A Kids & Company Parent Focused Event

Jake Ernst is the Clinical Director at Straight Up Health, a family mental health clinic in Toronto, Canada. With over a decade of experience in the helping profession, Jake is a trusted subject-matter expert in the areas of mental, emotional, and social health– an acronym he refers to as MESH. In his work as a therapist, Jake helps individuals and families navigate the stress of modern life so they can feel good, think clearly, and make choices that support their wellbeing.

Caron Irwin, is a Toronto-based mother of three and founder of Roo By Caron Irwin where she provides parents with comprehensive support to navigate the adventures and challenges of parenting and family life. And, supports children through play as they navigate the world around them.

Caron holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies and is a Certified Child Life Specialist. She has over 10 years of experience supporting children and families through illness at Canada’s largest children’s hospital, The Hospital for Sick Children.

Caron has been featured by a range of top tier media including Toronto Star, Globe & Mail and CBCLife.ca, as a guest expert on CBC The National, Citytv Breakfast Television, CTV Ottawa, CTV Calgary and is the child development and parenting expert on CTV Your Morning providing support to parents as they navigate parenting through a pandemic on a regular basis. In addition to supporting parents in the community, Caron has provided guidance to working parents through corporate wellness programs in many different sectors. She has positioned herself as a reliable resource in supporting parents.

Kate Taylor Martin is a holistic nutritionist, founder and CEO of the superfood brand, nutbar, and a mom to three kids. In 2014, while studying at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, Kate began to dream up the concept for nutbar, a “healthy coffee shop concept” – one which would replace the typical coffee shop fare of muffins, donuts and croissants, with alternatives that were still delicious but also incredibly nutrient-dense. nutbar opened its first location in Toronto in 2017 and has since built a cult-like following for their unwavering commitment to quality, organic ingredients and housemade nutmilk, with their sixth location – a flagship store in Yorkville – opening this spring. Kate and her team are now venturing into the CPG world, with their new industry-disrupting product “barmilk” having recently launched in their cafes and select retailers.

Kate is most inspired by the idea that humans are meant to feel good. Through the food her cafe’s sell and the education her team provides customers, and public appearances and speaking engagements, Kate is on a mission to help people feel their best while navigating busy and stressful modern day life.

Maria is a corporate lawyer with extensive transactional experience at national and international law firms. Maria has focused her in-house legal practice on securities regulatory compliance, privacy law, ESG matters and corporate governance. Before joining Descartes in 2024, Maria was the Head of Compliance at a private equity firm and before that she served as regulatory counsel at one of Canada’s largest pension plans and was legal counsel at the Royal Bank of Canada. Prior to starting her legal career, Maria worked in the field of risk consulting at Kroll, the world’s leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions.

In 2022, Maria was selected by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association to be a member of the Future Leaders in Derivatives program, in this capacity she co-authored a discussing the role derivatives markets can play in safeguarding energy security and facilitating the transition to net zero.

Maria graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts (High Distinction), she holds a Juris Doctor from Queen’s University and completed a specialization in Securities Law from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Maria immigrated to Canada in 2005 and grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Victoria Sopik is first and foremost the mother of eight children and grandmother of many. The CEO and Co-founder’s experiences as a working mother and devoted parent have allowed her to disrupt corporate child care in Canada and the US. Victoria is a recognized expert in the field with over three decades of experience and a reputation for innovating through changing times. Her expertise provides strategic direction and leadership for the company. She has developed successful long-term partnerships with numerous private and public organizations, and is active with several charitable organizations.