Daphne Gray-Grant grew up in the newspaper business. Literally. Her family owned a weekly newspaper and she worked there from the age of 16, eventually running the place. From there she moved to the Vancouver Sun, where she was named Books Editor and then Features Editor. Six years later, the parent company invited her to become its first director of corporate communications, a job she held for many years. In 2005, she launched her own business, The Publication Coach, which she uses to provide support, advice and training to other corporate writers. Daphne is hailed as an inspirational writing coach and one that gets incredible results from participants in an amazingly short time. www.publicationcoach.com
Julie Szabo and Darren Barefoot
Darren Barefoot is the co-founder of Capulet Communications, a web marketing agency. He frequently speaks on emerging technology, marketing and social media, and is one of the creators of Northern Voice, Canada's social media conference.
Julie Szabo runs Capulet Communications with her business partner Darren Barefoot. Capulet's primary focus is web and social media marketing. Julie has worked as a writer, marketer and publicist for all kinds of companies—from Vancouver's largest live theatre to Ireland's smallest start-ups.
Julie and Darren are co-authors of a book on social media marketing that will be published by No Starch Press in June, 2009.
Della Smith and Ruth Atherley
Della Smith, principal, QUAY Strategies Inc., has been described as being "strategic to the bone." She earned this reputation by delivering innovative, workable communications strategies for companies and organizations across Canada for more than 30 years. In today’s communications landscape, Della believes in the importance of strategically incorporating online and mainstream media to establish a well-rounded communications approach.
The ever-evolving online realm fuels Della’s curiosity and inspires new and creative methods of merging both worlds to unravel everyday challenges.
Ruth Atherley, AHA Creative Strategies partner, has spent the past decade immersing herself in online communication. Ruth combines never-ending curiosity and interest in what is new and innovative online with her traditional communications expertise, developed over the past 18 years.
Ruth's ability to think creatively and act strategically is a powerful combination of skills that is a strong asset for online communication. She works with clients to create a roadmap that defines a well-developed strategy supported by innovative and effective tactics with measurable results.
Prior to her current career, Ruth was a well known and respected journalist and feature writer. She has written for many national publications including Maclean's, The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living, Flare and Chatelaine.
Mark H. LaVigne and David Milliken
Mark H. LaVigne established Hunter LaVigne Communications Inc. in 1997, an Aurora-based creative communications consultancy which specializes in the organizational/news interface, including: media relations; media training; media events planning and management.
Mark knows both sides of the “media fence” well. For five years, he was a national on-air radio journalist and for the last 19 years, he has worked in public relations agencies.
He is an accredited member (APR) of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), is a Past-President of CPRS (Toronto) and has served on the national CPRS board for six years, including as an elected Vice President/Secretary. His book on proactive media relations, Making Ink and Airtime, was published in October, 2008, a compilation of newsletter articles he published in the past seven years.
David Milliken is nudging 40 years in the communications industry, including 12 years as a reporter and senior editor at major Canadian daily newspapers.
A journalism graduate from Algonquin College in Ottawa, he spent four years as news editor of the Renfrew (Ontario) Mercury-Advance. For seven years, he served as News Editor, Night Editor and Senior Assistant City Editor of The Ottawa Journal, before joining Toronto Sun Publishing to help launch the Calgary Sun in 1980 where he served as Assistant Managing Editor (Sunday Editor.)
In 1982, he joined Canada NewsWire (CNW Group), the nation's foremost news release communications network. For 25 years, David led the sales team, responsible for all revenue generation from its seven bureaus across Canada, as well as the company’s Multi-Media and redistribution divisions.
In August, 2000, he was elected to the Board of Directors of CNW. David is also a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Canadian Journalism Foundation, and he co-chairs the management committee of J-Source, the Canadian Journalism Project.
Daphne Gray-Grant grew up in the newspaper business. Literally. Her family owned a weekly newspaper and she worked there from the age of 16, eventually running the place. From there she moved to the Vancouver Sun, where she was named Books Editor and then Features Editor. Six years later, the parent company invited her to become its first director of corporate communications, a job she held for many years. In 2005, she launched her own business, The Publication Coach, which she uses to provide support, advice and training to other corporate writers. Daphne is hailed as an inspirational writing coach and one that gets incredible results from participants in an amazingly short time. 
Darren Barefoot is the co-founder of 
Della Smith, principal, QUAY Strategies Inc., has been described as being "strategic to the bone." She earned this reputation by delivering innovative, workable communications strategies for companies and organizations across Canada for more than 30 years. 
Ruth Atherley, AHA Creative Strategies partner, has spent the past decade immersing herself in online communication. Ruth combines never-ending curiosity and interest in what is new and innovative online with her traditional communications expertise, developed over the past 18 years. 
Mark H. LaVigne established Hunter LaVigne Communications Inc. in 1997, an Aurora-based creative communications consultancy which specializes in the organizational/news interface, including: media relations; media training; media events planning and management. 
David Milliken is nudging 40 years in the communications industry, including 12 years as a reporter and senior editor at major Canadian daily newspapers.