Firoz Khan, General Manager of Banas Stones and Porcelain, has been successfully running his Canadian location for the past 20 years.

With his vast knowledge of the hardscape industry, Firoz was able to constantly innovate and shape the way the industry standards have evolved throughout the years.

Firoz thrives to ensure that the future of our industry meets the revolutionairy pace of advancrment for both stone and porcelain.

Frank Bourque has been part of the Green Industry for over 26 years. As a business owner, he has built, scaled and sold multiple million-dollar companies. Now, as an industry leading consultant, he coaches and speaks at some of the largest conferences and contractor events throughout the US and Canada. He has been part of the speaker line-up and host of the events such as Hardscape North America, GIE Expo, Landscape Ontario Congress, Landscape & Hardscape Business Success Summit, Home Service Super Summit and many more. Frank is dedicated to helping landscape business owners and their teams to improve growth, efficiency, business systems, profits and their quality of life.

Nora Saintz is a Certified Nursery and Landscaping Professional (CNLP), Master Gardener, and horticultural speaker with 20 years of industry experience. After receiving her landscape design certificate from Cornell University, she founded Gardenette, a landscape design service in Buffalo, NY for DIY homeowners.

Nora specializes in developing business systems for landscape designers that support their creative work. She helps professionals strengthen client relationships through effective education and communication. Her approach balances design excellence with efficient operations, enabling designers to maintain their regional expertise while building more profitable practices.

Kim Eierman is the Founder of EcoBeneficial LLC.  She is an ecological landscape designer and environmental horticulturist specializing in native plants. The author of The Pollinator Victory Garden, Kim is an active speaker nationwide on many ecological landscape topics.  She teaches at New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Massachussets Horticultural Society and The Native Plant Center.

Bruno is the Field Technical Advisor and Strategic Trainer for Techniseal. Having been in the landscaping industry for over 12 years, he initially worked as a contractor before becoming Regional Sales Director for a paving manufacturer. For the past 5 years, Bruno has been part of the Techniseal team, helping not only with product development (through field testing) but also understanding and simplifying industry theories and best practices. Bruno, therefore, becomes the technical link between the manufacturer and the users of our products.

Meet George Urvari — the Business Fixer for the Landscape Industry

George Urvari is the kind of guy who can take a messy income statement, a struggling crew, or an underperforming business—and turn it around. As co-founder of Knowledge Tree Consulting, Oriole Landscaping Ltd. and Solid Space Construction, George has spent over 40 years building two of Canada’s top award-winning design/build firms. His companies have racked up major accolades, including Ontario’s prestigious Casey Van Maris and Dunnington Grubb awards for innovation and excellence.

But George doesn’t just build great landscapes—he builds great businesses. For more than 20 years, he’s been a sought-after consultant helping construction and trades companies across Canada, the U.S., and Europe streamline operations, boost profitability, and rethink the way they run. His tools? Proven frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix, Kaizen Philosophy, and First Principles Thinking—combined with a deep belief that people, culture, and process are the real foundations of success.

A past president of the Toronto Chapter of Landscape Ontario, George is also a popular speaker at industry conferences. Known for his straight talk and real-world insights, he brings energy and clarity to every session. He holds a B.A. from the University of Toronto and lives in Toronto with his wife Julie, their two kids, and their dog Bobbi. When he’s not transforming businesses, you’ll find him on the tennis court or golfing with friends—often turning those into strategy sessions, too.

Jen Llewellyn is an award-winning Horticulturalist, Consulting Arborist, Biologist and professional Speaker.  She has over 27 years of experience in the green industry and has worked with all sectors including growing, installation, maintenance and retail.  She was the provincial Horticulturalist for over 23 years, providing expert advice to the entire sector regarding growing, plant health, plant physiology, nutrition, soils and much more.  Jen has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Science (Plant Biology & Horticulture) from the distinguished University of Guelph and is also an ISA Certified Arborist.  She has produced 100’s of industry articles, lectures and workshops in Canada and the United States. Jen is also co-author of BugFinder, the ultimate scouting app.  You can find Jen at GreenBirdHort.com.  

Coming Soon

Kate has always had a passion for the environment, earning her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Environmental Biology, followed by a Master of Applied Science in Environmental Applied Science & Management from Toronto Metropolitan University. Throughout her graduate research, she focused on biogeochemical cycling within lake sediments and using innovative remediation technology to facilitate phosphorous retention. During this time, she discovered a passion for teaching, and her interest in the development of scientific methodology. Since graduating, Kate has worked in environmental consulting, with projects looking at urban forests from a soils perspective. In 2024, Kate joined the Earthco team as an Environmental Scientist. She looks forward to speaking about the importance of soils in Ontario landscapes.

With 17 years in business and multiple awards under our belt, Lavish Gardens Inc. is a landscape firm with a strong focus on natural plantings. Karina's designs embrace a sustainable approach to ensure ecological integrity of the landscape. Her ultimate goal is to help create biodiverse home landscapes - engaging outdoor spaces that draw people outside and allows them to disconnect from their busy lives to reconnect with nature. She believe that wildlife equals human life, and that landscapes built as ecosystems can play an integral part in human wellbeing.

Erin Alladin is a writer, speaker, and co-host of the Ontario gardening podcast Plants Always Win. She discovered a love for creating educational gardening content as the founder of Garden@Kimbourne Community Permaculture Project in Toronto and went on to establish her own online platform in 2020 under the name Earth Undaunted. There, she explores new research supporting or challenging permaculture concepts and shares information and inspiration for gardeners who, like her, navigate chronic illness and physical disability.

Emily Posteraro is a Program Development Coordinator at the Invasive Species Centre, where she focuses on spotted lanternfly education and outreach, facilitating collaboration on invasive species management between municipalities, and coordinating efforts to address the cumulative impacts of invasive species and climate change.  She holds a Master of Environmental Science degree from the University of Toronto, Scarborough and an Honours BSc in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Toronto, St. George.

Coming Soon

Cassie Russell is the Nursery and Landscape Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA). She completed her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at the University of Guelph and has spent the last 8 years studying and working in the horticulture industry, specifically in fruits, greenhouse vegetables, and now woody ornamentals. Cassie specializes in integrated pest management and entomology where she collaborates with local researchers and the Landscape Ontario growers sector group on applied research projects and annual pest scouting at nurseries across the province.  

Heather owns and operates a Landscape Design company out of London, Ontario - My Landscape Artist. Heather's passion and enthusiasm for people and plants is undeniable. She has studied Landscape Design at Fanshawe College, Garden History in Italy & Spain, worked at a design firm in Cairo Egypt, lived in India and volunteered in Haiti. She started her business 'My Landscape Artist' during the pandemic in 2020 and hasn't looked back. Now, she teaches and speaks virtually and in-person all over Ontario - and one day - the world!

Ellise has been in the world of permeable paving for almost 15 years. Over that time, she has seen tremendous change and growth, largely due to the landscapers, contractors and supporters of Landscape Ontario. It is imperative that permeable paving is approached in the correct manner so that the installations are done properly, the clients are not incurring huge installation fees and the results are positive and long lasting.

A large part of Ellise's day focuses on education and support for those entering the world of permeable paving.

In her free time she is found on nature walks, in the hot yoga studio or playing with her grandchildren.