Meet the Judges

Dr. Ann Kaplan Mulholland, DBA, MSc, MBA, ICD.D

Dr. Ann Kaplan is a public speaker, 7x author, television celebrity (Real Housewives, 3x host), wife to Dr. Stephen Mulholland and a mother of 6. She is also an award-winning businesswoman (over 40 national and international awards including twice named EY Canadian Female Entrepreneur of the Year). In 1996 Dr Kaplan founded iFinance (small ticket consumer lending) and, over twenty-five years, built the company to recognize over 2B dollars in loan applications.

To this day, Dr Kaplan continues to stay involved in finance as a regular news commentator throughout North America. Not shy to media, Ann has hosted three national television shows and starred on the Real Housewives, she is currently slated to star in a docu-reality show largely based around her real estate investments.

Dr Kaplan currently owns and operates an insurance company, a large real estate portfolio and
has her own fashion line. In her spare time, she does stand-up comedy.

https://annkaplan.com | IG @annkaplan_ownit

Elizabeth Oates, Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Elizabeth Oates has over 20 years of comprehensive, financial service experience in complex and challenging situations. She uses a pragmatic approach to drive business outcomes and build teams across customer journeys, CRM & analytics, sales management, incentives, and digital transformation. She has now leveraged her approach as an entrepreneur in co-founding Global Leader Group, one of the world's fastest growing consultancy firms.

As Global Head of Customer Management and Servicing Tools for HSBC she led the design and delivery of all CRM technology to support employee productivity and customer servicing for 65,000 users. Elizabeth previously served as the Global Head of Wealth Customer Journeys for HSBC, being subject-matter-expert and co-designer of the Customer Journey Framework leveraged by all the bank's markets.

Elizabeth is an expert in design thinking facilitation bringing together customer and employee
experiences; and has extensive experience implementing multi-channel contact strategies. She
is passionately committed to helping women grow their leadership, devoting time to
mentoring, speaking and community contribution. https://globalleadergroup.com/ | IG @singaloates

Blair Kaplan Venables, CEO + Founder

Blair Kaplan Venables is an expert in social media marketing and the CEO + Founder of Blair Kaplan Communications, a British Columbia-based PR agency. She brings fifteen years of experience to her clients, including global wellness, entertainment and lifestyle brands. She is the creator of the Social Media Empowerment Pillars, has helped her customers grow their followers into the tens of thousands in just one month, win integrative marketing awards and more.

Recently USA Today listed Blair as one of the top 10 conscious female leaders and Yahoo! listed Blair as a top ten social media expert to watch. She has spoken on national stages, and her expertise has been featured in media outlets, including Forbes, CBC Radio, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global. In the summer of 2023, a new show that will be airing on Amazon Prime Video called 'MyStory' will showcase Blair's life story. She hosts the Radical Resilience podcast and is an international bestselling author. In her free time, you can find Blair growing The Global Resilience Project's community, where users share their stories of overcoming life's most challenging moments.

https://blairkaplan.ca | IG @blairfromblairland

Austin Zelan, Investor + Philanthropist

Austin Zelan is an American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist helping people around the world create financial freedom. His main focus is on investments that create cashflow for his clients and allow them to live the life they deserve.

He's on a mission to create 100 millionaires through his unique passive income strategies. He provides strategic coaching and mentorship for students around the world.

www.austinzelan.com | @austinzelan

Cassius F. Butts, Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Partner

Cassius F. Butts has worked alongside domestic and international heads of state, presidents, and CEOs for the past 30 years. He founded Capital Fortitude Business Advisors consulting firm and currently serves as the Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Partner with Global Leader Group based in Salt Lake City with offices in Atlanta, GA. In 2021, Cassius was appointed as the national co-chair of the General Services Administration's Policy Acquisition Committee. He was also appointed to serve on the Biden-Harris Agency Transition Team to assist in the establishment of the new federal administration in 2020.

Being an advocate for good government, Cassius was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve on the Georgia Economic Development Board and chairman of Fort McPherson Local Redevelopment Agency, which led the effort to sell the property to Tyler Perry Studios and T.D. Jakes respectively. In addition, under Gov. Kemp's Georgians First committee, Cassius was appointed to create a business plan for small and minority owned businesses throughout the state. In 2022, the state of Georgia adopted and implemented its first supplier diversity czar to help level opportunities for underserved businesses.

As the former Regional Administrator for the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) appointed by President Barack Obama, Cassius helped managed five record-breaking years for SBA lending ($30 billion). Cassius also honorably served as a Presidential Management Fellow during his time in the George W. Bush Administration within the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). The 1994 Morehouse College and 2002 Clark Atlanta University graduate recently authored his first book, “Exceptional – “Being the Exception to the Rule”. It is in the book where he shares his business experiences and to help others succeed in personal and professional settings while relying on his faith.