Courtney Teahen went to University in Ottawa, graduating with a Law degree - double major in Public Affairs and Business Management & double minor in Canadian Studies and Sociology/Anthropology.

Courtney was recruited by National Trust / Scotia Bank after working undergrad legal matters but after 12 months in the banking world, left to join BELL Canada. Working in marketing and sales, Field Services, and finally after being certified by CFC Consulting Montreal, became a consultant and trainer for BCE corporate based out of Toronto and Montreal.

At BCE (Bell Canada), she was an integral part of developing the Performance System Program, a system that measures and helps implement continuous improvement for leaders. In this role, Courtney was engaged in being a mentor, public speaking engagements and coaching/training at the executive management level.

After 13 yrs. with Bell, Courtney opened a consulting company and provided training and coaching to municipal, and corporate leadership. Focusing on the keys to business success: communication, networking, feedback, coaching and supervision, empathy vs compassion.



Courtney then went back to school gaining her interior decor and design diploma and worked with Teahen clients. She was also president of the Builders Association for 2 yrs. and now sits on their executive board as education director for Perth - Huron.

As well as being the community affairs director for Teahen Ltd. Courtney is a wife and mom to two kids and 2 dachshunds. Courtney also runs a property management company and recently, Courtney launched a new jewelry design company called, The Company. In addition she manages the Teahen Children’s Charity which has raised over $90,000 for youth in need in Stratford and area.

Don is a veteran Financial Advisor providing Life Insurance, and Investment services. He also served on the St. Marys Town Council for 18 years and is very active in his community. In his spare time he enjoys, sailing, tennis, and acting in local theatres.

Mr. Famme is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University where he obtained his Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1996 and was a graduating member of the Dean’s honour roll. After graduation, he was employed with Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers chartered accounting firms in Waterloo and wrote his chartered accounting exams in 1997. Franklin moved back to Stratford in 1998 to join Famme & Co. and later became a partner of the firm in 2001.

Mr. Famme services a variety of clients including owner-managed small businesses, professionals, construction and manufacturing companies, and farm and related businesses to name a few. He is a graduate of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountant’s in-depth tax courses, and its successor course on advanced tax issues for the owner-managed business. As a result of his specialized tax training, he offers a variety of detailed tax planning services and has been invited on various occasions to perform seminars and speaking engagements for organizations including government agencies, non-profit organizations, chartered banks, investment companies, charities, and schools.

In 2020, Franklin was the recipient of the Business Leader of the Year award as provided by the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce. This award is annually given to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to their community, and commitment to self-development, and a contribution to the business community.

Franklin and his wife Stephanie live in Stratford where they enjoy experiencing local culture and spending time with their adult children.

Jeff is Owner/Account Executive of Orr Insurance & Investment, and has been in the industry since 1987. He specializes in commercial, personal property and auto insurance.

Jeff has served on many community boards including past chair of the Stratford Public Library, Stratford Optimist Club, Stratford District Chamber of Commerce, Invest Stratford, Stratford Perth Museum and the Stratford Basketball Association. Jeff was also the recipient of the Stratford Minor sports Council Sports Person of the year and Stratford and District Chamber of Commerce Business Leader Award.

31 years in Real Estate and still enthusiastic about the industry, John has a wealth of knowledge to share with the Realtors on his team. An industry leader having sat on many real estate boards and committees, currently on the Huron Perth Real Estate Board and a member of the RE/MAX National Advisory Council. As Broker of Record,

John has a commitment to mentoring Realtors to become the best in the industry. The team at RE/MAX a-b Realty are some of the highest producers in the industry and work hard to give their clients exceptional service. Feel free to reach out with questions if you are interested in working with the team at RE/MAX a-b Realty. 

As Co-Founder and President at Credence & Co., Marg Van Herk-Paradis specializes in working with workplaces to address conflict, transform organizational culture, and clarify organizational mission and vision through the use of creative tools. Having worked extensively across North America, Marg specializes in facilitation, coaching, and mediation for groups and individuals.

Marg has worked with businesses, universities, social service organizations, not-for-profits, and a variety of faith-based organizations.

Marg’s professional experience includes over twenty-five years in not-for-profit organizations, of which seventeen years were in a senior leadership position. She has a BA in Applied Social Science from Concordia University in Montreal and a Master of Theological Studies from Conrad Grebel University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo. Marg is a Qualified Mediator with the ADR Institute of Canada and a member of the ADR Institute of Ontario and is a certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainer for individuals and groups.

Don’t be afraid to start over. It’s a chance to rebuild things. This time better. The way you want it....’

The real estate market and the business of real estate are constantly evolving and after 23 years working for major franchise companies, Marian, finally, took the leap of faith to build Home & Company Real Estate in 2013.

As Realtors we have the most awesome privilege of being involved in a family’s journey to find HOME. This relationship deserves our enthusiasm, patience, skilled guidance and our very best efforts, always.’

Stratford is home to Marian, husband Robert and 2 cats with dog like personalities. They are proud parents of their 'becoming adults' children, Emma and Maklane. When not working, time spent travelling, a bit of cycling or hiking, or relaxing with friends, makes life complete.

Michael is the President of Future Focus Inc where he has spent the last 20 years working alongside small & mid-size organizations as an advisor, trainer, and coach in the areas of business strategy, talent development and leadership training.

Michael and his team at Future Focus launched the Leadership Effectiveness Program in 2019 which has had a vast impact on companies and their leadership teams. He is passionate about helping current and future leaders on their journeys!

A former newspaper reporter and editor, Mike Anderson transitioned into the construction equipment trade press in 1996 and spent the next 20 years as a trade journalist for various publications in Canada and the United States. During that span, he also began transitioning into marketing communications, which eventually led him back to this region.

Mike worked for a marketing agency in London, Ontario, where he began a client relationship with Stratford's Cleanfix North America Inc. Then, in June 2019, he joined the Cleanfix staff in Stratford on a full-time permanent basis as Marketing Coordinator and is now the Marketing Manager.

Prior to building KEEP, Philip spent 15 years in the enterprise software industry and has worked with some of the most forward thinking organizations in North America and Europe. During a 6 year career at Thomson Reuters in San Francisco, Philip was responsible for managing Thomson Reuters' F500 pharmaceutical and healthcare clients where he worked closely with their corporate development and finance teams. From there, Philip joined multiple early stage startups in the enterprise healthcare, fintech and video conferencing industries where he held senior leadership positions in corporate development and lead two M&A transactions valued >$100M.

Throughout his career, Philip has also co-founded three SaaS companies to solve problems he faced in his professional and personal life: an AI Physical Therapist (www.physiobot.io), a gratitude platform (www.coffeeson.me), an email automation platform (www.hundo.io - acquired in 2020) and finally, KEEP Labs.

Experienced Business Executive currently working as Director, Audience Development at the Stratford Festival. A passion for Public Affairs was honed through roles in both education and transportation before transitioning to a career in arts management.

Skilled in Communications, Guest Relations, Negotiations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Crisis Management, and Media Relations. Actively engaged in the community, sitting on several boards and a regular volunteer for a wide variety of community projects. Strong business acumen gained as an MBA graduate of the Ivey Business School, University of Western University. Passionate about the community of Stratford since moving here in 2012. Can't think of a better place to live with my husband, teenage daughter and two far-too-cute French Bulldogs.

Owner & CFO for Windsor Hospitality Inc. which includes Mercer Kitchen & Beer Hall, Best Western Premier Collection Mercer Hotel, The Prune Restaurant, YSK Bistro and Best Western Plus Walkerton Hotel & Conference Center as well as Windsor Hospitality Management & Consulting.



Some cornerstones of her working philosophy is to give back to the community who gives so much to you, be the kind of employer that you, yourself, would want to work with and stay current, exciting and kind to your customers, always keeping their wants and needs at the forefront in your business planning. Do your best, while your best might change from day to day and minute to minute, it's all anyone can ever ask. Just do your best.

Knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and a compassionate leader are just a few words most often used to describe Tanya Quipp. With almost two decades of experience in the fast-paced financial industry, Tanya has established herself as a powerhouse and an innovative leader, trainer and Community Manager.

After completing a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) at the University of Guelph. Tanya worked her way up at Libro Credit Union. Tanya works tirelessly to lead strategic business development, strengthened client relationships, and guides the success of her phenomenal team. Tanya has consistently found success through her effective communication skills and the unique ability to navigate the details.

Tanya has worked as a lending specialist, Branch Manager and Community Manager. Tanya worked tirelessly to expand her experience and financial acumen, which would guide her down the path into leadership and higher levels of responsibility. These roles have led her to one of the best organization in the industry, Libro Credit Union. 

A skilled CAREER and JOB SEARCH COACH with over 20 years experience in helping over 5,000 people in Perth and Huron Counties in:

• Determining career and job goals that match their personality and life plans

• Developing job search tools (resume, cover letter, applications, portfolios) that get noticed

• Implementing an systematic job search that accesses the hidden job market and gets results

• Being skilled at presenting their skills and accomplishments in interviews to secure job offers

• Negotiating the job offer and discussing salary

A skilled TRAINER with over 15 years experience designing and delivering training for the hospitality, healthcare, policing, education, manufacturing, finance and social services sectors.

I have worked with people who have diverse backgrounds in education, experience, age, culture and employment goals, all with equal success.

I am a strong believer in the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 Rule. In project management, training, coaching, or managing, focus on the 20% that makes the 80% difference.

Travis Blum is a dynamic community leader who is passionate about living and building his business in the community of Stratford. In 2014, he left his role as General Manager of GoodLife Fitness to open a financial services practice with Sun Life Financial. In 2021, Travis left Sun Life to join IG Wealth Management as a Senior Financial Consultant and pivoted his practice to focus more on financial planning for business owners and executives.



Travis is a strong community advocate and has served on the SDCC board for the past six years. During his time as Chair, he saw an opportunity to better engage our young professionals and initiated the launch of our Chamber Young Professionals program in 2019. During his time on the Board, he also spearheaded the Governance, Young Professional, Golf and Covid Action Plan committees.

In 2022 Travis combined his passion for leadership and finance to become a Division Manager with IG Wealth, while still maintaining his practice and clients as a Senior Financial Consultant. He and his wife Kathleen live in Stratford and recently welcomed their beautiful daughter Kenna, who is notably, one of the best dressed babies in Perth County (thanks to Kathleen).

I joined RBC Wealth Management as an associate Investment Advisor. From day one, I hit the ground running as the expectation was that I would start and grow my own business from scratch in order to help the Investment Advisor (who hired me) to slow down.

I had to achieve big goals of new client acquisitions while maintaining the current clientele and portfolio management. 3 years later I joined as an official partner of the firm and 3 years after that I took over the business to become the lead Portfolio Manager.

To get into my field, I studied business finance at Indiana State University while playing the sport I loved, baseball. Other than the 4.5 year hiatus to the US, I have spent my childhood and now career living in the beautiful city of Stratford. My wife and I have decided to raise our family in Stratford. We acknowledge that we have a wonderful work/life/family balance while living in this vibrant community. I believe the secret to success is to find the right balance of work/life/family.