John Jung

ICF
Chairman and Co-Founder

John originated the Intelligent Community concept three decades ago and continues to serve as the Forum's leading visionary. Formerly an urban planner in Toronto and across Canada with international projects in Hong Kong, Europe, Brazil, and Australia. He was also President and CEO of three of the top economic development and FDI attraction agencies in Canada: Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, Calgary Economic Development Authority, and Canada’s Technology Triangle. He is an award-winning registered professional urban planner, urban designer, economic developer, professor, and author. His board experience includes startups, accelerators, non-profits, and established businesses. He has led international business missions to U.S., European, South American, Asian, Indian, and Australian cities, and speaks frequently at universities and international conferences, including TED Talks, APEC, World Economic Forum, and Horasis Conferences. He has evaluated cities around the world as part of the ICF Awards program and written about cities both from the perspectives of planning and economic development. He has also been a representative of the Government of Canada in promoting inward investment as well as part of the Canadian Solutions Network. John oversees the ICF Nations, is Executive Director of ICF Canada and has been involved in creating ICF Institutes in Taiwan and Canada and serves as an advisor to regional and national leaders on Intelligent Community development. He is also a professor and award-winning author of professional, non- fiction and works of fiction.

Matt Owen

ICF
Executive Director

Matt joined ICF in 2012 to manage the Forum’s events, video and audio production and online communications. In the years since then, he has steadily advanced in his competencies and responsibilities. Promoted to operations director in 2020, he assumed management of membership and sponsorship fulfillment while contributing to development and execution of ICF programs. As Executive Director, he now oversees the program, finances and operations of the Forum. Matt has traveled extensively to Taiwan, Vietnam and across North America and Europe to ICF communities. Formerly from the U.S.A. he and his family currently reside in Eindhoven in The Netherlands.

Rob McCann

Hamilton Technology Centre
Director

Rob McCann is the President of the Hamilton Technology Centre (HTC) and an experienced entrepreneur. With a track record of building successful companies, including one acquired by Canada’s largest cable operator, Rob supports carriers, cable systems, municipalities, and network service providers in Canada and the US while nurturing small businesses at HTC. Originally established in 1993 as Hamilton’s technology incubator, HTC has evolved into a private innovation hub fostering technology companies in the Hamilton area since its privatization in 2017. Rob's involvement extends to advisory roles, board memberships, and active participation in projects focused on broadband strategy with Intelligent Communities and municipal broadband networks. He holds degrees in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo and Economics from McMaster University.

Ed Jager

Canadian Trade Office in Taiwan (CTOT)

Ed is a Canadian Foreign Service Officer with many years of experience working with Canadian companies to open new markets and expand their presence abroad. After graduating from law school at the University of Western Ontario and being called to the bar in Ontario, he joined Global Affairs Canada in 1999.

Daniel Hengeveld

Toronto Global
Vice President, Investment Attraction

Daniel Hengeveld is the Vice President of Investment Attraction at Toronto Global, where he focuses on foreign direct investment (FDI), city building, and innovation. He guides leading technology, manufacturing, and life sciences companies in their international expansion strategies, and he specializes in developing smart city initiatives for sustainable urban growth. Daniel played a key role in creating Ontario’s Green Bonds program, advancing green infrastructure and transit projects. Under his leadership, Toronto Global has facilitated over 40,000 new jobs and more than $3 billion in capital investment since 2017. Beyond his professional role, Daniel is involved in sustainability efforts, serving on the boards of organizations like Impact Zero, advocating for the circular economy and environmental stewardship.

Jeff Graham

Rhyzome Networks, Stratford, Canada
CEO

Jeff Graham serves as President and CEO of Festival Hydro Inc. (FHI) and CEO of Rhyzome Networks, overseeing operations for over 22,000 customers. Under his leadership, both organizations have undergone strategic refreshes emphasizing a people-centric approach and technological innovation for enhanced performance. Jeff, a licensed Professional Engineer, brings extensive industry experience to his roles, having previously held management and engineering positions across various sectors of the energy industry in Canada. He holds engineering degrees from McMaster University and Brock University and currently serves on the board of SEED Co., the economic development corporation for the City of Stratford.

Peter Portheine

Eindhoven International Project Office (EIPO)
Co-Founder

Peter Portheine is a Partner and Co-Founder of EIPO providing socio-economic advisory throughout Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. He is a member of the Brainport Smart District, Smart City Strategies, Innovation Eco-systems. EIPO specialties include Smart Cities, Innovation eco-systems, Business Incubation, and economic transformation. EIPO was instrumental in the 2016 Navigator Strategy that Binh Duong, Vietnam implemented turning around their former agrarian and traditional manufacturing focus into an exciting emerging advanced manufacturing and innovation-centric hub, winning the 2023 Intelligent Community of the Year.

Martin Ritsma

Mayor
Stratford, Canada

Martin Ritsma, elected Mayor of Stratford in 2022, previously served as City Councillor and Deputy Mayor. With a 20-year teaching career, he initiated the St. Joseph’s Church Community Dinners and chaired the Stratford Fall Fair for over 30 years. Martin is deeply passionate about farming and agriculture, owning farms in and outside Stratford. He's the longest-standing member of the Stratford Agriculture Society, President of the Saddle Club, and actively involved in various volunteer endeavors, including Shelterlink and L’Arche Stratford. Martin's fundraising efforts include campaigns for the United Way, St. Joseph’s Church, and the Stratford Rotary Complex.

Nancy Richison

Journalist and Author

Nancy Richison is an award-winning journalist and author of Dublin, Ohio, part of Arcadia
Publishing’s Images of America series. She owns her own communications consulting company, providing counsel to public and private organizations on executive-level messaging and strategy, as well as speechwriting, editing and storytelling. Richison assisted five communities in submitting successful applications as part of the Intelligent Community Forum awards program, which recognizes cities achieving technology-driven success, and is currently serving as a juror for the ICF. She has authored articles for a variety of print and web publications, as well as edited numerous periodicals. Specializing in government relations and international initiatives, including overseeing Friendship City agreements, she has traveled to Ireland and Japan to facilitate global relationships. An avid community volunteer, Richison enjoys traveling and is currently writing a historical fiction novel.

Alba Monteiro de Oliveira Gil

Economy and Employment, Madrid, Spain
Councilor

Douglas McCollough

DMC Group , Dublin, Ohio, USA
President

Agustin Argelich

Principal Consultant
ARGELICH NETWORKS, Spain

Hugh Chow

ventureLAB
CEO

Pham Thuy Linh

Becamex
Director

Joani Gerber

Stratford Economic Enterprise Development Corporation
CEO

Joani Gerber, CEO of investStratford, supports the city's business interests, fostering growth, expansions, and partnerships. Emphasizing community-driven economic development, she focuses on workforce development, attainable housing, and smart technologies. A Stratford native, Joani maintains a global vision with a local perspective. Named Business Leader of the Year in 2022 by the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce, her experience includes roles at the Waterloo and Stratford Accelerator Centres, Perth Community Futures Development Corporation, and Stratford Perth Centre for Business. She holds a degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and serves on various Boards and Committees, including the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and United Way Perth-Huron.

Cheryl Odee Helm

Cheryl Odee Helm, Helm Communications
Founder

Cheryl is a seasoned Contact Center Technology and Operations Management Consultant with 30+ years of experience. Her expertise spans Contact Center Technologies, project management, and vendor/client relationship building. She excels in designing customer contact routing solutions, interpreting statistics, and facilitating successful implementations. Cheryl's diverse experience includes various industries such as insurance, airlines, and telecommunications, with specialties in workforce management, quality management, and CRM systems. She is also an educational instructor for Contact Center Management courses, ensuring ongoing success for organizations and their customers.

Avinash Persaud

ventureLAB
VP, Hardware Catalyst Initiative

Avinash is a seasoned professional with decades of experience in technology, spanning software, hardware, and semiconductor development. He began his career at Bell Northern Research and has held key roles at Nortel, Leitch Technologies, ATI, AMD, Fresco Microchip, and Spectra7 Microsystems. Avinash is adept at establishing end-to-end semiconductor supply chains in Asia, covering wafer production, IC assembly, testing, board assemblies, and box builds. His expertise includes setting up ISO systems, leading NPI and PDP development processes, and managing product characterization and qualification. Most recently he leads the Hardware Catalyst Initiative, ventureLAB's signature hardware programme that provides support for semiconductor, sensor technology and microelectronic solution startups.

James Yeh

Assistant Professor, Chung Hua University
Representative of ICF Institute in Taiwan

Rodrigo Ruiz Ballesteros

the Municipality of Queretaro
Innovation and Project Coordinator

Alex Mihailidis

University of Toronto
Associate Vice President for International Partnerships

Professor Mihailidis, Associate VP for International Partnerships at the University of Toronto, is Scientific Director of AGE-WELL and a Professor in Occupational Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science departments. With 24 years of research in elder technology, he's published over 250 papers. A Past-President of RESNA and a Fellow of CAHS, he's recognized by the UN for his contributions to healthy aging. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Bioengineering.

Michael Caldwell

Mayor
City of Woodstock, Georgia, United States

LaRhonda W. Patrick

City of Warner Robins, Georgia, United States
Mayor

王志輝

臺東縣
副縣長

謝淑亞

雲林縣
副縣長

Maggie Chao

Deputy Division Director
ICF Taiwan

Tiffany Lin

ICF Taiwan
Acting Deputy Manager