Financial education is our passion, and it starts with our people. Get to know the team behind Baking Bread Media.
Brendan Kenalty is a business builder, college professor, and passionate advocate for financial education. As a longtime entrepreneur and father of two young men, Brendan understands the importance of financial literacy and is dedicated to helping the next generation move forward with knowledge, skills and confidence. He helps wealth advisors use financial education to attract, satisfy and retain multi-generational clients.
Money isn’t everything, but understanding how money works has a tremendous impact on a person’s life. Having a firm grasp on the behaviours that create and maintain wealth is a key to success, and Brendan believes that with the right approach, anyone can be taught. At Baking Bread Media, Brendan leverages his experience in education, modern content creation, and technology to help make this happen.
Brendan has over 30 years of industry experience with technology and financial leaders including Microsoft, Blackberry and Manulife. In his recent work with students at Sheridan College Pilon School of Business, Brendan is focused on finding innovative ways to use education to create opportunities and financial security for the next generation.
Brendan lives in Oakville with his family. Never one to sit still, he enjoys biking, golf, pickleball, tennis, home renovations, and being a volunteer coach for several youth sports organisations.
Brendan Kenalty is a business builder, college professor, and passionate advocate for financial education. As a longtime entrepreneur and father of two young men, Brendan understands the importance of financial literacy and is dedicated to helping the next generation move forward with knowledge, skills and confidence. He helps wealth advisors use financial education to attract, satisfy and retain multi-generational clients.
Money isn’t everything, but understanding how money works has a tremendous impact on a person’s life. Having a firm grasp on the behaviours that create and maintain wealth is a key to success, and Brendan believes that with the right approach, anyone can be taught. At Baking Bread Media, Brendan leverages his experience in education, modern content creation, and technology to help make this happen.
Brendan has over 30 years of industry experience with technology and financial leaders including Microsoft, Blackberry and Manulife. In his recent work with students at Sheridan College Pilon School of Business, Brendan is focused on finding innovative ways to use education to create opportunities and financial security for the next generation.
Brendan lives in Oakville with his family. Never one to sit still, he enjoys biking, golf, pickleball, tennis, home renovations, and being a volunteer coach for several youth sports organisations.
Brendan Kenalty is a business builder, college professor, and passionate advocate for financial education. As a longtime entrepreneur and father of two young men, Brendan understands the importance of financial literacy and is dedicated to helping the next generation move forward with knowledge, skills and confidence. He helps wealth advisors use financial education to attract, satisfy and retain multi-generational clients.
Money isn’t everything, but understanding how money works has a tremendous impact on a person’s life. Having a firm grasp on the behaviours that create and maintain wealth is a key to success, and Brendan believes that with the right approach, anyone can be taught. At Baking Bread Media, Brendan leverages his experience in education, modern content creation, and technology to help make this happen.
Brendan has over 30 years of industry experience with technology and financial leaders including Microsoft, Blackberry and Manulife. In his recent work with students at Sheridan College Pilon School of Business, Brendan is focused on finding innovative ways to use education to create opportunities and financial security for the next generation.
Brendan lives in Oakville with his family. Never one to sit still, he enjoys biking, golf, pickleball, tennis, home renovations, and being a volunteer coach for several youth sports organisations.
Chris Crocker is a solution-focused entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. After starting his career as a bank teller and working his way up to associate advisor with one of the big five banks, Chris co-founded a web development and digital marketing agency that primarily served wealth advisors. He has since co-founded Campfire Digital Marketing, which manages hundreds of clients across Canada, and Advisors.TO, an online education platform for wealth advisors.
The best part of Chris’s day is working with others who are eager to learn and grow. A regular guest speaker on the college circuit, Chris enjoys engaging with students and mentoring new business owners as they pursue their goals. He’s a motivated, collaborative business leader with a commitment to continued education in all its forms, and an active listener who is always open to new insights and feedback.
As a business owner, founder and investor, Chris has a breadth of knowledge in operations, communications, digital marketing, and technology. He’s highly skilled at identifying business and marketing trends, simplifying complicated ideas, working with clients to find holistic solutions for their business, and managing large projects with a number of moving pieces. Backed by a reliable team with a strong skill set, Chris knows how to get the job done efficiently and well.
Chris lives in Ajax with his family. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing softball, golf, dodgeball, and football (both the US and UK versions). He also loves to travel and spend time reading, hiking, or gardening. Chris supports a number of local and international causes and runs an annual event that supports local youth charities.
Chris Crocker is a solution-focused entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. After starting his career as a bank teller and working his way up to associate advisor with one of the big five banks, Chris co-founded a web development and digital marketing agency that primarily served wealth advisors. He has since co-founded Campfire Digital Marketing, which manages hundreds of clients across Canada, and Advisors.TO, an online education platform for wealth advisors.
The best part of Chris’s day is working with others who are eager to learn and grow. A regular guest speaker on the college circuit, Chris enjoys engaging with students and mentoring new business owners as they pursue their goals. He’s a motivated, collaborative business leader with a commitment to continued education in all its forms, and an active listener who is always open to new insights and feedback.
As a business owner, founder and investor, Chris has a breadth of knowledge in operations, communications, digital marketing, and technology. He’s highly skilled at identifying business and marketing trends, simplifying complicated ideas, working with clients to find holistic solutions for their business, and managing large projects with a number of moving pieces. Backed by a reliable team with a strong skill set, Chris knows how to get the job done efficiently and well.
Chris lives in Ajax with his family. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing softball, golf, dodgeball, and football (both the US and UK versions). He also loves to travel and spend time reading, hiking, or gardening. Chris supports a number of local and international causes and runs an annual event that supports local youth charities.
Chris Crocker is a solution-focused entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. After starting his career as a bank teller and working his way up to associate advisor with one of the big five banks, Chris co-founded a web development and digital marketing agency that primarily served wealth advisors. He has since co-founded Campfire Digital Marketing, which manages hundreds of clients across Canada, and Advisors.TO, an online education platform for wealth advisors.
The best part of Chris’s day is working with others who are eager to learn and grow. A regular guest speaker on the college circuit, Chris enjoys engaging with students and mentoring new business owners as they pursue their goals. He’s a motivated, collaborative business leader with a commitment to continued education in all its forms, and an active listener who is always open to new insights and feedback.
As a business owner, founder and investor, Chris has a breadth of knowledge in operations, communications, digital marketing, and technology. He’s highly skilled at identifying business and marketing trends, simplifying complicated ideas, working with clients to find holistic solutions for their business, and managing large projects with a number of moving pieces. Backed by a reliable team with a strong skill set, Chris knows how to get the job done efficiently and well.
Chris lives in Ajax with his family. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing softball, golf, dodgeball, and football (both the US and UK versions). He also loves to travel and spend time reading, hiking, or gardening. Chris supports a number of local and international causes and runs an annual event that supports local youth charities.
Shawna Dennis is a senior marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience helping financial advisors and wealth management firms communicate clearly in highly regulated environments.
She has held leadership roles at Merrill Lynch, CIBC Wood Gundy, Manulife/John Hancock, and MD Financial Management, where she led brokerage marketing teams and supported thousands of advisors across Canada. Over the years, she’s developed a deep appreciation for the realities advisors face: balancing growth, compliance, client relationships, and an increasingly digital world. Her work has focused on helping advisors show up with credibility, modernize their marketing, and translate complex financial concepts into language clients actually understand.
Shawna launched Canada’s first social selling program for Manulife advisors, built global thought leadership platforms for senior executives, and developed a global content-sharing model that delivered nearly $3 million in production efficiencies in a single year.
As Acting CMO and Chief Content Strategist for Baking Bread, Shawna leads the strategic vision behind the platform’s content library, ensuring every script balances credibility, compliance, and real-world relevance. Storytelling is at the core of how Shawna approaches marketing. She believes expertise should feel human — and that video, when done thoughtfully, can build trust at scale.
Outside of work, Shawna serves as Board Chair of Lighthouse for Grieving Children, where she has been involved for five years supporting families through grief. She’s also an avid reader, a regular at the gym, and happiest spending time with her husband and two teens.
Veronica Pestano is the Customer Success Lead at Baking Bread, where she works closely with financial professionals to ensure their video content feels polished, professional, and true to their brand. From helping clients choose the right scripts to guiding them through recording best practices, Veronica makes the process simple and approachable so advisors can focus on sharing their expertise.
With a background in digital marketing and social media strategy, she brings a strong understanding of audience behaviour, messaging, and content consistency. Her experience supporting brand positioning, campaign execution, and CRM-driven communication helps clients turn ideas into clear, effective video content.
Known for her organization, attention to detail, and supportive approach, Veronica plays a key role in helping Baking Bread clients show up with confidence — and build stronger connections with the people they serve.
Keagan Kenalty brings a fresh, forward-thinking approach to technology at Baking Bread. A graduate of Queen’s University in Mechanical Engineering, he combines strong analytical problem-solving skills with practical experience, including past onsite project management work with Canadian Natural Resources.
As Baking Bread’s AI, Automation & Application Engineer, Keagan designs and implements IT systems, web applications, and client-facing tools that power the platform. He focuses on leveraging AI to create smarter user experiences while researching and developing improved business processes, automation workflows, and new product capabilities that help Baking Bread scale efficiently.
Outside of work, Keagan writes, records, and performs original music. He also loves to travel and spend time outdoors — golfing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and camping whenever he can.
ACTING CMO & CHIEF CONTENT STRATEGIST
Shawna Dennis is a senior marketing leader with more than 20 years of experience helping financial advisors and wealth management firms communicate clearly in highly regulated environments.
She has held leadership roles at Merrill Lynch, CIBC Wood Gundy, Manulife/John Hancock, and MD Financial Management, where she led brokerage marketing teams and supported thousands of advisors across Canada. Over the years, she’s developed a deep appreciation for the realities advisors face: balancing growth, compliance, client relationships, and an increasingly digital world. Her work has focused on helping advisors show up with credibility, modernize their marketing, and translate complex financial concepts into language clients actually understand.
Shawna launched Canada’s first social selling program for Manulife advisors, built global thought leadership platforms for senior executives, and developed a global content-sharing model that delivered nearly $3 million in production efficiencies in a single year.
As Acting CMO and Chief Content Strategist for Baking Bread, Shawna leads the strategic vision behind the platform’s content library, ensuring every script balances credibility, compliance, and real-world relevance. Storytelling is at the core of how Shawna approaches marketing. She believes expertise should feel human — and that video, when done thoughtfully, can build trust at scale.
Outside of work, Shawna serves as Board Chair of Lighthouse for Grieving Children, where she has been involved for five years supporting families through grief. She’s also an avid reader, a regular at the gym, and happiest spending time with her husband and two teens.
CUSTOMER SUCCESS LEAD
Veronica Pestano is the Customer Success Lead at Baking Bread, where she works closely with financial professionals to ensure their video content feels polished, professional, and true to their brand. From helping clients choose the right scripts to guiding them through recording best practices, Veronica makes the process simple and approachable so advisors can focus on sharing their expertise.
With a background in digital marketing and social media strategy, she brings a strong understanding of audience behaviour, messaging, and content consistency. Her experience supporting brand positioning, campaign execution, and CRM-driven communication helps clients turn ideas into clear, effective video content.
Known for her organization, attention to detail, and supportive approach, Veronica plays a key role in helping Baking Bread clients show up with confidence — and build stronger connections with the people they serve.
AI, AUTOMATION & APPLICATION ENGINEER
Keagan Kenalty brings a fresh, forward-thinking approach to technology at Baking Bread. A graduate of Queen’s University in Mechanical Engineering, he combines strong analytical problem-solving skills with practical experience, including past onsite project management work with Canadian Natural Resources.
As Baking Bread’s AI, Automation & Application Engineer, Keagan designs and implements IT systems, web applications, and client-facing tools that power the platform. He focuses on leveraging AI to create smarter user experiences while researching and developing improved business processes, automation workflows, and new product capabilities that help Baking Bread scale efficiently.
Outside of work, Keagan writes, records, and performs original music. He also loves to travel and spend time outdoors — golfing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and camping whenever he can.
Provide clients and their families with research-backed, accessible financial education that helps them gain confidence and make informed decisions.
A top complaint among investors is that they never hear from their advisor. Seeing your educational videos on a regular basis reminds clients that you’re knowledgeable, accessible and committed to their success.
Use videos to explain complex financial subjects with statistics and real-life examples. Ensure that your content is concise, understandable and relevant to different demographics.
Share your videos across various social media platforms to reach clients and prospects of all ages. Show your expertise and commitment to their success, developing loyalty and building trust.
Save time and reduce confusion with videos designed to clearly communicate important financial principles using statistics and real-life examples. This efficient delivery of information helps ensure that clients understand and retain the advice provided.
Wealth education enables clients and their families to make stronger, more effective financial decisions. Knowing the impact of various financial strategies, such as the benefits of early investing, can empower and engage clients.
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