Presenters and Speakers | DECA Conference

Meet our keynote speakers

Edwina Dei-Davis & Alfred Davis

Founders of House of Davis

House of Davis is a lifestyle brand rooted in storytelling. Through its growing family of collections—Nina’s Butters (natural skincare), DEIZONGA (fashion and lifestyle), and Kojo’s Korner (food and beverage)—the brand celebrates “HERSTORY,” honouring generations, culture, and pride. Every product is thoughtfully crafted using natural, high-quality ingredients you can recognize and trust, delivering both authenticity and excellence.

Co-founder Edwina Dei-Davis is the heart and creative spirit behind the brand. Deeply inspired by her mother, Nina, she brings a passion for culture, community, and craftsmanship into every detail. With a background that includes leadership roles at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, where she specialized in creating memorable guest experiences, Edwina has a natural gift for building warm, vibrant spaces that bring people together. Her education at McGill and her community-driven approach continue to shape the welcoming and inclusive spirit of House of Davis.

Alongside her is co-founder Alfred Davis, a Concordia University graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce and a CFA charter holder. Alfred brings over two decades of experience in finance, accounting, and insurance. His expertise in financial strategy, forecasting, and business development has been instrumental in scaling House of Davis across both retail and e-commerce, ensuring the brand grows with intention and sustainability. Together, Edwina and Alfred have created more than a business—they’ve built an experience. House of Davis by ADE invites you in like a family, offering products that tell a story, honour heritage, and celebrate the beauty of culture in everyday life

Meet our panelists

Eryn Stewart

Managing Director of the Future Cities Institute (FCI) founded by CAIVAN at the University of Waterloo.

Read Eryn's Bio

Eryn Stewart is the Managing Director of the Future Cities Institute (FCI) founded by CAIVAN at the University of Waterloo. FCI is dedicated to fostering healthy, prosperous future cities and communities, with a strategic focus on urban data for housing, mobility, and sustainable infrastructure. She is a proud non-Indigenous member of the Haíɫzaqv Climate Action Team, supporting clean energy solutions designed for and driven by the Haíɫzaqv Nation (Heiltsuk Nation in Bella Bella, BC).

Co-founder and the founding Managing Director of Indigenous Clean Energy, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to lead and participate in transformative clean energy projects from coast to coast. Eryn led the creation of the 20/20 Catalysts Program, Canada’s award-winning Indigenous clean energy capacity-building program. 20/20 supported over 150 Indigenous clean energy champions on their energy journeys. Eryn specifically focused on clean energy in northern communities, pioneering community energy planning and energy education initiatives.

Alongside partners at Gwich’in Council International, she was the lead author of the "Arctic Community Energy Planning and Implementation Toolkit" produced for the Arctic Council for communities across the circumpolar Arctic. She was honoured as a 30 under 30 in Sustainability in 2018, Canada's Clean 50 in 2022, and awarded the University of Waterloo's Young Alumni Inspiration Award in 2020.

Henry Lam

Analyst at Shopify

Read Henry's Bio

Henry is a University of Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management alumnus currently working at Shopify, where he is part of the Finance Rotational Program and currently works in Mergers and Acquisitions. Outside his career, Henry has a strong interest in entrepreneurship and has explored several ventures of his own, including starting a T-shirt business and hosting live music events in Toronto. He enjoys learning about how businesses operate, finding ways to improve operations with AI, and learning through hands-on experience.

Laura Maxwell

Director of Sustainability Strategy at Sun Life.

Read Laura's Bio

Laura Maxwell is the Director of Sustainability Strategy at Sun Life. She is passionate about creating programs that address social and environmental issues while also creating business value. At Sun Life, Laura works across the business to bring the company's purpose to life by reimagining the design and delivery of products and services so that they work for everyone — starting with women's health and financial security. Before joining Sun Life, Laura helped lead Deloitte's social impact efforts. In that role, she worked on global maternal and child health projects with several United Nations agencies and Global Affairs Canada.