Aron is an industry vet with two decades of experience. When he’s not crafting a killer pitch, or delivering his latest script, he is staying in touch with his “inner kid” by reading the latest comic books or playing the hottest video games. Over the course of his career, Aron has worked with Cartoon Network, CTC, Disney XD, Nickelodeon, Teletoon, YTV, Treehouse, KiKA, and CBC Kids. He has also contributed scripts to numerous animated comedy series including Taffy, Lex & Plu: Space Taxi Drivers, Super Wings, Cupcake and Dinosaur: General Services, Chuck Chicken, Rusty Rivets, Pocoyo, Camp Lakebottom, Justin Time, Trucktown and The Insectibles. Prior to joining Lakeside Animation, Aron held senior development roles with some of Canada’s most prolific and acclaimed producers, including Breakthrough Entertainment and Portfolio Entertainment.

Ben leads creative initiatives for agencies, brands, media companies, entrepreneurs and educators, providing brand and content strategy, as well as hands-on creative production in animation, live-action, interactive web, apps, VR/AR, game development, events and interactive public activations, on projects throughout Canada, and internationally in the US, India, Singapore and China. 

As partner / executive producer, Friends & Enemies, Ben works with his team of senior creatives and a broad network of multi-disciplinary production partners creating original and branded content experiences for brands, agencies and media clientele. 

Notable clients include: Google, VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, CBC, Doc Channel, Teletoon, YTV, CTV, Discovery Channel, The History Channel, TVO Kids, Shaftesbury, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Ben is also co-founder of the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) and a former board member.

Big Pitch Finalist Hugo van Essen was born and raised in a tiny town in rural Netherlands that was once liberated by Canadian troops long ago. He now works, climbs, and writes in Toronto. He has worked everywhere, from car garages to all-female construction companies to just regular production companies. Hugo holds a bachelor's in American Studies from the guttural-sounding University of Groningen, as well as a certificate in writing & producing from Humber College. Hugo’s project Ferdinand was chosen as a semi-finalist for the pitch competitions of the Ottawa International Animation Festival and a finalist for the Toronto Animation Industry Conference. 

Big Pitch Finalist Paula Peroff is a 2D Harmony Animator/ Rigging artist from Ottawa. In the past she has worked on projects including 'Hotel Transylvania: The Series', 'Dorg Van Dango', 'Doomlands' Season 2 and 'The Ghost and Molly McGee'. She previously worked for Mercury Filmworks before taking a break to develop her personal projects.

Wes Bryant is an 18-year veteran of the animation industry, with a passion for leading projects, elevating engaging stories, and executing the creative vision within the medium. With a background in Classical Animation, Wes has developed a unique skill set ranging across diverse disciplines, including animation, design, rigging, and storyboarding.

His tenure at Pipeline Studios, where he began as an animator over 15 years ago, has seen him grow into a trusted leader. Wes is currently directing the second season of the hit PBS KIDS series Elinor Wonders Why. He also led animation for the new SpongeBob SquarePants feature film (Nickelodeon), Hotel Transylvania: The Series (Disney Channel), Alma’s Way (PBS KIDS), and Fangbone (WildBrain).

When not wearing his many hats at Pipeline Studios, Wes is reliving his childhood, this time as a father to his 2.5-year-old daughter. A healthy balance of nature walks, dance parties, and snuggling up and watching Saturday morning cartoons together with a big bowl of cereal are weekly highlights.