Leading with signature drive and all heart, Lana has been immersed in the marketing and public relations industry for two decades. At the helm of Gentle Lion, she leads business development with a lens on value-alignment; meanwhile, connecting with clients on the regular to ensure seamless, on-time and on-budget strategy and execution. 

Lana is passionate about empowering innate brand potential, people-first. Her care is attentive, and her approach is unorthodox for good reason: When brands inevitably thrive on their own path with the help of Gentle Lion, it’s a win for individual autonomy and community fabric. The added plus? Trust and connection formed along the way often cultivates after-hours friendship for life. Cue this little-known fact - about a decade ago Lana also founded Champagne Friday: A personal obsession with bubbly turned lifestyle brand. Its ever-growing followership is a celebration of whole-hearted, electric connections and genuine relationships, centring the bevvy that links it all. 

Rumour has it, Lana has a bit of a “sixth sense” aka strong intuition. When anyone’s in need (literally, anyone) there’s an 11/10 chance she’ll step up to help; it’s here where her knack for whipping up strategies on the fly comes in handy. While moving mountains, catch Prince, Robyn or Sade on full-blast (specifically, “Bullet Proof Soul” by Sade: I came in like a lamb…but I intend to live like a lion). 

Why Gentle Lion? “It’s about attacking life with tender intention and integrity. Representing our clients as fierce yet approachable advocates. Having the aptitude to tame a project or let it run free.” 

A Gentle Lion OG, Chantal has brought strategic savvy, imaginative expression and sincere determination to her every client connection since 2016. She spearheads client discovery and strategy, developing impactful framework and collaborating with clients and their teams to enliven tactics.

Backed by soulful substance and an easeful adaptability, Chantal harnesses her inner hype-girl tendencies on the daily; she’s a heart and mind you want on your side and connected to your cause. Where there’s potential to shape more cultured, connected outcomes, there’s Chantal - ride-or-die.

Her take on Gentle Lion? “It exudes our quiet confidence and sense of advocacy for what we believe in. We are bold but not brash, soft, yet strong, and we lead from a place of honesty, humility and vulnerability.” Catch this fiercely loyal Leo and her unmistakably iconic mane forever jamming to The Queens (aka Rih + Bey).

Lily owns her role with a dependable nature and thoughtful sense of curiosity, and she quickly became an integral part of the Gentle Lion crew in 2020. A natural do-er and gifted wordsmith, she executes copywriting, social media initiatives, graphic design, research and more with seamless reliability.

Lily is exceptionally hard working and grounded, bettering every project with her creative mind, attentive presence and intentional dedication. If you’re collaborating with Lily, consider her your constant. This grounded Taurus gal might be an astrological anomaly among Leos, but our team is oh-so grateful for all that she brings.

The biz + pleasure mix in her week? “Fun Fridays: It usually involves some kind of sweet treat, a midday coffee run or a little coupe of bubbly...sometimes all three.” Fact: She nails singing the alphabet backwards every time. That is, if she’s not busy getting down to the classics or country.

Ave approaches every interaction with curiosity, thoughtfulness and an all-in approach. Since joining the Gentle Lion crew, she’s made big waves with her expressive and articulate take on creative content—driven to help brands and businesses amplify their unique identity.

Heart-led and soul-strong, Ave is invested in weaving her acquired wisdom of mental health and social justice through her work—a passion that’s led her to explore creating systems of equity in our industry. What does GL look like through her lens? “Both passionate and compassionate. Thoughtful, but not overthought. Brave and kind, lionhearted, dauntless and determined—and always hungry for more (our team is literally always snacking on something!).”

A true comfort creature and subscriber to self-care, Ave is equal parts work hard and play hard. At the office, she’s our go-to for a good mood—radiating joy, a lust for learning and dependable diligence that make this Taurus the dreamiest teammate. If you can get down with the soundtrack from A Walk to Remember, Ave just might be your new BFF!

Joining the Gentle Lion team in January 2025 while in the midst of her Undergrad in Biology at UCalgary, Suad brought a sharp eye for research, strategy, and storytelling. As a Content Marketing Specialist, she focuses on building the foundations that help brands connect meaningfully with their audiences. Her craft blends writing, analysis, and insight-driven strategy to create content that resonates and performs.

With her background in STEM, Suad naturally leans into curiosity and problem-solving, applying her research skills to uncover the data and insights that fuel better marketing decisions. She loves that the industry is always evolving, giving her space to learn, adapt, and push creative boundaries while connecting with new people and ideas along the way.

A quintessential Sagittarian, Suad is soooo spontaneous. Adventurous, curious, and optimistic by nature, Suad is always chasing her next big experience. Need someone to hit a concert last minute? She's your girl. Random trip to Banff? Just ping her. She's always chasing a little adventure and never say no to trying something new. Half the fun is not knowing what’s next. Her approach to marketing brings that same energy: thoughtful, bold, and open to possibility.

Gwen’s path into marketing wasn’t linear. She started out in Psychology for her undergrad, but quickly came to realize it wasn’t the right fit. During the uncertainty of COVID, she found herself experimenting creatively, designing graphics on a volunteer basis, and discovering a natural pull toward visual communication and storytelling. That curiosity eventually led her to SAIT for graphic design. And to Gentle Lion in January 2026, as a Content Marketing Specialist.

Gwen shapes both visual and written content across client ecosystems, as well as for Gentle Lion. She works in close collaboration with Client Managers to keep strategy and execution tightly aligned.

A Virgo through and through, she is grounded and practical, always striving to help out and bring a sense of refinement to all aspects of her life (as well as ours). This sensible earth sign brings a natural ease to the way she connects with people. If you’ve ever attended a Morning Toast or a karaoke sesh at the Lion’s Den, you’ve felt her welcoming energy, and been greeted by her unmistakable smile.

To her, “Gentle Lion means safe space, community, and love. It’s a place where I feel supported, seen, and encouraged in a way I haven’t experienced at work before. I know I can grow here, and I feel empowered to keep becoming the best version of myself.”

Her sensibility mirrors the emotional honesty of artists like Olivia Dean, Lizzy McAlpine, and Ryan Beatty. You’ll usually find her adding to her ever-growing playlist and out and about, making even the biggest crowds feel a little less overwhelming for those around her.

Fiercely loyal and endlessly optimistic, MacKenzie quickly became an integral part of the Gentle Lion crew at the end of 2025. She supports the team in whatever way is needed—overseeing internal operations, coordinating events, and, most importantly, keeping the snack shelf fully stocked.

MacKenzie has built a career out of bringing order to chaos. Across theatre, festival management, retail operations and training, and content creation, she’s brought structure and swift, calm execution. Need a trip planned flawlessly? She’ll get it done in 30 minutes. Need a decade of Bravo drama recapped? Give her 15. And she brings that same energy into everything she does at work.

On what Gentle Lion means to her: “It means being part of something that doesn't ask you to shrink…It represents the women I get to work alongside every day, fierce and soft, thoughtful and passionate, never one thing at the expense of another.”

Textbook Aries, MacKenzie is hilarious and fundamentally incapable of turning down an adventure. She has travelled to 32 countries (and counting) and spent a few years living in the Netherlands. She also reads 52+ books a year without fail, always finding time to chase new experiences and perspectives. Somewhere between Taylor Swift's lyricism, Fleetwood Mac's drama, and ABBA's sheer euphoria, lives her entire personality.