Meet the Hunter Prize judges

Jennifer Keesmaat is an urban planner named one of the “most powerful people in Canada” by Macleans, one of the “most influential” by Toronto Life, and one of the top Women of Influence in Canada. She spent half a decade as Toronto’s Chief City Planner, where she was celebrated for her forward thinking and collaborative approach to city-building. Keesmaat is President and CEO of Collecdev-Markee, developing new communities across the GTA as sustainable, liveable places that prioritize access to high quality, affordable housing. A Distinguished Visitor in Residence Emeritus at the University of Toronto, Keesmaat continues to share her vision for cities of the future, through her WEBBY Award-winning podcast, Invisible City.

Keesmaat is the Chief Architect of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities, which is a blueprint for adapting cities post Covid19 that has been adopted by cities around the world. Keesmaat is on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute, Toronto, and is appointed to the International Panel of Experts, Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority. Jennifer is on the Board of Directors for May Mobility, and is on the President’s Planning and Growth Advisory Board and Design Review Panel for Ohio State University. Jennifer is recognized as one of the 100 most influential urbanists of all time, by Planetizen Magazine.

Evan Siddall joined AIMCo as Chief Executive Officer in July, 2021. Previously, Evan served as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Under his leadership, CMHC transformed itself into a client-centered, innovative, impactful organization. Evan’s three decade career in finance also includes stints with leading investment banking firms in Toronto and New York and two years as a senior executive with Irving Oil Limited.

Evan has a B.A. in Management Economics from the University of Guelph, a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School and has completed Harvard Business School’s Presidents Program in Leadership. He co-founded Growling Beaver Brevet, the largest single day fundraiser for Parkinson’s in Canada, which has raised nearly $2 million in five years. Evan is a dedicated cyclist, skier and a voracious reader. He has two adult children.

Ben Rabidoux is the founder and president of North Cove Advisors, a market research firm serving institutional and high net worth clients since 2013. His work focuses on housing, household credit, and macroeconomic trends, and he is consistently ranked top 5 for Canadian economic coverage by Brendan Wood International.

More recently he founded Edge Realty Analytics (www.edgeanalytics.ca) which equips top real estate professionals with timely research and insightful marketing infographics to help them stand apart from the competition and stay engaged with their clients and prospects. Ben is a frequent guest and contributor in major media outlets including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Macleans, and many others.

Mike is the Founding Director of the PLACE Centre. Mike’s research focuses on the intersection of regional economic development, building child-friendly, climate-friendly housing and communities, and clean innovation. In 2017, Mike was the Chief Innovation Fellow for the Government of Canada, advising Deputy Ministers on innovation policy and emerging trends.

Amanda Lang is award-winning business journalist, best selling author and chair of the board of directors of Covenant House Toronto, the largest agency in Canada serving homeless and at-risk youth. Lang studied Architecture at the University of Manitoba, before becoming a journalist. Her first job in journalism was for The Globe and Mail, and subsequently Lang joined the Financial Post newspaper, where she became the FP’s New York correspondent. Returning from New York, she was part of the team that launched BNN which in turn launched her 25 year on-air career that includes time as a CNN reporter, then various anchor roles at BNN before joining the CBC’s as its senior business correspondent, reporting for The National, and hosting The Exchange with Amanda Lang.

Lang is currently a senior contributor and on-air personality for BNN Bloomberg, CP24 and CTV News Channel. Lang is also a senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a best-selling author. Her book The Power of Why explores the connection between curiosity and success. The Beauty of Discomfort examines how difficult change can be, and set out strategies for how to achieve it.