Speakers
Chris Campbell
Vice President, Toronto Carpenters’ Union Local 27; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Representative, Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario (CDCO)
Chris is a proud graduate of George Brown College’s School of Apprenticeship & Skilled Trades. He has been a member of the Carpenters Union for 32 years and a full-time staff representative for 19 years. His work is now focused on addressing issues of racism, fighting discriminatory hiring practices and promoting trade to women and people in the BIPOC community. He also proactively fosters and engages in effective relationships with local community partners around the province. Chris also plays a major role in recruiting youth from his community to pursue careers in the construction trade.
Chris is on several boards and committees in the construction industry and in the local community, including the Carpenters’ Union Benefits and Pension Plan Board of Trustees, the Carpenters' Union Local 27 Executive Board, Board Chair of the Toronto Community Benefits Network, Executive Board Member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist, Toronto Crime Stoppers Board Member, The Toronto Police Black Community Consultative Committee, and the Carpenters’ Union Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Chef Masaki Saito
Owner, Sushi Masaki Saito
Chef Masaki Saito joined the Canadian culinary scene as a two-time two-star Michelin chef, having earned this prestigious recognition in New York in 2017 and 2018. In 2022, Chef Saito again earned two Michelin stars, this time in Toronto - being the only chef in the city to receive two stars in Michelin's 1st Toronto Guide and the only person in the world to hold two stars in both Toronto and New York.
Chef Saito's passion for fish developed early with an educational background in marine biology, but he always knew he would one day become a sushi chef. Perfecting unique Edomae-style sushi rarely experienced outside Japan, Chef Saito is proud to maintain the culinary traditions and memories he grew up with in his native Hokkaido.
Knowing how to carefully select and prepare the fish, the rice, the vinegar and the wasabi, and their proportionality in each dish, Chef Saito celebrates the complexity in its simplicity, the simplicity in its complexity - and the perfect balance appealing to all the senses in order to achieve optimal quality.
Chef Raquel Fox
Celebrity Chef, TV Personality, Cookbook Author, Entrepreneur, Bahamian Brand Ambassador
Chef Raquel Fox grew up in The Bahamas, where she learned to love the nuances of traditional island cooking from her grandmother. Always a seeker of knowledge, she attended international schools where she catalogued authentic family recipes from a melting pot of friends from all over the globe. Her passion for food and travel soon led to the establishment of Raquel and her husband Ruben’s restaurant, The Wine Lounge, which USA Today voted as one of the 10 Best Bahamian Lounges. Raquel had a wider vision. After moving to Canada, she studied at The Chef School at George Brown College in Toronto, where she explored all aspects of cooking, food culture and international cuisine. She designed and now teaches the Caribbean
Course and is a member of the International Cuisine Program Advisory Committee (PAC) at George Brown College.
Learn more about Raquel
She is often invited to events as a motivational speaker. Raquel is the award-winning author of Dining
in Paradise, which was also nominated in 2019 for The Taste Canada Awards and celebrated that year at Canada’s Table (Fort York). Raquel has recently received the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, a program that has been the leader in sharing and celebrating inspiring stories of immigrants. She proudly represents her Bahamian roots. Raquel is a regular contributor and guest expert on TV shows across Canada, including (but not limited to) Cityline, Breakfast Television and Global News. Raquel is a spokesperson for Foodland Ontario. She reaches millions of viewers each month with her charismatic style across this medium.
