About The Hub

Rudyard Griffiths is the Chair of the Munk Debates, moderator of the 2015 Munk Debate on Foreign Policy, and publisher of The Hub. 

Sean Speer is The Hub’s Editor-at-Large. He is also a university lecturer at the University of Toronto and Carleton University, as well as a think-tank scholar and columnist. He previously served as a senior economic adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Harrison Lowman is The Hub’s Managing Editor. He has worked for more than a decade in journalism, including at TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin, CBC News, CTV National News, and The Literary Review of Canada. He’s also an enthusiastic Scout leader.

Luke Smith is The Hub’s Deputy Editor. He is a writer and editor with previous experience in marketing and communications, including working on the international trade and investment team at Edmonton Economic Development Corporation.

Amal is The Hub’s Content Editor, Content Manager and Podcast Producer. She was a marketing coordinator at the Munk Debates and a Master’s graduate from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

Alisha Rao is The Hub’s Content Coordinator. She has previously worked as a program specialist at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and is a Master’s graduate of Queen’s University.

Taylor is The Hub’s Research and Prize Manager. He is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the University of Toronto. He has worked with several think tanks in Canada and the U.S. and previously served as a senior advisor to the Ontario Minister of Finance.

Élie Cantin-Nantel is The Hub’s Ottawa Correspondent. Prior to joining the team, he practiced journalism for a variety of outlets. Élie also has experience working on Parliament Hill and is completing a joint honours in communication and political science at the University of Ottawa. He is bilingual.

Elia Gross is The Hub’s Advertising Content Coordinator. She recently graduated from the University of King’s College with a joint honours degree in philosophy and contemporary studies.

Kirk LaPointe is The Hub‘s B.C. Correspondent. He is a transplanted Ontarian to British Columbia. Before he left, he ran CTV News, Southam News and the Hamilton Spectator. He also helped launch the National Post as its first executive editor, was a day-one host on CBC Newsworld, and ran the Ottawa bureau of The Canadian Press. His B.C. experiences include being managing editor of the Vancouver Sun, the English-language ombudsman of the CBC, and most recently the publisher and editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver and vice-president editorial of its parent company, Glacier Media. He ran and finished second for the Vancouver mayoralty in 2014. He has taught for two decades at the UBC School of Journalism and now writes columns for Glacier Media.

Ken is the editor and publisher at The Sutherland House, former SVP Public Policy at Rogers Communications, former editor-in-chief and publisher of Maclean’s, and founding editor of the National Post.

Mark has served in several government roles and advisory positions, including as Director of Policy and Research in the Prime Minister’s Office (2006-2009) and Deputy Minister of the Policy Coordination Office in the Government of Alberta (2019-2022). He was also the Executive Director of Canadians for Clean Prosperity and has held advisory board roles with the Banff Forum, Canadian-American Business Council, Canada-India Business Council, Canada 2020, Cardus, Energy Futures Lab, and Smart Prosperity.