Meet the Jury
Ryan
Abrams
Ryan Abrams is the co-founder, designer and publisher of DARBY Magazine.
Manal
Aman
Manal Aman is a freelance lifestyle writer and content creator. Most known for her work as a Craft Stylist for Martha Stewart Living between 2015-2018, she now writes for publications like Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day, Better Homes & Garden and Real Simple. An alumna of the University of Toronto, she began her career in Toronto at Chatelaine magazine and at House & Home media.
Arjun
Basu
Arjun Basu is a writer, novelist, editor, consultant, and magazine lover. He is the founder and president of arbaStrategies, a brand, content, and strategy consultancy. He is the host of The Full Bleed, a podcast about the future of magazines and the magazines of the future. He sits on the board of directors of Access Copyright, and is a past president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation. He lives in Montreal.
Thierry
Bissonnette
Thierry Bissonnette est rédacteur stratégique et chercheur en littérature. Il a signé de nombreuses chroniques et entrevues pour des publications incluant Le Devoir, Nuit blanche et Spirale. Sous le pseudonyme Thierry Dimanche, il a fait paraître une douzaine d’ouvrages littéraires, dont le roman Cercles de feu et l’essai-fiction Tombeau de Claude Gauvreau (Leméac, 2022). Il a récemment conçu et supervisé l’anthologie Claude Gauvreau vivant (1925-2025), publiée aux Éditions de La Grenouillère.
Sarah
Boumedda
Sarah Boumedda est journaliste de données au Devoir. Après avoir fait ses débuts au journal en tant que stagiaire en 2017, elle a occupé une variété de postes au sein de la rédaction numérique avant d’atterrir à la tête du compte Instagram du Devoir, en avril 2021, puis aux données en août 2023. Diplômée en journalisme à l’Université Concordia, elle complète présentement un certificat en informatique appliquée à l’Université de Montréal.
Mélissa
Bull
Mélissa Bull is a writer, editor, and translator. She lives in Montréal.
Dominique
Cambron-Goulet
Dominique Cambron-Goulet est journaliste au Bureau d’enquête de Québecor et chargé de cours en journalisme à l’Université du Québec à Montréal. En 2021, il a été au cœur du documentaire L’Envers d’Amazon, pour lequel il a travaillé incognito dans l’entreprise américaine pendant cinq semaines. En 2023, lui et sa collègue Annabelle Blais ont remporté le Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin pour leur reportage sur la gestion de l’Office de consultation publique de Montréal.
Matthieu
Charest
Matthieu Charest, directeur principal, Centre expérience client (CEC), Banque Nationale. Il a d’abord été journaliste économique pour Les Affaires, puis Radio-Canada. Il a également collaboré avec Finance et Investissement, animé le balado Les Dérangeants sur l’entrepreneuriat, et de nombreuses conférences sur l’économie et l’immobilier.
Karl
Chen
Karl is an accomplished, multi-award winning designer, creative director, educator and founder who strongly advocates for the idea that good design can help drive business success and address real-world challenges.
During his tenure as Creative Director at Mosaic, Karl skilfully guided his team to deliver exceptional multidisciplinary design solutions for major global brands across various industries. With over 20 years of fast-paced industry experience, Karl now applies his expertise to assist an exclusive roster of A-list clients in achieving their design objectives through his creative studio: Keyvis.co.
In addition, Karl served as a professor at Seneca Polytechnic, guest speaker at the U of W Stratford School of Interaction Design & Business and as a judge and portfolio reviewer for a number of post secondary schools and industry associations. Karl is a certified RGD (Registered Graphic Designer) in the province of Ontario.
Stacey
Chen
Stacey Chen is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist with a background in industrial design and illustration, whose practice investigates how visual storytelling can enrich journalistic narratives. Trained in product visualization and digital media, she brings a reporter’s curiosity and a designer’s precision to editorial imagery, ranging from detailed renderings to conceptual illustrations. A recipient of both the Muse Creative Award and the Indigo Design Award, her work has been featured in exhibitions across the United States and internationally. Stacey has served as a judge for WE Local Milwaukee, the Illinois Invention Convention, and the Globee Awards, and is deeply interested in the evolving role of illustration in journalism and its ability to translate complex ideas into accessible, deeply human stories.
Ava
Chisling
Ava Chisling is a media lawyer, award-winning writer and the former Executive Editor of enRoute. She serves as in-house counsel for the tech start-up Nurau Inc. and provides strategic legal, business and branding advice to a wide range of creative clients, from Academy Award winners to ad agencies and publishers. Ava also writes and adapts content for more than 50 brands, including Sea-Doo and Ski-Doo.
Jason
Chiu
Jason Chiu is a Visual Editor at The New York Times. He works on the special projects team in the newsroom and Headway. He previously worked at The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and a series of weeklies in Ottawa and Toronto. His visual editing, assigning and designs have been recognized worldwide at international awards programs. He splits his time between Toronto and New York City.
Marine
Corniou
Marine Corniou est journaliste pour le magazine Québec Science depuis 2011 ; elle y occupe le poste de rédactrice en chef depuis janvier 2024. Ingénieure en agronomie et détentrice d’une maîtrise en biologie moléculaire, elle a travaillé dans la presse médicale et grand public en France et au Québec. Lauréate de plusieurs prix de journalisme, elle a donné de nombreuses conférences sur le journalisme et la vulgarisation scientifique.
Rob
Csernyik
Rob Csernyik is a 2022 Michener-Deacon investigative journalism fellow and a contributing columnist for The Globe and Mail. His writing has also appeared in Canadian Geographic, Chatelaine and Maisonneuve. His business and investigative journalism has won gold prizes at the Atlantic Journalism Awards, Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards: B2B.
Nathalie
Cuerrier
Nathalie has a degree in business administration with a focus in accounting and worked in the banking industry until joining Canadian Geographic in 1998 as a member services associate. She currently holds the position of Vice President of Operations and Publisher. Her responsibilities include planning, coordinating, and overseeing operations for all activities of Canadian Geographic and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, ensuring development and implementation of efficient operations and cost-effective protocols and procedures to meet current and future needs of the organization.
Saima
Desai
Saima Desai is a journalist, editor, and indie media diehard. She’s the coordinating editor at The Breach, and a former editor of The Grind and Briarpatch Magazine. She won Issue Grand Prix at the 2021 NMAs for Briarpatch’s Land Back issue.
Nelly
Desmarais
Autrice et doctorante en études littéraires, Nelly Desmarais a travaillé plusieurs années en édition. Son premier livre, Marche à voix basse (Le Quartier, 2022), a remporté le prix Émile-Nelligan.
Laurie
Few
Laurie Few is a journalist with 35 years of experience producing news and current affairs, digital and podcast content, and investigative journalism. Laurie started her journalism career at CTV, producing investigative segments for CTV national news for 10 years and then producing investigative segments for W5 for nine years. Laurie is currently the digital executive producer at TVO. Prior to joining TVO, Laurie was the managing editor at Canada’s National Observer and before that she held the title of director of digital and creative content at CPAC, Canada’s Cable Public Affairs Channel focusing on federal political news. Laurie started her career as a lawyer before becoming a journalist.
Aaron McKenzie
Fraser
Aaron McKenzie Fraser is an editorial & commercial photographer specializing in location based environmental portraits with a solid & diverse portfolio of national & international magazine & advertising clients, proudly based in Nova Scotia.
Aaron grew up on the East Coast & studied/worked in Upper Canada for nearly a decade before realizing that he missed his family, the salty fog, the sense of humour of the Maritimes, and moved to Nova Scotia 19 years ago.
He now calls his 190 year old Nova Scotian fishing house in Ketch Harbour (near Halifax NS) home.
Portfolio: http://www.amfraser.com
Charlotte
Genest
Charlotte Genest is a freelance fact-checker and researcher based in St. John’s. She was formerly senior researcher at Reader’s Digest Canada, and served in public policy with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Julie
Gobeil
Julie Gobeil évolue dans le monde des magazines québécois depuis près de 30 ans. Elle a notamment été directrice du contenu de Protégez-Vous, puis rédactrice en chef de Châtelaine, avant d’être nommée rédactrice en chef adjointe de L’actualité en septembre 2025.
raj
grainger
raj grainger is a UK-born graphic designer and creative director who lives and works in Toronto. He studied conceptual art and media design and currently focuses on editorial, print- and identity-based projects. He likes to collaborate with cultural and educational institutions, non-profits and other creatives. In 2019 he started his own studio and teaches design at George Brown College.
Wenqing
Gu
Wenqing Gu is an award-winning, Las Vegas–based illustrator and visual storyteller whose practice spans children’s books, editorial commissions, and 2D animation. Born in Huai’an, China, and trained at the Maryland Institute College of Art (Illustration, MFA), Gu creates luminous digital narratives that balance humor, empathy, and formal rigor. Her work explores cross-cultural identity, belonging, and everyday wonder—inviting audiences of all ages into images that heal, delight, and endure.
Stéphane
Guenette
Stéphane Guénette is Sr. Lead, Creative Services at PUSH Media, where he leads Studio P, the agency’s integrated creative practice. He specializes in building performance-driven creative systems that connect brand, media, and data to deliver measurable impact. His experience spans integrated brand platforms, branded content, influencer ecosystems, and experiential and event-led brand activations, with a focus on ideas that translate seamlessly across paid, owned, organic, and real-world environments. Stéphane has led strategic and creative initiatives for brands including Choice Hotels Canada, Clover Leaf Seafoods, and Pharmacare Canada, developing campaigns designed not only to inspire, but to perform at scale. With a background rooted in experiential marketing, he brings a pragmatic perspective to creativity, grounded in both storytelling and business outcomes, and a strong interest in how modern campaigns evolve through data, technology, and continuous iteration.
David
Hayes
David Hayes is an award-winning, Toronto-based feature writer, educator, and ghostwriter.
Chad
Hipolito
Chad Hipolito is a professional photographer and freelance photojournalist living the life just outside Victoria, B.C., up on the Malahat. A photojournalist since 2005 when he graduated from the SAIT photo-j program in Calgary, AB. His only staff newspaper job at the Red Deer Express, a small weekly in Central Alberta. Since 2011 he’s covered everything to do with news on Vancouver Island for The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia and a couple international wires. Corporate, headshots, weddings and video work fill in the gaps between editorial assignments.
Meredith
Holigroski
Meredith Holigroski is an art director and designer based in Toronto. She has previously worked for The Walrus, The Globe and Mail, and Toronto Life.
Eva
Holland
Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. Her work has appeared in The Walrus, WIRED, National Geographic, the New York Times Magazine, Maclean’s, Outside, and many more outlets in print and online. She is the author of the books Nerve and No Sleep ‘Til Fairbanks.
Ken
Hunt
Ken Hunt has over twenty years of experience in Canadian magazines as a writer, executive and publisher. He served as Publisher of Toronto Life for a decade and most recently served as President of the Media Division at SJC. He is currently writing a novel.
Jude
Isabella
Jude Isabella is a science journalist, concentrating on the environment, ecology, and archaeology. As a journalist she has worked for newspapers and magazines, on staff or as a freelancer. She spent a dozen years as managing editor of YES Mag, Canada’s science magazine for kids. In 2015, she launched Hakai Magazine, an online publication focused on coastal science and societies. In 2025, Hakai staff brought their marine expertise to a merger with bioGraphic, an online publication focused on biodiversity. Jude serves as the executive editor.
Andrej
Ivanov
Andrej Ivanov is a photojournalist from Montreal, originally from Belgrade, Serbia. He focuses his work on people and the realities that shape their lives, from daily news to long-term documentary projects. He has covered breaking news across Canada, including major political events and natural disasters, but his main focus is social documentary work. Particularly, stories about human rights, equality, and how communities respond to pressure and change. He has also worked on long-form, deeply personal projects, often spending long periods of time on a certain topic. Andrej has helped spotlight stories about life in Serbia and West Africa, where he has worked with nonprofit and humanitarian organizations on projects rooted in long-term engagement. He has told stories about medical issues, marginalized communities, and social movements. He has always tried to keep a respectful perspective and dignify those he photographed. Andrej regularly works on stories with Agence France-Presse (AFP), The Globe & Mail, Getty Images, and Bloomberg.
Laurie
Jennings
Laurie Jennings is an accomplished media executive, editorial leader, and consumer testing authority. She is currently the Editor in Chief and CEO/Founder of Best of the Year Media, an independent platform for trusted recommendations and awards. Previously, she served as the General Manager and editorial director of Hearst Magazines’ Good Housekeeping Institute, where she led business operations and editorial strategy, unlocking new audiences and content-driven revenue innovations. During her tenure, Laurie transformed the Good Housekeeping Institute into a testing, content and commerce powerhouse, delivering unprecedented growth and profitability for the brand. As an advisor, she works with startups and emerging brands, helping them refine their voice and connect more effectively with audiences. Laurie is a sought-after speaker at events including CES, SXSW, and the Global Wellness Summit, and has served as a judge for the American Society of Magazine Editors and Digiday Media, among others. Find her on Instagram @lauriejenningsnyc.
Arvin
Joaquin
Arvin Joaquin is an award-winning journalist and editor. He is currently the producer of OMNI News: Filipino. He has been nominated for multiple National Magazine Awards and Digital Publishing Awards. In 2021, he was awarded the Excellence in HIV coverage by the NLGJA.
Richard
Johnson
Richard Johnson is a longtime freelance magazine writer and editor based in Victoria, BC. He is the co-author of Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public, published in February 2026 by University of Toronto Press. His writing has appeared in The Walrus, The Tyee, Reader’s Digest, The New Quarterly, THIS Magazine, and many other fine Canadian publications.
Emmanuel
Kattan
Emmanuel Kattan is Director of the Alliance Program, an innovative academic joint venture of Columbia University and three major French Higher Education Institutions: École Polytechnique, Sciences Po, and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. He was previously Director of the British Council in New York, where he oversaw academic collaboration programs. He created partnerships with the Henry Luce Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation to launch initiatives connecting higher education institutions across the Atlantic. Before joining the British Council, Emmanuel was Senior Adviser at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, where he managed strategic communications and engagement with academic communities. He also held senior positions at the Commonwealth Secretariat and at the Quebec Delegation in London, where he was in charge of academic relations programs. A native of Montreal, Emmanuel studied politics at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar and earned a PhD from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is the author of five books: an essay on the politics of memory and four novels.
Courtney
Khimji
Courtney Khimji is the Founder and CEO of Chimera Collective, an independent public relations agency working across consumer, culture, and innovation. With nearly two decades of experience in communications, she has advised global brands and emerging companies on strategy, storytelling, and reputation management. She holds a Master’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Chicago and is serving as a juror for the National Magazine Awards for the fourth consecutive year.
Rashmi
Kumar
Rashmi was selected for the 2013-2014 Borderlines Writers Circle. The program is a project by Edmonton’s Writer-in-Exile program, a joint initiative of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Edmonton Public Library, and LitFest. The Writer-in-Exile program grew from a commitment from several Edmonton organizations to understand better the needs of immigrant writers living in Canada, and to create opportunities for them to pursue a professional career.
During this time period, Rashmi did multiple book readings and panel discussions including Edmonton LitFest in 2013, where she shared her works with a multilingual audience and discussed language metaphors and relevant topics as such. The event was titled “Just Words.”
Rashmi was invited by the Mill Woods Artists Collective to read excerpts from her first and second books. She also planned and organized several events in Edmonton Public Library where participation mostly included and revolved around book discussions and meet and greets.
Aaron
Kylie
Legion Magazine editor Aaron Kylie is an awarding-winning writer/editor/manager of national magazines. He was previously editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Canadian Geographic, publications manager at the Canadian Wildlife Federation (where he oversaw Canadian Wildlife, Biosphere and Wild magazines), and prior to that, the long-time managing editor at Outdoor Canada magazine.
Marie
Lambert-Chan
Stéphane
Laporte
Stéphane Laporte, diplômé de la Faculté de Droit de l’Université de Montréal, en 1982, est un auteur, concepteur et réalisateur. Il a collaboré aux succès de plusieurs émissions marquantes du petit écran dont L’Enfer, c’est nous autres, La fin du monde est à 7h, Infoman, Star Académie, Le Banquier, La Voix et les Bye Bye 93-94-95-96, lui permettant de remporter une vingtaine de Gémeaux. En 2010, il a réalisé le film-documentaire Céline autour du monde (Céline Through the Eyes of the World), projeté aux quatre coins de la planète. Auteur et directeur artistique des spectacles de l’imitateur André-Philippe Gagnon présentés à Montréal, Toronto, Paris, Bruxelles, Brisbane, Los Angeles et Las Vegas, il signe, depuis 1996, une chronique hebdomadaire dans le journal La Presse. En 2024, il publie un livre jeunesse, avec l’illustrateur Jacques Goldstyn, intitulé Un cadeau de Noël en novembre, une histoire vécue inspirante, qui se hisse au sommet des palmarès et remporte le prix littéraire du Gouverneur Général 2025 décerné par le Conseil des Arts du Canada, la plus haute distinction littéraire au pays. On peut l’entendre, tous les dimanches, à la radio de Radio-Canada, dans l’émission Dessine-moi un dimanche, diffusée d’un océan à l’autre. Pour l’excellence d’une carrière artistique à titre de concepteur, de réalisateur, de scripteur, de chroniqueur et de producteur, Stéphane Laporte a reçu le titre de Membre de l’Ordre du Canada, en décembre 2022.
Kim
Larson
Kim is an award-winning art director and designer known for versatility and creativity. She’s the art director of EDIFY magazine. Kim has been the art director of AVENUE (Edmonton), Eighteen Bridges, LEAP (Alberta Cancer Foundation), Alberta Venture, and Alberta Oil magazines. She also designs cookbooks in her spare time.
Jason
Lau
An award-winning designer and multimedia artist with an MA in Anthropology, Lau’s human-centered work draws from his commitment and passion for understanding people, communities, materiality, and culture. His work has been recognized by the NMAs, D&AD, Adobe, and RGD. He most recently served as Editor of Tusaayaksat Magazine, published by Inuvialuit Communications Society in Inuvik, NT, for over five years.
Tsering Asha
Leba
Tsering Asha Leba (she/her) is a writer and editor of Tibetan and Indian descent based in Calgary. As the senior editor at Avenue magazine, she covers lifestyle, culture, city-building and the tech and innovation communities. She strives to produce compelling stories that reflect the unique identity and values of Calgarians.
Amelie
Legaré
Spanning two decades, Amélie’s BA in Graphic Communications has led her from design agency and newspaper management roles in Whistler, to orchestrating detailed photo shoots and design projects for a range of private, government, corporate and media clients—from tourism collateral to environmental reports to municipal communication campaigns. Also a doyenne of magazine creative direction, Amélie has designed publications like Flavours, Wishes and Right Sizing, and curates four titles for Mountain Life Media, with whom she has worked for 20 years. She is also the art director and designer of SCOREGolf Magazine.
Jean-François
Légaré
Jean-François Légaré is a journalist-turned-creative leader with 20+ years of experience across media, brand storytelling and communications. He has a knack for taking complex ideas and shaping them into narratives that are both clear and strategically sharp — and he’s built the reputations of major brands while working alongside some of the most respected creative talent in the country. He’s held key roles at several national media outlets, including Air Canada enRoute, where he rose from senior editor to editor-in-chief and led the Canada’s Best New Restaurant list for three years running. Named Canadian Editor of the Year in 2018, he steered enRoute to the title of best inflight magazine in the world by Monocle. On the agency side, he spent six years as Creative Director at Sid Lee, working with clients like Air Transat, Samsung, CN and National Bank. A social collaboration initiative he co-developed for Hyundai and the United Nations Development Programme won at SxSW and was shortlisted at Cannes Lions. He now works at Bleublancrouge, helping brands build content ecosystems rooted in solid strategic thinking.
Benjamin
Libman
Benjamin Libman is a writer and translator from Montréal. He is the author of The Third Solitude (2025) and Voyeur (forthcoming, 2027). He lives in Paris.
Lezlie
Lowe
Lezlie Lowe teaches in the School of Journalism, Writing & Publishing at the University of King’s College and in the King’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction. Her first book, No Place To Go, was listed as a top-25 pick by CBC Books and The Toronto Star, and one of the top 100 books of the year by the Globe and Mail. Her work has been recognized by the Atlantic Journalism Awards, the RTDNA, the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Atlantic Book Awards, and the Carte Blanche/CNCF Creative Nonfiction Prize, and has appeared in The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, The Independent, and The Walrus.
Jessica
MacDonald
Jessica MacDonald is an editor based in Toronto, ON, with over six years of experience working in the Canadian magazine industry. She is currently an Associate Editor at the Inuit Art Quarterly.
Sandra
Martin
Sandra E. Martin is The Globe and Mail’s Standards Editor, a role that seeks to ensure The Globe’s journalism is of the highest quality and that the organization is accountable to readers.
Trust in media is under constant scrutiny, so the Standards Editor plays an important part in explaining The Globe’s policies and protocols to customers.
Sandra addresses complaints regarding accuracy or bias, as well as any questions arising from The Globe’s use of artificial intelligence, supporting The Globe’s commitment to transparency about how we see the benefits and risks.
Previously, she served as The Globe’s Head of Newsroom Development, as well as Editor-in-Chief of MoneySense. She has also been an instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism.
A former Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Living, Sandra also is a two-time National Magazine Awards finalist, a repeat NMA judge, and a two-time NMA host. She sits on the board of directors of Canada’s National History Society and SABEW Canada.
Domineca
Martinello
Domenica Martinello is a Montreal-based writer and the author of Good Want (2024) and All Day I Dream about Sirens (2019). She holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she received the Deena Davidson Friedman Prize for Poetry. A finalist for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award and winner of the Malahat Review’s Long Poem Prize, her poems have appeared in Best Canadian Poetry, Black Warrior Review, The Walrus, Maisonneuve, and others. Her prose, including the carte blanche 3Macs Prize–winning essay on Elena Ferrante, has been featured in The Globe & Mail, The Montreal Review of Books, and Canadian Notes & Queries. Her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Sara
McCulloch
Sara Black McCulloch is a writer and fact-checker living in Toronto. She has written for The Walrus, Maclean’s and Serviette.
Stacey
McLachlan
Stacey McLachlan is editor-in-chief for Vancouver magazine, a recent finalist for Best Lifestyle Publication at the 2025 National Media Awards. She’s also a senior editor at VM’s sister mag, Western Living, and writes regularly for Dwell and Hootsuite, as well as for other editorial, content marketing, copywriting, TV development and ghostwriting clients. Over two decades in print and digital publishing, she’s tackled a wide range of topics, from music reviews to profiles of mushroom foragers to SEO-focused thought-leadership, but specialties include design, architecture, people and humour.
Nora
Merola
Nora a enrichi le domaine des communications écrites grâce à une carrière diversifiée en tant que journaliste, rédactrice et réviseure. Ancienne rédactrice en chef du magazine Sélection du Reader’s Digest, elle a dirigé avec brio l’équipe francophone, tant pour le magazine que pour sa plateforme numérique. Animée par une véritable passion pour l’art de la communication sous toutes ses formes, elle a naturellement évolué vers la communication stratégique. Aujourd’hui, elle occupe le poste de conseillère principale au Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications (CRTC), où elle met son expertise au service de la rédaction de discours.
Christine
Miskonoodinkwe Smith
Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith is an author/editor and writer. She owns a sole proprietorship Christine’s Writing and Consulting and has been published in various Indigenous media publications. She wrote These are the Stories: a Memoir of a Sixties Scoop Survivor and edited the anthology Silence to Strength.
Erik
Mohr
Erik Mohr is a creative director with over 25 years of experience exploring how ideas take shape—helping organizations connect people, ideas, and purpose through design and storytelling. He began his career in magazines as an illustrator, designer, and art director. From travel to fashion to skateboarding, Erik contributed to some of Canada’s most exciting publications, including enRoute, FASHION, Flare, and King Shit. With a background in fine arts and painting, Erik brings an artist’s perspective to ideation, brainstorming, and creative concept development. His love of coffee, doughnuts, and ultramarathons keeps him both grounded and restless.
Stéphane
Monnet
Stéphane Monnet is the president and creative director of Monnet Design, based in Toronto since 2009. He is also the former President of the Advertising & Design Club of Canada. In his 25+ year career he has received numerous awards from international design publications and organizations, including the ADCC, AIGA, Applied Arts, Communication Arts, Graphis, HOW, the National Magazine Awards and the New York Type Directors Club.
Melanie
Morassutti
A longtime magazine and newspaper editor, Melanie Morassutti has worked for outlets including Saturday Night, Toro, Chatelaine and The Globe and Mail. She is currently the executive editor of the West End Phoenix.
Sabrina
Myre
Sabrina Myre est journaliste et conseillère aux communications du Centre d’études et de recherches internationales de l’Université de Montréal (CÉRIUM). Tout au long de sa carrière, elle a réalisé de nombreux reportages pour permettre aux Canadiens de mieux comprendre le monde qui les entoure, au Québec comme à l’international. Elle a notamment travaillé au Proche-Orient pour différents médias canadiens et européens, dont Radio-Canada, Radio France internationale et La Tribune de Genève. Son fil rouge? Les droits de la personne, en particulier ceux des femmes, dans les zones de conflits. En 2023, elle reçoit le prestigieux prix de l’Association canadienne des journalistes pour la meilleure enquête, décerné pour sa série de reportages sur la détention d’enfants canadiens en Syrie. Elle est diplômée de l’Université McGill et détentrice d’une maîtrise de Sciences Po Paris.
Shane
Neilson
Shane Neilson is a poet and physician from New Brunswick who currently practices in Guelph, Ontario. His work has appeared in Poetry (Chicago) and the Best Canadian Poetry series four times, including Best Canadian Poetry 2025. In 2025 he served as judge for the International Hippocrates Poetry Prize and also was a finalist for the Governor-General’s Literary Award.
Erika
Oliveira
Erika Oliveira is an award-winning creative director specializing in art direction, design, and photography for advertising and publishing. A visually-driven storyteller, she creates print and digital content across food, fashion, beauty, travel, interiors, and luxury markets. Oliveira oversees all phases of a project—from concept and casting to photo shoots, branding, layouts, video, and digital design—crafting brand identities that engage audiences across platforms. Born in Mumbai, India, she began her career as a textile designer before moving to Toronto and then New York City in 2000. Her clients include Condé Nast, Hearst, Rizzoli, HarperCollins, Hachette, West Elm, CB2, Crate & Barrel, and URBN: Anthropologie, as well as celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart, Padma Lakshmi, and chefs David Chang, Daniel Boulud, Dan Barber, Jamie Oliver, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Simone
Olivero
Simone is the managing editor at Range. A Toronto native, she has worked in media for more than a decade, with roles at Today’s Parent and Canadian House & Home. Her byline can be found in Toronto Life, Toronto Star, Chatelaine and more.
Philippe
Orfali
Philippe Orfali a été journaliste pendant quinze ans, couvrant notamment la politique, l’économie et l’actualité générale pour plusieurs grands quotidiens (Le Devoir, Le Journal de Montréal, Le Droit, La Presse). Nommé aux Prix Judith-Jasmin, il est notamment lauréat d’un Prix du magazine canadien B2B. Il est détenteur d’un baccalauréat en journalisme de l’UQAM et d’une maîtrise en gestion des affaires (MBA) de l’Université d’Ottawa, et travaille aujourd’hui en communications pour un groupe mondial d’investissement.
Edith
Pelletier
Edith Pelletier est directrice artistique de L’actualité. Elle consacre sa carrière à l’univers du magazine et des médias, d’abord dans l’équipe graphique de Coup de pouce. Elle s’est jointe à L’actualité en 2017 à titre de directrice artistique adjointe, avant de prendre en charge la direction artistique en 2019.
Frédéric
Perron
Longtemps journaliste techno, Frédéric Perron est aujourd’hui rédacteur en chef de Protégez-Vous. Comme son travail fait parfois surchauffer son cerveau, il a trouvé de bons exutoires dans l’énergie folle des spectacles rock et le ressourcement qu’offre le ski de fond.
Julia
Peterson
Julia Peterson is a web editor with the Vancouver Sun & Province, and an instructor at the University of Regina School of Journalism. In 2025, their reporting earned a citation of merit from the National Newspaper Awards, and they were a 2024 finalist for the APTN/CAJ Truth and Reconciliation Award.
Sandy
Pool
Sandy Pool (she/they) is a queer Canadian/U.K. essayist, poet, and Professor of Creative Writing. Their debut poetry collection, Exploding Into Night, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry—Canada’s national prize for literary excellence. Pool’s second book, Undark: An Oratorio, received nominations for multiple awards, including the Trillium Book Award for Poetry, an Alberta Book Award, and a Toronto Arts Award. Their third book, If Body/Freedom, a collection of lyric nonfiction essays, has been supported by a number of fellowships and residencies, including at Yaddo, The Atlantic Center for the Arts, The Siena Art Institute, and the Dora Maar House in France. Essays from this collection have appeared in The Best Canadian Essays 2024 and were named “Notable” by The Best American Essays 2024, with one essay recently winning Gold at the 2024 National Magazine Awards and nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
Brett
Popplewell
Brett Popplewell is an author and associate professor of journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. His latest book, Outsider: An Old Man, a Mountain and the Search for a Hidden Past, was the winner of the 2024 Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction. He is a contributing writer for The Walrus and a winner of multiple National Magazine Awards.
Marie-Paule
Primeau
Marie-Paule Primeau has been editor-in-chief of Dire (Université de Montréal) since January 2015. Specialized in scientific popularization, she helps researchers to disseminate their work in a clear and accessible way. Also a freelance editor for the magazine Protégez-Vous, she has more than ten years of experience in writing, linguistic revision and editorial support. In this capacity, she collaborates on various writing and review assignments, including the production of portraits for the Canadian Cancer Society. Marie-Paule is pursuing studies in publishing at the graduate level at the University of Sherbrooke. She lives in Montreal.
Sarah
Prince
Sarah Prince is a Toronto-based writer who has covered entertainment and business since launching Hot On The Street in 2010. She led marketing for Kim Kardashian: Hollywood at EA and earned her own video game character as a publicist. She has been featured by Fast Company, The Canadian Press and more. Sarah shares comedy, commentary and interviews on Instagram at @hotonthestreet.
Jennie
Punter
Jennie Punter is the editor of Musicworks, a non-profit organization with a small staff, many contributors, a board of directors, and an active community of readers and followers. Since 2008, since has been a freelance correspondent to Variety, focusing on Canadian films, and global festivals and markets. From 1993 to 2013 she wrote thousands of reviews and features for the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail—primarily on music and film. She has edited or written for various North American music and cultural magazines. She started her career as a staff writer and copy editor in the Entertainment section of the Kingston Whig-Standard.
Kara
Pyle
Kara Pyle is a Toronto based illustrator, designer, and art director known for her clever, editorial-style and visual storytelling. She has collaborated with clients like The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, The Globe and Mail, and Canada Learning Code. Kara’s style is playful yet thoughtful, often exploring patterns, metaphor, and conceptual design.
Mark
Reid
Mark Reid is the Deputy Managing Editor of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. An award-winning journalist and public historian, Reid has published four books, including three national bestsellers: 100 Photos that Changed Canada (HarperCollins Canada 2009), 100 Days that Changed Canada (HarperCollins Canada 2011), and Canada’s Great War Album (HarperCollins 2014). Prior to joining MLI, he spent sixteen years as the Director of Content & Communications and Editor-in-Chief of Canada’s History magazine, founded in 1920 as The Beaver. He also spent more than a decade as an editor and reporter at Canwest News Service, the Calgary Herald, the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, and the Saint John Times Globe. A graduate of Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College, Reid lives in Winnipeg.
Amélie
Revert
Amélie Revert est journaliste culturelle indépendante de presse écrite. Elle est désormais établie à Montréal, mais elle a entamé sa carrière en 2015 à Paris puis eu une expérience à Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, cet archipel français situé au cœur des provinces maritimes d’où elle est originaire. Forte de sa double culture, elle surveille attentivement l’évolution de la scène artistique des deux côtés de l’Atlantique et se passionne également pour la gastronomie.
Jessica
Rose
Jessica Rose is a writer, editor and arts organizer who lives and works in Hamilton. Her first book of middle grade nonfiction, Let’s Get Creative: Art for a Healthy Planet, was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and was commended by the CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, BC Books for Schools, and the Telling Tales Reading List. Most recently, it was named a Children’s Nonfiction Honor Book by the Nature Generation’s Green Earth Book Award. A graduate of Carleton University’s School of Journalism, Jessica’s work has appeared in Quill and Quire, Room, The Children’s Book News, the Hamilton Review of Books, THIS, and the Humber Literary Review, among others. Jessica is currently the Artistic Director at gritLIT: Hamilton’s Readers and Writers Festival.
Rosa
Saba
Rosa Saba is a digital editor at The Globe and Mail. She was previously a business reporter at The Canadian Press and the Toronto Star. She’s also an organizer with Shared Bylines.
Alexander
Sallas
Alexander Sallas is the Assistant Publisher of the Literary Review of Canada, where he’s held various roles since 2019, including Senior Editor. His writing spans literature, philosophy, and public policy, with some fifty book reviews, essays, and peer-reviewed articles published to date. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Western University, where his dissertation laid the groundwork for his first book, “The Impossible Is Possible: Deus Ex Machina and the Boundaries of Imagination” (forthcoming from McGill-Queen’s University Press). In addition to contributing opinion pieces to The Globe and Mail, he’s won a National Magazine Award and been nominated for a Digital Publishing Award. In 2025, he was named one of Canada’s Top Emerging Leaders Under 40 by The Peak.
Mugoli
Samba
Mugoli Samba is a Toronto-based writer and news editor. She is a former editor for Apple News and has reported for The Globe and Mail, Radio-Canada/CBC, and more. Her magazine feature writing has earned a Canadian Church Press Award and an honourable mention at the National Magazine Awards.
Danielle
Sayer
Danielle Sayer is a Montreal-based art director and current Art Director at Québec Science magazine. She previously held roles at Reader’s Digest Canada and Worn Fashion Journal. With extensive experience in editorial design, she specializes in creating impactful, concept-driven visuals that bring complex stories to life.
Alec
Scott
A Canadian writer based in San Francisco, Alec Scott as contributed to the Guardian, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunset and the Smithsonian magazine, and taught writing at Stanford. He has been nominated for 13 Canadian National Magazine Awards, for work in Toronto Life and Report on Business. He formerly worked as an editor at Toronto Life and Saturday Night, as well as a producer at the CBC.
Kim
Shiffman
Kim Shiffman is a Toronto-based editor and writer with more than 20 years of experience. She recently pivoted from media to content marketing.
Stephen
Smith
Stephen Smith is a writer/editor in Toronto, a contributor to Canadian Geographic, The New York Times, Legion, West End Phoenix, and The Walrus. Author of the book Puckstruck, he steers a blog at puckstruck.com that keeps an eye on hockey books and history.
Tony
Smith
Tony Smith is a Consulting Creative Director based in Toronto, working with established brands and startups across multiple industries in Canada and the U.S. He was the founding Design Director of The New York Sun, establishing the visual identity for the daily broadsheet. As the award-winning Art Director of Fashion Magazine, he elevated the publication’s design to national recognition. He served as VP, Creative Director for Hudson’s Bay Co. and Lord & Taylor department stores, leading brand strategy and creative vision for these iconic retailers. His editorial experience spans Canada’s most respected publications, including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Chatelaine, and The Walrus. With expertise in both brand and editorial design, Smith brings a strategic eye and deep understanding of how exceptional design elevates storytelling and strengthens reader engagement.
Danielle
Stanton
Danielle Stanton est journaliste indépendante depuis PLUS DE 30 ANS. Elle a signé plus d’une centaine d’articles touchant aussi bien la culture que les tendances sociales émergentes ou la science dans de nombreux magazines au Québec (L’actualité, Elle-Québec, La Gazette des femmes, Sélection du Reader’s Digest…) et ailleurs (L’EXPRESS). Elle est également l’auteure de Nous sommes Télé-Québécois (La Presse, 2018) qui retrace le parcours de cette télé publique depuis sa création. Son travail journalistique a été couronné à maintes reprises, notamment par le Prix Justicia, le Prix du magazine canadien et le Prix René-Lévesque.
Erin
Sylvester
Erin Sylvester is the managing editor of the Inuit Art Quarterly. She was previously a production editor at Pagemasters and the managing editor of The Walrus. She has also taught fact-checking at TMU.
Jimmy
Thompson
Jimmy Thomson is an NMA-winning writer and editor based in Victoria, BC. He is the editor-in-chief of Canada’s National Observer. Jimmy hosted the 2024 National Magazine Awards gala.
Michael
Tong
Based in Toronto, Michael is the associate creative director at Group SJR, a content marketing, strategy and PR agency. For twelve years he has helped luxury and lifestyle clients like Interac, Ford, Tiffany & Co., Air Canada, Fairmont, and Corby Spirit & Wine tell their stories using journalism, design and multimedia. Michael approaches his work through an editorial lens, weaving in his interests in food, art, travel throughout print, web, social and OOH platforms.
Chantal
Tranchemontagne
Chantal Tranchemontagne is a content strategist based in Eastern Ontario. she uses her background in magazine publishing to helps organization and editorial teams find their voice and shape their stories.
Caroline
Trudeau
Caroline Trudeau is an experienced editorial strategist and journalist with over sixteen years of expertise in publishing, content development, and communications. Her career spans leading editorial teams, shaping multiplatform narratives, and producing thoughtful, high-quality writing across print and digital media. Known for her keen sense of structure and storytelling, she has overseen magazines, features, and branded content projects for major Canadian publishers and creative agencies.
Caroline’s work reflects a balance of analytical rigour and creative vision. She excels at crafting engaging editorial concepts, mentoring writers, and maintaining a strong editorial voice aligned with each publication’s mission. Her experience extends from cultural journalism to youth-oriented creative content, always guided by a commitment to clarity, authenticity, and editorial excellence.
Katie
Underwood
Katie Underwood is a National Magazine Award–winning multimedia journalist based in Toronto. She is the managing editor at Maclean’s, and her work has previously appeared in publications like Canadian Business, Toronto Life, Chatelaine, Flare and other fine Canadian titles.
Alysha
Vandertogt
Alysha Vandertogt started her career in publishing as an intern at Cottage Life in 2016 and is now one of the magazine’s senior editors. She’s a graduate of Queen’s University and Centennial College’s Book, Magazine & Electronic Publishing program. She has received awards from the National Magazine Awards, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, and the International Regional Magazine Association. She lives in Toronto.
Jennifer
Varkonyi
Jennifer Varkonyi is the publisher of Maisonneuve, an award-winning quarterly of arts, opinion and ideas. She served as Chair of the board of Magazines Canada from 2019-2021. In 2023, she was the recipient of the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement, presented by the National Magazine Awards. She lives in Montreal.
Natasha
Vasiljevic
Natasha V. is a still-life photographer known for mixing a minimalist’s eye with a maximalist’s sense of colour. She brings a precise, sculptural approach to her work for various commercial clients like YSL Beauty, Dior Cosmetics, Holt Renfrew, Indigo, Canada Post, and Canada Goose. Her love of storytelling and conceiving conceptual still life have won her several National Magazine Awards, Communication Arts Awards and Advertising and Design Club of Canada awards. Her work has been featured in various North American and European publications, like In Style, Red UK, Allure, Women’s Health and others.
René
Vézina
René Vézina travaille en communications depuis plus de 45 ans. Diplômé de l’Université Laval en journalisme et sciences politiques, il a notamment travaillé à la radio et la télévision de Radio-Canada, ainsi qu’au 98,5 FM à Montréal. Il a animé plus tôt les émissions Finances, au réseau TVA, et Déficit Zéro, à Télé-Québec. Il a aussi dirigé le magazine Commerce puis le journal Les Affaires et participe encore aujourd’hui à quelques publications, comme le magazine Québec économique. Comme auteur, il a notamment à son compte le guide L’art de parler aux journalistes, aux Presses de l’Université du Québec, et participe régulièrement à des forums et conférences.
Aaron
Vincent Elkaim
Aaron Vincent Elkaim is a documentary photographer and photojournalist who’s based in Winnipeg when he’s not in the Brazilian Amazon or roaming elsewhere abroad. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Manitoba in Cultural Anthropology and Film Studies, Aaron evolved his passion for culture and storytelling through his photography practice. His first major body of work titled A Co-Existence explored his own family’s place of origin, documenting the remnants of a once vast Jewish population in Morocco. Since then, he has continued to explore the relationship between land and identity through documenting cultural environmental narratives of traditional and indigenous cultures as they contend with the the industrialization of their lands. Aaron has been the recipient of numerous arts grants and awards from the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts, Alexia Foundation, American Photography, the Magenta Foundation, and the Lucie Awards among others. His project A State of Erosion, published in the Narwhal, exploring the history of hydroelectric energy on First Nations lands in Manitoba, won a gold at the National Magazine Award for best photojournalism in 2021. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Guardian, Macleans, The Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail among others.
Anne-Marie
Voisard
Journaliste retraitée du quotidien Le Soleil, de Québec. Prix Judith-Jasmin. Toujours vivement intéressée à l’information sous toutes ses formes.
Caitlin
Walsh Miller
Caitlin Walsh Miller is a Montreal-based writer and editor whose work runs the gamut from small-town politics to parenting to the odd internet rabbit hole. She is a regular contributor to publications including Maclean’s, Toronto Life, The Logic and more, as well as being the Quebec correspondent for The Walrus.
Patrick
Walsh
Outdoor Canada’s editor-in-chief since 2000, Patrick Walsh is a past-president of the NMAF and a former chair of Magazines Canada’s membership committee. He also spearheaded two Magazines Canada task forces on advertising-editorial guidelines, and was named the association’s 2009 Volunteer of the Year. In 2005, 2011 and 2012, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors named him Editor of the Year. He was inducted into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame in 2023.
Tanya
Ward
Tanya R. Ward is a Toronto-based writer whose work has appeared in FreeFall Magazine, Room Magazine, This Magazine, PRISM international, and elsewhere. Her stories have been recognized in the short Grain contest, Room Magazine’s annual fiction contest, and the American Short(er) Fiction Prize.
Lisa
Whittington-Hill
Lisa Whittington-Hill is the publisher of This Magazine, an award-winning progressive magazine of politics, ideas and culture. She is the coordinator for Centennial College’s book and magazine publishing program, which she also teaches in. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, Hazlitt, Catapult, and more. She is the author of a book in Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 music series on Beauty and the Beat by The Go-Go’s and Girls, Interrupted, her collection of essays on how pop culture is failing women, was published by Vehicule Press in 2023.
Alexandra
Whyte
Alexandra Whyte is a writer and editor based in Toronto who has covered everything from how coconuts ended up on the shores of New Brunswick to federal elections and interviews with the best chefs in the world. Her work has been published in Toronto Life, House & Home, Toronto Star, Canadian Business and more.
Sigrun
Wister
Sigrun W. is a graphic design educator known for her clear communication, practical teaching style, and unwavering commitment to helping students build real-world design skills. With a background in editorial design, typography, and creative corporate problem-solving, she brings both industry insight and a sharp sense of humour to the classroom.
Barbara
Zatyko
Barbara Zatyko was the Vice President, Operations & Development, at Magazines Canada from 2005-2018 and the Managing Editor of Geist from 1995-2005. BZ served on the Board of Directors for Magazines Canada for 6 years. Her previous roles include President of the BC Association of Magazine Publishers, Publisher of the International 3-Day Novel Writing Contest, Publisher of Canadian Magazines Canadiens and Director of MagNet: Canada’s Magazine Conference. She holds a Master of Publishing degree from Simon Fraser University.
Susan
Zuzinjak
A marketing and communications executive specializing in multi-platform branded content, brand strategy, and experiential marketing, Susan is Founder and President of smitten creative boutique. She has held roles with Toronto Life and Saturday Night magazines and is a former board member of the National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF).