Silver Secured, Gold in Sight: A Young Lions Journey

Mateo Molinaro and Tristan Ruffo St-Amour took home Silver in the Marketers category – sponsored by Interac – at the 2025 Canadian Young Lions Competitions. Representing MLSE, the duo returned to the competition with fresh focus and unfinished business after placing in the top five last year. They discuss lessons learned, how their love of sports fuels their creative approach, and why they’re already eyeing gold in 2026. 

Give us a quick intro – who you are, where you work, and what you do. 

MM: I’ve been with MLSE for two years, working as a Strategist on our in-house agency team. We create custom marketing campaigns and programs for partners of the Leafs, Raptors, and TFC. My role focuses on building the strategy behind these campaigns—shaping how brands show up in the world of sports in ways that are creative, authentic, and impactful. 

TRS: Having just finished my 4th season with MLSE, my job focuses on bringing partnerships to life, with a special focus on our Raptors business. Working closely with Mateo and our strategy team to bring ideas to the table, then with our internal teams from food & beverage all the way to front office, to turn our ideas into reality. We work hand in hand with our partners throughout the season to achieve their key business objectives, while leveraging our fandom to do so. We have fans, not consumers, which is such a unique value proposition for achieving success.  

Last year, you made top five at Young Lions, what motivated you to enter again this year? 

Both: Our experience in the Young Lions competition was invaluable, offering us firsthand exposure and insights into creative and strategic excellence in a high-pressure environment. While we were thrilled to finish in the top five, we were motivated by the desire to push even further—to aim for the top and to showcase the full extent of our capabilities on Canada’s biggest stage. The constructive feedback from the judges last year fueled our determination, and combined with our passion for innovation and goal-oriented mindset, we decided to participate again this year with a fresh and informed approach.  

What was your approach going into the competition for the second time? What inspired your entry? 

Both: Last year’s involvement in Cannes Young Lions was a chance to see what it takes to compete at that level. We finished in the top five, but our goal was always to do better. Getting feedback from the judges made us even more motivated to come back this year and show what we can really do. We approached this competition with a clear focus on creating a full campaign that would resonate with Canadians of all ages and abilities, rather than just a single idea. While Allen Iverson coined the phrase “Not a game, we’re talking about practice” – the “practice” of having participated last year was our biggest advantage. 

Looking ahead, do you see yourself competing in Young Lions again next year, in 2026? What would motivate you to return? 

Both: Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep going. The positive feedback so far shows that we’re on the right track, and with the progress we’ve made—from top five to silver—we’re confident we can win gold in 2026. We want to keep refining our work and see just how far we can go.

The Globe and Mail’s 2025 Cannes Young Lions Qualifying Competitions saw a record-breaking 784 individuals compete – an increase of 5% from last year – across seven categories: Marketers, Media, PR, Design, Print, Film and Digital.  Notably, this year’s shortlist features participants from coast to coast, marking one of the most regionally diverse cohorts the competition has seen to date. Both the Design and PR categories are new to Canada this year, with PR proudly sponsored by Edelman Canada. 

Each year, the Competition jury chairs select a non-profit charity as the subject of the competition briefs. This year’s selected charity was Baycrest Foundation, and the primary goal was to drive awareness and support for Baycrest’s groundbreaking work in aging and brain health, with a focus on encouraging key lifestyle changes that can help prevent cognitive decline 

Check out Mateo and Tristan’s 2025 winning work here.