Keynote Speaker: Kelsey Ramsden, Profit W100 Winner, Cancer Survivor, Mom

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Ranked #1 by Profit and Chatelaine Magazines W100 list in 2012, Kelsey has founded and run businesses as diverse as construction and children’s toys. As President of Belvedere Place Development, a land development and construction firm, she wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and strap on some work boots and get down in the dirt.


Kelsey delivers her talk “Play is the New PhD” at TEDxKelowna.

And as founder of Spark Play, a monthly play subscription service – as much for parents as for their kids – she finds herself back on the ground, and yes, sometimes playing with dirt; encouraging growth and development through creative play.

This formerly wayward student, born of generations of true grit and determination, triumphed when she graduated with her MBA from the highly regarded Ivey School of Business. She credits that same grit and determination for helping her overcome a devastating cancer prognosis last year – a cancer she has since overcome. In her work she balances venom and virtue, book and street smarts, while always holding that imagination and play are powers greater than knowledge.

In addition to her ongoing ventures, Kelsey provides wing man services to both budding and big business as well as provides comment to various media agencies across the country on the topics on entrepreneurship, modern play and the value of nimble thought in our modern economy. She is Mommy to three children under seven and a still-blissful bride of nine years.