Evolve: The National Forum for Veteran Entrepreneurship
Evolve is a celebration of Veteran entrepreneurship in Canada. Rather than a sidestep, a change, or a transformation, retirement from the military is an evolution, as Veterans channel their hard-earned skills, experience, and work ethic into the next stage of their careers.
Featuring speakers from across Canada, Evolve is a space for Veteran business owners and their supporters to share experience and resources.
What is Evolve?
Evolve is Advancement. To advance is to take a step forward into uncharted territory. Using everything at our disposal, we line new paths for ourselves and light the way for others.
Evolve is Refinement. To reforge oneself means exposure to heat and pressure. By exposing our vulnerabilities, and learning from our own mistakes and others, we hammer ourselves into something stronger.
Evolve is Metamorphosis. Through transformation we blossom brighter and fly higher. We reflect on ourselves and innovate, and through focus and determination we create new identities and build communities.
When & Where?
The 2024 Evolve Forum has concluded. Please stay tuned for updates on the official recording coming soon.
Date & Time: The 2024 Evolve Forum was hosted on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 from 1 – 3pm ET.
Accessibility At This Event: This virtual event includes live Closed Captions and American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation.
Official Event Partner
Evolve Forum 2024 Agenda
The Evolve Forum is a platform for discussion and resources featuring Community Speakers, Supply Chain Professionals, Members of Government, and other allies and advocates.
1:00 – Opening Remarks
- Welcome the occasion with your hosts, IWSCC
- Words of support from the Office of the Procurement Ombud
- Introduction by Evolve Forum 2024 Official Partner: Mission Entrepreneur
1:20 – Keynote Speaker: Giselle Drew Walsh
1:40 – Community Speakers: Corporal4Life Apparel & F.A.S.T. Rescue
2:10 – Roundtable Discussion: Peer Groups for Veteran Entrepreneurs
Representatives from some of Canada’s hard-working peer groups for Veteran professionals come together to share what makes them unique, and how they work to support Veterans across Canada.
- IWSCC hosts the conversation as Canada’s National Certifying Body for Veteran-Owned businesses.
- Official Forum Partner Mission Entrepreneur shares how they help Veterans take the first steps to business ownership.
- National Veteran Business Network Treble Victor Group supports all Veterans in their second careers, not just business owners.
2:50 – Closing Remarks & Special Announcements
Evolve Forum 2024 Speakers
Veteran Entrepreneurs
Giselle Drew Walsh
Giselle Drew Walsh is a dynamic leader, motivational speaker, and advocate with a compelling story rooted in resilience and service.Giselle has dedicated her platform to championing causes that empower individuals to overcome adversity, advocate for mental health awareness, and inspire leadership in all walks of life. Her journey began in the military, where she served her country since 2008 as an infantry soldier, focused primarily on education and training. Through the challenges and triumphs of her service, she developed a deep passion for resilience and empowerment—values that now fuel her work as a speaker and advocate.
Nicholas Stroesser
Nick Stroesser joined the Canadian Army Reserve with the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment in 2001. Nick deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan as part of Canada’s contribution to the Global War on Terror in 2006, and in 2007 completed his Primary Leadership Qualification course and was promoted to Master Corporal, teaching on Army courses before transferring to the Royal Canadian Airforce as a firefighter in 2008. Nick was posted to CFB Bagotville until 2011 when he re-joined his reserve unit in Windsor, On. In 2014 Nick retired from the CAF and was hired as a full time firefighter for the city of Windsor. In 2015 Nick started Corporal4Life Apparel as a way for serving members and Veterans to show their pride in service and as a way to give back to the Veteran community. C4L has steadily grown into well known Canadian brand with plans to expand Canada-wide and help as many veterans and first responders as possible.
Dean Turner
Dean Turner spent over two decades as an Infanteer with the Royal Canadian Regiment & 3 Commando of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. He retired in 1998 at the rank of Master Corporal. Upon release he took the entrepreneurial route & started a first-aid training company. Soon after that he was recruited by the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) as a Community Services Co-Ordinator, and Manager of the First Aid program in York Region. This was right as Y2K was looming so Dean worked hand-in hand with York Regional Emergency Management who were responsible for identifying shelters in the region as part of the disaster management portfolio. Of course Y2K was the ultimate “hurry up and wait” scenario so Dean was more than accustomed to that.
Shortly after leaving the CRC, Dean focused on growing his business, F.A.S.T. Rescue. This was born from the idea of creating an organization using the skills he had learned while in the military. F.A.S.T focused on teaching Canadians the skills required to save a life in a friendly non-threatening environment. What started out as a simple Toronto-based first-aid training company has since evolved into a broader health and safety training company that offers consulting, training and supplies to companies right across the country. F.A.S.T. Rescue is one of the few privately owned companies that have MLSTD and WSIB certification approvals on site and online. i.e. First Aid, Working at Heights, Joint Health & Safety levels One and Two.
When not upskilling employees in the workplace and providing all that they need to be safe at work, Dean is on the board of directors for Renos for Heroes. As a 3V member and part of the Toronto Chapter since 2013. Dean is a huge advocate for growing the membership where we helps promote the values of Treble Victor to transitioning service men and women. Knowing the value of networking and mentorship, he is always willing to lean in and lend a hand when needed.
Caleb Walker
Caleb Walker is a visionary entrepreneur and the driving force behind Collabowave, a cutting-edge solution redefining collaboration and productivity with its voice-to-text AI capabilities. With a focus on actionable insights, Collabowave integrates seamlessly into systems of record, empowering professionals to manage conversations and follow-ups effortlessly.
Caleb brings over two decades of experience as a leader and innovator. His career began with a distinguished tenure in the Canadian Armed Forces, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of service. As the Commander’s Initiatives and Action Lead, Caleb tackled complex challenges, spearheaded the Canadian Armed Forces Digital Strategy, and received recognition for his strategic problem-solving and leadership. He completed three tours to Afghanistan.
Following his military career, Caleb transitioned into the tech and business world. He is also the founder of The Digital Insurgency, a platform dedicated to improving connections and fostering digital transformation in bureaucratic environments. Caleb’s entrepreneurial journey extends into real estate through Walking Forward Development, a multimillion-dollar holding company advising property organizations across Canada.
An advocate for professional development, Caleb leverages his expertise in digital transformation, change management, and strategic leadership to support organizations globally. His educational background includes advanced degrees in War Studies, International Relations, and Technical Program Management from prestigious institutions like the Royal Military College of Canada and Massey University.
As an entrepreneur, military veteran, and innovator, Caleb remains committed to empowering individuals and organizations to ride the wave of collaboration into a more connected, efficient future.
Veteran Peer Groups & Supporters
Garrick Apollon
Garrick Apollon, LLB, JD, LLM, LLCM, CFE, is a lawyer-entrepreneur, filmmaker, and Program Director of the Mission Entrepreneur program at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute. A practicing corporate lawyer since 2004 with 20 years of experience, he is also the founder of CPE Studios, specializing in documentary films for Continuing Professional Education. Garrick has been a member of the Law Society of Ontario since 2004 and holds multiple law degrees, has produced 8 documentaries, and teaches corporate governance and ethics in the University of Ottawa’s Executive MBA program and entrepreneurship and the law at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law.
Francis Bleeker
Francis Bleeker, LLM, MBA, is an executive with 30 years of experience in the global defence industry as well as in government. He is currently Vice President, Business Development at KWESST Inc., a technology company that produces systems that enhance soldiers’ survivability. Until recently he also sat on the prominent Defence Procurement Team of Hill & Knowlton, a WPP plc division, where he advised on defence procurement matters and industrial participation. Additionally, he is the president of Treble Victor Group, a national veteran business networking association.
Francis gained his business experience working for companies as Robotics Centre, Caracal in the UAE, Colt Canada Corp and Royal Bank. He lived in the UAE for 16 months and in Riyadh for a year. He was a longstanding member of various committees of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI). Francis has supported the Government of Canada at seminars in preparation of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in New York City and Montevideo.
Prior to moving to Canada in 1998, Francis worked as deputy director of international and EU police co-operation at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Netherlands and in the Cabinet of a Queen’s Commissioner on police and security matters. Concurrently he served in the Royal Dutch Army as a reserve infantry officer for seventeen years participating in numerous major exercises. He served as secretary of a committee of CIOR, the NATO reserve officer conference.
Recently Francis was instrumental in collating circumstantial evidence to identify an unknown Canadian soldier in a cemetery in the Netherlands, locating living relatives and connecting officials in Canada and the Netherlands to organize an appropriate commemoration in 2022. His work was recognised with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2023.
Francis read constitutional law at Leiden University gaining a master’s degree in law. Additionally, he has a master’s degree in business administration from the Open University Business School in Milton Keynes, UK. Francis took the Canadian Security Studies Programme at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto in 2010. He lives in the country outside Ottawa with his wife Marie Claire, a retired RCAF lieutenant colonel, and his malamute Keira.
Alexander Jeglic
Mr. Alexander Jeglic is a lawyer by background and previously served as General Counsel for Private-Public Partnerships Canada Inc., a federal Crown Corporation, where he was involved in the procurement processes for large infrastructure projects. He also held positions of increased responsibility in the United States and Canada including at the Canadian Commercial Corporation as Senior Legal Counsel and the Australian Trade Commission as Business Development Manager and International Trade Advisor in Washington (DC). Throughout Alex’s legal and professional career, he has focused primarily on procurement, contracting and dispute resolution which has served him well as Procurement Ombud.
Alex graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts (Law), with a concentration in Business Law, in 2000. In 2001, he completed the Cornell Law School Paris Summer Institute program in international and comparative law and in 2003 completed a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in Chicago, Illinois with a certificate in International Law.
Alex has also taught procurement law at Carleton University for several years. Alex and his wife Shelley have four children, Xavier, Gabriella, Julianna and Oliver.
Brad Brohman
Brad Brohman is the IWSCC’s Managing Director, and is President of Brohman & Associates, a general business consultancy based in Ottawa with clients in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and abroad. He has a particular focus on accessibility and inclusion within the disability community.
Brad’s varied work background includes: VP, Strategic Partnerships with the Rick Hansen Foundation; COO of Kivuto, a global high-tech company; senior positions in the BC and Federal governments, as well as heading up governance for Sustainable Development Technology Canada, a multi-billion dollar clean-tech fund.
Brad is also a serial entrepreneur and active investor and mentor in many start-ups, both in Canada and abroad going back decades. His focus has generally been in the tech-enabled products and services space.
Alex Duerksen
Alex Duerksen is the IWSCC’s Community Development Manager. Since joining the IWSCC in 2022, Alex has contributed to the IWSCC’s missions of Veteran and disability inclusion as a program developer, accessible marketer, event coordinator, and community touchpoint.
Alex is always learning and applying new ways to include, access, and connect Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned businesses nationwide, and supports the annual Evolve and Reach Forums as emcee, moderator, and lead coordinator.
Share Your Veteran-Owned Story
Join the IWSCC in celebration of Veteran-Owned business in Canada. Submit your Veteran-Owned success story and share it with our community at Evolve: The National Forum for Veteran Entrepreneurship as one of our community speakers!
Evolve: The National Forum for Veteran Entrepreneurship was created as a platform to share the success of the Veteran-Owned business community in Canada, and to highlight entrepreneurship as a meaningful career path after military service. We invite you to share with us your success story, your overcome challenges, and your entrepreneurial experience at this year’s event.
Please Note: Submissions to speak at the 2024 Evolve Forum are now closed. If you have a Veteran-Owned Story you would like to share, please contact us at info@iwscc.ca
Watch the 2023 Evolve Forum
Get a taste for what to expect, and learn about more members of the Canadian Veteran-Owned business community with the 2023 forum.