Acclaimed entrepreneur and tech trailblazer join the team shaping Canada’s leading innovation events
TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / June 18, 2025 / Elevate, the non-profit organization behind Canada’s most influential tech and innovation festival, is pleased to announce that Arlene Dickinson and Amber Mac have joined its Advisory Board. Dickinson, Founder of District Ventures Capital and a longtime Dragon, is one of Canada’s most respected entrepreneurs. Mac is a tech and media trailblazer, President of award-winning content development agency AmberMac Media.
Elevate CEO and Co-Founder, Lisa Zarzenczny, welcomes these powerhouse leaders as the organization gears up for its seventh annual Elevate Festival (October 7-9, 2025) in Toronto, which will bring together over 250 speakers and 10,000 attendees from across the global tech community. This year’s Main Stage will touch on applied AI to revolutionize customer experiences, autonomous transportation, and personalized health insights, among many other content themes and program offerings. The Festival has a track record of catalyzing hundreds of thousands of dollars in startup investments and leads in the industry in gender diversity. The organization also hosts CIX Summit and year-round Elevate Innovation programs to help Canadian founders build their businesses.
“I’ve spent my life in venture capital and marketing helping entrepreneurs and organizations grow their businesses and their dreams,” said Arlene Dickinson. “It’s never been more important to support Canadian innovation and invest in our collective future. I’m happy to join Elevate to help advance this mission.”
“Elevate has made a significant impact in growing the local innovation ecosystem, and I’m proud to help them accelerate their next chapter,” said Amber Mac. “Canada is emerging as an AI superpower but we need to work together to achieve a better digital future for all.”
Dickinson and Mac join current board members:
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Christopher Wein, Chief Operating Officer, Equiton Development;
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Debbie Gamble, Group Head, Strategy & Marketing, Interac;
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Gianluca Cairo, VP, Operations & Strategy, Ceridian;
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James Hicks, President & CEO, Moneris;
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Lisa Zarzeczny, Co-Founder & CEO, Elevate;
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Rizwan Khalfan, EVP, Canadian Personal Banking Digital, TD;
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Salim Teja, Partner, Radical Ventures.
About Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson is the Founder and General Partner of District Ventures Capital, a VC fund investing in innovative companies that are transforming the way we live and eat. She is widely recognized for her role as a Venture Capitalist on Dragons’ Den, where she has starred for over 17 seasons, and is a three-time bestselling author.
About Amber Mac
Amber Mac is President of AmberMac Media, Inc., an award-winning content development agency, and host of The AmberMac Show podcast on SiriusXM. She was named one of DMZ’s Women of the Year in 2024 and is a bestselling author of multiple books including the Amazon bestseller, Outsmarting Your Kids Online.
About Elevate
Elevate is a Canadian non-profit that unites world-class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year-round programs and events, including the annual Elevate Festival and CIX Summit, Elevate shines a spotlight on Canadian innovation, facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace a go-for-gold mentality to help shape the future of the Canadian innovation economy.
Media Contact:
Amanda Connon-Unda
Senior Director of Marketing, Elevate
amanda@elevate.ca
SOURCE: Elevate
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