Shawn Abbott

Shawn pioneered internet security as CTO, then President, at Rainbow Technologies and saw the company grow ten-fold in profitability before being sold to SafeNet for nearly a half billion dollars. Previously, he pioneered the CD-ROM locking used on several million discs and is published on hardware cryptography in the ICSA Guide to Cryptography. Shawn also holds an early patent as one of the inventors of now popular USB keys. Shawn is an active rotary wing pilot.

Rahim Adatia

Joanne Aime

Accomplished business leader with more than 20 years' experience leading teams and large-scale complex, multi-phase projects across a variety of industries and sectors (profit/non-profit). Key accomplishments include her leadership role in the design/build of two different $1 billion plus health-care facilities. 

From April 2023 to April 2024, Joanne took on the position of Chief Operating Officer with Immigrant Services Calgary where she was responsible for managing Programs and Services, People and Culture, Information Technology, Operations, Research and Innovation, and Service Excellence, with the goal to improve internal operations.

Prior to that, she assumed the role of Senior Executive Director with Alberta Health Services (AHS) where she led a team of multi-discipline professionals in the design, build and commissioning of a world-class $1.5B Cancer Care hospital (Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre), achieving a major milestone of substantial completion ahead of schedule and budget.

She assumed various other leadership roles across the healthcare, energy and telecommunications sectors, lending her results-oriented, value-based approach to unleashing the potential of teams to achieve goals that otherwise might not have been attainable.  This is what she is passionate about.

Joanne holds an Honors Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University, with first class standings.  Outside of work, she stays active with outdoor pursuits as well as volunteering with different charities and initiatives in her local community, and abroad.

Johanne Audet

From a career that started in manufacturing with a Fortune 500 company, to leadership positions in mid-size software companies, and a startup of her own, Johanne Audet cumulates over 25 years of experience giving her a broad perspective and a genuine drive to help entrepreneurs succeed. 

More specifically, early roles in engineering and product management with two of General Electric’s businesses, in Quebec and Ontario gave Johanne’s career a solid foundation. A desire for adventure led her out West to Calgary where she pursued VP level positions in marketing, operations and client services with Guest-Tek, an Internet and networking software provider for the hospitality industry, growing from under $1 million to over $40 millions and building the team from 25 to 250+ employees over 6 years. Following this, Johanne had a brief stint as VP Client Services with Evoco, a software-as-service provider of construction project management, which has since been acquired by Accruent. 

In parallel, her own entrepreneurial journey started with the co-founding of ACi Distributing, a distributor of residential water treatment systems including AquaMaster and WaterBoss, that she dedicated the last decade to grow nationally and expand into multiple channels serving water specialists, plumbing wholesalers, and home builders. Having recently completed a successful exit, Johanne is eager to share her experiences with other entrepreneurs.  

Johanne has a bachelor degree of Industrial Engineering from École Polytechnique in Montréal and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) with specialization in Enterprise Development from University of Calgary, graduating with Beta Gamma Sigma honours and a grant for commercialization of technology that helped start her own business. 

Balancing family and work, Johanne shares her time between Calgary and Invermere with her husband and daughter where she is happiest being active outdoors, hiking, cycling, paddle boarding and skiing.

Matthew Ball

Matthew Ball is the Vice President of Global IT Services at Long View. Born in London, England, Matthew’s adventurous spirit and passion for technology make him a uniquely valuable team member who is recognized for delivering outstanding results and creating a fun, people-first environment for his team.

Matthew’s career before joining Long View is varied and impressive, from designing IT systems for the London Eye with MACE, to helping grow Graycon Group from a company of 30 to over 200 people. He was headhunted by Shaw Communications in 2008 to join their senior leadership team and later joined Fairway Divorce Solutions as the company’s COO. After following Long View’s progress from a distance for several years, he took a role on the Client Services team with ambitions of one day joining the executive team. Matthew quickly transitioned into the role of Director, Global Services Desk, then ran the Calgary Branch, where he and his team went on to win Branch of the Year. In 2020, Matthew transitioned into the role of Vice President, Global IT Services, and in 2023, joined the executive team.

Matthew’s technical background, focus on security, and people-first approach make him an exceptional leader. He is laser focused on growth for the company, and has already realized major cost savings, while strengthening partnerships with our clients.

Matthew is an outdoors enthusiast, noting a recent adventure along the West Coast Trail with his wife and three children. He’s a Board Member for Cornerstone of Hope, and author of

She’s Gone, Move On

. In his free time, Matthew is a mentor, coach and supports up-and-coming startups and entrepreneurs through VMSA.

Erin Sheets

Juan Benitez

Wendy Best

With firsthand experience as an operations leader helping startups to scale, Wendy puts herself in the shoes of business founders selecting their first key hires or balancing business objectives and culture to motivate a team to grow. She mentors both first-time managers and seasoned executive leaders as they navigate the roller coaster ride of startup life. After supporting rapid growth, navigating acquisition, and helping businesses manage the inevitable ‘reorg,’ Wendy offers a breadth and depth of experience that leaders at all levels can draw on for support.

Wendy contributes more than 20 years of experience with technology companies including StellarAlgo, Agreement Express (acquired by Frontier Growth), Solium (acquired by Morgan Stanley), TELUS, and her own consulting company.

Murray Brack

Susan Brattberg

Wendy Brown

Wendy brings 35 years of experience as an IT professional in Software Development and IT Consulting Services fulfilling both technical and business leadership roles. She started her career in Calgary’s oil and gas sector as a Software Developer and Senior Project Manager and made the move to IT Consulting Services when she took on various senior executive roles with Quadrus Development Inc, ultimately fulfilling the role of President.

As President, Wendy led Quadrus through its growth and acquisition and laid the groundwork for much of its culture and paradigms. Her Quadrus tenure allowed Wendy the opportunity to uncover her passion for building a successful, robust and adaptive business with a focus on quality delivery, high performing teams and a caring and nurturing workplace.

Now retired, when not golfing, hiking, volunteering or spending time with family, Wendy is looking to share her learnings and experiences – to “pay it forward” – to others who are travelling their life’s journey.

Paul Bryden

Paul has over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing within the high-tech sector. He has had the privilege of working with clients and institutions in more than 150 countries worldwide and has witnessed first-hand the transition from traditional to digital marketing.

Paul’s last role was as Vice President of Sales & Marketing GEO-SLOPE International Ltd. He sat on the Board of Directors, was a shareholder in the organization, and was part of the management team facilitating the growth and eventual sale of the company.

Paul is married with two children and has lived in Calgary all but the first few months of his life. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.A. in Political Science and received his MBA from the University of Calgary in 2005.

Paul is past-president of his community association, an outdoor enthusiast, avid reader, and budding home chef.

Charles Buchanan

Charles is the original visionary behind Technology Helps, an idea that emerged from his experience working in the corporate sector and volunteering in the non-profit sector. This shaped his mission to end technology poverty in the non-profit sector. Recognizing that “somebody has to do something” and making the decision to step forward and do it, Charles founded Technology Helps in April 2016.

An information technology and business leader with a powerful combination of skills in sales, consulting, strategy, finance, customer insight and technology innovation, Charles has an MBA from Queen’s University and a Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Centre for Newcomers, one of Calgary’s largest immigrant-serving agencies. When he can find the time, he likes to get outdoors in the Banff/Canmore area, particularly if it’s at one of the area’s many great golf courses.

Charlene Butler

Charlene Butler is a director, entrepreneur, angle investor & consultant with over 30 years of management experience in the Energy, Insurance, Government, Non-Profit and Consulting sectors. She is the President and founder of Butler Business Solutions Ltd., a consulting company focused on evaluation framework development and execution, strategic business planning, non-financial risk management and organizational performance optimization primarily in the non-profit and public sectors.  Prior experience includes 11 years in the petroleum service sector and 11 years as an insurer and risk manager to various industries and governmental organizations. She is a University of Alberta Governor, Senator and Alumni Council member, Vice Chair of the Mental Health Foundation and Vice Chair of the Alberta Auto Insurance Rate Board. 

She holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science (Actuarial Science) both from the University of Calgary, a Chemical Technology diploma from SAIT, and a RIMS (Risk and Insurance Management Society) Fellowship Designation.

Margaret Glover

Margaret is a seasoned professional deeply entrenched in Calgary’s dynamic startup and tech ecosystem for more years than she'll readily admit. Her career began in advertising and design, sculpting campaigns and nurturing brands for diverse clients. However, her fascination with tech startups who were pioneering new industries led her to pivot client-side for a more hands-on role in the creative process.

Since then, Margaret has thrived in startup and scale-up environments, consistently drawn back by the excitement of launching products poised to shape modern life. Her dedication extends beyond innovation; she's a passionate advocate for women in tech, devoting volunteer hours to their advancement.

Margaret's expertise lies in team building, collaborating with development groups, and establishing customer feedback loops for exceptional user experiences. At her core, she's an operational maestro, orchestrating alignment between business vision and execution.

Beyond her professional endeavours, Margaret begins and ends each day with meditation practice, immerses herself in Calgary's music scene, indulges in culinary explorations, and enjoys globetrotting. She has a 17-year-old son, who is her world, and two fur babies, who tie for second.

Joel Cawthorn

Joel Cawthorn is a business owner and serves as a Director on the advisory board for the Startec Group of Companies. Joel recently stepped down from his operating role after 15 years as President of Startec Refrigeration Services Ltd. after driving significant growth and diversification in the organization. Graduating from the University of Calgary with a degree in Chemical Engineering, he spent 30 years in various roles within the Startec organization. He possesses a strong background in leadership, management, HR, ERP and accounting systems, project management, procurement, manufacturing and IT.

A seasoned leader, Joel is a strong proponent of servant leadership and excels at building high performance teams on a foundation of trust. He is a third generation Calgarian with strong local roots and is married with two children. Joel is currently vice chair for the non-profit RAHA, Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Association of Alberta and is an angel investor. 

Rob Church

Robert Church is a seasoned business executive with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. As the former CEO of Aria Solutions Inc., a leading provider of customer engagement solutions, Robert led the company to become a recognized leader in the industry.

During his tenure at Aria Solutions, Robert was instrumental in driving growth and innovation, while maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction. Under his leadership, Aria Solutions became a trusted partner for some of the world's leading companies, providing them with innovative solutions that helped them engage with their customers in more meaningful ways.

In the fall of 2020, Aria Solutions was acquired by Avtex, a leading provider of customer experience solutions. As part of the acquisition, Robert worked closely with the Avtex team to ensure a smooth transition for customers, employees, and stakeholders.

After the successful sale of Aria Solutions, Robert is now looking to give back to the business community through mentoring. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders, and he believes that mentorship is a powerful way to drive innovation and growth in the industry.

Robert's expertise spans a wide range of areas, including software development, project management, business strategy, and customer engagement. He has a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams, and he is dedicated to helping others achieve their full potential.

Ben Clarke

Ben is a people person and adventurer: a credible C-suite People-function leader and passionate executive coach. His purpose is to make the world of work effective, successful, and fun, and to do that by investing in people at all levels of an organization, helping them develop into great leaders of people. He is focused on helping them understand each other better, communicate better, and work smarter - these things are essential pillars of a successful culture. He is an improver, continually aiming to create simplicity beyond the complex.

Ben currently works as a coach and People consultant with clients in Canada, the US, the UK, and the Caribbean, from his home base in Calgary. He works with a global management consulting firm as well as independently. He is also building business as a fractional chief people officer for small and midsize companies that don’t need a full one, stemming from his previous role as chief people officer of a $35bn private bank in the Caribbean. He led five categories of work there: developing leaders, building successful teams, creating a culture of clear communication in a hybrid workforce, raising performance company-wide, and helping the organization work smarter. He oversaw the HR team, transforming them from an admin-focused operations team to more actively engaging with people.

Ben is a PCC-level credentialed executive coach, and he has a science PhD from the University of Cambridge in the UK. He has worked in people development for 10 years, including coaching hundreds of leaders, and before that had a 15-year career exploring for new oil & gas fields in remote parts of the world, as a technical expert and people leader. He leads from his strengths of deep listening and trust-building, shaping creative solutions that are practical, easy to implement, and transformational. Ben created and owns an 85-module MBA-level leader development program.

James Cleland

James is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, oil & gas and government. He has successfully led small businesses and has run divisions for global multinational companies such as GE. He excels at building high performance teams and leading businesses through times of transition.

Based in Calgary, James works with the Envision team to help their clients with strategy, leadership development and capital sourcing. He was most recently the President of Firemaster Oilfield Services, a leading industrial safety services business operating in Western Canada. He continues to be involved with Firemaster as a member on their board of directors.

Starting his career in metal fabrication he oversaw company growth of 40X while he was Vice President and General Manager of All New Manufacturing in Calgary. As part of the Industry Development team in Alberta Economic Development, he designed and implemented growth strategies that helped the metal fabrication industry expand in the mid-2000’s. While he was Executive Director of the Alberta Economic Development Authority, he worked with the board’s appointed CEO’s and business leaders to advise on strategy and economic issues to the Premier and Cabinet of Alberta.

James gained exposure to international markets at General Electric where he was Global General Manager of their Heavy Oil Division, a high growth business unit for GE. James has an executive MBA from the University of Calgary and served six years on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Alberta Division.

Wendy Coombs

Wendy Coombs is the current owner of Momentum Health and Evidence Sport and Spine, a growing group of 8 intercollaborative multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinics in Calgary Alberta, Canada offering sport medicine, physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, kinesiology, athletic therapy, psychology, and physiatry services. She is a mentor with the Venture Mentorship Services of Alberta (VMSA), and board member of the CWC Primary Care Network (CEC PCN), and an Area Director and on the Leadership Committee for the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO). She is the past President of the Calgary Entrepreneurs Organization and board member of the Alberta Women Entrepreneurs.

Previously she was an owner and CEO of Innovative Sport Medicine and Advantage Health. She has grown fourteentwenty separate businesses from a single sole charge physiotherapy clinic into medical centers. She has developed stand-alone rehabilitation centers as well as clinics integrated into medical centers offering family medicine, dental, and optical services. She is a prior Dale Carnegie trainer. She enjoys educating and mentoring physiotherapy private business owners from across Canada. Her company’s were 3rd in Alberta Venture’s Fast Growth 50 for 2017 and she was recognized with a 2017 Business in Calgary for Leadership Award. She has been a member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization since 2005. She has two Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Physical Therapy from the University of Alberta. She was a finalist for the RBC 2009 Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award in the Trailblazer category.

David Cooper

Paul Crawford

Paul Crawford, P.Eng. is an accomplished business leader with over 30 years of experience in engineering and business management. In his capacity as the founder of Lighthouse Vision Inc., Paul has been instrumental in guiding companies through the process of preparing for sale. He leverages his expertise in business growth, operations, and technology development, emphasizing intellectual honesty, strategic influence, and cross-functional expertise to ensure a seamless and successful transition for businesses.

Paul's commitment reaches beyond the corporate sphere, evident in his active engagement in mentoring aspiring business owners through organizations like Futurpreneur Canada and the Scholars Academy at the University of Calgary. With a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, certification as a Management Consultant, and a background as a Journeyman Machinist and Welder, Paul possesses a rich skill set cultivated through diverse leadership roles in various companies, adding depth and versatility to his professional endeavors.

With experiences such as CEO/VP Business at August Electronics Inc., CEO of NorthPoint Technical Services, and President & Chairman of the Board at Solex Thermal Science Inc., Paul consistently delivers results. His achievements include successful business restructurings, substantial revenue increases, and strategic sales facilitation, showcasing his ability to drive success in diverse industries.

Paul's commitment to community service aligns seamlessly with his educational background and credentials, making him a dynamic force in the business landscape. Focused on value maximization, growth potential, and community impact, Paul stands ready to contribute to the success of businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Laura Davis

Dan Delaloye

Dan is a retired information technology and telecommunications executive. He most recently served as CEO at Celero Solutions, a fintech company in the Canadian credit union and small bank space. Prior to Celero Solutions, he spent 12 years with TELUS as a market facing executive, most recently as President Consumer Solutions and EVP TELUS Corporation. Dan started his career with XEROX Corporation, where he held assignments in operations, sales, marketing, HR, and finance. His areas of expertise include leadership development, planning, governance, marketing, sales, HR, risk management, and project / process management. He has over 25 years of board experience as a director with both corporate and not for profit organizations.

Dan has been active in his community volunteering and working with Venture Mentoring Services of Alberta, Canadian Mental Health Association, University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business, Alberta Economic Authority, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, Silvera for Seniors, Calgary Resolve Campaign, United Way, Theatre Calgary, and Junior Achievement.

He holds a BComm and BEd from the University of Manitoba, an Executive Management Diploma from the University of Southern California, and is a graduate of the Directors’ Education Program from the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors.

Dan is married to Cindy and they have two daughters. He loves everything outdoors, especially hiking.

Shawn Derby

Shawn Derby is recently retired from CGI where he was Senior Vice President for Western Canada and he has over 35 years of experience in the information technology sector. Shawn joined CGI in 2010 and was responsible for CGI’s financial results, business operations, client relations and member engagement across the Western Business Unit. During his tenure at CGI, he more than doubled CGI’s revenue and employee base in the West.

At CGI, Shawn led a team of over 1,100 professionals, who work with a wide range of clients in both the public and private sector, helping them leverage information technology solutions to the benefit of their organizations and stakeholders. CGI develops and provides solutions for organizations across all industries, with a focus on applying technology to competitive advantage and positive return on investment.

Prior to joining CGI, Shawn was the Chief Operating Officer for Kryos Systems, a privately held software and professional services firm focused on developing portal and mobile based solutions and intellectual capital.

Shawn began his career at IBM Canada Ltd where he held a variety of business development and management positions. His last position at IBM was Territory Executive for the Alberta private sector.

Shawn graduated from the University of Regina with a Bachelor of Business Administration and he also completed the Harvard Premier Program and the Executive Leadership Program at Boston University School of Management. Shawn enjoys the outdoors, cycling and spending time with his wife and two adult children and their partners.

Kenny Doleac

I started my career as an officer in the US Army, flying Blackhawk helicopters and leading teams both in the US and in Iraq. I view these as my formative leadership years, where I learned to both tackle both technical and team challenges in demanding environments. One of the most important lessons being that one must truly care about, I would say love, people in order to be a great leader. After seven years in the military and two tours in Iraq, I left the Army and went back to school to get an MBA at Kellogg School of Management and an MPA at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government as a way to re-tool myself for the business world.  

Next, I joined Apple, working in new product development on the operations side where I had the opportunity to bring MacBook and AirPod products to market. I worked extensively with the engineering teams and lead the operations and supply chain teams in both Cupertino and China.  After my wife and I had our first daughter, we decided we wanted to move closer to family which turned our attention toward Calgary, where my wife’s family lives.  I joined Attabotics, a start-up in the industrial automation and robotics sector, leading the engineering, supply chain and product teams.  I really enjoyed the challenge of working in a small company and the chance set direction for both the organization and the product.  Service to others has always been a core aspect of my life and the desire to serve again brought me to VMSA, where I am excited to have the opportunity to coach and share my experience with entrepreneurs in the local community.

Brian Donaldson

Seasoned Executive, Entrepreneur and Mentor with 25+ years progressive experience designing, building and leading technology-based businesses. Wide breadth of skills enabling creative and effective mentoring of entrepreneurs, business executives and IT leaders to build successful product companies, IT organizations and teams. Experience guiding companies through product envisioning, organizational restructuring, business process reengineering, operational execution, and intellectual property advancement. Passionate and collaborative leadership style that empowers and facilitates colleagues to grow from good to great.

Co-Founded Quadrus Development in 1993. Executed roles of Chairman, President and Chief Technology Officer. Spun off Quadrus Financial Technologies in 1998 as CTO. Exited Quadrus Financial in 2005 (acquired by IHS Markit). Exited Quadrus Development in 2019 (acquired by Improving LLC).

Currently mentoring and advising tech start-up founders and execs as a member of The A100, Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta (VMSA), Platform Calgary, Alberta Innovates and the University of Calgary's Mentor Link program.

Pierre Doyon

I am passionate about helping people succeed in entrepreneurial organizations. I really enjoy developing executive teams and putting in place the building blocks that enable companies to meet and exceed their business objectives.

I am looking for my next business venture in a player-coach capacity which may include executive roles such as President/CEO, Senior Business Consultant or a member of a Board of Directors. I am also very interested in investing capital in growth minded organizations where a cultural fit exists with existing stakeholders.

More recently I was President/CEO and shareholder of Calgary based Chariot Carrriers Inc. (Jogger Strollers - Bicycle Trailers) leading the executive team in a transformation of the company. This included the outsourcing of production to Asia, enhancing distribution agreements in Europe and in the US, as well as developing a high performance team culture. I led the negotiations with Sweden based Thule Group which resulted in the Chariot Carriers being acquired by Thule in 2011.

My career started in sales of veterinary pharmaceuticals which led to marketing positions in Agri-Business for a multinational company. In 1989 I founded Adculture, a marketing communications firm focused on Agri-Business and Agri-Food. Services delivered to International and North American firms included marketing consulting, communications (advertising and public relations), advocacy and issues management. After closing the Canadian and US based companies I provided management consulting services companies involved in property development and real estate syndication in the Bow Valley (Canmore/Banff, Alberta).

Graham Drake

Graham Drake recently retired from the role of President and CEO of Cervus Equipment Corporation. Cervus is in the business of operating authorized agricultural, industrial and commercial equipment dealerships.

After graduating from McGill University with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, Graham began his career in 1983 with John Deere Limited, with varying roles across Canada in sales, service and finance. In 1996, he bought two John Deere dealerships in Central Alberta. Those two dealerships became part of the original foundation of Cervus in 1999.

Since then, and during Graham’s tenure, Cervus grew to 63 dealership locations across Canada, New Zealand and Australia with a diversified brand portfolio.

Over the course of his career with Cervus, Graham’s role evolved from general manager of his original two stores to overseeing Canadian Operations of Cervus’ Agricultural division, then its expansion into New Zealand and Australia. In 2012, Graham became the President and CEO of Cervus Equipment. Graham served on Cervus’ Board of Directors since its foundation and completed the ICD Director Education Program in 2011.

Graham is an active community volunteer and continues to be involved with Rotary International. He also has a particular interest in the governance of private, public and not-for-profit enterprises, acting as a board member and advisor to several entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Graham has been married to his wife, Holly, since 1982. Together they have three children and three granddaughters. Graham is an avid hiker, cyclist, runner and piano player. He also loves green apples!

David Edmonds

David Edmonds is an Entrepreneurial Executive with 25+ years experience creating and developing breakthrough results for both emerging and high-growth enterprises. Experienced business leader and growth architect with an award-winning track record for taking organizations to the next level by defining the strategic vision, properly positioning companies in the market, and creating the optimal operating infrastructure.

Dale Ens

Dale has enjoyed a rich and gratifying career as financial and estate planner.

The business he created, Blaeberry Estate Planning Inc., is a boutique practice serving the needs of a wide spectrum of entrepreneurs, executives and professionals in Calgary.

As part of his value proposition, he says this about his practice: “We work with great people, discussing important things, contributing to their improvement and growth”.

In the course of Dale’s work, he was not only an effective financial advisor to his clients but a trusted friend, ally and confidant.

Concurrent with his professional work, Dale has been an active volunteer in the community and within his profession.

He has had a 30 year association with the Calgary Foundation including a 9 year term on its Board of Directors.

He concluded his Board service as the Foundation’s Chair in 2015 and remained involved as a member of the Major and Signature Grants committee until this March 2024.

In 2018, he joined the Board of cSpace Projects Inc., a social venture real estate developer whose flagship project, cSpace Marda Loop, provides arts and community groups with space to pursue their mission and purpose in the beautifully redesigned, renovated and open-to-the-community King Edward School in South Calgary.

While on this Board, he served as Chair and concluded his service in May 2024 as Past Chair.

In both his professional and volunteer work, he brings humour, sincerity, and integrity.

Dale is a keen cyclist and skier and has dabbled in a variety to outdoor activities throughout his life including hiking, sailing, golf, western riding and triathlon. He has had the patient and loyal support of his wonderful spouse, Cathy, and between them, they have raised a daughter who is on the cusp of obtaining her PhD in sport psychology.

Matt Faure

Matt Faure was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of Trimac Transportation in January 2016. With over 30 years of experience in the transportation, logistics and supply chain industry, he now leads the transformation of the company.

Prior to joining Trimac, Matt was Vice-President Intermodal for Canadian Pacific Railway, where he was responsible for leading CP’s Domestic North America and International Import/Export portfolios. He also held other senior leadership positions at CP and other North American transportation companies.

Matt received an MBA from École des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montreal, is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has received the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is also a graduate of Singularity University and the High Potential Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

Peter Fenwick is the Director of ScaleUp & Growth Programs at Mount Royal University, renowned for his commitment to leadership and growth strategy development.

With a diverse career spanning roles as Deputy Minister in the Ontario Cabinet Office, VP Strategy at Green Shield Canada, and leadership team positions at Alberta Health Services and GE Healthcare, Peter has driven significant organizational growth and transformation.

Peter holds an MBA from the joint Kellogg-Schulich program, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University, and certifications from the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Institute of Corporate Directors. His dedication to societal betterment is evident through his advisory role at Plug and Play and his board membership at Imagine Citizens Network, as well as his advisory board roles with Wosler Corp. and My Normative. He is previously an A100 Member (2015 - 2019), is one of the first 40 signatories of the Rainforest AB Social Contract, and was trained by Roy Group (2016).

A respected mentor and coach, Peter’s approach to leadership emphasizes gratitude, empowerment, and fostering environments that enable human flourishing.

For a deeper dive, see LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/djpeterfenwick/

Belinda Fox

With more than 25 years of experience in corporate communications and public affairs, Belinda’s commodity is influence. Before establishing a consulting practice, Belinda built and led the communications functions for two multinational energy companies. Prior to these endeavours, she spent a decade in health care communications and eight years teaching post-secondary media and public relations. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calgary, a two-year Diploma in Public Relations from Mount Royal University and professional accreditation through the International Association of Business Communicators. A citizen of both Canada and the United Kingdom, Belinda is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Addictions at King’s College London.

Kevin Franco is a businessman and entrepreneur from Calgary. For almost 30 years, Kevin has launched many products and started multiple businesses. His companies and his work have been honoured with numerous creative, marketing and business awards. He is currently leading the special projects team in the development of new products for a technology firm based in Massachusetts.

Shawn Freeman

I am an Alberta-based tech expert and entrepreneur with an ongoing ambition to improve the lives of everyone around me, be it through technology, community action, mentorship, or a combination of all three.

In 2011 I founded TWT Group Inc., a managed IT service provider with a human touch. I learned a lot about successfully building a brand and a business – and about teaching others to do the same. In February 2020, I took on a new role as Regional VP of Alberta for Fully Managed when they acquired TWT. I also sit on the Forbes Technology Council, contribute articles to forums like Entrepreneur, Inc and the Huffington Post, and continue to fundraise for and volunteer at organizations across Calgary, my hometown.

Jim Gibson is a community and technology ecosystem leader. Jim was formerly the Chief Catalyst for

SAIT. In his role, he was responsible for defining the possibilities of digital for the institution and

helping create student experiences that prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.

A passionate and serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, and author, Gibson has spent three

decades anticipating, adapting to, and advancing technology trends and challenges. He co-

founded Thin Air Labs and co-led the development of Rainforest Alberta.

Jim currently provides strategic leadership to several local technology companies, is a member

of The A100, a board member of Mikata Health, a board member of CRIN (Clean Resources

Innovation Network), and an entrepreneur mentor with Venture Mentoring Services of Alberta.

Outlined in his 2017 thought-provoking book, Tip of the Spear: Our Species and Technology

at a Crossroads, Gibson examines the challenges and the opportunities ahead:

“The real work ahead is in understanding that our future is governed both by the innovation of

‘things’ as well as innovation of ‘ways.’” This way forward will be about magical and wonderous

new advances and the recognition that progress must be for the many and not just the few.

Jim lives in Calgary with his family and is working on his second book, “The Human Race” due for publication in the Spring of 2024.

Shawn Gibson

I am a former senior executive turned strategist with experience building business and high performing teams in startups, technology, and multinational manufacturing organizations. I enjoy the challenges of building business, value for customers and have a strong focus on team performance, continuous learning and innovation. In my experience, I’ve seen that leadership teams often have aspects of their business strategy figured out and need support to fulfill their entire vision.

As one of the founders of a technology startup, I helped our team navigate through its storming to performing years – building teams and products used to improve reliability in semiconductor equipment, subsea compressors and more. I also led and developed high performing teams at a highly trusted multinational manufacturing organization, growing from international business development, general management to President of the Canadian operations. I was integral to the digital transformation strategy, nurturing teams working on new business models, connected products, acquisitions and organization transformation.

I know firsthand the power of coaching and the positive impact of a high trust coaching relationship. Throughout my career, coaching has been a common thread to achieve impactful results in sometimes extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I am passionate about helping other executives and founders lead with intention to strengthen their organizations. I am a results-focused individual and I like work to be fulfilling and fun – a mindset I want to share with other leaders and their teams.

Outside of work, I am eager for adventures in the mountains with family and friends – anywhere with a trail, snow or water. I wholeheartedly embrace family life with my wife and two amazing daughters.

Kari Gordon

Kari has twenty-plus years of experience coaching high-performance athletes and teams involved in alpine skiing. Her coaching philosophy and understanding of what is needed to succeed on an international stage apply to both sport and business.

She moved into the Executive Director role with Startup Calgary, including the organization’s transition into Calgary Economic Development. Currently, she is the Director of Programming for Creative Destruction Lab - Rockies located within the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. The lab is a pre-seed /seed program for deep science and technology startups.

In addition to her work with entrepreneurs, she is a proud member of the volunteer leadership team with the Calgary Stampede, is the Chairman of the Livestock Competition Committee, and former Chairman of the Grandstand Show.

Wendy Guiffre

Wendy is a Human Resource Professional with over 30 years generalist experience and President and Principal Consultant for Wendy Ellen Inc. Wendy formalized her firm in 2005 and has been growing since. Her firm works with all industries based in and around Western Canada and US affiliates. Wendy is co-author of the book The Only HR Best Practice You’ll Ever Need – a grass roots and practical approach to what leaders and HR teams often over-complicate – dealing with their people. Wendy has practiced in all aspects of HR with a vast breadth of experience starting from solid training at a major oil company specializing in Compensation, Benefits and Pension to consulting work with many small to mid-size businesses crossing various industry sectors. She has practical hands-on experience clients can benefit from. As a generalist, she has touched all areas of HR with a specific interest and expertise in all aspects of Compensation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Leadership Coaching, Employee Relations, Organizational Strategy and Structure and is a grass roots HR practitioner and believes in simplified process and brings back the human in Human Resources. Wendy believes in lifetime learning and recently completed her MBA at Queen's University.

Chelsea Hazewinkel

Chelsea Hazewinkel is Chief Legal Officer and Chief Privacy Officer for the Paladin Security Group of Companies where she oversees all legal and insurance aspects for the Paladin Security, PalAmerican, Paladin Risk Solutions and Concord Parking, in Canada and the United States. She was formerly lead counsel to the Canadian Industrial group of companies at PCL Construction, Canada’s largest construction company where she oversaw all legal elements of the operations including deal-closing, contract review, litigation strategy and dispute resolution, employment and labour, occupational health & safety, insurance and risk management. For the decade prior to going in-house, Chelsea was a lawyer at law firms in Vancouver, B.C. and Edmonton, Alberta and taught Business Law at the University of Alberta, School of Business. She has served as a director on many Boards and twice stewarded boards from an operational to governance model as the organization’s scope and mandate grew; she now presents for the DirectHer network. A recent graduate of the Council of Canadian Innovator’s inaugural Innovation Governance Program (iGP), Chelsea currently serves as a mentor and advisor to several Alberta based startup companies and is the Past President of the Association of Corporate Counsel, Alberta Board of Directors (the preeminent organization for corporate lawyers worldwide.)

Chelsea is an accomplished leader and a highly acclaimed lawyer who has been nominated for numerous awards over the years including Canadian Law Awards, Dealmaker of the Year in 2021, the Women in Law Leadership Award for In-House Counsel, and the Western Canadian General Counsel Award, Litigation Management. A parent of three young children, Chelsea has farcically recounted working while parenting in the pandemic, her articles can be found on her LinkedIn.

Rod Heard

Rod has over 25 years of diverse business experience including environmental consulting where he gained broad industry exposure through site assessments and decontamination; advising early stage technology companies that were successful in raising over $50mm in capital; numerous executive roles (CFO, VP Marketing and Sales, VP International) at a publicly traded oil and gas technology and services company that grew from $10mm to over $130mm during his 12 year tenure, and most recently as the CEO of a financial asset manager (ETF company) focused on quantitative finance and algorithmic stock selection. Rod currently is advising several early stage technology companies in cleantech, edtech and is chair of the board of a private oil and gas and mining drilling services company. Rod is passionate about growth and innovation and is anticipating Alberta’s emergence as a leading technology commercial centre. Outside of work Rod is a dedicated family man and loves outdoor pursuits and travel.

Tim Hodge is a veteran of the Canadian technology industry. Over the last 20 years, Tim has held leadership roles in a range of technology companies large and small, and provided leadership to various technology advisory councils and associations across Western Canada. Tim began his career in management consulting, then spent a 10 years in wireless and IOT, before building a oil and gas focused fleet management company. Tim has led companies that have been awarded the Deloitte Technology fast 50 and the 38th highest revenue growth in Canada. Currently Tim is partner at Birchcliff Partners LP who are active angel investors in the western Canadian technology ecosystem.

Carey Houston

Proven strategic technology executive with over 15 years consulting and operational experience. Successful track record in developing winning strategies, launching products, creating and motivating strong teams, and bringing discipline to planning and execution. Skilled in managing start-up and high growth tech ventures, including B2B software, hardware, and services.

Rick Hu

Dr. Hu has has been a spinal surgeon for more than 30 years and has held leadership roles in research, teaching and healthcare administration. Rick is the Founder and former CEO of Vivametrica Ltd., a provider of predictive risk analysis to the insurance industry and group wellness programs. Vivametrica was acquired by Sprout Wellness Solutions, a Toronto based digital wellness and health platform, in the summer of 2020. 

In addition to Vivametrica, Rick has co-founded and grown other health related ventures including CaleoHealth, a spine disease focused multidisciplinary clinic and Ammolite Biomodels, a multimodal simulation platform revolutionizing how orthopaedic surgeons learn to operate.

Gary Jacques

A fifth-generation Calgarian, Gary holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary and a Master of Applied Science in Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto. His graduate research at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital applied design theory to improve prosthetic limb function.

His early career was in design, manufacture, development and commercialization of mechanical devices and software products in oil and gas, environmental and healthcare industries. He holds patents, published journal articles, and presented at conferences.

Gary's particular strength and interest is in design, specifically uncoupling historical products and processes from the problems they solved to create genuinely new and efficient solutions. He has been involved in developing commercially successful products that revolutionized their industries.

Gary now manages a private foundation with the goal of advancing the use of personal health information to improve outcomes in the medical system. He would like to see data used more effectively to improve prevention, diagnosis, communication and treatment of personal health. Other volunteer activities include coaching in the local technology ecosystem.

Gary shares his spare time with his family while travelling and pursuing outdoor activities in the mountains, rivers and oceans.

Brad Johns is a Partner at Yaletown, bringing over 25 years of private equity, venture capital, business development, product management and manufacturing experience to the firm. Based in Calgary, Brad spends his time finding and scaling, emerging growth opportunities in the enterprise process, energy and industrial sectors. Brad also manages the Accelerate Fund II, an Alberta fund focused on seed investments, is a member and past Chairman of the A100, and volunteers as a coach/mentor with the VMSA.

Brad leads Yaletown’s investments in ThoughExchange, Userful, Showbie, and LoginRadius, and focuses on enterprise and industrial technologies that transform traditional processes. He previously let the firm’s investments in Chaordix (acquired by Benevity), Monexa (acquired by Netsuite), and Shadow Networks (acquired by Acalvio).

Prior to joining Yaletown, Brad was a partner at Moneta Capital where he was responsible for information and industrial technology investments and vice president of Launchworks, a venture capital firm which was among the top performers in its vintage. Earlier in his career, he was an executive at global communications-giant, Nortel, providing leadership in manufacturing and product management in Canada and the UK.

Brad holds a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University, an M.Eng in Systems Engineering from McMaster University, and an MBA from INSEAD.

Benjamin Kemp

Benjamin’s passion for leadership, performance, and change suits growth

environments. His broad-based experience with people, processes, and transformative

shifts as a catalyst for better business outcomes, has enabled a rich and diverse career

to date. Recognized as a builder, who has led significant evolutions across smaller

entrepreneurial private companies and larger multinational firms.

His role as CEO of VC Backed Calgary-based AI firm Ambyint highlights his commitment

to guiding the company through a growth phase, as they forge a new path that requires

a strong vision alongside high execution.

A keen supporter of the communities where we live, work, and play Benjamin currently

provides mentoring to Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta (VMSA) and SAIT. Plus

career coaching to his network.

Feisal Keshavjee

Feisal Keshavjee is the Senior Vice President, Health Partnerships & Transformation, Home Health Services. He is an accomplished healthcare leader who has worked in all facets of the healthcare system – policy, public, private, corporate, and early stage. He has worked in the healthcare system in Calgary where he was greatly involved in the restructuring and regionalization efforts throughout the nineties. He was also a Principal for Ernst & Young in the Asia Pacific region, carrying out numerous post-merger integration efforts in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia.

Feisal has held the position of Director of Business Development for the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, General Manager for GE Healthcare, CEO of a large radiology practice in Calgary, and CEO of a health technology start-up.

For the past few years, Feisal has been involved in the health technology sector in Alberta and is a sessional instructor at the University of Calgary on New Venture Finance. Prior to joining CBI Health, he led a boutique consulting practice in the healthcare space and has been involved in a number of engagements involving strategic planning, business growth, due diligence, negotiation, project planning, and operational excellence.

Feisal has just finished a term as Chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, the professional association for Canada’s 4,000+ health leaders and industry executives. He currently sits on the Board of an artificial intelligence (AI) company in the imaging space, and is also a Board member of a not-for-profit, long-term care provider.

Amaan Khalfan

Amaan Khalfan is the Founder of Amaseena Consulting, specializing in Business Advisory, Fractional C Suite and Board Director roles and Company restructuring. With his 25 years of international assignments in North America and Africa, in entrepreneurship, management consulting, and C suite positions, Amaan brings in a unique skill set in operational excellence and service delivery. 

His entrepreneurial and management consulting expertise in operational restructuring, process reengineering and process efficiency projects have generated immense shareholder value. He was the founder of a business incubation centre in Kenya, incubating over 60 SMEs, in addition to being a business mentor. His areas of specialization include private equity, agribusiness, manufacturing, healthcare, education and water and sanitation.

Mike Lake

Nathan Lee

With 23+ years in the tech industry, Nathan is a seasoned entrepreneur known for guiding others to success. As the founder of YellowWood Networks Inc., he led the company to a successful sale in 2019. In his role as the strategic VP of Sales and Marketing at the acquiring company, Nathan implemented new growth plans. Today, as a business consultant in the legal industry, his expertise in tech-business alignment, strategic sales, leadership, and performance analysis continues to make a significant impact. Nathan excels in cultivating strong executive leadership for exceptional results, making him a sought-after mentor for entrepreneurs and a trusted advisor in the field.

James Levy

James is the COO of SenSights, an early-stage healthcare technology business and a recent addition to the VMSA team.

Prior to joining us, James held numerous senior leadership roles in TELUS including rolling out 5G, implementing its IoT growth strategy, and initiating its Agriculture Business. He is an expert in strategy, marketing and product management.

In his work with Start-ups and Scale-ups, James establish three 5G innovation hubs, implemented the TELUS | Zone-Start-ups partnership, and was instrumental in establishing the TELUS Technology Accelerator.

As a former business instructor at the university of Alberta and trained in coaching through our partnership with the Roy Group, James believes in experiential learning and will bring this mindset to his role as a Mentor.

Rob Logan

Rob Logan recently stepped back from his role as CEO of Osprey Informatics where he led this AI-enabled industrial technology company through a number of key pivots culminating in its expansion into the US funded by strategic investments from a group of venture funds. Prior to Osprey, Mr. Logan led the turnaround of CanGas Solutions an innovative diesel to CNG conversion and logistics company. CanGas was later acquired by Certarus.

Mr. Logan started his investment banking career as an intern for a London-based merchant bank. Following his MBA joined Wood Gundy in Toronto and quickly proposed and led the formation of a highly successful JV between Wood Gundy and CIBC, becoming one of the youngest officers at the bank. Moving to New York to join Salomon Brothers, over the next 14 years alongside a number of mergers to eventually form Citigroup, Mr. Logan’s team built Citi’s dominant debt capital markets franchise strategically serving Canadian governments, public and private corporations and P3 entities.

Semi-retiring in 2006, he started a private investment business. As an investor and/or board member he has helped a variety of high-growth US and Canadian, public and private, traditional and high-tech businesses address various challenges but, most importantly, seize opportunities. His greatest satisfaction comes from building, mentoring and working alongside high-performance teams.

Mr. Logan graduated from U. of Waterloo with a Jt. Hons. BSc. degree in Kinesiology and Economics while also participating as an intercollegiate athlete and team captain. Thereafter, he attended the Ivey Business School at Western University to obtain an MBA (Dean’s List).

An active member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (he holds its ICD.D designation) and the President’s Circle at the University of Waterloo. Finally, Rob is passionate about influencing legacy economic, educational and national security policies through his almost 10 year association with the Gen Next Foundation (Orange County, CA).

Diane MacDonald

Diane MacDonald joins VMSA as an expert in organizational effectiveness and performance.

After careers in oil and gas, and telecommunications, she started a management consulting practice specializing in strategic planning, and transformational change. With three other partners, she also founded a leadership training company with licensees around the world. She was one of four external assessors with the Premier’s Award of Excellence, a program to recognize process and outcome excellence in Government of Alberta projects and departments.

 She has served on several boards, and as a mentor in such organizations as Women in Communications and Technology. She looks forward to learning with other mentors and contributing to founders’ growth and success.

Rob Mann spent the majority of his corporate career growing the Western Region of Van Houtte Coffee Services from a $25MM operation to over $100MM spanning from Thunder Bay to the Pacific.  More recently he has joined forces with his wife to expand a residential home staging business they started 5 years ago.

Melanie McClare is the principal at Gaze Consulting, a firm focused on helping leaders declutter unnecessary noise and make the next right decision. Her firm works with Boards, CEO's and Commercialization Teams in a variety of technology businesses to develop winning strategies for growth.

Melanie began her career working in the industrial resource sector in Europe and West Africa. She moved into the cleantech start-up industry over a decade ago and most recently served as CEO of Swirltex Inc., a technology company focused on solving the world’s toughest wastewater problems.

Melanie is passionate about cleantech, sustainability and mindful leadership. She is the host of the Gaze Ahead Podcast, a show that promotes unconventional leadership hacks and strategies for redefining success in business. She has a Chemical Engineering Degree from McGill University and an MBA from Haskayne School of Business in Calgary, Canada.

Kerri McGovern

With over two decades of senior management experience spanning technology, agriculture, and entrepreneurship, Kerri quickly builds trusted relationships to accelerate market entry, secure support from investors or develop lasting partnerships. A proven executive versed at scaling companies and building teams, Kerri leads with impatience balanced with empathy to encourage herself and others to produce excellent results. Her work with the VMSA sparked a deeper interest in developing talent and she now leads the Canadian practice for The Breakthrough Co., a management training company that helps organizations cultivate exceptional leaders from within.

Previous roles included COO at Replenish Nutrients, provider of natural fertilizers and VP Business Development at Tynt, an attribution technology for publishers. She is recognized as a "Top 40 Under 40" and holds a BSc. and an MBA.

Chris McPhee

Chris grew up in an entrepreneurial family and moved to Calgary after obtaining degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. Chris has a background in technology and management, and after obtaining an MBA from the University of Calgary, he joined a Calgary-based software company in 2011 to run the operations until it was successfully acquired in 2019. He now works with entrepreneurs, business owners and their leadership teams to help them get more of what they want from their businesses.

Claudia Moore has more than 20 years of experience in marketing software. She is co-owner of Material Insight - a small-by-design technology marketing agency dedicated to growing software businesses in Western Canada. She’s helped entrepreneurs at more than 50 companies with lead generation, establishing strategic partnerships and laying the ground for successful exits. She’s also held senior roles inside startups, including Solium and Chaordix, where she experienced first hand the thrills and hard choices of leading a software business when paired with goals of strong family and good personal health.

Ken Moore was a founder and President of TENET Medical Engineering, which originated out of the University of Calgary.  TENET built an internationally successful company that designed and manufactured Medical Devices for Orthopaedic Surgery that was recently sold to Smith & Nephew.  One of TENET’s primary goals was to contribute back to the University through its profits.  TENET donated over $2 Million back to the University for scholarships, fellowships and a fund to help commercialize startup companies.  Prior to TENET, Ken played 12 years in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Sarah Morrill has spent the past 15+ years working with big brands, early-stage startups, and tech ecosystem organizations, she has been in the trenches leading teams from strategy and planning to getting sh*t done. Sarah started her career in advertising working in agencies then moving to client side marketing with big brands like WestJet. The big ah-ha happened when she moved to working with tech startups.

These fast-paced environments allowed her to flex her strengths in product marketing, brand building, lead gen, people/HR/culture and of course strategy. Sarah now spends her time with the team at 321 Growth Academy, leading Customer Success and Business Development and leveraging her experience, to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals, and make a positive impact on our ecosystem.

Bonnie Nay-Draper has intentionally chosen a diverse career path, bringing two decades of experience in

both the public and private sectors. Her role in the field operations of a global agriculture

company, leading internal government projects, and serving start-ups and medium and large

entities operating in a broad range of industries, provide her a unique perspective and a wide

range of knowledge around best practices in various industries and sectors.

In her various senior management and leadership roles, she has primarily focused on

organizational transformation, strategy, people and culture, stakeholder engagement, and

client service. Her experience has strengthened her systems thinking, ability to engage diverse

groups for common purpose, and to see opportunities where others may not.

She’s passionate about people - thrives on helping them realize they are capable of more than

they thought possible; coaching and leading teams and organizations through transitions and

instability; and aligning values, strategy, and culture to create value and impact.

Bonnie’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Business and an

MBA. She’s also a Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and

Certified Coach of NLP; a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner; and has completed two-thirds of

her Lean Greenbelt Certification.

Leanne Northwood

Leanne Northwood is a Partner within Odgers Berndtson’s Executive Search Practice, based in Calgary. She helps organizations secure talent for critical executive roles, focusing primarily on the financial services, technology and scale-up sectors.

Before her career in executive recruitment, Leanne enjoyed a broad set of experiences gained in a variety of industries including telecommunications, IT, media, and fintech. She brings more than two decades of expertise in functions such as marketing, sales, business development, product management, partner management, and technical delivery. She began her career at Rogers Communications and later served in senior-level positions at Postmedia Network and Celero, a technology company supporting credit unions. Prior to joining Odgers Berndtson, Leanne led a professional services practice at Amazon Web Services that guided federal government customers with their cloud journey and digital transformation efforts.

In addition to her passion working on transformative projects and coaching people to excel professionally, Leanne enjoys skiing and traveling. She earned an MBA from the Ivey School of Business at Western University and has completed her Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University.

Petr Ondracek is a graduate of the Executive Coaching program at Royal Roads University. He is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and holds the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation. He holds a Master of Education majoring in psychology. Petr brings over 25 years leadership experience in developing high-performance teams, team-building and facilitation. Petr is a leadership coach, strategist and confidential thinking partner and his career spans design and engineering project management in the energy sector, teaching at the post-secondary level, as well as mentoring teams to increase their performance. Petr also is a master beekeeper, fine woodworker, climber, skier, hiker, biker, passionate educator, skillful problem-solver and really funny grandfather.

Ashleigh Patterson

I am a recovering entrepreneur that has made a successful transition to Corporate America. I co-founded an engineering and manufacturing company and spent nine years growing it into a successful global business. As a Vice-President I was involved in all aspects of the business that included developing the corporate strategy, managing the day-to-day operations, and spearheading our business development efforts. Along the way I established manufacturing processes, designed products, and built shipping crates when the need arose (I am surprisingly skilled with a nail gun).

I was offered an incredible opportunity to join Mercedes-Benz Research & Development where I enjoyed operating as something of an "intrapreneur". I managed a multi-disciplinary team responsible for designing future mobility products and services. After co-leading the transformation of the Innovation group, I built our ideation process and team from the ground up. I have introduced design-thinking techniques, optimized our product portfolio, increased the fidelity of the business models, and created metrics that measure and drive success of the group. I was then recruited by Porsche Digital to design digital products and services for the iconic Porsche brand using customer-centric, data driven innovation techniques.

My journey in product continues at Shareworks by Morgan Stanley where I lead the product management organization in the development of an industry leading fintech platform.

Jessica Peters

Jessica combines her experiences as a small business owner, conscious entrepreneur, and several non-profit leadership roles with her work as an International Coach Federation, Professionally Certified Coach. Her coach training spans leadership, business, conscious capitalism, integrative nutrition, HeartMath®, intuition and neuroscience.

This experience combined with her clients’ leadership skills she co-creates a strong foundation for increasing the leaders’ ability to consciously lead with purpose, intention, passion and resilience. Jessica works holistically so leaders become conscious influencers of building healthy cultures, organizations, and communities.

Whether Jessica is helping executives reimagine their career or elevating their leadership skills, she helps promote an innovative strategy and mindset so they can transform challenges into new pathways for achieving higher levels of performance, fulfillment and positive impact.

Jessica is a natural connector of ideas, business and community resulting in new business partnerships, job opportunities, revenue streams and community partnerships locally and internationally.

Scott Pickard

Alice Reimer comes with a long history of accomplishments and decorations across the entrepreneurial technology sector. She co-founded Evoco in 1999, which provides web-based construction and program management software and, as CEO, led it through acquisition by Austin-based Accruent in 2012. Alice is the recipient of both PROFIT’s W100 designation as one of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs and was selected for Alberta Venture’s 2013 list of the province’s 50 Most Influential People. Long committed to giving back to industry, Alice mentors technology entrepreneurs as a member of the A100 and serves on the Board of AcceleratorYYC.

Steve Robb

An accomplished leader in the energy industry with over 30 years in software and professional services, currently serving as CEO of AFTI WatchDog.

During his leadership, the company has experienced tremendous growth, multiplying its revenue and team size several times over, securing its position as the clear market leader.

With a proven track record of driving significant expansion and operational efficiency, Steve excels in building high-performing teams and executing strategies that deliver strong, sustainable returns.

Greg Royer has had the good fortune of having two successful careers in his life. The first was centred around the hospitality industry. Greg and his two brothers built, owned, managed and franchised hotels across North America, having the opportunity to operate in almost every province and 40 of the 50 states. The second career was focused on wildlife conservation, in his role as the Chief Operating Officer of the Calgary Zoo.

In both cases Greg’s passion centred on building high quality, highly productive teams that drove performance without losing their focus on the needs of each individual member. Greg is a big believer in the concept of servant leader, and the upside-down pyramid that defines senior management’s role in supporting their team. He believes that the first step in every good decision is to gather information, and listening to the people around you. Learning as much as you can from the people who are invested in your collective success, is always a good place to start.

Great leaders ask great questions, amazing leaders listen very closely to the response. Greg managed his first hotel in 1973 at the ripe old age of twenty-one. In 1975 he and his brother’s opened their first hotel in Red Deer Alberta. In the next twenty-five years they built, and or purchased well known hotels such as; The Grand Okanagan Resort, The Banff Rocky Mountain Resort, The Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre in London Ontario and approximately 80 other hotels. In addition they franchised or managed over 400 hotels under a variety of brand names including Holiday Inn, Travelodge, Best Western, Hampton Inns and Hilton Hotels.

Nish Sampath

Nish's career as a Technology and Operations leader has spanned Management Consulting, Healthcare, Insurance, Supply Chain Management and the budding Cannabis industry.

With extensive experience leading teams and navigating complex business landscapes, Nish now focuses on helping small and mid-sized businesses in Canada. As a Fractional COO, he helps teams focus on their go-to-market strategy while enforcing rigorous financial and product management discipline, ensuring the companies he works with have enduring growth and success.

Nish also lends his expertise to new companies starting out in the University of Calgary’s SPARK Health Tech Startup program as a Strategic Advisor. Similarly, he has advised AGE-WELL, a Canadian network aimed at creating technologies for healthy aging. Through these roles, Nish enjoys supporting new ideas and helping them grow.

Darby Sieben

Digital media & technology professional with over 25-years of experiences with a focus on digital marketing (SMB and National), product development and transformation management.

Considered an impact leader who was critical in helping transform one of Canada’s largest media companies (Yellow Pages Group) from a traditional print to a digital powerhouse by focusing on product innovation, strategic business development deals that elevated YP’s digital presence across Canada and globally and lead the business side of strategic M&A activity.

Currently leading RBC Ampli Inc., on the Royal Bank of Canada’s Venture businesses, focused on creating value for consumers when they interact with brands focused on the strategy, product development and team building.

An active investor and mention in a number of start-ups as well as an LP for number of early stage focused funds where value is added through advice on strategic business deals, product development, team management and growth.

Working with C-Level executives to formulate strategy with a clear action plans and measurable KPI’s in the areas of user experience, user growth, digital revenue growth and margin growth.

The ability to work in a fast changing environment, connecting strategy to actions, motivating and rallying employees, maximizing resources for growth and a focus on bottom-line profitability have all been key to my success.

Jamie L. Smith, CPA, CA, MPAcc, is a Co-Founder of Amplify Advisors, which focuses on financial strategy for growing business. 

Jamie always knew she wanted it all; a husband, kids, and an important job. Her biggest lesson to date thinks you can have it all and do it all yourself. So, she's surrounded herself with an epic team & family & friends to keep the dream alive. 

Amplify provides Finance Leader services, including Fractional CFO, Fractional Controller and Accounting Services. 

Amplify has Recruiting services, including placing temporary and permanent CPAs. 

AmplifyTech is an Oracle NetSuite Solutions and Acumatica provider and licenses and implements the Emerging ERPs. We also provide consulting to accounting and finance departments. We are a CPA firm.

Jamie's role is Chief Experience Officer. She leads the Client Experience and reinforces the values and purpose of Amplify. She runs communications, marketing, brand, Employee Experience, the CFO team, Finance Leader services, Recruiting services and all areas of experience. Some people feel sad that Amplify has a CPA in charge of such matters. If they see the poem Jamie had published as a preteen and discover her minor in marketing; they realize the actual deviation may have been the years counting beans. 

Karey Spenst lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where she is closely connected with her two grown daughters and their families, including two pretty fun grand daughters. The proximity to the Rocky mountains, rivers & lakes affords her access the many outdoor activities she enjoys. Karey is an avid gardener ‘in training’, and great appreciator of theatre, arts & music.

Karey currently practices as a strategic Human Resources Consultant and Coach in her independent consulting business – PeopleHub. Her corporate HR career of 30+ years extends across a multitude of industries of local, provincial, national and multinational companies. Karey established her ‘Modus Operandi’ early on and as such has been privileged to hold the initial strategic HR role in the companies she’s worked with.

In collaboration with leadership and operational teams, Karey has led the development & implementation of comprehensive HR strategies that link company vision, mission, values & business goals to their people by addressing the full employee cycle. She is comfortable sitting at the executive table as a decision maker in public, private & NFP companies, and has regularly interacted with and served on related Board of Directors.

Fun fact: Karey took on the start up of a small business a few years ago – a Chocolate Shop - and brings to the table personal insights into entrepreneurship, business operations, and an alternate perspective on customer service.

Karey believes the answers are within you – as a coach, facilitator and HR leader, it's her job to help you realize them by Connecting Head, Heart & Hands.

Laura Sullivan

Laura Sullivan’s career in operations includes leadership and strategy work in corporate as well as early stage ventures.

As a long-standing member of Calgary’s business community, Laura brings technology commercialization, governance and high-growth expertise to her governance role at Platform Innovation Centre and mentoring role at Venture Mentoring Services of Alberta.

When not working with founders in various innovative startups - typically with a social slant, you’ll find her writing fiction, practicing yoga, or learning something new.

Laura holds an MBA from UCalgary and a C.Dir designation from McMaster University/Conference Board of Canada.

Paul Sullivan

Over the past 30 years, Paul has founded and led a number of technology-based businesses, in both Canada and the US. Also during that time, he and his wife built a successful performance horse breeding business with farms in Alberta, Ontario and Kentucky. Drawing on his successes, but more importantly learning from his failures, he now devotes much of his time to coaching and mentoring startup founders and scaling business leaders. And in his free time he can be found on a tractor or in his workshop.

Terry Sydoryk was previously the CEO of Chaordix before its acquisition by Benevity. He has 20+ years of experience in senior leadership roles, leading various early-stage tech startups.

He was a co-founder of AudeSi Technologies Inc. which was acquired by WindRiver Systems, COO of Toronto-based Plazmic Inc., which was acquired by Research in Motion, and later held the position of COO of Calgary-based Evoco Inc., which was acquired by Accruent. Terry spent 10 years at Nortel and held various positions in finance and product management. 

Terry holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and completed the Certified Executive Coach (CEC) at Royal Roads University. He is a founding member of the A100, a competitive hockey coach in the Alberta U16 AAA Elite Program, a home coffee roaster and loves to sail every chance he gets.

Shaun Syvertsen loves designing and building great teams and beautifully simple solutions to really complex challenges. Shaun is the Managing Partner/CEO of ConvergentIS, and serves on several non-profit boards that focus on making our community a better place. Over the last 20+ years Shaun has successfully led, advised, architected, and delivered programs, projects, and initiatives for companies in the oil and gas, transportation/logistics, financial, automotive, manufacturing, public sector, and IT industries across Canada, the US, and Germany.

Lew Turnquist has more than 30 years of operational and transactional experience in technology companies: public and private, mature and early-stage, high-growth and turnaround challenges.

Lew’s career has spanned a variety of disciplines, including marketing, product management, sales and business development, and finance. Today he works with the Kirchner Group in operational advisory, M&A advisory and venture fund optimization capacities. In his time as Senior Managing Partner at the Kirchner Group, he oversaw and/or personally led over 50 M&A and operational engagements across a variety of industrial sectors including: software, telecommunications, health, biotech and agricultural technology.

Recently, he was Interim CEO for a large-format LED display designer and manufacturer in Atlanta, GA. Prior to that, he led the turnaround of a sensor-based wearable medical device company through to its Series A financing round. His previous turnarounds include a 3D imaging product company and a retail point-of-sale software company. In the role of EVP and COO, he grew a wireless location technology and services company to a billion-dollar public market cap and prior to that, he was a founding team member at the world’s first wireless Internet company.

He holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a B.Sc. from the University of King’s College.

George Urquhart is a sales and business development professional who works with executive teams to leverage technology to improve their operations, revenues and reduce costs. He believes in demonstrating value that is measurable and meaning full to his clients. 

His experience includes working with small and large technology companies in IT Professional Services, data and analytics software and hardware infrastructure. 

In his personal time, he enjoys being outdoors on his bike or skis.

Don Verdonck is retired from a career in the oil and gas business, and is currently on the Board of Directors of a private energy company, and a not-for-profit enterprise.  He has served on several public, private, and not-for profit boards, including St Mary’s University, where he was Board Chair for 3 years. He is actively involved with several organizations dedicated to coaching and mentoring entrepreneurs grow their leadership skills and their businesses. This provides opportunities for continued engagement with very bright, hard working young people, as well as opportunities for personal and professional growth.  

He has worked in the Energy Industry in Western Canada for 40 years. His experience spans executive level management, as well as operational and facilities management.  He retired from his position as VP Thermal at Athabasca Oil Corporation in 2018, and prior to that worked as the senior representative of Athabasca in a joint venture with a major international energy company. He also spent a number of years at Murphy Oil, and worked in many positions with operations across Western Canada.

He is married with two adult children and a grandson who keeps he and his wife Pam very busy. Don has been active in his Church community, as well as other volunteer organizations.

Don has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and completed the Institute of Corporate Directors program.

Jill Viccars is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of entrepreneurial and growth expertise, currently serving as the Chief Growth Officer at Aerium Analytics, a Canadian advanced drone technology solutions company.

Jill's entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen were showcased throughout her career, culminating in her most recent achievement before joining AERIUM, where she successfully initiated and sold a fluid transport logistics technology business in the North American market.

As CGO at Aerium Analytics, Jill spearheads global Go-to-Market strategy, collaborating closely with sales and business development teams to drive growth and increase awareness, ensuring a precise product/market fit.

Renowned for her strategic use of technology to overcome industry challenges, Jill excels in inclusive leadership, guiding teams to successful program rollouts. Her effectiveness in gathering executive input and securing buy-in for impactful projects sets her apart. As a trusted leader, Jill inspires teams to rally around ambitious goals, particularly in envisioning and implementing effective training programs for field teams.

Danny Way is an innovator, founder, entrepreneur, and mentor with 18 years of involvement within the Alberta and Canadian innovation, angel investor and venture capital communities. He has experience serving in CEO, CFO, COO, and CTO roles, and created or supported over 20 ventures resulting in more than $30M of capital raised and 150 people employed. Today, Danny is a Venture Partner with Carrot Ventures, a venture studio that creates and capitalizes new AgTech companies

Janice Webster has Built HR from the ground up, guided organizations through M&A, grown organizations from start up, scale up and expansion. She led the Human Resources function at Solium, where she worked with executive stakeholders to build the People and Culture domain from scratch, developing it into one of the most highly effective teams she’s been part of in her career. She built a foundation that fostered a culture of communication, trust and execution. The work done on leadership development and organization effectiveness programs made a significant impact. These key components allowed them to successfully transition through the organization’s acquisition by Shareworks by Morgan Stanely.

Janice is a partner trusted by boards. As an executive of Solium, Janice worked regularly with the board co-developing Executive Compensation projects, CEO development, DEI initiatives, recruitment and overall company strategy.

Janice is a champion for leadership development, talent acquisition, total rewards, high performance, DEI. Her tenure as the interim CPO at Athennian was marked by significant advancements in HR functions and overarching company strategy. She had the privilege of working on a number of projects with board members; most significantly a redesign of the total rewards structure and performance management program. These projects were not just about change, they were transformative, setting new benchmarks in how the company recognizes and motivates its talent. In tandem, Janice successfully developed and delivered a 3 day leadership offsite which continues to have a long impact on the growth of the leaders and culture.

Don Wieshlow has a long history as a co-founder and senior manager in e-commerce and digital services companies in Canada, the US, and the UK. For most of his career, Don has focused on scaling start-ups and re-imagining established global stock photography and footage companies. In the digital stock industry, he has been part of two successful exits.

After starting his career as a marketer, Don has primarily been a digital product/content manager, working closely with marketing, brand, sales, and technology to create, manage and grow many premium branded product lines and great customer experiences. In addition, Don has guided several innovative product/solution builds with Adobe, Veer, and Dissolve.

Don has a passion for the science, theory, and execution of building great companies. Today, he runs his own strategy consultancy – Afdonex - which helps struggling businesses innovate, pivot, and grow.

After a career in start-up and growth stage environments, Don enjoys giving back by supporting young business leaders through Mentor programs like VMSA.

Don has a business degree in marketing from the University of Calgary and is a lifelong learner with many ongoing interests, including his family, languages, guitar, and outdoor recreation.

Andrew Wiswell is an Independent Director and Consultant, with broad experience in the Energy Industry. Prior to his retirement from CEO work in 2012, Mr. Wiswell served as President/ CEO and Director of NAL Energy Corporation, a development and production company in Western Canada. Throughout his career, he has been engaged in Executive level business and financial roles and directorships in public companies including President/CEO and Director of Parkland Industries, a leading Western Canada fuels and distribution company (now Parkland Fuel Corporation); President of ICG Propane; Vice President of Marketing and subsequently Senior Vice-President and CFO of Gulf Canada Corporation. Mr. Wiswell holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Manitoba, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario Ivey School of Business and holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Andrew was Past-Chair of the Board of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers in 2011.

Andrew currently serves on the Board of Directors of three for profit Corporations: a public company - Total Energy Services, Chair of the Board and Independent Director of the Wolf Midstream, a private energy infrastructure company, primarily owned by CPPIB and an Independent Director of Mancal Corporation, a private family company active in multiple businesses. Mr. Wiswell received the Ivey Leadership Award in 2011 from Ivey School of Business for exceptional leadership in business and the Calgary community. Mr. Wiswell has experience many volunteer and non-profit organizations including roles with the United Way of Calgary, the Advisory Board of the Ivey School of Business, a Director and member of the Advisory Board of the Calgary chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Chair of the Foundation of the Calgary Arts Academy Charter school and a volunteer mentor with Venture Mentoring Society of Alberta (VMSA) mentoring CEO's of emerging companies.

Lois Wride

Over her varied career as a teacher, engineer, business owner and business leader, Lois has learned that every conversation has the potential to change outcomes for individuals and their organizations.  Always curious about the “why”, she has leaned into every opportunity to understand and apply the brain science of why some leadership conversations work out better than others and is known for her superpower of asking unlocking questions.  A systemic thinker, Lois looks for both cause and effect and the information that is missing as well as what is there.

Currently Lois is volunteering with Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta coaching entrepreneurs towards the leadership skills needed to scale their businesses.

 Lois loves her two sons, gardening, learning and being on the water with her paddle board.

Stephanie Wright brings over 15 years of progressive experience in a diverse range of corporate finance and business development roles within the energy sector. Most recently, she was the Vice President of a private energy company with a focus on transitioning legacy oil assets in Alberta into a carbon neutral business. Prior to that, she was part of the team that developed an asset in Chad from zero to 25,000 barrels/day, managing a $1.5 billion budget throughout. She is an advocate for a clean energy transition, and passionate about diversifying Calgary’s economy.

Outside of work, she can be found hiking, trail running, rock climbing or spending time with a house full of rescue dogs.

Brad Zumwalt

In 1989, Brad joined Image Club Graphics and led the Company through sustained revenue growth. Image Club was twice recognized as one of Profit Magazine’s *100 Fastest Growing Companies in Canada*.

In 1994, Brad negotiated the acquisition of Image Club by Aldus Corporation, which in turn was acquired by Adobe Systems. Over the next four years he split his time between Adobe’s San Jose headquarters and his Calgary team leading Adobe’s worldwide visual content team of 200+ employees through sustained revenue growth exceeding $40 million dollars.

In 1998, Brad founded EyeWire.com, an on-line visual content and design company. Following dramatic revenue growth Eyewire was successfully acquired by Getty Images. That same year, the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation recognized EyeWire’s e-commerce success when it was awarded the ASTech award for Outstanding Commercial Achievement. In 1999 Brad was nationally recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 honorees.

In 2000, Brad and his wife Tanya founded Social Venture Partners Calgary, introducing to Canada a unique non-profit funding partnership that combines a venture capital approach with local philanthropy. In 2001, Brad and Tanya, were among those awarded Calgary’s fifth annual Generosity of Spirit Award for services to Calgary’s community.

In 2001, Brad founded Veer Incorporated where he was Chairman and President. Veer sources and delivers visual elements with imagination and style to support the creative community and enhance and celebrate creativity in people’s lives at work and at home. In 2006, Veer was recognized as one of ‘Calgary’s Best Places to Work.’ In 2007, Veer was successfully acquired by Corbis, the privately held company of Bill Gates.

Brad is a Director of several technology companies, a member of the board of Alberta College of Art & Design, Science Alberta Foundation, University Technologies International, Norlien Foundation, Viewpoint Foundation, Social Venture Partners Calgary and is past president of Social Venture Partners International.