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Anna Pekinasova draws on her resilience, determination, and strong sense of purpose to create a more inclusive engineering profession. Anna completed Conestoga’s Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology and went on to earn her Bachelor of Engineering from McMaster University, as well as her Master of Engineering and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Calgary. In 2026, she received her Professional Engineer (P. Eng.) licence. Now, with over 15 years in the field, her educational approach focuses on real-world applications.

Anna is an assistant professor (teaching) in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering. Her research focuses on advancing understanding of infrastructure stability in cold regions and supporting resilient engineering solutions for northern and Indigenous communities facing the impacts of climate change. With a commitment to continuously enhancing her pedagogical practice, Anna is recognized for her innovative teaching, curriculum development, and leadership in digital transformation.

Shaped by a challenging childhood and her journey to Canada as a refugee, Anna is committed to empowering women and underrepresented groups to pursue their ambitions with confidence, including in the engineering profession.

Brandon Hardy is on a mission to turn video into a powerhouse for brands and their marketing teams. His passion for video started at a young age, spending hours filming and editing family trips with an analog camcorder. This early interest led him to Conestoga, where he graduated with distinction from the Broadcast – Television program and earned several accolades for his work, including the Sony of Canada Award for Excellence.

Today, Brandon is the creative director and head of video content strategy at Oak + Rumble, a creative video production agency he co-founded with a fellow Conestoga graduate in 2014. Over the past decade, he has helped grow the company from a startup into an award-winning agency, leading strategic video campaigns for some of Canada’s most recognized brands, including Sun Life, Linamar, RBC, OpenText, PepsiCo Canada, and Equitable. To date, Oak + Rumble’s work has been recognized with multiple platinum awards at international marketing and video competitions.

Beyond the director’s chair, Brandon is a vocal advocate for the power of personal branding, particularly for the next generation of creative talent. He regularly returns to Conestoga to participate in panel discussions and presentations with students, and has served as a judge for industry film competitions, sharing his expertise to help emerging video creators get started and build confidence in their work.

Cindy Okosun is a transformative force whose work bridges innovation, education, and cross-cultural impact in the region and globally. A graduate with distinction from Conestoga’s Project Management program, Cindy also holds a bachelor's in computer science, an MBA (Finance) and is pursuing a doctorate. She is building a legacy focused on strategic leadership and community advancement.

With over 15 years of experience across industries, Cindy drives project management excellence as director at PEC PM Experts Inc., working with an Ontario Crown corporation. In addition to co-authoring a book, she taught at Ģ������Ƶ’s School of Business, sharing her extensive industry knowledge with the next generation of professionals, and founded STEMPorte, a global ed-tech venture promoting STEAM education. She serves on boards including RisingOaks Learning Ontario, Support Black Charities, Nigerians in the Region of Waterloo, the Cambridge Federal Liberal Association, and is the northern region representative for the National Women’s Liberal Commission in Ontario. She also contributes to community philanthropy efforts as part of the Grants Committee for Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

Cindy inspires those she connects with through digital transformation, community empowerment, mentorship, and a commitment to building resilient, inclusive futures. She is a member of Forbes Black, PMI and WXN Canada. She was recently honoured as the award recipient of “40 under 40” business elite and YWCA Cambridge Women of Distinction.

Dave Hiff has been making videos since he was 12 years old, growing up with younger brothers who doubled as his first cast and crew. After graduating from Conestoga’s Broadcast TV program, he started thinking bigger picture and seeing video differently – less as a creative output, and more as a tool businesses could use to solve real problems.

In 2014, Dave co-founded Oak + Rumble with a fellow Conestoga graduate. Today, as executive producer and head of client experience, Dave works closely with marketing teams and brand leaders to bring ideas to life from start to finish. Grounded in marketing first and not just production, the approach has led to long-term partnerships with enterprise clients across finance, manufacturing, and tech, including Linamar, Sun Life, and RBC. The focus is simple: do what you said you’d do, make it effective, and make the process easy to be part of.

Dave believes video is one of the most powerful ways for businesses to feel human, especially with AI and constant noise everywhere. Outside of work, most of his time is spent with his wife, Katie, and their son, Oliver.

Emilie Duffin has a deep passion for culinary arts and experimenting with techniques from around the world. After earning a degree in Computer Science, Emilie enrolled in Conestoga’s Baking and Pastry Arts Management program, where she graduated with distinction.

As a student, Emilie competed in pastry arts several times, developing recipes and refining her culinary style. At Skills Ontario, she won Gold in Baking – the first time ever a Conestoga student competed in the division – and then advanced to Skills Canada, where she placed in the top five. As an alumna, Emilie contributed to another first for the college team: she partnered with a Conestoga student to compete for the first time at the 2026 Juniors Pastry World Cup at the SIGEP trade show and conference in Rimini, Italy, earning the Scintilla Creativa Award for professionalism, ethics, self-improvement, and a love of pastry arts.

Working at a cafe first helped Emilie rediscover her passion for baking and, coming full circle, she now works at a family-run cafe, assisting with menu development and creating a coffee program. Emilie also worked in the pastry department at Langdon Hall, a four-star hotel with a Michelin-recommended restaurant. She credits her years baking traditional German cookies with her Omi as the foundation for her love of baking and pastry.

Emily Pyke is a passionate advocate for equity in the skilled trades. A Red Seal certified automotive technician, she is building a career defined by technical excellence, resilience, and a commitment to creating and expanding more opportunities in the trades. Emily credits her Conestoga education – completing the Automotive Service Technician (Apprenticeship) program - as the foundation of her success.

Emily currently works at Heffner Lexus, where she is hybrid certified and completing her master technician certification with Toyota/Lexus – an achievement that reflects both advanced expertise and dedication to continuous learning. She is also the founder of TurnPyke Academy, an education platform supporting automotive apprentices across Canada prepare for their Red Seal certification exams. Through personalized programming and learning resources, Emily helps apprentices strengthen their technical knowledge, build confidence, and understand not only what the correct answer is, but why.

A recognized leader in her field, Emily has received multiple honours, including the KW Woman of the Year Award for Skilled Trades, Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 and the YWCA Cambridge Women of Distinction President’s Award. She actively volunteers with initiatives including Jill of All Trades, Girls with Tools, Build a Dream, and many more. A sought-after speaker at industry and educational events, she is proud to be part of a movement that is building careers in an inclusive, supportive community.

Jesse Haddock is dedicated to advancing the respiratory therapy profession and improving access to care. Jesse holds a Bachelor of Science from Western University and an Advanced Diploma in Respiratory Therapy from Conestoga. He also holds both technical and clinical professional certifications from the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technicians and is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists.

Jesse is the director of clinical services and part owner of Respiratory Dynamics Group of Companies. In this role, he oversees 20 respiratory therapy clinics across Alberta offering diagnostic and therapy services. With a team of more than 75 employees, they see over 3,000 patients per month for diagnostic testing, sleep medicine, and oxygen therapy. The clinics serve urban centres and rural communities, expanding access to care and reducing health-care inequities across the province.

As a nationally respected leader, entrepreneur, and mentor, Jesse continues to improve health care delivery and contributes to the development of the next generation of care providers. He sits as a professional member of the College of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta and has spoken at national respiratory and cardiopulmonary conferences. He remains active in the Conestoga community and sponsors an award for students demonstrating qualities that advance the profession of respiratory therapy.

Jessica Linthorne is a cross-sector collaborator known for building partnerships. After earning her diploma in Public Relations from Conestoga, she grew as a professional in municipal government, focusing on economic development and organizational effectiveness before joining the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), a member-based not-for-profit organization and Canada’s premier research institute for the clean energy sector.

Now as president and chief executive officer at NII, Jessica leads a talented team dedicated to advancing the nuclear industry’s innovative capacity – driving sector transformation projects and skill development for all ages, guided by a commitment to increasing overall safety for the sector, ensuring reliable operations and making life better for workers. Her work involves connecting the nuclear industry with communities and organizations locally, nationally and abroad.

An award-winning leader, Jessica was named Emerging Leader of the Year by Electricity Human Resources Canada in 2026 and recognized as one of Ontario’s top economic development professionals in 2021. She also invests her energy as vice chair for the Brightshores Health System – Owen Sound.

Joanna Mendonca is a high-speed expert with a passion for technology and innovation. A persistent problem solver, she brings complex and challenging commercial insurance needs and requests together with systems and processes, leading with creativity and positivity. A graduate of Conestoga’s Business Insurance program, she went on to complete the Registered Insurance Broker of Ontario (RIBO), Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) and Canadian Accredited Insurance Broker (CAIB) designations.

Joanna is a licenced insurance broker and serves as the president of Staebler Insurance in Kitchener. Part of the third generation of the Philpott family to own and operate Staebler Insurance, she first started in an administrative role. She began her broker journey as a personal lines broker assistant and went on to learn more about the business through several other roles spanning marketing and client services. She brings this breadth of experience to building lasting relationships with clients.

Joanna believes that making connections is critical to success. She continues to be involved in the Conestoga community, whether participating as a panelist on campus or hosting students at the Staebler office, sharing professional insights and providing opportunities for growth that advance the next generation of professionals in the insurance industry.

Shannon Maier is an executive health-care leader and registered nurse known for her passion for joy in work, quality improvement, and excellence in clinical operations. Crediting Conestoga’s Nursing diploma with sparking her love of health care and learning, she went on to earn a BScN from Toronto Metropolitan University, a MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto, and has completed the Advanced Health Leadership Program at Rotman.

Building on her experience over the past 13 years in hospital leadership positions, Shannon is currently the proud vice president of Children’s Hospital, Women’s Care, Quality, Risk and Pharmacy at London Health Sciences Centre where she is focused on delivering outstanding, sustainable care, and advancing learning and improvement – strengthening the health of patients from Windsor to Thunder Bay. She is dedicated to improving the health of children and women, knowing this is key to a healthier population and a better future. Her work in risk and crisis management, including as director of medicine and flow during the COVID-19 pandemic at Trillium Health Partners and later the vice president of quality and practice, has taught her the importance of connection and kindness in health care.

Shannon is cultivating the next generation of leaders in health care. In addition to her teaching as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto, she is dedicated to scouting talent and mentoring emerging leaders. She actively encourages individuals to pursue a deeply rewarding career in nursing and believes that supporting others in their professional journeys helps foster excellence in health care across Ontario.