10 SEASONED EXPERTS ...
OVER 100 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Meet Our Contributors
Robert Rudy
Co-Founder
STAND Advisors
Andrea Lavergne, CFA
Vice President
Connor Clark & Lunn Private Capital
Brett Colvin
CEO & Co-Founder
Goodlawyer
Raymond Croubalian
President
M3 Hospitality
Josh Weinberger
Chief Legal Officer
Goodlawyer
Sara Ostad
Founder & President
Socially Montréal
Carla Marrouche
Corporate Recruiter
Anthony Francis Lombardi
Chief Operations Officer
HPV Global Action
Zak Biggs
Director of Public Affairs
Goodlawyer
International Team of
Health Experts
PEARLL.
Robert Rudy
Co Founder, STAND Advisors
Rob has spent the past 30 years building and leading companies while developing leaders through inviting change, making critical choices, and achieving results. He has been an entrepreneur in a family business, managed in a public company, and has led privately held companies. Rob has worked in industries as diverse as textiles, lighting and medical devices, with global manufacturing experience, while partnering with global clients. Rob's focus is to engage and empower people to achieve company goals while exceeding client expectations. Today, Rob is following a passion, working closely with CEO's and their leadership teams by building highly accountable teams Doing so, Rob believes, allows companies to exceed their goals by taking smart and healthy steps to achieve great success.
STAND Advisors helps leadership teams develop the mindset, strategy and execution plan that drives growth. Its 10 Ts framework meets its clients where they are and builds momentum in each of the 10 areas of high performance.
ANDREA LAVERGNE, CFA
Vice President, Portfolio Manager
Connor Clark & Lunn Private Capital
Andrea began her career in Finance in 1995 managing portfolios for institutional clients at Lopresti Gabbay and Associates. Prior to joining Connor Clark & Lunn Private Capital, Andrea held the position of Vice-President at Fiera Capital Corporation and previously was a Vice-President and Portfolio Manager at C.F.G. Heward Investment Management Ltd., where she managed private client and institutional portfolios and was a member of the Global Investment Policy Committee.
A CFA Charterholder, Andrea is also an alumnus of Concordia University in Montreal, where she graduated with a BComm in Finance while working at Fonorola, Matrox and SNC Lavalin and completing her degree. Andrea later returned to Concordia as a lecturer and course creator at the Goodman Institute of Investment Management, as part of its prestigious Master of Business Administration/CFA program.
One of her great passions continues to be mentoring the next generation of financial professionals at a number of business schools. Andrea is known in her circle as a superconnector and she values human relationships, integrity, and reciprocity. She is known for helping founders with their companies by curating profound relationships that help accelerate their growth. People turn to Andrea for help and advice and she always lends a hand when asked. Her community service has included investment advice on Foundation boards as well as fundraising and volunteering with various non-for-profit organizations. Working as a fiduciary with her clients, Andrea strives to help individuals, families and institutions reach their long-term financial goals. She understands the importance to clients of tailored investment solutions that meet their unique situations, and her knowledge spans a wide range of asset classes, from traditional to alternative, including real estate, infrastructure, private loans, private equity and hedge strategies.
Brett has overseen Goodlawyer’s growth from inception to a 20+ person team, leading them to Startup Calgary’s Alumni’s Choice Award in 2020. Brett was a corporate lawyer for 3+ years, and he experienced firsthand that most business owners can't afford the legal help they need. So, he quit the big firm, teamed up with a developer and a designer, and got to work on building something better. Brett has a Juris Doctor (JD), Law, with Distinction from the University of Alberta (2015). During his time at the University of Alberta, Brett was awarded the Mark Goodkey Memorial Trophy as the Top Academic All-Canadian for his excellence in the classroom and on the pitch.
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Goodlawyer is a legal tech company on a mission to make lawyers more accessible. It connects small businesses to lawyers with the expertise they need, all on a user-friendly platform at prices that are half the national average. Its technology is based on ongoing research and development including the future planned work on the integration of AI. It streamlines the process of procuring legal services, removing the fear of the final price and inconvenience associated with procuring legal services the conventional way. Goodlawyer is convenient and affordable for clients, and a source of new leads and billable hours for lawyers. It offers all legal services commonly required by SMEs such as incorporation, copyright registration and contract reviews. It also offers services that only a platform like theirs could deliver, such as 15-min advice sessions for $39, a monthly subscription offering unlimited advice sessions, vetted templates and more.
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As legal services are a regulated industry, there is a significant barrier to entry for new market entrants. Goodlawyer has overcome these initial barriers by having a co-founder who previously worked as a lawyer, and by building a team of advisors and allies within the legal sector who believe that a platform like ours can make lawyers accessible to more than just the wealthy. We have developed strong operational effectiveness through the development of our platform and processes, providing Goodlawyer with the advantage of providing competitive services at a lower price.
Goodlawyer has also developed a strong, customer-focused brand that resonates with our target audience - small business owners who think differently and want to grow. They build and run innovative businesses and are looking for better alternatives to the traditional market solutions. Goodlawyer’s approach to legal services mirrors the approach of many of our small business clients.
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Raymond Croubalian is a Mcgill graduate with majors in Economics & Finance. He is the President & Managing Partner of Montreal based, M3 Hospitality Investments. He has over 30 years of hospitality experience and throughout his career has held the presidency of several companies successfully launching restaurant concepts in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Mr. Croubalian has extensive knowledge in all aspects of restaurant development including but not limited to corporate operations, construction, marketing, real estate, legal, finance and has orchestrated various M&A initiatives working closely with financial analysts ensuring the feasibility of targeted ventures. His expertise also includes franchising, and he has notably converted corporate restaurants into franchise restaurants propelling growth on a local , national and international scale. In terms of asset management he has worked with notable banks such as the Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. Many industry circles refer to him as a turn-around specialist.
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M3 Hospitality's philosophy is to greatly increase the profitability and market value of acquired assets. It targets profitable restaurant operators that would greatly benefit by having a development fund to fuel stable growth and profits. It establishes successful partnerships and long-term relationships. It uses its capital and deep industry experience to seamlessly support existing management and achieve growth by building upon existing revenue streams and creating new ones. The combination of know-how and the financial resources to capitalize on lucrative opportunities is the cornerstone of its philosophy.
M3 Hospitality's goal is to buy and partner with successful restaurant operators to expand expand their concepts on a regional, national and international scale. Although it is acutely aware of the daily rituals of restaurant operations, it operates with partnered restaurants and maintain its focus on increasing shareholder value by seamlessly supporting restaurant operations and financially fueling growth. It is not interested in running their restaurants or interfering with daily operations. To the contrary, it is interested in companies with proven management and assists with the scaling-up transition.
Josh joins the Goodlawyer team with 6 years of experience practicing business law at Canada’s largest law firm. Together with leaders from various Goodlawyer business teams, he is responsible for setting and implementing Goodlawyer’s strategic mission, as well as addressing various legal matters related to Goodlawyer’s day-to-day operations. Josh has a passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed and a unique approach to practicing law which stems from his belief in the power of teamwork and helping those around you.
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Goodlawyer is a legal tech company on a mission to make lawyers more accessible. It connects small businesses to lawyers with the expertise they need, all on a user-friendly platform at prices that are half the national average. Its technology is based on ongoing research and development including the future planned work on the integration of AI. It streamlines the process of procuring legal services, removing the fear of the final price and inconvenience associated with procuring legal services the conventional way. Goodlawyer is convenient and affordable for clients, and a source of new leads and billable hours for lawyers. It offers all legal services commonly required by SMEs such as incorporation, copyright registration and contract reviews. It also offers services that only a platform like theirs could deliver, such as 15-min advice sessions for $39, a monthly subscription offering unlimited advice sessions, vetted templates and more.
Sara Ostad
Founder and President
Socially Montréal
Certified by Cambridge University as an Executive Coach , Sara specializes in marketing and human resources management consultation with a focus on optimization of talent life cycle and sustaining a unique yet versatile corporate culture.
Working closely with executives and business owners,she offers an integrated and systematic approach to branding service offerings and products.
Within a structured plan, Sara provides analysis, solutions and a marketing strategy to increase business growth and market share for her clients. I
She helps transform SMBs into a powerhouse via an integrated approach to branding. This is achieved through market analysis, content marketing, website audit, keyword research, PR initiatives as well as social media management.
Her branding portfolio includes working with companies in Real Estate, Automotive, Tech, Manufacturing, Print, Pharmaceutical as well as Hospitality industries.
Her community and philanthropy projects include successful collaborations with McGill University Health Center (MUHC), Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Women in Governance, Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, Old Brewery Mission, MultiCaf , Chez Doris and a dozen other Non-Profit organizations in Greater Montreal, Quebec.
Carla Marrouche
Corporate RecruiterÂ
Carla is passionate about matching candidates with the right opportunities. She is currently working as a Corporate Talent Acquisition at Brother Canada. For the past 3 years, she has actively given presentations on mental health and helped job seekers with insightful interview tips and job search strategies. Her mission is to impact people whether it is by matching them with opportunities or by highlighting awareness on subjects that can help them reach their goals. Throughout her life, she also has visited more than 50 countries. These journeys have helped her be more open to diversity and various cultures. Carla is currently enrolled in a Masters’ in Human System Intervention at Concordia University and is expected to graduate in 2022. Her goal is to help organizations and individuals to be resilient and embrace change in the future.
Anthony holds a B.Ed. Bachelor’s degree in Education from Concordia University and a M.Ed. Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Université de Montréal. Fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish, Anthony has a thirst for languages, a passion for culture, and the drive to enact positive change.
From 2007 on, Anthony embarked on his journey as a professional in the world of education, teaching languages, communication, career education and translation to teenage and adult students. Having held various leadership positions within the public education system, he has led committees, special projects and the administration of an inner-city high school.
In 2012, Anthony began to devote his time to strengthening support systems available to gender and sexually diverse communities. He began as listener for a help and information line, Interligne, moving on to initiate the organisation’s English Services Strategic Development Committee in 2014. Finally, Anthony served as Vice-President of Service Support from 2017-2020 during which he led training sessions in Quebec and Ontario which centred on developing active listening skills geared at educators, school and school board administrators, professionals in STEM and Law. He has also facilitated workshops about gender and sexually diverse realities to students and school staff around Quebec.
In June of 2020, as a member of HPV Global Action, he began as Diversity and Inclusion officer. Since November 2020, Anthony devotes his passion for the mission full-time as Chief Operations Officer.
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Founded in 2006, HPV Global Action / VPH Action Globale is a bilingual registered charity that educates individuals of all ages about sexual and reproductive health in the context of healthy relationships. As it is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and the cause of 9 HPV-related cancers, It focuses on the impact of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPC Global Actions is at the forefront of developing inclusive, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health tools designed to enhance and assure positive sexual health outcomes. It connects with academic settings, health care professionals, and communities of all demographics. It develops partnerships, implement educational programs, and develop research initiatives. HPV Global Action's prevention programs empower people because it delivers clear, simple, evidence-based messaging.
Zak is responsible for managing Goodlawyer’s relationships with stakeholders across governments, funding organizations, post-secondary institutions and the startup ecosystem. Zak has 6+ years’ experience in stakeholder relations for both private and post-secondary organizations and has helped secure over $2.5M in government funding. Zak holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Calgary.
Goodlawyer is a legal tech company on a mission to make lawyers more accessible. It connects small businesses to lawyers with the expertise they need, all on a user-friendly platform at prices that are half the national average. Its technology is based on ongoing research and development including the future planned work on the integration of AI. It streamlines the process of procuring legal services, removing the fear of the final price and inconvenience associated with procuring legal services the conventional way.
Goodlawyer is convenient and affordable for clients, and a source of new leads and billable hours for lawyers. It offers all legal services commonly required by SMEs such as incorporation, copyright registration and contract reviews. It also offers services such as 15-min advice sessions for $39, a monthly subscription offering unlimited advice sessions, vetted templates and more.
PEARLL was designed to tell the truth about wellness.
Your personal team of integrative health experts design human-centric, habit-changing programs to help you create a resilient and joyful life.
First, it gets to know the unique person that is you, so it can design personalized digital programs that leverage the best and latest scientific knowledge and methods that are tailored to your individual needs.
Its platform includes daily guidance in mindset, movement, consciousness, nutrition and natural therapies to help you achieve transformative, sustainable results.
