Innovation Advisors

Amy

Innovation Advisor

Looking for digital marketing advice or tips on running your own business? Amy knows the ins and outs of both the public and private sector. She’s an experienced entrepreneur, digital marketer, and business coach with over 10 years of experience.

She was the founder and vice president of her own skin care company, a natural cosmetics and research manufacturing business. With a natural talent for strategic planning and trend spotting, she grew her company from a home business to a cosmetic manufacturer, white labelling for some of the biggest beauty brands in the world. Beyond the operations, her true talent is connecting people to product.

Her skills shine specifically in the digital marketing realm where she has been working with global brands looking to grow their digital presence.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Ana

Innovation Advisor

Need to talk finance with someone who knows the industry from the inside out? Ana has over 20 years of experience in financial modelling and analysis.

Before joining Innovation Canada as an Innovation Advisor, Ana worked as a financial auditor and public accountant for global Big 4 firms, and provided service and leadership to BC technology companies across a variety of revenue-focused roles.

Ana can provide business and financial advice to help your organization reach its goals while guiding your organization to the right resources and programs in government to support your growth.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Boon

Innovation Advisor

Bringing a new piece of tech from concept to pilot? Boon has over 25 years of experience in the public and private sectors, working on wireless communications projects.

Before joining as an Innovation Advisor, Boon was Vice President of Research and Development for a leading wireless power firm. He also has international experience working for a Research and Development (R&D) defence agency and as an Intellectual Property (IP) analyst in a private equity firm.

If your business is working on R&D or about to start, Boon has the experience and networks to help your business reach its goals.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

George

Acting Regional Deputy Director

Looking to design, build, or launch a product to the global market? George has over 20 years of experience in the private sector where he’s held leadership positions in product management, marketing and business operations.

Before joining as an Innovation Advisor, he was the Director, Business Operations for a prominent software technology firm in Vancouver. He’s also worked in the United States where he advised global organizations on their go-to-market, product management and customer experience strategies.

No matter what objectives your business has set, George will introduce you to the right people and programs in government to help you get there.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Rajeev

Innovation Advisor

Need advice on your research and development project, commercialization or Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement? Rajeev has a background as an entrepreneur and as an Industrial Technology Advisor for the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). He’s helped several firms coordinate their Research and Development (R&D) and market driven Innovation activities.

He has over 25 years of techno-commercial experience in the public and private sectors, where he’s worked in the areas of chemical processing, industrial, automotive and manufacturing engineering, and mining.

If your business is about to go global, Rajeev is well positioned to support you. He’s an entrepreneur, and his positions in industry have touched regional, national, and international business operations.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Stephanie

Acting Regional Deputy Director

Looking to draw the most out of your government funding opportunities? Take the advice from someone whose entrepreneurial career took off thanks to a grant from Alberta Innovates.

Stephanie has experience running all aspects of a start-up, from setting up a new facility to training staff, writing grant proposals, managing various Research and Development (R&D) projects, and pitching to investors. She holds a PhD in Virology and, before becoming an Innovation Advisor, held a Director-level position in a molecular diagnostics company where she commercialized diagnostic products and sought regulatory approvals.

Stephanie will give you the best advice on how to reach your goals, all while introducing you to the right people and programs in government to support your growth.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Brian

Innovation Advisor

Looking for government partners to help your company reach its goals? Brian knows the right introduction can be all it takes to turbocharge your Research and Development (R&D) initiative or grow your sales.

He has over 15 years of experience turning new ideas into revenue generating products, in partnership with government organizations, academic institutions and corporations of all sizes. Before joining Innovation Canada, Brian was Vice President of a healthcare startup, taking it from pre-revenue to millions and the Entrepreneur in Residence at a Pharma company.

Reach out to him to get advice on programs, partnerships and connections to help you achieve your goals.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Elias

Innovation Advisor

Need helping finding programs and services to help your business grow? Elias is your insider to finding all that government has to offer.

He has over 15 years of experience leading strategic deployments, change management restructurings and markets enablement at several organizations including Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, MaRS Discovery District and EY Canada. Growing up in an in an entrepreneurial household he held serval roles in his family’s restaurant businesses including dishwasher, busboy, pizza maker, maintenance worker, server, and accountant.

He has a deep well of knowledge around the many different kinds of government supports and a wide network of contacts to support your growth.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Kusala

Innovation Advisor

Need support with your business development strategy? Kusala has over 15 years of experience in senior management roles in business development, sales, partnerships, and operations. She’s got plenty of experience in export and has a keen interest and specialization in medical devices, health technologies, and life science sectors.

Kusala began her public sector career as a project officer at FedDev Ontario, which delivers programs and services to support innovation and economic growth in southern Ontario—Canada's most populous region.

Kusala is passionate about working with partners and can help you to facilitate collaborative relationships and drive innovation to grow your business.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Joel

Innovation Advisor

Looking to draw the most out of your government funding opportunities? Take advice from someone who’s been there, and has taught entrepreneurship and innovation to engineering students for 20 years.

Joel has over two decades of experience in education, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. He is a founding partner of a startup incubator and community hub in London, Ontario and established three different innovation centres across southwestern Ontario as the Executive Director of Western University’s Research Parks. Joel has worked in many leading industries, including automotive, where he created the world’s first autonomous RV.

His cumulative economic impact supporting businesses surpasses $1 Billion and his efforts have been recognized with an Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Builder award from Startup Canada. He has a wide network of contacts and is well positioned to connect you with the right government levers to see your business grow.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Sunny

Innovation Advisor

About to pitch your business or innovative project to a table full of venture capitalists? Sunny’s been there and can give you first-hand advice on how to position your business success. He has over a decade of experience working in private and non-profit sectors and specializes in strategy, innovation program development, technology commercialization and venture capital.

Over the course of his career, he has negotiated term sheets and closed numerous transactions, deploying millions of dollars into start-ups and scale-ups. Sunny holds direct executive level relationships with top tier globally-based private equity investors and has sat on numerous Boards.

He has a wide network of contacts and will leverage every government resource at your disposal to help your business grow.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Adam

Regional Deputy Director

Need advice on some tough business challenges? Adam has over 24 years of experience in the private sector and has co-created, built and sold his own global advanced manufacturing company.

He understands the grit and perseverance it takes to run a business and the benefits that come from speaking with fellow entrepreneurs.

Currently, Adam is a Regional Deputy Director for Innovation Canada. He’ll introduce you to an Innovation Advisor in your area to simplify the noise and connect you with the right programs and services to help your business grow.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Alain

Innovation Advisor

Need help finding programs and services to grow your business? Alain knows how to ‘crack the code’ to business success. He is an electrical engineer by trade with over 30 years of experience, notably in the development of applied solutions in robotics, vision and artificial intelligence in the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Need help with a Research and Development (R&D) project or managing your human resources? Alain has held a number of director-level positions. He’s also coordinated strategic partnerships with different levels of government on major high technology projects.

He has a wide network of contacts and can connect you with the right programs and services in government to help grow your business.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

André

Innovation Advisor

Need to test ideas with someone who understands the realities of operating a business? André knows just what to do to put a business’ gears into motion. He has over 30 years of experience in the private sector, where he held several positions in the manufacturing sector, including president of his own company.

André can give you strategic advice and connect you with the appropriate government programs to help you reach your goals.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Carole

Innovation Advisor

Need help pitching a complex science project? Carole is a self-proclaimed ‘science geek’ with a PhD in Neuroscience. She has over 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors with experience in marketing and project management.

If you’re in life sciences, Carole is uniquely suited to support you with 12 years of experience working in the healthcare system and for a major pharmaceutical company. She co-founded a consulting firm specializing in business strategy, communications and marketing project management and she’s coached entrepreneurs in communications.

She’ll introduce you to the right people at the right time to help your business grow.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Claude

Innovation Advisor

Need help with networking or finding new avenues of support in government? Claude became an Innovation Advisor following 25 years in the private sector, providing advice to small and medium sized businesses. So he understands how connecting with the right government contact at the right time can help your business to thrive.

Claude has a particular expertise in the life sciences sector and comprehensive knowledge of the medical device regulatory ecosystem in Canada. He gained that experience over the past 15 years, when he founded and managed his own company to design and manufacture medical devices Claude is an active mentor with Montreal INVIVO, a life sciences organization aiming to create a business environment conducive to innovation and development.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Matthew

Innovation Advisor

Need help finding programs and services to grow your business? Matthew is your insider to finding all that government has to offer. Before he became an Innovation Advisor, he spent two years as a regional information officer with the National Research Council Canada's (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), where he helped spread the word of government assistance programs to Canadian small and medium sized businesses.

Prior to joining the public sector, Matthew was involved with business development & account management for some of Montreal’s fastest growing tech companies. Matthew’s experience gives him a keen ability to find the right government programs and services, at the right time.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Céline

Acting Regional Deputy Director

Working on a complex innovation project that involves several stakeholders, each with their own agendas? Céline has over 15 years of experience connecting stakeholders across ecosystems, like academia, business, and policy-makers.

She is a catalyst for innovation who can optimize relations between economic actors and translate their strategic growth plans into concrete actions through creative methods and collaboration tools. As an Innovation Advisor, she is uniquely suited to help your business grow.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Rejean

Innovation Advisor

Developing an international sales strategy? Rejean has over 20 years of experience working in the private sector, where he’s led regional, national, and international sales operations.Rejean used to work as the Global Sales Director for a globally competitive casino and gaming company, and has a reputation for creating strategic alliances that benefit all stakeholders.

If you’re in the business of finance, entertainment or consumer goods, he has an extensive network to help you find strategic partnerships and collaboration opportunities.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Steve

Innovation Advisor

Pitching to government or looking for that next big partnership opportunity? Steve is an expert in bridging the gap between business and government. He has over 24 years of experience working in technology start-ups, as well as public and not-for-profit sectors.

Before joining Innovation Canada, Steve was the Director of Industry and Government Collaboration for a technology start-up, where he developed partnerships and facilitated innovation activities. He has extensive knowledge of government programs and a wide network of contacts to support your growth.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.

Patrick

Regional Deputy Director

Scaling up and need help finding the right programs and services for your business? Patrick is your insider to finding all that government has to offer. He has over 20 years of experience supporting Canadian businesses of all sizes and in various stages of growth.

He is a Regional Deputy Director for Innovation Canada in the Atlantic region and Nunavut. He’ll introduce you to an Innovation Advisor in your area with the right industry expertise and government know-how to support your growth. Patrick spent most of his career working in business and economic development and has a wide network of contacts.

Ready to get in touch?

Call us, toll-free in Canada, at 1-833-201-4358 |TTY: 1-866-694-8389, or send us your details and we’ll get back to you.