Board of Directors

Kwende Kefentse is a creator, researcher, administrator, and cultural innovator based in Ottawa. Over a 20-year career, he’s blended creative practice, cultural industries development, and public policy, and has been featured in CityLab, Spacing Magazine, and Monocle Radio.

As Ottawa's first Cultural Industries Development Officer, he mapped cultural resources and co-led the Renewed Action Plan for Arts, Heritage, and Culture (2013-2018), setting the stage for the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and the Ottawa Music Strategy (2018-2020). As CKCU-FM's first executive director, he reimagined the station post-pandemic, focusing on technological modernization and community reconnection.

Holding an MRes from UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture, Kwende explored cultural production in local music industries. He’s a research fellow at Carleton University’s Research Centre for Music, Sound, and Society and serves on boards like the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and Ottawa Film Office.

As DJ Memetic, he’s shaped Ottawa’s underground music scene since 2005 through TIMEKODE, earning acclaim from Vice Thump and Radio Nova. Currently, he’s building a consultancy practice and a boutique mixing, mastering, and music project collaboration space.

Kevin Ford is a Canadian business leader best known for his transformative 10-year tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of Calian Group Ltd., a diversified provider of mission-critical solutions in defence, space, healthcare and infrastructure services.

Under Ford’s leadership, Calian shifted from a conservative, technology-focused firm into a dynamic global enterprise with diversified offerings and significant growth through both organic initiatives and strategic acquisitions. During his decade as CEO, the company’s revenues grew from about $242 million to over $750 million, supported by more than twenty acquisitions and expansion into international markets. 

Ford’s leadership earned industry recognition, named CEO of the Year by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and Ottawa Business Journal in 2017, EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019,  Canada’s Defence Executive of the Year by CDR in 2024 and was recently named as the recipient of the 2026 NorthStar award which celebrates excellence in Canadian based business leaders. He has championed corporate culture, innovation, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement, notably supporting military families and charitable causes. He is the co-chair of the Ottawa Hospital Foundation campaign to raise $500M to build a new Civic campus and supports the live music ecosystem. 

He is married to his wife of 40 years Marlene, and they are the proud parents of four boys.

Chris is a digital strategist and communications professional with more than 16 years of experience. He speaks and consults with companies and organizations that span the private and high-tech sectors, federal, provincial, and municipal governments, non-for-profit associations, and the North American start-up community. His specialties include: communications and operations technology; digital strategy and marketing; community management; social media; intellectual property management; and web, print, and digital asset management and development. He has extensive experience in custom-developed software, applications, and UI/UX, and prides himself on a results-oriented and analytical approach to meeting milestones and achieving goals.

Emma Francis is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Regional Programming Manager for Ottawa Bluesfest and CityFolk Festival. Emma has over a decade of experience in festivals, live events, and the nonprofit sector - specializing in artistic programming, operations, strategic planning, government relations, and audience development. 

Erin is an accomplished professional with over 30 years experience in the live music industry, arts programming, and community engagement. 
Those experiences have expanded her knowledge, grown her versatility in the arts and culture sector and set the stage for a long-term commitment to supporting the community. 

Erin has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous talented artists and their dedicated teams, fuelling her passion for championing their work, vision and creativity while creating opportunities to build a legacy that will succeed them. 

My name is Qianjia Huang, aka Shy—but I’m not shy at all! Since moving to Ottawa in 2017, I’ve been committed to strengthening the local music scene. I’m the founder of the Ottawa Chinese Musicians Association (est. 2019) and a vocalist with 20+ years of band experience. I specialize in event planning, cultural programming, and cross-sector collaboration. By connecting local talent with international opportunities across Asia, and North America, I aim to build a vibrant, inclusive music community. As an OMIC board member, I’ll champion diversity, community-driven events, and help position Ottawa as a global music city.

Joel Elliott is the Operations Manager of Folk Canada, which preserves and promotes Canadian folk music, supports musicians at all career stages, and cultivates a vibrant, inclusive community through advocacy, education, and collaboration. Folk Canada presents the annual Folk Music Ontario Conference, Canada’s largest gathering of the Folk music industry, being held October 15-19 2025 in Ottawa.
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Joel is the former co-host of The Monday Special Blend on 93.1 CKCU FM, as well as the former host of The Ottawa Music Video Showcase and Live! On Elgin Open Mic on Rogers Cable 22. He previously sat on the board of OMIC from 2018-2020.
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In 2017, Joel wrote the score and acted as Musical Director for Phantom of the Opry, a play which ran for 5 sold-out shows at Ottawa’s Gladstone Theatre. Joel is also a singer, composer, and Bandmaster of Magic Machine, who are aiming to release their second ep in 2025.

Andrew Vincent is a writer, strategist, songwriter and business owner. He is Partner & Strategy Director at Spruce Creative, an Ottawa marketing communications agency focused on city and community building.

Andrew is a passionate advocate for music as a key city building activity in Ottawa. In 2014, he was the lead author of the provincially funded study Connecting Ottawa Music, whose recommendations included the formation a local music industry association. Following that report, Andrew volunteered as the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition’s executive director for the organization’s first two years. In 2017, Andrew led the team that developed Ottawa’s first municipal music strategy.

As a songwriter and musician, Andrew has released a number of albums on Ottawa’s Kelp Records, toured Canada and Europe, and has has music licensed for use in advertising and video games. 

Nimkeehns Wemigwans is originally from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, but currently lives in Ottawa, ON. He's been living on Unceded Unsurrendered Algonquin Territory for the past 8 Years. 

In his formative years, he was given many opportunities to learn and participate in many cultural activities and events that took him across Ontario and eventually the world. This, in turn, has helped him in working within the indigenous communities he resides alongside the host nations.

Nim has also worked in the music industry in many different capacities. Helping form a music festival in his hometown alongside Coalition Music. He has also worked with many different artists across Canada, putting him on many different stages. In recent years, he also built a foundation in the Ottawa Music community alongside his business and frequent collaborative partner, Basil Park, to build a merch company '613 Merch.' Nim is always looking for the next opportunity to help and assist artists in the many different avenues in their creative journeys.

Christian Garceau is the Founder and President of ASA Live, an Ottawa-based event agency producing festivals, public activations, and high-profile corporate events. Since 2017, he has led over 500 events, including major initiatives with the National Capital Commission, the European Union Delegation, and national organizations. He previously served in a leadership role with Capital Pride, overseeing large-scale festival operations and city-wide programming. His work focuses on animating public spaces and building partnerships that bring cultural programming to life. As the leader of a queer-owned business, Christian is committed to strengthening Ottawa’s music and cultural ecosystem through inclusive, sustainable growth.

Joe Armstrong is President of 49North, the defence subsidiary of MDA Space, and a senior business leader with over 25 years of experience in aerospace, defence, and advanced technology sectors. He is also a Senior Partner at Prospectus Associates and CEO of Eraii Consulting Inc., specializing in strategic advisory, digital transformation, and complex program execution. Joe has led global operations exceeding $1.4B in annual revenue and is recognized for delivering large-scale, technology-driven solutions in complex environments. An active musician, his interests span electronic, rock, metal, and jazz. He is a strong advocate for 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion, youth development, and bringing practical business acumen to support growth in the music industry.