Canadian Agriculture Investment Forum 2026  |  October 1

Eric Agyemang

Eric Agyemang is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maple Bridge Ventures, an institutional venture capital firm investing in immigrant founders building transformative companies across agri-food, health, and enterprise technology.

With more than a decade of experience in international trade finance, investment, and capital formation, Eric brings a global perspective to venture investing and market expansion. Prior to founding Maple Bridge Ventures, he worked at Export Development Canada (EDC), where he supported hundreds of Canadian companies in expanding internationally and structuring complex financing across global markets.

At Maple Bridge Ventures, Eric leads the firm's investment strategy, focusing on identifying and backing scalable, technology-driven businesses that strengthen supply chains, increase productivity, and enhance the long-term competitiveness of Canada's food and agriculture sector.

Eric holds a Certificate in Sustainable Finance from the University of Cambridge, an MBA from Queen's University, and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.

Darren Baccus

Darren brings more than 25 years of diverse global investment experience to FCC, having held a variety of senior executive roles at provincial and federal Crown corporation investment organizations. He started his career as an attorney with Torys LLP after graduating from the University of Manitoba. Prior to joining FCC, Darren was a co-founder of a U.S.-based farmland investment firm that acquired operating farmland alongside grower partners, with a business plan of transitioning management practices from conventional to regenerative.

Having lived in five Canadian provinces in addition to New York, Darren and his family support a variety of charitable initiatives throughout communities they’ve called home. These include the University of Winnipeg Foundation and the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Steve Balaban

Steve Balaban, CFA, is a thought leader on private equity with experiences as an investor, advisor and award-winning lecturer. He is the Chief Investment Officer of Mink Capital where he advises, consults and educates family offices on how to invest in private equity. Due to the rising demand from family offices, financial institutions and service providers in private equity, he launched Mink Learning, a private equity education company that offers videos, resources and training to make the complex world of private equity simple.

Steve is also an award-winning lecturer at the University of Waterloo where he has created new courses on private equity, wealth management and the international course, a course that takes students to different areas of the world each year. His approach to education is unique as he uses innovative technologies and experiential teaching methods to explain concepts to his students. His passion for teaching resulted in being the only lecturer in the history of the University of Waterloo to win both the Distinguished Teaching Award (Steve Balaban – Distinguished Teaching Award) and the WUSA Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in the same year.

In an effort to educate his students and the general public about private equity, Steve launched a one-of-a-kind Private Equity YouTube Channel to make the complex world of private equity simple. This channel has received over 1,500,000 views and counting: Steve Balaban – Private Equity YouTube Channel.

Steve is also a contributing author on the subject of private equity for the CFA Institute, he served on the Board of Directors for the CFA Society Toronto and currently serves on the Education Advisory Committee for the CFA Society Toronto.

Prior to Mink Capital and the University of Waterloo, Steve worked at Dunkley Capital where he invested in private equity, including a consolidation of billboard companies throughout Canada where he served as President of Stellar Outdoor Advertising.

Steve received a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, where he graduated on the Dean’s List, and received an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has also earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Steve has extensive international experience. He has worked, studied and visited over 85 countries in every continent in the world.

The Honourable Kody Blois, P.C., M.P

Kody Blois is the Member of Parliament for Kings-Hants and the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Mark Carney. Born and raised in the riding, Kody grew up in a working-class household where the importance of hard work, caring for others, and making a difference was instilled in him. Kody now holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, a Master's degree in Public Administration, and a Juris Doctor.

First elected in 2019, Kody has built a national reputation as one of Canada's strongest voices for rural communities and agriculture. He previously served as Canada's Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Economic Development. Kody understands the priorities of Kings-Hants, how to create new jobs and strengthen the middle class.

Lars Boggild

Lars is a creative thinker working at the intersection of finance and social change. As the Portfolio Manager for Realize Fund I, Rally Assets’ impact-focused fund-of-funds mandate under the federal government’s Social Finance Fund, Lars is responsible for making private market investments to enable a vibrant Canadian impact investing sector to deliver more socially just and environmentally sustainable outcomes for communities across Canada. He brings over a decade of experience to this role from both the demand and supply sides of the impact investing market. He has built products and raised meaningful capital and been an investor allocating and deploying capital.

Prior to Rally, Lars was most recently an Impact Investment Manager at Vancity, where he managed a diverse portfolio of investments in Canadian impact-focused funds and was an early team member at Vancity Community Investment Bank where he established new business lines across lending and investing functions. An active volunteer, Lars served on the Canadian Community Economic Development Network’s National Policy Council, the Impact Investment Committee of the Laidlaw Foundation, the Investment Committee of Charitus and is a former Board Chair of Not Far from the Tree, Toronto’s urban fruit picking project. Lars holds a BA Honours in Environment, Sustainability, and Society and Political Science from Dalhousie University, a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation from University of Waterloo and is a CFA charter holder.

Stephanie Boyle

Born and raised in Elbow, Saskatchewan, Stephanie is a fifth-generation farmer who brings a combination of professional financial expertise and hands-on agricultural experience to her work at Ector Family Farms.

After playing collegiate volleyball at the University of Alberta Augustana campus, Stephanie completed a Bachelor of Commerce through the University of Alberta's Co-operative Education Program, graduating with distinction. She went on to earn her Chartered Professional Accountant designation and built her early career at one of Canada's largest accounting firms, where she specialized in agriculture.

Stephanie now serves as CFO of Ector Family Farms, working alongside her mother, father, and two brothers in the day-to-day operations of the farm and associated businesses. Her responsibilities span irrigation development, banking and financing, and long-term strategic planning.

Outside the farm, Stephanie serves on the Irrigation Saskatchewan board and a number of local community boards. She and her husband are proud to be raising their three young children in the same hometown where they both grew up.

Colin Brisebois

Colin Brisebois is a senior leader at Farm Credit Canada with extensive experience across sales, marketing, business development, and national operations. He has held a range of leadership roles, including his current role as Vice-President of Products and Market Strategies.

Colin brings a deep, practical understanding of agriculture, having grown up on a farm in southwest Saskatchewan and remained actively involved in farm operations throughout his career. This firsthand experience, combined with his leadership roles, allows him to bridge producer realities with strategic decision-making at a national level. Colin is passionate about leadership development, innovation in ag-finance, and creating solutions that support the long-term strength of Canada’s agriculture and food industry.

Derek Brodersen

Mr. Brodersen is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Crescero, and has over 30 years of experience in institutional asset management and corporate governance. He is currently a Director of PSP Investments/Investissements PSP and Quantum Advisors Private Limited. He is also a member of the Investment Committee of the Municipal Pension Plan of British Columbia.

Previously he was Chief Investment Officer of the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund and Chair of the Board Investment Committee at the University of Alberta. He also has served on the Boards of the Pacific Pension and Investment Institute and the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance.

Derek has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a BComm from the University of Manitoba. He is a CFA Charterholder and has an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Pinar Doğruer

Pinar brings 30 years of consulting experience in Consumer Markets, helping clients realize value through technology-enabled transformation. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the food ecosystem and the collaboration required across its tightly connected participants.

Pinar began her consulting career at Arthur Andersen in Istanbul in 1996. After immigrating to Canada in 2000, she spent 10 years with IBM Global Business Services and has been with PwC Canada for about 16 years. Throughout her career, Pinar has worked with clients across the food ecosystem, including agri-farmers, dairy farmers, and aqua-farmers, retailers, CPG companies, and food distributors, fast food chains and technology solution providers serving the food industry. This experience, in Canada and globally, has helped her build trusted client relationships and support organizations as they solve business challenges through technology enablement.

At PwC Canada, Pinar has held several leadership roles, including Retail and Consumer Leader for PwC Private, Consulting and Technology Alliances Leader for PwC Private, Consulting People Leader, and Chief Culture and Values Officer. She is currently National CPG Leader and Co-Lead of PwC Canada’s Future of Food 2.0 platform.

Over the past three years, Pinar has worked with food-sector executive teams as they navigate AI adoption. She helps clients identify adoption strategies aligned to their culture and business models, upskill their workforces, prioritize high-value use cases, and reinvent business processes through agentification.

Pinar holds an MBA in International Management and Organizational Behavior from Morgan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Middle East Technical University. She is also a proud graduate and faculty member of PwC’s Global Network Leadership Development Program.

Outside of work, Pinar enjoys life with her large family, including four children and three cats. She loves being by the water, chasing sunsets, and trying new cuisines.

Christina Franc

Christina brings over 15 years of leadership experience in national nonprofit organizations, including senior roles with United Way Centraide Canada and the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions. A Certified Association Executive (CAE), she is recognized for her expertise in governance, strategic planning, youth programming, partnership development, and rural community engagement.

Throughout her career, Christina has successfully led organizational transformation, secured major funding, and strengthened volunteer-driven networks across the agricultural and community sectors. She describes her leadership style as collaborative, practical, and grounded in building strong relationships.

Andrea Gruza

Andrea is President & Managing Partner at Bonnefield Financial, a leading Canadian farmland and agribusiness investment manager with $1.7bn in AUM. In her role, Andrea oversees Bonnefield activities across all business units, while having direct responsibility for driving fundraising, investor relations, and ESG activities. Additionally, Andrea has responsibility for new product development and is a key driver of the firm's long-term strategy. She is a member of both Bonnefield’s farmland and agribusiness Investment Committees.

A Saskatchewan native, Andrea is a former investment banker with experience in mergers and acquisitions across multiple industry groups including agriculture, mining and financial institutions. Prior to investment banking, Andrea worked for Risk Management Solutions, the global leader in catastrophe risk modelling where she advised U.K., E.U., and Asian clients in the insurance and reinsurance industries.

Asif Haque

Asif Haque served for 16 years at the CAAT Pension Plan, including 5 years as Chief Investment Officer. Before CAAT, he held leadership roles at PSP Investments and State Street Canada. He is a member of investment committees at the Alberta Public Service Pension Plan, the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. He also serves on the finance committee at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

Janice Holzscherer

Janice is Managing Director & Head of Agricultural Banking as well as the CCB Business Owner of our digital platforms – (n CIno and Salesforce). In this dual role, Janice both oversees the positioning, growth, and management of the National Agriculture team across Canada (beginning August 2016) – and, since the summer of 2024, is accountable for the roll out, adoption and success of our new digital platforms across all CCB.

Janice joined Commercial Banking at Scotiabank in 2007 and has held progressively senior roles within the Canadian Bank in Toronto, Kitchener, Waterloo, and Stratford, Ontario. Prior to Scotiabank, Janice held senior positions in the investment industry.

Janice holds a CFA, as well as a Bachelor of Economics and History (Honours) from Trinity College, University of Toronto. Outside of work, Janice’s passions are horses and US politics and she is happy to talk on either subject to anyone. She and her husband reside on a farm in Southwestern Ontario where she helps her daughter manage a horse breeding operation. Her 2 sons are recent university graduates currently living and working in Texas and BC.

Keith Jones

Keith Jones has responsibility for leading Manulife’s Canadian farmland portfolio, focused on rowcrop land in Alberta and Ontario; he also contributes to Manulife’s CEA portfolio in Ontario and cranberry operations in Quebec. Keith sees tremendous potential in institutional investment supporting successful intergenerational farm succession and transition in Canada. Keith has extensive experience finance and management consulting in the agriculture, forestry and energy industries. Before joining Manulife in 2022, Keith served as General Manager and CFO for one of Canada’s largest irrigation and specialty crop farms in Southern Alberta. Keith also worked in the finance industry, serving as President and CEO of AVAC Ltd., an Alberta-based private equity firm targeting seed investments in agriculture, food and ag tech ventures focused on value-added agriculture.

Keith holds a B.Sc. Agriculture from the U of A and an MBA in International Business from UBC. His family has farmed continuously near Calgary since 1903, where he also farms on a part-time basis with his wife Bev.

Greg Kalil

Greg is the founder of Stormont Partners, a real assets focused merchant bank. Prior to forming Stormont in 2018, Greg ran Brookfield Financial's Canadian investment banking business and was part of the firm's global executive team. Greg has experience investing in most types of real assets and through public and private equity channels as well as private debt.

Greg also leads Glengarry Farm Finance, one of Stormont’s investee companies, and a unique and exciting addition to the Canadian agricultural investment landscape. Glengarry is a private farm lending platform that provides short-term mortgages secured by Canadian farmland with returns driven primarily by strong regular income as opposed to increases in underlying land values.

Dana McCauley

Dana McCauley is an internationally recognized food innovation leader whose strategic vision and entrepreneurial expertise have driven wide-ranging advancements within Canada’s food sector. Throughout her career, Dana has successfully launched many food products and programs in collaboration with domestic and international food companies and entrepreneurs. She has long had her finger on the pulse of food innovation as a successful food writer and editor, a television food trends commentator, and a senior executive in the food manufacturing sector.

Dana was the founding Executive Director of Food Starter, a Toronto-based food business incubator that earned the Ontario Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence. As Director of New Venture Creation at the University of Guelph, she empowered agri-food innovators to transform inventions into economic growth opportunities that enhance Canada's international reputation.

Dana has been recognized by WXN as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category and was named the 2024 Food Industry CEO of the Year Award by the Canadian Institute of Food Science & Technology (CIFST)—testaments to her ongoing leadership and impact in the food industry.

Andrew Muirhead

Andrew is a founding member of Origin Merchant Partners, one of North America’s leading independent Investment Banking firms and is Head of the Agribusiness team at Origin. He has over 30 years of experience as an advisor specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions and Financing, focusing on agriculture and food-processing, and has advised both public and private companies, Cooperatives, pension funds, and private equity firms across the agribusiness value chain in Canada and globally.

Before Origin, Andrew was Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy at Viterra, a leading global agribusiness with operations in Canada, US, Australia/New Zealand, Europe and Asia. He has previously worked for over a decade at CIBC World Markets and TD Securities Investment Banking in Toronto. Andrew holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and earned his C.A. designation while working at Coopers & Lybrand.

Andrew also serves as an Advisory Board member to JGL Commodities, one of Canada’s leading independent diversified agri-businesses​.

Darrell Petras

Darrell Petras’ professional journey is rooted in the maxim, “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.” Raised in Viking, Alberta, and immersed in the family beef operation, he gained a foundational respect for agriculture and the rigors of business as a child. This evolved over time into a skillset he would eventually leverage to drive innovation at a national level.

After helping the family execute a full business exit, Darrell’s deep-seated interest in agriculture, technology, and business soon steered him back to his core passion. He studied Agriculture Sciences at the University of Alberta, specializing in Economics. This unusual combination became the perfect launchpad for his early career, where he was mentored by exceptional professionals. This period was crucial, steeping him in the processes and discipline required to build technology companies from the ground up, with an emphasis on protecting and maximizing the value of core intellectual property (IP).

Darrell is a proven leader who doesn't just offer guidance—he walks the talk. Building on his foundational experience, he has successfully co-launched or purchased multiple enterprises, validating his expertise in hands-on business development and strategic growth. This extensive background in entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and agribusiness made the role of Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) CEO irresistible. His mandate is clear: to fast-track the development and adoption of data-driven agri-food innovation across Canada. By focusing CAAIN’s efforts on supporting the growth of the Canadian agtech sector and encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—the lifeblood of the nation’s economy—he believes his team has a responsibility to help ensure food security and sovereignty, both domestically and internationally.

Darrell, his wife, and their three children call Sherwood Park home. They remain connected to the couple’s shared rural roots. When not cheering (loudly but always politely) at his children’s basketball games and martial arts tournaments, he enjoys family activities that include hunting, camping, and horseback riding.

Dianna Price

Dianna Price has been actively involved in the distribution of investment mandates and custody services to institutions, family offices and advisors across Canada for over 30 years.

She has held investor relations and business development roles at Canadian and international investment managers, alternative asset firms and a leading global custody bank. She served on the board of the Private Capital Markets Association of Canada (PCMA) and is passionate about supporting the growth of emerging asset managers.

Natasha Vandenhurk

Natasha Vandenhurk is CEO and one of the initial founders at Three Farmers Foods. She studied Economics at the University of Saskatchewan before partnering with three farmers from Southeast Saskatchewan to realize a dream of taking healthy wholesome foods to the marketplace.

Being CEO of a growing, natural foods brand has set Natasha on a journey of continuous learning and leadership. Her passion, dedication and tenacity has grown Three Farmers Foods from a young start up to a thriving international brand. As Three Farmers Foods continues to evolve into an established Consumer Packaged Goods brand, Natasha is adamant about building high performing teams throughout the organization that are dedicated to excellence, accountability and continual learning in this dynamically changing industry.

Kent Willmore

Kent is a highly experienced leader in the agriculture industry with over 30 years of expertise. As the Founder and CEO of Crescero (formally AGinvest Farmland Properties Canada Inc.), he has established a successful farmland asset management firm in Chatham, Ontario.

In 2018, Kent launched the AGinvest Farmland One Fund, offering investors exclusive access to Ontario’s fertile and productive farmland. Building on this success, he has since led Crescero in establishing three additional funds, all of which have delivered outstanding results for both investors and farm families. Crescero is dedicated to fostering mutually beneficial opportunities that support food security, promote sustainable farming practices, and drive long-term value creation.

As Crescero’s leader, Kent oversees all aspects of operations and spearheads the investment process with a unique approach that sets the organization apart. His innovative methods emphasize close collaboration with farm families during acquisitions and optimization efforts, forming the foundation of Crescero’s strategic vision.

With deep expertise in farming operations, Kent identifies high-impact investment opportunities that align with sustainability and productivity goals. He drives the implementation of comprehensive sustainability metrics, ensuring responsible stewardship of the farmland under management and prioritizing long-term environmental health.

Kent is transforming the relationship between investors and farmers by fostering collaborative partnerships that enhance the value of Canadian farmland. His efforts not only maximize returns for investors but also ensure the land’s ongoing productivity and environmental sustainability.

Kent holds a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo, where he was recognized as an All-Canadian Academic Athlete. He is an active member of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors (CAFA) and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), reflecting his dedication to advancing the agricultural industry and supporting its stakeholders.