ACG Edmonton 2026 Corporate Growth Summit

Meet the key note speaker for the ACG Summit, Jake Karls. He is a different kind of business leader: Unapologetically authentic, refreshingly relatable, and free of BS.

He’s the Co-Founder and Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, a company on a mission to build the next big afternoon snacking brand in the better-for-you space. What started with three family members hand-making bars in their small Montreal condo has grown into a fully automated chocolate factory producing 150,000 bars a day, selling in over 10,000 stores across North America, and having sold more than 65 million bars to date. 

Mid-Day Squares is trying to shake up the $150 billion snacking industry through innovation, transparency, storytelling, and emotion.

Jake has been recognized as one of the rising voices in business today. He was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Food & Beverage), is a two-time EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, and has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Insider, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and many more.

Through raw storytelling and contagious energy, Jake has ignited a community around one simple idea: Being yourself is the ultimate competitive advantage.

James Marple is an Associate Vice President and Senior Economist with TD Bank Group. James and the economics team provide analysis and forecasts to TD clients and stakeholders covering the U.S., Canadian, and global economies.

In his current role, James oversees the economic scenario generation process for internal and regulatory stress testing exercises for the bank's operations in Canada and the U.S. 

James received his graduate degree in Economics from the University of Toronto in 2005. In October of 2025 he celebrated his eighteen-year anniversary with TD Bank Group.

Bob Dunn brings a rare perspective to the private markets.

As Managing Director of GF Data, Bob leads the business for its new owner, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), following a career spent in senior leadership roles at Dow Jones, Euromoney Institutional Investor, and With Intelligence.

He began his career as a journalist covering private equity, an experience that shaped how he approaches markets today: cutting through complexity and focusing on what truly matters for investors, advisors, and business owners.

Bob’s work spans private equity, venture capital, asset management, and corporate finance, making his insights especially relevant for anyone navigating today’s mid-market environment.
 

Karim is currently the Managing Director, ATB Capital for ATB Cormark Capital Markets, where he leads the junior capital solutions platform, providing customized unitranche, subordinated and mezzanine debt financing to help mid-market businesses grow, recapitalize, and pursue acquisitions.

Over the past 12+ years, he has built his career around debt origination, structuring, and portfolio management across sponsor-backed and high-growth companies in Canada and the U.S. Before joining ATB, he held senior roles with a private equity firm, a technology-focused bank, and a major Canadian financial institution, where he built and led capital markets and junior debt platforms and executed financings across a wide range of industries.

Karim holds both an MBA and an Honors Bachelor of Business Administration from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

As a member of the investment team, Kuba is primarily responsible for managing key components of CBGF’s investment process. In addition, he is responsible for assisting in the identification of new investment opportunities, managing and mentoring Analysts and Associates, and monitoring portfolio investments.

Prior to joining CBGF in 2026, Kuba was with CPS Capital, a lower mid-market private equity investor. He has also served as CFO of a private equity backed portfolio company, ran a search fund, and served on the investment team of Imperial Capital, another Canadian private equity firm. He started his career in strategy and operations consulting and has been active in several family businesses. Outside of his career, Kuba enjoys cycling, skiing, and spending time outdoors with his family.

Kuba holds an International Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and an MBA from INSEAD.

Michael is a Director of Longbow Capital, a Calgary based private equity investment manager with approximately $3 billion of assets under management. Longbow’s investment strategy is focused on all aspects of the energy and power sectors including energy transition, resource extraction, power generation, technology development and service & products based companies.

Longbow is currently investing out of Longbow Energy Transition Fund II, a $365 million capital pool. Prior to joining Longbow in 2019, Michael worked for an Ontario Teachers Portfolio Company for 3 years in the energy and infrastructure space, and spent the better part of the decade before that with Deloitte in their M&A Advisory practice supporting on over $7 Billion of mid-market transactions. Michael is a CA and CFA Charterholder.

Jordan Hokanson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hokanson Capital. Jordan joined the firm in 2002 and was appointed CEO in June 2010.

​Today, Mr. Hokanson oversees the strategic direction of the Edmonton-based, multifaceted real estate and investment company, with a keen eye for unrecognized opportunities locally and abroad. Jordan believes integrity is the foundation for good business. His relationship-focused strategy comes from recognizing that through the sharing of information and a commitment to win-win outcomes, Hokanson Capital, along with its stakeholders and partners, can succeed.

Mr. Hokanson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario (1998), a Petroleum Engineering Technology Diploma from NAIT (2000), and an MBA from the University of Alberta (2006).

​Jordan and his wife Tracie live in Edmonton and are the proud parents of their three lovely daughters.