ENTERTAINERS

Musician

Ben Joseph

Ben Joseph is a Haitian American born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He is the youngest of 4 brothers who are all musically gifted. At the age of 8, Ben found his passion for the saxophone. He studied classical music and played in multiple symphonies and bands but knew that his love for the sax came from somewhere else. At the age of 12 he started studying jazz and instantly knew that it was his calling. Some of his favorite artists include David Sanbourn, Kenny G, Gerald Albright, and Warren Hill. Since then, he’s been studying music while mastering multiple genres at the same time. Today he continues to excel doing live performances, both for private and public functions in Ottawa, ON where he currently resides. Ben is on a steady rise and has managed to build a loyal following of supporters who resonate with his undeniable gift and passion for music.

Emcee

Jarrod Goldsmith

Jarrod Goldsmith is a Canadian small business community builder and is the embodiment of the small business spirit. An archaeologist and musician by education, he is one of Ottawa’s best-known entrepreneurs and founded eSAX (The Entrepreneur Social Advantage Experience); Ottawa’s largest entrepreneur networking community for small business. Using a new virtual event platform, Jarrod has pivoted to hosting remote events for others.

In addition, he has >600 YouTube videos on entrepreneurship and networking for small businesses on the eSAX channel, hosts the eSAX Podcast series, and is the founder of Sax Appeal (Canada's Premier Saxophone Ensemble).

Sommelier

Pierre Kelly

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Pierre Kelly is a local sommelier originally from Gaspé, Quebec. He served the Canadian Armed Forces for over 17 years. After his service, he discovered a passion for oenology, the study of wine and wine making. He graduated from the sommelier program at Algonquin College in 1997. After graduating, he started his career with the LCBO as a product consultant/sommelier for 23 years. During his tenure at the LCBO, he co-hosted a television show for Rogers, where he educated viewers on the refined qualities of different wines, beers, and spirits. He also appeared on radio segments for Radio Canada. In 2003, while abroad in Europe, he participated in the harvest of wine at a winery in Hy, a region in Champagne, France. When he returned to Ottawa in 2005, he continued to share his passion and expertise by teaching at the LCBO and hosting private tastings. The best wine he has ever taste (for now) is from the Bordeaux region in France – the Château Lafite-Rothschild 1982.

Bartender

Lyz Porteous

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Lyz Porteous has worked at Burrito Borracho for 5 years. It is a small little tequila bar in the heart of the Byward Market that specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails. That’s where she fell in love with bartending and learned a crazy amount of facts about tequila. She believes there is something incredibly satisfying about crafting a cocktail with ingredients she loves and hearing customer’s reactions to them. Bartending easily became one of her favourite creative outlets. Her favourite drinks to make are sours and anything with grapefruit. She loves citrusy drinks that bring a punch but still have refined and subtle flavours.