Mark Brand is a chef, social impact entrepreneur, and relentless optimist working at the collision of food, community, and impact. As the founder of UPWARD KITCHENS in Vancouver and Halifax, his teams serve over 6,500 scratch-made meals every single day—and have delivered more than 6.5 million meals to those who need them most. His work proves that dignity, opportunity, and true collaboration, changes lives.
With a dozen brick-and-mortar businesses, a multinational charity, and global partnerships under his belt, Brand builds models that center food security, poverty reduction, and cross-sector collaboration. From the Downtown Eastside to the halls of Stanford —where he’s a fellow and served as professor of innovation and design thinking—he teaches that lasting change starts with listening, and scales with love.
Mark’s work spans the world: from serving as Executive Chef for the American Refugee Committee, to collaborating on Pope Francis’s Climate Challenge, to being named Entrepreneur in Residence for the City of Sydney Australia.
He’s been awarded Canada’s Golden Jubilee Medal and King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for his service to country and community—but he’d tell you the real awards are in every meal served and every life impacted.
He’s also the host of “BETTER with Mark Brand,” Canada’s only iHeart Original podcast, distributed across Rogers and Bell Media, where he amplifies stories of transformation and tools for action—not just talk.
At the heart of everything is his belief in radical collaboration: that there’s no “us and them”—only us.
Dave Reynolds is the founder and CEO of The Rumin8 Group Inc., a growth consultancy that helps organizations around the world shape strategy and execute with impact across three core areas: succession planning, performance management, and coaching culture. From scaling startups to transforming established enterprises, Dave and his team specialize in turning strategic ambition into measurable outcomes. With over 20 years of experience in business development, executive coaching, and leadership strategy, Dave partners with companies of all sizes and industries to align their people with their purpose, and drive results through action.
He is also a best-selling author and the creator of the Radicle Growth™ method, a people-first framework designed to help leaders grow with intention, lead with clarity, and scale sustainably. As a speaker and facilitator, Dave is known for his clarity, candour, and ability to translate big ideas into practical next steps. His sessions are engaging, actionable, and built for leaders ready to move beyond theory and into execution.
When he’s not coaching or consulting, you’ll find Dave training for endurance races or developing the next evolution of Rumin8’s growth playbook.
