Medina Puskar is a Registered Social Worker and Manager of Job Matching Unit at Manitoba Start where she leads a team of trained and certified labour market specialists connecting newcomers with local employer partners.

With over 10 years in settlement and career development, Medina has held roles as Manager of Career Services and as Career Coach/Facilitator, teaching employability skills and job search techniques.

Medina completed the Career Development Practitioner Certification diploma from University of Winnipeg and hold a Bachelor of Social Work from University of Manitoba. She is currently completing Master of Social Work at the University of Manitoba and hopes to continue her work with newcomers.

As a refugee herself, she understands the challenges newcomers face in finding meaningful employment. Motivated by data, she is always eager to uncover new trends and strives to implement them in strategic planning within the organization.

Sherman has been closely involved with the Indigenous community for nearly two decades. He holds a degree in Economics & Business from the University of Manitoba and has worked at many large Canadian corporations such as RBC, First Nations Bank, The Business Development Bank of Canada, as well as private for-profit and non-profit organizations. In all his roles, Sherman has always had a connection with the Indigenous community in a variety of capacities including as a board member and consultant.

As an entrepreneur, Sherman has worked with businesses stretching from Japan, China, Scotland, and the United States. After working with Polar Bears in Churchill, Sherman founded Maple Leaf Survival™ – Manitoba’s Leader in Survival Training – where he teaches mostly private industry on Wilderness and Extreme Cold Weather Survival Tactics. His clients have included Manitoba Hydro, Stantec Consulting, First Nation communities, arctic research teams, and military service members from the U.S. Airforce to name a few.

Sherman is currently the Chief Executive Officer for AMIK Inc. assisting companies such as CN Rail, Air Canada, Payworks, Canada Life, Assiniboine Credit Union, Rio Tinto, and others with strategic Indigenous Engagement Solutions.

Donna Desmarais is a proud Red River Métis woman and dedicated professional with a strong passion for supporting the empowerment and advancement of Red River Métis citizens in the workforce. As the Partnership Officer in the Métis Employment & Training (MET) Department at the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), Donna excels in creating and nurturing meaningful partnerships with various stakeholders, including private businesses, government entities, educational institutions, and in-house MMF departments and affiliates.

With over five years of experience at the MMF, Donna has successfully spearheaded numerous initiatives focused on training and employment opportunities for Red River Métis Citizens. One notable project she led was the collaboration with the University College of the North to establish a Diploma of Practical Nursing Program. Through this partnership, 14 Red River Métis Citizens graduated and were able to provide healthcare services in their respective communities across Manitoba.

Opportunities for Employment’s mission is to connect job seekers and employers, bringing them together to foster successful long-term employment and to grow local Winnipeg businesses.

As CEO of Trucking HR Canada, Angela Splinter is the steward of talent management best practices for the trucking and logistics sector. Under Angela’s leadership, Trucking HR Canada has become a national centre of excellence where stakeholders in commercial transportation, public policy, training and economic analysis work together to help trucking and logistics employers meet the growing demands of Canada’s freight economy. The organization has forged significant alliances and expanded its mandate to become a trusted delivery partner for federal and provincial labour related grants and contributions, as well as a source of industry workforce data and assessments through its Labour Market Information (LMI) initiative.

Convener, collaborator, spokesperson and champion for advancing the priorities of one of the country’s largest workforces – Angela’s tenure has spearheaded the development of the distinguished Women with Drive and Top Fleet Employers programs which recognize HR leaders and transportation companies for excellence in human resources and provide models for others to follow. These and other programs promote an environment where professionals share strategies, policies and practices that drive career-of-choice recognition and the industry’s success.

Angela is regularly called upon to brief senior officials, economic think tanks and industry leaders on the in-depth research and industry insights impacting the industry’s growth and success. She also serves as a speaker and moderator at industry events in Canada and internationally, providing expertise on topics that affect supply chains across a range of industries.