Gerety Talks Indie Agency Founders

Just like the award show, the Gerety Talks series puts some of the marketing and creative industries true changemakers in the spotlight and at the centre of the conversation for a refreshing take on what leadership looks like.

This new series dedicated to Indie Agency founders is in partnership with Indie agency news who are building the global home for independent agencies. The mission? Serve independent agencies and the brilliant people behind them. The goal? More visibility for indies, more choice for marketers.

The second episode includes:

Faten Alshazly, founder and chief creative officer, WeUsThem

Kaitlin Doherty, co-founder and president, The Local Collective

Mark Harrison, founder, MH3 Collective

Watch here.

Faten is the founder and chief creative officer of WeUsThem, a full service ad agency with a client roster that includes Telus, Nestlé, the Eastern Caribbean Central Union, Government of Canada, Kaplan International, Cambridge University, Government of Jamaica, and the Sinai Health System to name a few. Faten is one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. She is also named Executive of the Year and most recently Entrepreneur of the Year in Canada, internationally. Faten has also been named one of five Women of Inspiration, a Woman of Influence, a Woman of Excellence and a Diva of Color most recently in 2020, once again internationally.

Her leadership has brought home numerous nods from the Webbys, Daveys, MarCom, CHIA, W3’s, Hermes, and Advertising Age for WeUsThem, all firsts in the east coast of Canada.

As part of her work in the community, Faten currently serves on the boards Efficiency One, the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. Faten is also a former director of the Canadian Cancer Society and a Governor in Council at NSCAD University. Faten is passionate about sustainable energy solutions that can better our global footprint, while also taking care of the most vulnerable in our population.

Kaitlin Doherty is the co-founder and president of Creative Agency, The Local Collective and two contemporary pop art galleries, The Local Gallery, one in Toronto and one in New York City.

Kaitlin is a lover and champion of creativity and a natural entrepreneur. She believes the world flourishes through creativity and the arts and that they are the key driver to economic growth and innovation.

Kaitlin has been leading and guiding brands through their communication challenges and transformations for almost 20 years. She works passionately to develop and nurture strong relationships with each of her client partners and leads businesses to great and unexpected creative solutions. Through her career she’s led business across a wide variety of categories, she’s guided brands like McDonald’s, Bud Light, Cadillac and NBA Canada through their most ambitious communication strategies and has delivered record setting results.

A true advocate for female leaders and the next generation, Kaitlin has held various volunteering roles championing women in the workforce including acting as a Mentor with mentorship program GEM.

Mark Harrison is the founder of the MH3 Collective, a group of ventures whose purpose is to connect people and ideas to create social impact. The Collective includes Humanity, T1, Sidekick, and SponsorshipX. In addition, he co-founded the BTI to support Black entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers; and Park Street Education, a charity to remove all barriers to children’s education.

His community involvement includes being Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and a Board Member of several organisations, including the CAMH Foundation, and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/The JUNO Awards.

Mark is a recipient of the Black Business and Professional Association's Harry Jerome Award, the Association of Canadian Advertisers’ 2022 Gold Medal Award winner and a 2025 Marketing Hall of Legends winner.

Mark is also CBC Metro Morning's business columnist, where you can hear his regular takes on corporate and societal matters.