The next decade of trade will be defined by AI, resilience, and non-traditional markets, and Canadian exporters are already rising to the challenge. That was the tone at Leaders in Export Excellence 2025, an annual event celebrating alumni of the World Trade Centre Toronto’s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). This year, 200 trade leaders, innovators, and alumni gathered to celebrate 10 years of TAP and explore the future of Canadian exports.
Celebrating TAP Alumni: Starfish Synergies and BNL Media Consulting
The evening opened with the Air Canada Export Awards, honouring two outstanding TAP alumni, who received travel vouchers courtesy of Air Canada in recognition of their extraordinary successes in trade:
- Best Export Plan – Theresa Bailey, Starfish Synergies
Bailey’s innovative, play-based leadership and team development programs, developed in partnership with Hasbro, are redefining corporate training. Her TAP-built export plan lays out a bold path for scaling across North America, and she is already securing high-profile international contracts and keynote opportunities. - Exporter of the Year – Megan Shallow, BNL Media Consulting
Shallow’s Vancouver-based digital marketing agency has grown its export revenue by over 500% since TAP, expanding into the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Her approach blends authentic storytelling with strategic content to help brands build global communities.
Both winners reflected on how TAP shaped their success. “By the time I finished, I felt more confident in my strategy, my export plan, and the importance and value of the relationships and connections that had been fostered along the way,” Bailey said.
Conversations on Trade’s Future
In addition to the awards, attendees heard discussions about what lies ahead for Canadian exporters.
The panel discussion, The Future of Exporting: Resilience, Connectivity & Community, moderated by Bill Macheras of Global Affairs Canada, featured Nazar Bylen (RBC Trade Solutions) and former TAP graduates Leisa Hirtz (Women’s Global Health Innovations), Conner Tidd (Just Vertical) and Peter Hawkins (MELLOHAWK Logistics).
A fireside chat with Shona Reilly, Director of Trade at Calgary Economic Development, and Justin Kudding, CEO of Plunge Audio and nominee for Export Plan of the Year, brought a perspective from a different Canadian market.
These discussions highlighted a number of key takeaways, including:
- AI and digital tools as game-changers for compliance, logistics, and forecasting.
- Canadian quality as a competitive edge in global markets.
- Complexities of physical exports, from packaging standards to customs bottlenecks.
- The power of relationships, with panelists pointing to mentors, trade boards, and financial institutions as key enablers of global growth.
- Tariff uncertainty driving real challenges for businesses crossing into the U.S., highlighting the need for careful planning and diversification to stay resilient.
“Export success often hinges on asking the right questions early,” panelists agreed, from compliance to financing strategies and highlighted how helpful it is to have support, rather than having to go at it alone.
Looking Ahead
In his closing remarks, Jon Worren, Vice President of WTC-T, reminded attendees that the next decade of exporting will require adaptability, cross-sector collaboration, and technological readiness.
“The exporters of the next decade won’t just cross borders… they’ll cross disciplines and technologies we haven’t even named yet,” he said, noting that this is why WTC-T is scaling TAP and investing in new initiatives like the AI Business Catalyst to equip Canadian SMEs with the tools they’ll need to lead globally.
Leaders in Export Excellence 2025 celebrated TAP’s first decade while issuing a clear call to action: embrace innovation, diversify markets, and build the partnerships that define global success.
Want to learn more? Don’t miss our podcast featuring Air Canada Best Export Plan winner Theresa Bailey.
Thank you to our Event Partner, Air Canada.
