Brandyn James Aikins is a man of many interests. Currently studying Architectural Technology at Georgian College, he has a passion for not only architectural design, but art and design as a whole. In 2006 he graduated from Georgian with an advanced diploma in Graphic Design, and spent over a decade as a professional designer and art director, responsible for hundreds of magazines, books, brand identities and web experiences, working as a partner in his own firm, and for several well known agencies in the Barrie area, including Tyger Shark, Larche, and currently, 5fold Inc. Since a young age, he has been heavily involved in the Canadian music scene, recording and touring across North America as a singer and drummer for several successful rock and roll bands. Born and raised in Barrie, Ontario, he currently resides in the Allandale area with his wife and two sons. Sasha spent most of her early adulthood struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, which she utilized as a coping mechanism for dealing with untreated trauma. She led a very self-destructive lifestyle where she was sexually assaulted, violently abused and faced several near-death experiences. After numerous breaking points, she indulged herself to personal and professional development, turning her life completely around. After the birth of her daughter in 2016, Sasha became determined to ensure she became the best possible role model for her child, and to break the cycle of generational trauma that existed within her family. Fueled by her relentless passion to influence others to live empowered lives, she co-created Born Legacy, a community of empowered women with a mission to lead victims of trauma to a life of empowerment, peace and fulfillment! Sasha is committed to doing everything in her power to provide opportunities for other women to escape the painful circumstances she once was in. After pulling herself out of prostitution and landing herself in another toxic relationship full of abuse, violence, drugs and a luxurious lifestyle that had her extremely lost, insecure and unsure of who she was; she had finally hit rock bottom. Feeling as though she had no way out she stayed in the relationship. Then, at the age of 21 she had a near death experience that had her lose everything and start from scratch. Physically and mentally recovering for one whole year she had no choice but to focus on healing which led her to reevaluating the life she was living and what had caused her to get in so deep. She dove heavily into her studies in order to master the top sciences and philosophies in the world to heal from her past and take control over her life and her mind. Completely transforming her own life, she began inspiring others to do the same. Her resilience and vulnerability doesn’t go unnoticed. She is a world traveller spreading love and hope everywhere she goes. Her heart is in Cambodia where she continues to visit every year a local school of children, those she now calls family. “When you live for a greater purpose than yourself, you can get out of your own head. This is what helps me through my dark times.” She also, strongly believes that when you believe in yourself anything is possible, and has led by example through the milestones she has overcome and the adventures she has taken. Currently writing her first book, compacted full of rhymes and short stories from her journey of life she highlights the pain along with the strength and wisdom she used to transform the way she perceives all that she has endured giving others the opportunity to profoundly shift their own lives. “When you harness the pain and transmute it into an outlet that allows you to express who you truly are- the game changes. For me, my outlet is poetic rap, I do a lot of story sharing through rhymes in order to inspire and impact others profoundly to live their best life.” She and her business partner, her best friend, Sasha, have combined all the transformative wisdom and tools they have worked impeccably to obtain in order to lead other women to the best versions of themselves so they too can live a life of empowerment. Dave is the founder and Principal Consultant at bsecure Canada. Given his deep background in networking technologies Dave can focus on enabling organizations to better identify and mitigate security risks in an integrated, strategic manner. Before founding bsecure Dave was a Network Specialist for 12 years at Scotia Capital Markets. While at Scotia he was responsible for securing an international network that transferred billions of dollars daily where any event that adversely impacted services had a direct impact on the bank’s bottom line. Dave is a lifelong learner who believes success depends on learning something new everyday, he is passionate about cybersecurity and solving the difficult problems that keep his clients up at night. When Dave isn’t immersed in technology, he enjoys participating in Capture the Flag exercises and spending time with family. Charles is a solo-non-technical-founder that has taken on the challenge of launching a web tool that helps small businesses collaborate on social media campaigns with their clients. Thanks to visual programming, he has been able to build a web app from scratch and is looking to launch his product within the next few weeks. Kendra Sewell is a certified goldsmith and owner of Kendra Rose Jewellery. Specializing in handmade fine jewellery, KRJ takes self-expression to new heights with you as the driving design force. Each item is hand-crafted and tailored to your design preferences. So why not express yourself with fine jewellery, & share what’s important to you. Fallen Forest’s statement pieces encourage you to display your wellness and have your essential tools within reach! Each creation is made with Ontario wood, embracing the natural, raw, live edge, resin character. Therefore handcrafting a completely unique and one of a kind design. They take pride in being a low waste shop, maximizing and up cycling where possible.3 Days / 40+ Expert and Inspiring Speakers
Grand Pitch Competition
Contestants
Brandyn
Sasha & Ashley
Dave
Charles
Kendra
Val
Competition
3:30pm