The Empire Club of Canada
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
The Empire Club of Canada Presents:
Psychedelics 101
Conversations about the therapeutic potential of Psychedelics are everywhere. From the front page of Toronto Life magazine to research centres at Johns Hopkins, Queen’s, and the University of Toronto – research into psychedelics as a potential treatment for mental illness exacerbated by the Pandemic is booming. But what is the real story?
The Empire Club of Canada is pleased to host a conversation with industry leaders that will focus on innovation, trends, and what the future of this new sector will look like.
Moderator:
Tiffany Kary, Journalist, Bloomberg News
Speakers:
Najla Guthrie, President & CEO, KGK Science Inc.
Nick Kadysh, Founder & CEO, PharmAla Biotech
Kathryn Walker, CEO, Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness
*The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.*
*Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*
Throughout her career, Najla Guthrie has been hailed for both her revolutionary contributions to nutritional science and her accomplishments within the nutraceutical industry. Her original research, which was conducted at the Centre for Human Nutrition at the University of Western Ontario, focused on the effects of citrus juices and their constituent flavonoids on breast cancer cells. Today, this study continues to generate media and scientific interest and has marked Najla as an expert within her field.
Najla has since published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has given numerous presentations at both the national and international levels. She has also acted as a founding shareholder for KGK Science, transitioning from a nutraceutical medicine researcher to President and CEO.
Under her leadership, the company has successfully established and executed a novel strategic plan, one which leveraged its research infrastructure and financed the development of patented in-house products. She is responsible for the co-development of KGK’s Diabetinol and Dermytol, as well as the commercialization and licensing of Sytrinol. Additionally, Najla has brought KGK’s integrated research and product development team to a world-class level, with the group receiving international recognition for its efforts in nutraceutical science and cannabis research.
Najla is also the Chief Research Officer with Ketamine One and a Board member of the Natural Products Canada.
With over a decade of experience as a Public Affairs and Regulatory expert, Nick Kadysh is the founder and CEO of PharmAla Biotech, a Toronto-based Life Sciences company focused on the manufacturing and development of MDMA and MDXX-class molecules.
Prior to launching PharmAla in 2020, Nick led government relations and regulatory departments for a number of large corporations, including acting as Head of Corporate Affairs for JUUL Labs, as Government Affairs & Public Policy Leader for General Electric Canada, and as Director of Public Affairs for Red Bull Canada.
Nick gained a deep understanding of government as a campaign and legislative staff member in multiple levels of government prior to joining the corporate sector, most recently directing the Outreach department of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition at Queen’s Park in Toronto. He has also worked as a policy advisor at the Parliament of Canada.
Nick is trilingual (English, French & Russian) and is a graduate of Queen’s University. He lives in East Toronto with his wife, Olga, and two daughters, Milena and Sasha. He is active in non-profit and community initiatives in Toronto, including fundraising for Toronto East General Hospital and as a member of the board for Yonge-Dundas Square.
Tiffany Kary is a Canadian-born journalist in New York, covering consumer goods and vices for Bloomberg News and Businessweek Magazine. Her weekly newsletter The Dose is an incisive chronicle of the cannabis and psychedelics industries and her feature stories on environmental and health issues have won awards from the New York Press Club, The Deadline Club, the Society of Environmental Journalists and the Newswoman’s Club of New York.
She graduated with first class honors from the University of Alberta, and has a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York City.
Kathryn Walker is the CEO of Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness (CSE: CALM) (OTC: RVLWF) (FSE: 4DO).
She is one of the few entrepreneurial females with dual training in anesthesia and psychiatry working in the publicly traded space of psychedelics. Kathryn worked as an Intensive Care Nurse for 9 years before attending anesthesia school. She practiced anesthesia of all specialties for 8 years before opening the first Revitalist location in Knoxville, TN.
Today Kathryn operates as a leading advocate for quality lead businesses in the psychedelic wellness space disrupting the overall healthcare system to the betterment of care for all.