to the payment industry and tech economy in Calgary as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Prairies Technology overall category winner in 2018 and as a member of the Avenue Calgary Top 40 Under 40 class of 2019.
Jordan Pickster, Senior Advisor, Platform Calgary
Jordan has extensive experience in stakeholder relations, public affairs, and strategic communications, dedicated to fostering innovation and community development. Earlier in his career, Jordan served as Chief of Staff to a member of City of Calgary Council and as a Media and Public Affairs Officer for the British Consulate-General Calgary.
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