Meet Our Founders

Marketing Specialist, Brand and Special Projects | Canada Goose

Multi-faceted. Idea Innovator. Culture Shifter.

From brand partnerships to event production, Adjoa fuses her love of storytelling with marketing by producing legendary experiential events. She is a creative marketer with over six years of experience in the lifestyle, fashion, sports and entertainment sectors.

Her international portfolio of work includes major platforms such as BET, OVO Sound, the Toronto Raptors, Nike and Jordan Brand, and Live Nation Entertainment. An accomplished Media Communications graduate from Guelph-Humber University, she is also an alum of the internationally recognized and award-winning Remix Project.

Corporate Partnerships, Eva’s Initiatives For Youth

Strategic Partnerships Connoisseur. Collaborator. Passionate Advocate.

Anastasia brings over 15 years of progressive knowledge and action-based programming solutions to help corporations and non-profit communities succeed in creating shared value concurrently. With the focus on bringing critical attention to issues faced by underserved communities, her marketing and communications background is a key driver in articulating community needs with aligned partners CSR goals.

Anastasia specializes in communications and engagement strategy with a focus on experiential marketing, sponsorship acquisition, team building, public speaking and fundraising. She is motivated by compassionate storytelling, the joy of connecting people to impactful causes and initiatives, and collaborating on innovative, equitable and sustainable solutions to challenges across diverse groups of her portfolio.

Athlete Management, Marketing & PR | BDA Sports

Globally Focused. Relationship Builder. Grace Under Pressure.

Bailey is a relationship-focused communicator with over 10 years of experience in the sports, entertainment, public and private sectors. Her mastery includes public relations, athlete management and stakeholder relations. Her years of management experience with Canada Basketball primed her for her current role as Athlete Marketing and PR Manager at BDA Sports Management, where she works with some of the NBA’s top talent.

Bailey is uniquely respected as a global citizen in the industry, having spearheaded media and player relations for major global sporting events including the Olympics, Pan Am Games and FIBA basketball tournaments on three continents.

Co-founder, Halo & Co.

Serial Entrepreneur. Storyteller. Question Master. Creative Visionary.

Catriona “Coco” Smart is who you want planning your next event or strategizing your next brand move. From intimate birthday parties, to immersive dining experiences and multi-million-dollar brand events - Coco has your back.

Famous for curating memorable moments, moderating insightful discussions and carrying not one, but two thriving companies on her back. Co-Founder of Digital PR Agency, Halo & Co., and lifestyle blog, Coco + Cowe. Coco Smart is guaranteed to inspire, challenge and fulfill under any and all circumstances.

Manager, Marketing Partnerships | NBA Canada

Partnership Conductor. Contagious Enthusiasm. Sports Pro.

Chantel boasts vast experience in the sports marketing industry, having sat at the helm of several of Canada’s best-known partnerships and two of the country’s most admired brands, Ford of Canada and Air Canada.

Now with the NBA, Chantel manages relationships with several of the league’s key national partners, building unique brand activations that engage Canadian basketball fans and help drive partner businesses forward. Prior to joining the NBA, Chantel worked with NFL Canada and its partners to grow the passion for football nationwide.

Founder and Managing Partner, LuxeLifeSound

Expert Relationship Builder. Relentless Facilitator. Creative Problem Solver.

50% pit bull, 50% air traffic controller. 100% Gryffindor. Cleo cannot rest if there is a problem to solve, and if she can’t find a solution, she’ll invent one. This ingenuity comes from a curiosity that even ten years of academia couldn’t satisfy. She holds a BA in Sociology from MacEwan University in Edmonton, a BA in Criminology from Simon Fraser University, and a Master of Professional Communication from Ryerson University.

Her career path is equally varied, covering everything from interning with lifestyle influencer Catriona Smart of Coco & Cowe, to “getting sh*t done” (actual job title) for Canadian actor Jarod Joseph, to running point for various young entertainers and venues all across Canada, to launching her own communications consultancy; Cleo Ellis Communications. Her latest endeavour has her cultivating Toronto’s best DJ service, LUXELIFE SOUND, with legendary Canadian DJ Lissa Monet. She’s driven, she’s passionate, and amazing things happen when she’s in your corner.

Founder, Colour Crate Media

Clever Copywriter. Master Product Marketer. Championing Black Youth.

Courtney Roberts launched her marketing career in New York City where she cut her teeth in public relations. While leading digital strategy at a boutique agency known for its award-winning multicultural media campaigns, she worked alongside top entertainers and produced memorable travel campaigns for the island of Anguilla. Always thinking ahead, Courtney quickly became enamoured by technology and leveraged her marketing expertise to pivot into SaaS. She currently leads go-to-market strategies as head of Product Marketing serving the automotive vertical.

A vibrant intrapreneur at heart, Courtney produces creative copy and strategy through her writing consultancy, Colour Crate Media, where she is known for proactively connecting brands with culture. She’s solidified corporate partnerships with brands like Lululemon, Aurora and Bumble for well-known community initiatives such as AfroChic.

Co-founder, Kensington Grey

Amplifier. Visionary. I nfluences the Influencers.

Shannae Ingleton Smith is the Co-founder of Kensington Grey Agency Inc. a boutique influencer agency rooted in diversity and specializing in influencer casting, talent, strategy and campaign management. With over 10 years of media experience, Shannae’s work has been featured in Forbes, The Globe & Mail and Toronto Life. She has dedicated several years of her career to amplifying Black women and their voices. When she isn’t working, you can find her at home with her husband Sean, daughter Kensington and their Yorkshire Terrier, Hercules.

Founder, Head of Talent and Organization, Reservedx

Marketing Magician. Meticulous Leader. Talent Scout.

As the Founder, Head of Talent and Organization for Toronto-based Talent Management Agency, Reservedx, Shantel Clarke wears many hats. From conceptualizing and executing on big-name brand visions to scouting talent and locations for luxury experiential events, Shantel breathes life into ideas and turns concepts into reality. Reservedx has managed to deliver first-rate service for an outstanding list of brand accounts, including CHANEL, Nike, and Beats by Dre. Since its inception in 2014, Reservedx has blossomed into an internationally viable agency providing quality services in event production, partnerships, strategy development, talent management, brand ambassadorship and more.

Prompted by her own experience as an event production freelancer, Clarke identified a dearth of resources for independent professionals in the industry. She also recognized a major demand amongst agencies and brands for reliable, reputable outsourced work. Acting as an advocate for both sides, Clarke founded Reservedx as a solution. With ambition and service as the cornerstone of her life and business, Clarke has built an efficient team of creatives ready to lend their expertise on a project-to-project basis.

Founder, Creative Klatch & Publisher, Penguin Random

Brand Strategist. Cultural collaborator. Bilateral Symmetry.

Sue is a creative communications consultant with over 20 years of expertise in PR, influencer marketing, brand strategy and events. Known for her ability to form trusted, long-standing relationships with clients, industry partners and integrated agency partners, Sue has extensive experience within the retail, music, sports, entertainment and CSR spheres. She has also held brand marketing, PR and influencer marketing roles in-house at powerhouse brands like Nike, Mattel, Vespa and Fred Perry.

Starting her own consultancy in 2016, Sue has worked on a number of award-winning communications campaigns for Nintendo. She also works with a variety of sport and advocacy clients including Canadian Tire, as well as Toronto Raptors’ President, Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa (a not for profit created by Ujiri to impact the lives of African youth utilizing basketball as a tool for education and empowerment).

Managing Partner, Integrated Sports Solutions & Partner at Femme Gaming

Award Winner. Maverick. Operational Leadership. Strategic Architect.

As Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the LA-based, Integrated Sports Solutions, Suzanne Duncan is an award-winning sport marketing maverick possessing the perfect marriage of off-the-chart EQ and strategic, operational leadership. She’s an international global Director with over 17 years of success orchestrating and executing integrated event marketing solutions for B2B and B2C brand driven, client programs in the professional sports and entertainment vertical. With a background in international business relations and sports marketing, Suzanne’s experience is defined by the successful orchestration and executions of integrated marketing solutions for blue-chip global brands.

Suzanne combines her diverse international perspective alongside a myriad of engagement tactics and story-telling expertise to deliver world class results in the global sports industry. Suzanne’s stellar leadership is built upon the development and mentorship of high-performance teams within multiple agencies in over 4 continents across multiple games organizations such as the Olympics, FIFA and NCAA Basketball, Formula One and the PGA.

Director People Strategy | Publicis Sapient

Organizational Designer. HR Maestro. People Developer.

Tanya possesses over 15 years of Human Resources experience that includes Talent Management, Organizational Design, Training and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership and Management coaching. In her current role as Director People Strategy for Publicis Sapient CHRL, she is a key member of the human resources function in the North America Business Unit. She partners with her Regional Business lead to conceive, create, implement and execute localized People Strategy Solutions that drive business results and people development.

Tanya has worked with local talent across Canadian and US offices to create connected and high performing teams which ultimately led to her Canadian office being recognized in the top 10 Great places to work. Tanya has a passion for community involvement and runs workshops on career navigation, interviewing and networking skills for youth from marginalized and underserved communities.

Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Right To Play

Global Youth Advocate. Partnership Virtuoso. Collaborative Change-maker.

Tanya is passionate about social impact, advocating for youth empowerment as a fundraising professional since 1998. With more than 20 years of domestic and global experience in marketing, communications and philanthropy, Tanya excelled in the sports and entertainment industry, raising millions of dollars for MLSE’s Toronto Raptors Foundation and leading the marketing and communications strategies for Canada Basketball, including eight national teams and three FIBA World Championships. Tanya deepened her business development acumen working at an award-winning event hospitality company, managing premier accounts like TIFF, Microsoft, NBA All-Star and World Pride. In 2016, she launched her own consulting firm delivering strategic partnerships and event management expertise to charities.

Tanya volunteers with several boards including the Jamaal Magloire Foundation and Women In Sports and Events (WISE) Toronto, where she is the Chair of Inclusion and Diversity. She is also Canada’s DEI and Anti-Racism Committee Chair at Right To Play, a global charity where Tanya integrates brands and ambassadors with purpose. She believes in collaboration and forging meaningful relationships to create an equitable society for the next generation to thrive.