THRIVE Summit
We’re sorry you missed the 2024 THRIVE Summit.
The THRIVE Summit took place on May 14 & 15, 2024 at the Blyth Community Memorial Hall, brought to you by the County of Huron’s Economic Development Team and our Municipal Partners.
Here’s what people are saying…
“Thank you so much for including us on Wednesday for the summit. Our kids had an excellent time and the presentations inspired a number of thoughts and ideas for our students to incorporate into our school for next year. If you are running another Thrive Summit next year we would appreciate being involved as it was an amazing experience. All the best and thank you for your leadership within the county.” David Kovats
Expert guest speakers, panel discussions and breakout sessions will dig into opportunities and challenges facing our local economy, including:
Preparing for Business Transitions| Using Artificial Intelligence | Improving Tourism Marketing | Strengthening Workforce Recruitment and Retention | Embracing Placemaking | Celebrating Housing Advances | Fostering Belonging and Welcoming Communities for Newcomers | Exploring Investment Readiness
Meet the 2024 Speakers
Katherine Scarrow
Manager of Creative Strategy
Katherine is the manager of creative strategy for Globe Content Studio, the content marketing arm of The Globe and Mail. In her role, she’s spearheaded hundreds of campaigns for clients like Mercedes Benz, TD Bank and Athleta, blending storytelling with multimedia to captivate audiences. In addition to storytelling, she serves on The Globe’s AI Council, driving the integration of generative AI throughout the advertising department.
Chantal Sweeting
Senior Manager, Content & User Experience (UX)
With over 15 years of digital communications and marketing experience, Chantal manages a small but mighty team dedicated to supporting the relaunch and optimization of the DestinationOntario.com website. The purpose of the site is to be a travel planning resource for travellers to Ontario, driving leads to operators and increasing travel expenditures in the province.
Before joining Destination Ontario, Chantal led digital strategy and transformation projects across the Ontario government’s social media channels and website, Ontario.ca.
In addition to work, she is currently in the process of pursuing her Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster University.
Lisa Rennie-Jung
Content Lead
Lisa is an integral member of the Content and User Experience team at Destination Ontario.
She brings her passion for travel and love of Ontario to life by creating high-quality content relevant to web users on DestinationOntario.com, a visitor-centric, data-driven, multi-lingual travel planning resource that positions this province as a world-class tourism destination.
She is involved in every step of the content creation process, from strategy and planning to writing, editing and measuring performance.
Leslie Fournier
Co-Founder: Your Town Rising
Leslie inspires rural communities to see opportunities, build momentum and achieve growth, collaboration and success. She is the driving force behind Streets Alive a unique placemaking program that brings citizens together to enhance community spaces and attract visitors. As a business owner, educator and entrepreneur, Leslie understands the challenges faced by small municipalities and the increasing importance for every community to create a strong, vibrant sense of place. Your Town Rising
Emily van Straten
Gen Z Human Resources Consultant, ThinkHR
Emily is your Gen Z voice and Human Resources Consultant. She provides individuals and businesses with actionable resources and strategies to better their business or organization. With a dedicated following of 1.8K on Instagram — and multiple instances of her story inspiring others — Emily’s unique take on HR advice has made her the go-to Gen Z voice for organizations ready for change.
An honors graduate of the University of Guelph, Emily now writes, speaks, and coaches about human resources, having a life of fulfillment, and challenging the status quo. She is based in Ontario, where she enjoys supporting local businesses, camping, triathlons, and trying to break the status quo everywhere she goes.
Malissa Bryan (she/they)
Rainbow Diversity Institute Founder and principal consultant
Malissa Bryan comes from a specialized background in sociology with a focus on race, diversity, work, education, youth, and political economy.
Malissa received her Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree from the University of Guelph, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Anthropology.
Malissa continued to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Guelph, her thesis focused on Racialized collectives in predominantly White Institutions (PWI); examining the experiences of Black students and Black collectives in these spaces. Malissa is completing a Ph.D. in Sociology focusing on race, work, education, equity and inclusion.
Malissa is a new resident of Bruce-Grey County. She enjoys outings with her wife, kids and pup Bailey.