Growing Canada’s Food, Beverage and Health & Wellness Brands

As President and CEO of Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Justine Hendricks leads Canada’s largest agricultural lender with a clear purpose: accelerating the success of the people, businesses, and innovations that power Canada’s food system. A seasoned financial services executive with broad experience in lending, credit and risk management, she brings a deep understanding of how financial institutions can apply creativity, insight, and disciplined innovation to meaningfully strengthen primary production, agri‑business, and food processing in a rapidly evolving global market. Since joining FCC in 2023, Justine has championed a bold, customer‑first transformation, bringing a creative and forward‑looking approach to how FCC designs services, deploys technology, and partners with the ag and food sector. Her focus is on providing faster service, stronger insights, and innovative financial solutions while leading FCC’s modernization of digital tools and data platforms, including advancements such as AgExpert and Root AI. Under her leadership, FCC Capital has advanced a multi‑billion‑dollar investment strategy that accelerates growth in Canadian agri‑food technology, supporting companies that are driving productivity, sustainability, and global competitiveness. Recognizing the industry’s pivotal role in Canada’s economic future, Justine consistently elevates the potential of agriculture and food as both an investment opportunity and a national advantage. She amplifies FCC’s research and economic insights to help producers navigate shifting global conditions. Her leadership also reinforces FCC’s long‑standing commitment to environmental and social responsibility, supporting emerging tools and financing options that help producers build resilient operations for the future. Justine is known for her energetic, people‑centered leadership style—one grounded in listening, continuous improvement, and deep respect for the producers and entrepreneurs who feed Canadians and the world. She is also a visible champion for youth and the empowerment of emerging leaders across the ag and food value chain. Prior to joining FCC, Justine held executive leadership roles at Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where she built expertise across lending, organizational transformation, risk management, and sustainability. At EDC, she oversaw major insurance and working capital portfolios and became the organization’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, aligning long‑term strategy with evolving environmental, social, and innovation priorities.

Suzie Yorke is a health advocate and seasoned CPG expert, known as a “Turn-around Marketer” who has tackled challenging brand transformations throughout her career. After spending 20 years with major CPG multinationals including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Weight Watchers, she took a bold step at age 50 to launch her own startup from her kitchen table. ​ After facing personal health challenges, Suzie discovered the benefits of a keto-focused, high-fat, low-carb diet. This experience inspired her to create Suzie’s GoodFats™, which later became Love Good Fats®. Within just three years, this disruptive brand achieved over $100 million in gross revenue across Canada and the US, breaking numerous Canadian records for CPG startups. ​ Today, Suzie is on a mission to revolutionize the chocolate industry with her latest venture, The Better Co. by Suzie™. Beyond her business achievements, she is an accomplished athlete, having completed 11 Ironman triathlons, the Boston Marathon, and various championship cycling events. While still passionate about athletics, she now particularly enjoys hot yoga. As a mother of two, Suzie continues to advocate for better health through better nutrition.

Sheri Evans, Local Development Specialist for Sobeys and Foodland Ontario shows her passion for local food and entrepreneurs alike. She is versatile, self directed and an efficient individual with 30+ years experience managing or supporting managers / executives in a fast-paced retail environment. She is a mom to two daughters and a leader who thrives in supporting other women. She started as a part time cashier in her hometown of Grimsby, the second Sobeys store in Ontario in 1990. She has held several positions throughout the business and across the province which have led her to her role today. Currently, as part of the Merchandising team, she is sourcing, supporting and nurturing local growers and producers across Ontario and has “boots on the ground” looking to strengthen existing and establish new relationships and build partnerships in the company’s strategy of “Winning in Local”.

Jo-Ann spent her first career client-side, successfully connecting brands with consumers and retailers at Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Cadillac Fairview. As a divisional President of Molson Coors, and a member of its North America Management Board, she led the charge to sell more beer more profitably. Now leading the agency she co-founded, Jo-Ann continues to build powerful strategies for food and beverage products in Canada, the US, and Europe. She works hands-on with the Nourish Team, guiding the creation of marketing plans that move products off shelves and into consumers’ shopping baskets and, perhaps most importantly, into their hearts. She currently appears as a food marketing expert in the international TV documentary series “Eat Me (or try not to)” airing on Curiosity Stream.

In 2017, Ted set out to prove skeptics wrong that a great-tasting, low-calorie non-alcoholic beer could stand tall, and he’s been redefining the category ever since. Today, Partake is an award-winning leader, recognized for its innovation, B-Corp certification, and commitment to business as a force for good. Ted’s journey began after a Crohn’s diagnosis pushed him to give up alcohol. What could have been a setback became the spark for a pioneering brand that landed him on the Globe & Mail Changemakers list, Maclean’s Power 100, and as a finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Now, he brings his expertise to Venturepark Accelerator, where he’ll guide and support new and growing CPG brands to think bigger, and scale with purpose.

Gillian Manton is the founder of Moose Munchies Candy Co., a fast-growing Canadian confectionery brand creating premium nut-free and gluten-free treats designed so more people can safely enjoy indulgence. Starting in her kitchen while raising two young children, she has built Moose Munchies with a larger vision: to create a joyful, inclusive brand where people feel safe, welcome, and part of something special. Through responsibly sourced ingredients, thoughtful product design, and a commitment to community, Gillian is working to win the hearts of Canadians first before inviting the global market to join the Moose Munchies family.

Yazeed is a former Marketing industry executive turned entrepreneur who co-founded NanaShake along with his wife in 2016 and currently also serves as the company’s CEO. Prior to this, Yazeed held senior Marketing positions within the financial and media industries with his most recent role as Marketing Manager at Global News. Originally Toronto’s first dedicated vegan ice cream parlor, NanaShake has evolved into a CPG brand with a very clear mission: to shake up the world of ice cream with delicious, healthy and nutritious alternatives that are mainly and natural sweetened with bananas. Their first line of ice cream alternatives, NanaPops, have been dubbed Smoothie-on-a-Stick by customers due to how healthy and nutritious they are and have won numerous industry awards including Best Frozen Product at Grocery Innovations Canada in 2025, Best Start-up CPG at SIAL Canada in 2025 and the title of Toronto’s Next Great Packaged Food Business by the City of Toronto in 2024. In addition to enabling members of the extended community to satisfy their ice cream craving while fuelling their bodies with essential nutrients, NanaShake is proud to also be tackling the sustainable development goals of good health and well-being as well as responsible consumption and production

Tamara is a former banking and investment executive turned entrepreneur recognized as the winner of the Mompreneur Best Start-up of the Year award for her innovative venture, NanaShake, which she co-founded along with her husband in 2016. Tamara’s entrepreneurial spirit shines through her creation of more than 8 completely original product lines including the popular NanaPops (aka Smoothie-on-a-Stick ), NanaBowls, and the Bananza showcasing her creativity and commitment to delivering innovation to the category. NanaPops have won numerous industry awards including Best Frozen Product at Grocery Innovations Canada in 2025, Best Start-up CPG at SIAL Canada in 2025 and the title of Toronto’s Next Great Packaged Food Business by the City of Toronto in 2024. Originally Toronto’s first dedicated vegan ice cream parlour, NanaShake has evolved into a CPG brand with a very clear mission: to shake up the world of ice cream with delicious, healthy and nutritious alternatives that are mainly and naturally sweetened with bananas.

Serene has over 20 years of experience in the CPG sector, including 14 years as the New Business Development Lead for Tree of Life, where she leads the review and onboarding process for all new business initiatives and opportunities at one of the largest distributors in Canada. Serene is passionate about supporting early-stage CPG brands by giving them honest feedback on all aspects of their business. She started her marketing career in advertising at MacLaren Lint and working on clients such as Molson Breweries, General Motors, Toys R Us and the Royal Bank of Canada. She also has a degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Marketing Diploma from Sheridan College