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AARTI PATEL (SHE/HER)
ASSOCIATE SHOW MANAGER

Aarti Patel believes in punctuality. You see when you have to monitor the day-to-day of huge events you don’t have the luxury of being slow or the patience for people who suddenly stop to check their phone. No, every day is go-go-go. So what does she make time for, you ask? Well, she loves painting and cooking new recipes. She also moonlights as The Diamond Lady at the office. But under that luxurious exterior, there is one thing she desires: being friends with Brooke from One Tree Hill.

TYLER WENTZ
SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR

As Sponsorship Director at FAN EXPO, Tyler Wentz brings a calm, personable energy, and a focus on building strong connections. A longtime fan of Warhammer 40K, Star Wars, and Fallout, Tyler’s love for storytelling runs deep—especially when it comes to sharing his fave movie quotes or revisiting the moment he and his wife stood in the same spot Anakin and Padmé were married. He starts his mornings with quiet meditation and ends most days with a Dr. Pepper, always finding time for a bit of fandom, film, or fun in between.

CLAUDIA WIESE (SHE/HER)
SENIOR MANAGER, EXHIBITOR & SPONSOR RELATIONS

Claudia’s earliest adventure into Fandom was waiting in line for the 4th Harry Potter book release at Chapters. Since then, you can catch her watching True Detective (Season 1), Grand Budapest Hotel, or daydreaming about being best friends with Deb Morgan from Dexter. If someone from the Fandom world were going to play Claudia in a movie about her life, it would have to be Jennifer Lawrence. That’s for sure. If you’re the type of person to wear socks & sandals while watching TikTok, it’s generally best to steer clear of Claudia. Just a fair warning. If you like yoga, hiking or veggies & humus however, you and Claudia will get along just fine.

BREANNE RUSKOWSKY (SHE/HER)
OPERATIONS MANAGER

You can sum up Breanne with two words: Books & Mugs. If she isn’t reading, she’s looking for more books to read. If she isn’t doing that, she’s finding new mugs to add to her ever-growing collection. She firmly believes that there is always a different mug for every mood and situation. Breanne’s favourite movie is Jurassic Park (although she does enjoy Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World. And Jurassic Park 3. and Jurassic World. Oh, and also Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.) On an emotional level, Breanne is sure she’s related to Alan from the Jurassic Park franchise.

GEORGE ZOTTI (HE/HIM)
SALES & EXHIBITOR RELATIONS MANAGER

From being a vendor at the very first FAN EXPO HQ to becoming Sales and Exhibitor Relations Manager, George Zotti aka G-man has seen it all… maybe too much. So it’s no surprise that if he was a superhero he would want the powers of the Vision or Martian Manhunter because, well, they seemingly have every power. When he’s not being an all-powerful God (get it? G-man?) you can find him solving problems on the fly and making sure everyone has a good show.

JIMMY ZHAO (HE/HIM)
SALES ACCOUNT COORDINATOR

Kung Fu Panda is the perfect movie, according to Jimmy. Don’t bother trying to argue with him about it though since he would use the power to freeze time to think of the perfect comeback to your argument. As the movie lover he is, Jimmy will never understand why things that could be on the big screen end up as television shows. Except for sitcoms about married couples who don’t hate each other; those we could use more of. Speaking of married couples, Jimmy loves his wife very much and considers her his hero. He also has a love for spicy food with his favorite meal being spicy sesame liang pi, which makes sense since the one thing he couldn’t live without is hot sauce.

KARLI IRVINE (SHE/HER)
MARKETING COORDINATOR

It's time to meet Karli. You could also say you met Troian Bellisario, since everyone seems to think they look alike. While she may not resemble Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation appearance-wise, Karli swears they are twin flames. They’re both planners, coordinators and over-celebrators for any birthday, accomplishment or moment worth commemorating. She was also told once that she’s the distant relative of Colonel Irvine, who helped name Calgary. Is it actually true? Karli can’t confirm, but it’s a good story. If you want to get on Karli’s good side, add to her never-ending collection by sending her a post card from your next adventure (with a very detailed story of your travels).

ELIZA ROCCO (SHE/HER)
EVENT CONTENT COORDINATOR

Meet Eliza Rocco, Event Content Coordinator who brings big film buff energy, and an even bigger collection of cowboy boots. A filmmaker with a love for all things behind-the-scenes, she’s our resident tech wiz, movie soundtrack expert, and sandwich shop whisperer. When she’s not coordinating content with the precision of a teleporting superhero, you can find her hanging with her cat and dog, decked out in thrifted fits, or on the hunt for her dream pink motorized Jeep. Nicknamed “Hurricane Eliza” for her whirlwind of enthusiasm, she’s got solutions for everything—except maybe how many outfits her pets really need.