Women’s Grain Symposium
Making Connections
Grain Farmers of Ontario’s Women’s Grain Symposium is an opportunity for networking, professional development, and leadership development.
The Women’s Grain Symposium is open to women who are grain farmers, active members of their family grain operation, or working within the grain sector of agriculture business with a direct connection to farmers.
Cost: $125, includes one night hotel accommodation at the Delta.
Registration opens on September 1.
Join us at the 2024 Women’s Grain Symposium
November 25 – 26, 2024
Delta Hotel
50 Stone Rd W, Guelph, ON N1G 0A9
Speakers
Kendra Dauer
Risk Management Consultant
StoneX
Kendra joined the Bowling Green, OH StoneX team in August 2019. As a Risk Management Consultant, she works primarily with commercial grain elevator and farmer customers to help manage their price exposure in the grain futures market. Prior to joining StoneX, Kendra worked in the grain division at a farmer cooperative in Bowling Green, OH. Her cash grain experience, coupled with her background in education make her position at StoneX a great fit as she enjoys the opportunity to educate new and existing customers on hedging and the futures markets.
Bethany Parkinson
Manager, Psychological Support and Education
Agriculture Wellness Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
Bethany is the Manager, Psychological Support and Education with Agriculture Wellness Ontario (AgWO) at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) – Ontario Division. Bethany is a Registered Social Worker and has worked in clinical and healthcare settings, and social services. During her Master of Social Work she completed research on mental health among Canadian farmers; she is passionate about AgWO programs and wellbeing among agriculture communities. Bethany operates her family’s beef and purebred sheep farm outside of Elora, Ontario.
Baram and Snieckus
A power couple of Canadian comedy, Second City Alums Matt Baram (Painkiller, Umbrella Academy, The Trades) and Naomi Snieckus (The Social, Mr. D, Zombies) are a six-time Canadian Comedy Award winning troupe offering unique appearances and interactive workshops to help people “learn with laughter.” Whether hosting a morning conference or an evening gala, or leading training sessions that incorporate the invaluable lessons of improv, the duo is guaranteed to give your team an unforgettable, rewarding–and hilarious–experience to remember.
Offerings from Baram and Snieckus include participatory improv, improv that is accompanied with a talk about the importance of saying “yes” to opportunity, song and dance entertainment, as well as a “talk show themed” segment, with Naomi and Matt offering fun commentary on your company’s conference or event…and much more!
Amber Mac
President
Amber Mac Media
Amber Mac is President of AmberMac Media, Inc., an award-winning content development agency, an award-winning podcaster (This Is Mining and The AI Effect), and a bestselling author. She is also the co-host of the award-winning emerging technology radio show and podcast #TheFeed on SiriusXM.
In 2024, Amber was named as one of DMZ’s Women of the Year for her work driving innovation and progress in the tech industry. In 2021, Amber was named one of the Bay Street Bull Women of the Year for her leadership in the technology sector. In 2016, she co-wrote the Amazon bestseller, Outsmarting Your Kids Online, just a few years after she wrote the Globe & Mail business bestseller, Power Friending.
Amber has keynoted more than 500 events around the world and has moderated sessions with: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, former FBI Director James Comey; business coach Tony Robbins; literary icon Margaret Atwood; and many other notable leaders.
Panel discussion:
Victoria Berry, Director of Communications for Grain Farmers of Ontario, will lead a discussion with ag business leaders to highlight success stories, challenges, and the future potential of the grain sector.
Agenda
Monday
| Noon | Lunch |
| 1:00 p.m. | Welcome remarks / introduction to GFO |
| 1:45 p.m. | Speaker session 1: Kendra Dauer: Grain markets |
| 2:45 p.m. | Break |
| 3:00 p.m. | Speaker session 2: Bethany Parkinson: Stress management workshop |
| 4:00 p.m. | Break |
| 5:00 p.m. | Reception and networking event |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner |
| 8:00 p.m. | Keynote speaker: Baram and Snieckus: The importance of saying “yes” in life and in business |
| 9:00 p.m. | Hospitality suite |
Tuesday
| 7:00 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 8:00 a.m. | Speaker session 3: TBD |
| 9:30 a.m. | Break |
| 10:00 a.m. | Panel discussion: Ag Business Leaders – moderated by Victoria Berry |
| Noon | Lunch |
| 1:00 p.m. | Speaker session 4: Amber Mac: 4 Lessons to Thrive in Our AI Future |
| 2:30 p.m. | Closing remarks |
| 3:00 p.m. | Symposium ends |
Thank you to the Women’s Grain Symposium sponsors!
Banquet & keynote speaker sponsor
Reception & hospitality suite sponsor
Tuesday lunch, nutrition breaks & panel discussion sponsor
Speaker sponsors
Nutrition break sponsors
Supporters
