MEET OUR TEAM
Meet the people who are working day & night to solve pressing environmental problems and bring transformative technologies to market.
TEAM
Jeanette Jackson
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER
Jeanette Jackson
Jeanette Jackson is the CEO of Foresight, a cleantech ecosystem accelerator that is empowering entrepreneurs and energizing a world-class cleantech industry across Canada. She is a multi-award winning sustainability champion, a sought-after public speaker, and a leading advisor to the cleantech industry.
A successful entrepreneur across multiple industries, Jeanette has secured millions in investment dollars, project funding and revenue, led cross-functional teams and developed innovative programs for entrepreneurs, industry and investors. Jeanette is driven by her fundamental belief that collaboration is a critical success factor to large-scale transformation, and is leading ground-breaking pan-Canada sector engagement projects to align Canada’s long term economic, social and environmental goals.
Since taking on the role of Foresight CEO, Jeanette has spearheaded the organization through a remarkable growth and vitalization pathway. Foresight’s programs and advisory work have now helped over 500 entrepreneurial companies, generated over $250M in funding, and created over 5,000 jobs.
Stephen Wilson
VP
ACCELERATION
Stephen Wilson
Stephen is experienced in sales, business development, and operations. Always looking to add a positive contribution to all stakeholders, Stephen brings high-level thinking and a broad base of experience.
Stephen graduated from the Sauder School of Business with a Bachelor in Commerce. Starting his career at an event marketing company, he moved into fashion before finding his passion for electronics. Having worked with startups in the LED lighting space to a global company in power conversion, Stephen has worked in teams both small and large to raise financing, launch products, drive volume and deliver on complex custom sales.
Jacob Malthouse
VP
COMMERCIALIZATION
Jacob Malthouse
Jacob is an experienced entrepreneur and intrapreneur. He has conceived and launched global industry collaboration initiatives for the United Nations, ICANN and as CEO of the company he founded, the Dot-Eco Domain Registry (www.go.eco).
He is best known for his work directing the Investment Team at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was responsible for architecting the negotiations that created the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (www.unpri.org). Jacob has a BA in Geography and Economics from the University of Victoria, and is an IISD Young Canadian Leader for a Sustainable Future alumni (2000).
David Sanguinetti
VP
TECHNOLOGY
David Sanguinetti
David Sanguinetti is an executive engineer with over 20 years’ experience in industry. He has a particular focus on helping companies with the development and commercialisation of new technologies and has extensive experience both with technical scale-up and with designing the corporate, engineering, and project management systems to support growing companies.
He started his career designing gas processing plants, and has since worked in potable water treatment, biomass-to-energy, industrial water treatment, and metals recovery. In recent years, David has focused on supporting new companies to develop and scale their technologies and systems, and is an instructor/course developer for our Deliver program, geared toward cleantech CTO’s, now being delivered across western Canada.
Elizabeth Thorsen
DIRECTOR,
OPERATIONS
Elizabeth Thorsen
Elizabeth has worked with start-up and scale-up businesses for nearly 10 years in the areas of investment preparation and funding strategy, marketing & sales development, and growth planning. With experience in industries including tech, SaaS, CPG, finance, and life sciences, Elizabeth specializes in working with teams to distill complex opportunities into tangible and actionable strategic plans. She joined the Foresight team in August of 2020 as Director of Development and moved into the Director of Operations role shortly thereafter, leading the Marketing, Communications & Events team.
Prior to joining the Foresight team, Elizabeth worked within the Regional Innovation Centre network in Ontario, supporting entrepreneurs through consulting and mentorship, creation and deployment of start-up competitions, and facilitating connections between industry, SMEs, academic supports, government, and investors. Elizabeth supported the creation of the Synapse Life Sciences Consortium, a cluster for the greater Hamilton region with the goal of facilitating the commercialization of health innovation, and has guided many companies through Series A and B investment cycles. She excels in leading cross functional teams, and is delighted to support the growth of clean technology in Canada.
Elizabeth has had the pleasure of serving on several boards and committees, including as a member of the Board of Directors at HIVE, with the Angel One Investment Network screening committee, and as a planner and judge at several ‘hackathon’ events and pitch competitions. She has been called upon to speak at business events & innovation days, and has a strong commitment to supporting the growth of women in STEM fields.
Julie Strilesky
DIRECTOR,
CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT
Julie Strilesky
Julie joined Foresight as Director, Cluster Development in December 2020 and is leading initiatives to scale BC’s cleantech sector by implementing innovative programs, including a transformative new model for collaboration that is building strong partnerships to create jobs, attract investment and drive sustainable economic growth.
She has spent the past 15 years advancing sustainable policies and programs in both the public and private sectors. With the BC and Ontario Governments, she managed a broad array of complex policy files related to clean technology and economic development, as well as energy, climate change, water and waste. This was followed by three years managing global sustainable operations at Lululemon.
Most recently, she was Director of Government Relations and Sustainability for Portable Electric, a cleantech startup. She has also spent time consulting for sustainable businesses.
Julie studied International Development and English at Queen’s University, followed by a Masters in Development Management at the London School of Economics. Julie is an inspired leader who is dedicated to creating a resilient future. In her spare time she supports refugee and climate causes, and enjoys teaching yoga, cycling and hiking.
Alan Shapiro
DIRECTOR,
waterNEXT
Alan Shapiro
Alan is a water and sustainability professional and an instructor in BCIT’s School of Business + Media. Since January 2021, he has been leading Foresight’s new waterNEXT initiative, developing a pan-Canada ecosystem to support the acceleration and adoption of Canadian water innovation and technologies.
Alan also serves as an advisor for the Centre for Social Innovation’s Climate Ventures accelerator and a mentor through the Connecting Environmental Professionals Vancouver network. He holds an MSc in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University and a BSc in Environmental Earth Sciences from the University of Alberta.
George Lawton
DIRECTOR,
FINANCE
George Lawton
George Lawton has been an executive leader in the financial, accounting, and operational systems functions across a broad spectrum of technology and industrial companies. In the majority of businesses George has worked with, he has been a leader in all sorts of capital raising and funding initiatives which resulted in the successful closing of several financing transactions that were material to each company.
George’s tenure as a senior executive includes leading companies employing as many as 3,000 employees. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa. George holds the designation of Chartered Professional Accountant.
Karen Speirs
SENIOR
COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR
Karen Speirs
Karen Speirs is a communications specialist with experience in journalism, public relations, and corporate communications. Her passion is storytelling; Karen has authored several books and has provided writing services for a broad range of private and public sector organizations. Her most recent role was leading external communications for Best Buy Canada.
The BC tech industry figures prominently in Karen’s work experience, including Communications roles with Innovate BC and the Digital Technology Supercluster.
Tony Dhaliwal
PROGRAM
MANAGER
Tony Dhaliwal
Tony has a demonstrated history of working in the renewables and environment industry. Skilled in consulting firm Operations Management, Project Management, Sustainable Marketing and Education. Tony is a strong community and social services professional having dealt with a cross-section of individuals and ethnicities. He previously worked for G-Pak Technology as a Sustainability Project Manager and at RecycleSmart Solutions as an Operations Manager.
Tony began his educational journey at the University of Calgary where he was on scholarship for the Dinos Men’s Basketball team. He completed his BA Geography and Minor in Sociology at the University of Fraser Valley (UFV). Tony’s Master’s research assessed the City of Abbotsford’s waste management program through the lens of intergenerational Sikh families at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).
Astrid Nuñez
MARKETING &
EVENTS MANAGER
Astrid Nuñez
Astrid is a marketer with experience in project management and vast knowledge in events coordination. She has a degree in marketing and a Masters degree in Business Administration, as well as several courses and diplomas in management and project management.
Astrid is passionate about communications and has experience working in market research, merchandising, advertising and branding.
Diane Currie Sam
CONTENT
MANAGER
Diane Currie Sam
As Foresight’s Content Manager Diane Currie Sam is passionate about the power of communications to drive change in the world of cleantech and sustainability.
A senior communicator with a multi-decade career in corporate communications, counselling and educating, she is known for her passion for understanding, deep listening skills and creative writing work. Her work has been instrumental in securing multi-million dollar investments and business opportunities for technology companies across Canada and the US.
A natural storyteller, she has also written about, taught and developed programs covering critically important social issues like mental health, sustainability, and the prevention of domestic violence.
Prior to joining Foresight, Diane worked with leading companies and organizations such as Gener8 Digital Media, Activision, Demonware, Vivendi Universal, Radical Games, Leader to Luminary Training, Inc. Magazine, University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health to develop courses and deliver content that educates, secures an investment or helps small businesses succeed. Her work has been published in leading international publications including Inc. Magazine, National Post, National Observer, Disney Channel, and Up! magazine.
She is particularly proud of being part of the content team that produced BC’s first Cleantech Cluster Strategy “Accelerating British Columbia’s Clean Economy” and the CORE Cleantech Roadmap Landscape series documenting how technology roadmaps are being used in multiple sectors to achieve CleanBC emission reduction goals.
Diane has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of BC and a Masters of Arts in Psychology from Trinity Western University.
Michelle Zazulak
BRAND MANAGER
& SPECIAL PROJECTS
Michelle Zazulak
Michelle is an accomplished graphic designer, brand strategist and content creator. Throughout her career, she has worked with government, nonprofits and early-stage companies to discover their brand’s look and feel. She is passionate about developing a strong provincial technology sector and supporting a sustainable future.
Michelle has spent the last few years at Innovate BC, supporting BC’s innovation ecosystem and managing the visual design for the #BCTECHSummit, Western Canada’s largest annual innovation event. She is a multi-disciplinary marketer with degrees and certifications in performing arts, graphic design, film production, and UX design. She’s a skilled amateur photographer, spending her free time exploring the wild places of BC.
Michelle Hunt
ADMINISTRATOR
Michelle Hunt
Michelle is experienced in customer service, project management and administration. Before joining Foresight over two years ago, she held positions in companies ranging from small consultancies to large retail chain stores. During her tenure at Foresight, she has proven her adaptability and efficiency. Juggling timelines and being exposed to a variety of projects feed Michelle’s desire to make things happen and keep it interesting.
She understands our business and keeps us on track – all with a sense of humour! In her spare time, Michelle is a curling coach, a musician and the mother of two elementary school children.
Anil Sharma
FINANCE
MANAGER
Anil Sharma
Anil Sharma has over 8 years of experience working in the non-profit sector. He has held high-level finance positions on several NPO organizations which range from health services to a sports organization. In these positions, Anil has successfully helped these businesses organize their financial systems, internal controls, and prepare for future financial success.
Anil worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an Assurance Auditor for multiple years. His clients included those in the technology, renewable energy, financial services, and NPO sectors. He has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with Honours in Accounting from Simon Fraser University.
Alyssa Kelly
TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCHER & ANALYST
Alyssa Kelly
Alyssa is an environmental sustainability professional specializing in strategic research and communications. She brings extensive experience engaging stakeholders to build productive partnerships and break down silos in business, government and non-profit organizations. With a background in market research, consulting and project management for both private and public sector organizations, Alyssa is passionate about finding innovative ways to solve complex sustainability problems and advance the clean economy. Prior to joining Foresight, she worked as a Senior Consultant at Echion Group and holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto.
Carlos Espejo
TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCHER & ANALYST
Carlos Espejo
Carlos is a business development professional specializing in innovation. His experience in the US and Europe broadens the scope and range of solutions of our projects. Throughout his career, he has worked in the public and private sectors helping companies to develop strategic lines. Although having worked in different areas, he is passionate about cleantech and finding innovative ways to reach the ecological goals that we all want, by transforming jobs, companies and sectors. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and a MBA in International Management.
EXECUTIVES-IN-RESIDENCE (EIR)
Aaron Cruikshank
EIR
Aaron Cruikshank
Aaron has been involved in technology commercialization since 1998. His area of expertise is how to leverage government programs for technology commercialization and market intelligence to drive go-to-market strategy. Aaron has worked with nearly 600 organizations to date and has experience in the cleantech sector at the SME and Enterprise scale.
He is currently the President of CTRS Solutions – a tactical research and strategy firm that specializes in market intelligence and go-to-market strategy for SMEs. Aaron’s EIR skills include taking an idea on a napkin into a ready to deliver the first product company, voice of the customer research, market validations, regulatory affairs and product development lifecycles.
Aaron Genest
EIR
Aaron Genest
Dr. Aaron Genest serves as the President of SaskTech and the representative for Siemens Digital Industries. SaskTech, founded in 2018, is an industry advocacy group of more than 100 organizations and businesses with corporate offices in Saskatchewan. Its goal is to address the technology labour shortage by working with government, educational institutions, and support agencies to ensure a robust labour force for technology and digital industries over this century.
Dr. Genest is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan Computer Science program, the former Director of Customer Experience at Solido, and is now an Applications Engineering Manager after an acquisition of Solido by Siemens. Prior to his life in technology, he was a professional touring musician for ten years. He lives and works in Saskatoon with his wife, Dr. Emily Jenkins, and three children
Amit Shukla
EIR
Amit Shukla
Andrew Watson
EIR
Andrew Watson
Andrew has over 18 years’ experience in progressive roles within oil and gas. He is currently the VP Operations & Engineering for a small private oil company in Calgary. His oil and gas background is focused on various EOR methods including polymer and ASP flooding, water floods, heavy oil, and CO2 flooding. He enjoys working with entrepreneurs focused on clean technologies, energy efficiency, and innovation through the full project development. Andrew also has his own consulting firm that works with various international oil and gas producers to help improve their EOR projects. This includes polymer, ASP, and CO2 floods, as well as a current focus of thermal projects with a key emphasis on clean technology and minimizing water usage and carbon intensity.
Andrew is currently focused on increasing his technical skillset in various renewable energy production methods. This includes pursuing education through a Solar Engineering micro-Masters, Wind energy, and other clean technologies. Andrew also has a particular interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. He has pursued various opportunities in the redeployment of existing oil and gas infrastructure to increase or extend their economic value. Andrew is also pursuing his Executive MBA through McGill.
Andrew has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary in 2001. He is also a member of APEGA, APEGS, SPE, CanSIA, CanGEA, and CanWEA.
Beth Loughney
EIR
Beth Loughney
Beth Loughney’s career has spanned three decades in start-ups in 3D graphics for Hollywood, multi-billion dollar international firms, and even a stint keeping the world safe from nuclear annihilation by helping dismantle the Soviet nuclear stockpile. She has over 25 years’ executive management in large and small companies and actively consults with entrepreneurs in areas such as cleantech and AI/machine learning. Her most recent focus has been on change management and market expansion strategies taking into account international security and macroeconomics as factors in business decision making. Founder and executive chair of Zorroa, an AI/machine learning software company based in California, she is also an Executive-in-Residence at the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator in Vancouver. Until May 2005, Beth was the founder and General Manager of NVIDIA Corporation’s Entertainment division. She was CEO of Exluna and headed Strategic Marketing at Open TV during the largest IPO of 1999. Before transitioning to the commercial sector, Beth was a program manager with the US Government’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program to dismantle the former Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons.
Beth has an M.A. in National Security Policy Studies and a B.A. in Asian Studies, both from the George Washington University.
Bram van den Berg
EIR
Bram van den Berg
Bram van den Berg has over 20 years of international leadership, business development, customer service, operations and supply chain and strategy consulting experience in aviation and oil & gas helicopter services.
He is currently the COO of Circular Rubber Technologies – a Vancouver start-up focussed on developing a fully circular solution for end-of-life industrial tires. Before that he led the worldwide supply chain and customer support organisation of Heli-One – a leader in rotor-wing maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). Bram started his career with CHC Helicopter Corporation where he held increasingly senior roles across various areas of the business ranging from business development, customer support, operations and yield management.
Bram’s EiR skills include combining strong analytical skills with an ability to build strong relationships, motivate teams and deliver high-quality results in a competitive environment. Specific areas of expertise include: Project planning, design & execution | Risk management | Technology deployment | Supply Chain Management | Strategic & Financial Planning | Organizational Leadership | Process Design & Optimization | Productivity Improvement| Budgeting | Cost Management | Change Management.
Bram has a Bachelor in Aeronautical Engineering from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and a Master’s in Business Administration & Management from Nyenrode University.
Cam Whitehead
EIR
Cam Whitehead
Cam Whitehead is a big thinker and a catalyst for the technology sector. Cam has a PhD from UBC and over 12 years’ experience leading complex, collaborative projects in the private, nonprofit, government and academic settings.
Previously the Executive Director for the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology, Cam has a passion for spreading the benefits of technology outside big cities and to organizations in all sectors. His specialty is fundraising through grants, strategic partnerships, stakeholder and government relations. In just 18 months, he raised $2M in new funding for KAST and helped establish regional partnerships worth $5M, including the new Selkirk Technology Access Centre and the Nelson Innovation Centre.
While working in government, Cam was the policy lead for BC’s technology immigration strategy and the Provincial Nominee Program Skills Stream overhaul and BC PNP Tech Pilot. He contributed to BC’s Syrian Refugee Response Fund, which was awarded with a Premier’s Award for Partnership in 2017, and to the Child and Youth Mental Health Integrated Data Project, which was nominated for a Premier’s Award in 2019.
Cam was previously a Research Fellow at UVic’s Centre for Global Studies, a Liu Scholar at UBC, and a Director of the Canadian Association of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies.
Cam proudly lives rurally, just outside of Nelson BC. He enjoys getting outside with his family and getting things done.
Chris Reid
EIR
Chris Reid
Chris has been involved in the clean technology sector for over 20 years. He excels at pulling together diverse elements of opportunities to turn them into successful ventures. Chris has had successful experience developing companies from the nascent stage, through technology development, productization and cost down, market establishment, sales, as well as establishing highly effective teams.
Chris was co-founder and CEO of Cellex Power Products which was subsequently acquired by Plug Power in 2007. Chris then ran the Motive Power Division of Plug Power for 3 years. He is currently Chairman of Hydrexia, an Australian hydrogen storage company, and he recently led them through major financing.
Chris’s specialties include: company creation and development, business/opportunity analysis and synthesis, creating and/or strengthening customer value propositions, raising capital, technology development, establishment of product delivery organizations, market development and customer sales, and CEO/leadership mentoring. As well, Chris holds a masters degree in engineering and has worked extensively with cryogenics, novel materials, energy conversion systems, hydrogen, fuel cells and other clean technologies. Chris is part of the BCIC mentoring group and a director of the Working Opportunity Fund.
Chuck Hamilton
EIR
Chuck Hamilton
One part, Future Of Work leader, one part coach and three parts innovator, Chuck has a long work history at the intersection of people and technology. His work includes leadership in Virtual Work, Open Innovation, CleanTech, EDTech, Smarter Cities and Digital Strategy.
Chuck is a former IBM Executive and Chief Operating Officer of HeroX. He currently an Executive Advisor Riipen, Executive Advisor Ibbaka, Executive Advisor Virtro, Executive Advisor FAME, Executive Advisor EiR Venture Labs, EiR CCRM, KorrAi, IBBAKA, SwirlTex and PickMyBrain and EiR Foresight. Chuck is also an Associate Faculty member for the Centre For Digital Media, Masters of Digital Media Program, a TED Talker, designer, and community volunteer living in Tsawwassen BC.
Claire Dixon
EIR
Claire Dixon
Claire Dixon is COO of Neuraura with responsibility for commercial, financial and administrative aspects of establishing and building the business.
Prior to joining Neuraura Claire held a number of senior operational roles at the University of Calgary including Director of MBA Programs, Director of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and, most recently, Director of Operations of the Creative Destruction Lab – Rockies. She brings more than 20 years of business experience to this role including 15 years as a strategic consultant to technology- and capital- intensive industries. Claire’s key strengths include navigating technical complexity, strategy development and planning and financial and operational modelling.
Claire brings world-class academic credentials as she holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a MEng/MA (Cantab.) in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University.
In addition to advising startups, Claire is actively involved in the innovation ecosystem including acting as an Executive in Residence at Foresight Cleantech, judging for Innovation4Health and advising a number of early-stage startups.
Claire Jackson
WATERTECH EIR
Claire Jackson
Claire Jackson is an Executive-In-Residence for the Watertech Program at Foresight, and is passionate about water and has been involved in the water industry for over six years. Claire believes that we need to approach our water challenges in a collaborative, systemic way. Many water challenges span industries and geographies, allowing for broad application of technical and systemic solutions. Claire excels at strategic water management planning, water market analysis, and bringing the right teams together. Her unique blend of technical and team-based leadership skills has allowed for a broad reach within the water industry, recognising market opportunities, and making connections to facilitate the realisation of those opportunities.
Claire is the Director of Engineering at WaterSMART Solutions, responsible for the private sector business line, managing the engineering team, and providing engineering and environmental subject matter expertise to support water strategy, sustainable development, natural resource management, and environmental policy projects.
Claire holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with a focus on Environmental Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from University College London. Claire is a regular speaker and presenter at national and local industry conferences on water-related development issues.
In addition to advising startups, Claire is actively involved in the innovation ecosystem including acting as an Executive in Residence at Foresight Cleantech, judging for Innovation4Health and advising a number of early-stage startups.
Clay Braziller
EIR
Clay Braziller
Clay is a seasoned COO, innovation catalyst and evangelist who enjoys working with cross-functional interdisciplinary teams of engineers, researchers, and business people to advance new products and services that strengthen the community and environment. Clay’s vast experience embodies all aspects of technology commercialization, strategic planning, change management, governance, and stakeholder engagement. Clay is passionate about sustainability, circular economies, cooperative business models and social ventures.
Cormac O’Cleirigh
EIR
Cormac O'Cleirigh
Cormac O’Cleirigh is a senior business development executive with extensive international experience in technology scouting, corporate business development and partnering/licensing in the consumer, life sciences and technology sectors. After almost 10 years of global technical/business roles with a division of Associated British Foods he moved to Vancouver and for 4 years was the Chief Business Development Officer of a local life sciences company, Renaissance BioScience, before starting his own consulting practice in July of 2019. Cormac works with a number of early-stage small/medium-sized IP rich companies looking to transform their businesses through industry partnerships.
Cormac holds a B.Sc. in Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Bioprocess Engineering.
Dana Ramnarine
EIR
Dana Ramnarine
Dana is an architect of highly innovative teams, helping businesses steer through the (often depleted) talent pools around the world to attract and retain humans with high potential. She has spent almost 15 years helping grow some of the world’s most innovative and successful creative and technical companies, exploring innovative and effective tools to find, attract, and retain incredible people. She was Unity’s first in-house global Recruiter, has worked with Disney, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft and many more, helping humans connect to their purpose and helping technical teams scale. Now at Rhum.hr, Dana is co-founder and heads up the Vancouver office, working with startups and growing tech companies, bringing HR and talent acquisition support to teams through an innovative, on-demand model, disrupting the external agency framework to meet the needs of an evolving workforce.
David Sanguinetti
EIR
David Sanguinetti
David Sanguinetti, President, Sanguinetti Engineering Ltd., is a widely respected executive engineer with over 24 years of industry experience in multiple engineering and management positions at high profile companies in the cleantech sector. David specializes in technology development, project management and process engineering. As Executive-in-Residence at Foresight Cleantech, he has been spearheading an Industry Roadmap project across BC, and mentoring growing companies in clean technologies. He is the former Chair of the Water Working Group for the Canada Mining Innovation Council and an instructor/course developer for the Deliver program for cleantech CTO’s now being delivered across BC and Alberta.
Don Verdonck
EIR
Don Verdonck
Don has recently retired from an executive position after 40 years of working in the oil and gas business in Western Canada. Throughout his career, he has sought to improve performance by bringing new and innovative ideas to the business. He has led the establishment and growth of several divisions within companies, building the team and empowering them to succeed. Don also led the Canadian side of an international joint venture which required building a new company, while taking into consideration the requirements of the partnership.
Don currently serves on a private oil and gas board, a NFP board, and was recently the Board Chair for St. Mary’s University, a liberal arts university of 1000 students in Calgary. Over the years, he has served on several Board of Directors, and today serves on the advisory board of a company developing and implementing emission free technology to extract heavy oil and bitumen.
Don is also providing mentoring and leadership development through Intergen, which connects ambitious entrepreneurs, emerging companies, and experienced talent.
Don is passionate about getting our economy on track to provide meaningful opportunities for the young people of Western Canada.
Drew McNaughton
EIR
Drew McNaughton
Drew recently became an Executive in Residence and an Alberta board advisor for the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator, helping to grow companies in the Cleantech sector. Most recently Drew was the Executive Director for the Industrial Research Assistance Program, Prairies region, part of the National Research Council of Canada. Drew has had extensive experience in the private sector as an executive in multiple roles with NortelNetworks, including Vice President, Networks and Computing and Vice President, Wireless Networks Information Systems. At Axia NetMedia Corporation, he was Chief Operating Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and President of Axia France.
With a background in information technology and in growing new businesses, Drew has worked in several regions of Canada, the United States, and in France. Drew has actively contributed to the Alberta innovation ecosystem as a board member or chair of several associations including Technology Alberta, where he was President, and the ICT Council of Alberta as a Director. He was also a Director and chaired WITEC (Wireless and Telecom Association of Alberta). Recently he became an advisor to the board for the Alberta IoT Association.
Currently, Drew is an independent consultant in the broadband community networking space working with clients in various parts of Canada. Drew holds a Systems Design Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.
Ean Jackson
EIR
Ean Jackson
Ean Jackson has invested the past 25 years of his professional career in management, technical and business development roles in the technology industry. He has been employed by a wide range of businesses across North America ranging from technology startups to major multinational corporations including IBM, Sprint International, and Oracle Corporation.
Jackson is very active in the Vancouver business community. In his current role as President of Analytics Marketing Inc., a provider of contract business development and coaching services, he is accountable for delivering new revenues, new clients and investors to growing businesses.
Jackson is an angel investor, a frequent speaker on business and technology topics and serves on multiple boards. He is a sessional professor in the business faculties of the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University and coaches early-stage businesses as Executive in Residence (EiR) for Foresight, New Ventures BC, and EMBERS Ventures. A former Canadian National Team manager, competitive long-distance runner, and triathlete, Jackson remains heavily involved with amateur athletics.
Fluent in four languages (English, French, Spanish, German), Jackson’s educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Arts (University of Western Ontario), a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering (Southern Methodist University) and certificates in Internet Marketing (UBC), Business Analysis and Project Management (The George Washington University).
Elena Popovici
EIR
Elena Popovici
Elena is a Computer Science PhD with over a dozen years of industry experience using algorithms to solve complex, real-world business and engineering problems across a wide variety of domains. She was doing data science long before it was called that. Through research and development, she has delivered time&cost-saving software and analyses to Fortune and Global 500 companies, governments and non-profit organizations in areas such as Energy Management, Naval Engineering, Fisheries Supply Chains, Healthcare, Pharma, Insurance, Advertising and more. She has generated Intellectual Property material that was patented in the US and Europe.
For the past few years, Elena has been focused on opportunities to drive business value in the cleantech sector. She believes that impactful solutions can only be delivered through an end-to-end approach: communicate with business stakeholders and subject matter experts to identify current and future needs, map them to appropriate computational approaches (be they machine learning, evolutionary optimization, network analysis, scheduling, simulation or something else entirely) and use cross-functional teams to implement solutions and deliver results.
Elisabeth Paul
EIR
Elisabeth Paul
Elisabeth’s passion is in developing and deploying complex technology solutions both from outer space and earth to make our world a better place! She excels at strategic business development & project management for large zero-emissions demonstration programs at ports and within cities. Using her unique blend of technical and people leadership skills, she brings together commercial partners and vehicle operators, secures funding from government and corporate sources to deploy new clean technology projects.
Before joining Zen, Elisabeth spent 20 years at MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates in technical and business leadership roles within the Space & Earth Observation Industry, from Software Engineer for the CanadArm and the International Space Station to Program Manager of the RADARSAT-2 satellite ground systems (earth observation image processing and management in near real-time) for major surveillance and intelligence customers. She led both the business development and delivery of mission-critical complex systems in the most rigorous environments; overseeing a group of 30 engineers. Fascinated about all facets of the earth observation business, Elisabeth also held the role of Director of Geospatial Product Development to create new cloud-based solutions deriving information from radar images for smart enterprise mapping, defense and intelligence, self-driving cars and forestry.
Elisabeth studied Computer Engineering at École Polytechnique de Montréal and Université Libre de Bruxelles. Fluent in both English & French, she embraces cultural differences and perspectives while conducting business worldwide.
Floyd Sijmons
EIR
Floyd Sijmons
Floyd Sijmons is an experienced CEO, Founder and business mentor with a demonstrated history in driving tech start-ups and scale-ups to success.
Having started at Groupon in the early days, Floyd helped push the extreme growth the company went through. As an international executive, he lived in 7 countries during 3 years, picking up ailing areas of the business where needed and effecting change, from Head of Sales, to Head of Operations, Sales Ops, Business Intelligence, and more.
He then built up a financial comparison platform in Malaysia as CEO, and later ran the multi-sided platform Helpling in the Netherlands, which he grew to be more profitable than any other entity in the group despite the small size of the country. In 2018 he spent half his time in Moldova managing a mobile dev team, while scaling an Android reward-app to 12x within the year.
Throughout these years Floyd always had a passion for helping other startups grow and succeed, and he spent a lot of time mentoring startups at various accelerators like Rockstart in Amsterdam, Startup Bootcamp, Startup Weekend in Moldova, and more.
Having recently arrived in Vancouver, Floyd hit the ground running and joined NewVenturesBC as a mentor, and VentureLabs as EIR. Floyd’s main strengths include Marketing (growth hacking), PR, Sales, Analytics, HR management & Corporate Culture creation.
Floyd holds a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Management from RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Frank Leffelaar
EIR
Frank Leffelaar
Frank advises early stage companies in Agrifood Tech on business and goto market strategy and supports them on their journey to get investment ready.
For the past 10 years he has been actively involved in the innovation ecosystem. As a mentor with New Ventures BC, an active investor with eFund, a BC-based Angel Fund that invested in more than 30 BC technology ventures, as a leadership team member at the VANTEC Angel Network, BC’s largest Angel investor community who host monthly investor pitch meetings and as an EiR focused on Agrifood Tech at Foresight Cleantech Accelerator.
Prior to advising and mentoring early stage companies Frank provided marketing strategy and services to SME’s with his agency Crush Marketing. He held senior marketing positions with high-tech SME’s in Canada and US Fortune 500 companies in Europe. He studied at the European Business School in London, lived and worked in 5 countries and enjoys traveling and exploring the wine regions of the world.
Frans Tjallingii
EIR
Frans Tjallingii
Graham Binks
EIR
Graham Binks
Graham Binks is a global expert in improving business performance with technology. In 30 years of tech leadership, he has worked in Europe, North America and Asia, with Nike, P&G, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Eurotunnel, Disney, GM and 250 other large, medium and small businesses.
Graham’s work integrates business and technology strategy and drives successful implementation through CEO advisory and team coaching to help organizations dramatically improve their business with technology.
Heather Herring
EIR
Heather Herring
Heather Herring is a professional engineer and proud alumna of the Haskayne School of Business. She is known for her ability to pinpoint the essential elements of an idea, business, challenge or person and use her leadership, innovation, and management skills to identify opportunities for excellence. As a coach, she supports client companies in business, communications and customer development. Often described as passionate, driven, and admired for her ability to forge connections between people and industries, Heather shines brightest at the intersection of cooperation, collaboration and competition to drive success for all parties.
Her varied career has included serving as the Executive in Residence with Zone Startups Calgary and extensive work in academia, private and public sector companies with a focus on energy and sustainability. She was responsible for securing research grants and developing VR and 3D printing research facilities at the University of Calgary; focusing the R&D program, overseeing field pilots for new oil sands technologies, and formulating the creation of COSIA for Total E&P Canada; and exploring the emergence of the digital oil field at Laricina. She is the Vice-Chair of Platform Calgary and past Chair of Tecterra.
Jason Jones
EIR
Jason Jones
Jason Tong
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Jason Tong
Jason Tong has over a decade of experience providing accounting, tax, capital raising, systems implementation, and CFO services to private and public companies in the technology, professional services, manufacturing,
Jay Milroy
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Jay Milroy
A 25 year veteran of the Software/IT Consulting business, Jay is a disciplined design thinker and practical business strategist who has brought 4 software products to market. Equally passionate about the product design-build process and the execution of go-to-market strategies Jay is a patient listener, considerate communicator and generous collaborator who believes in the good in everyone. A family man with adult children Jay’s roots are in Toronto, but his heart is on the left coast.
Jean-Louis Iaconis
EIR
Jean-Louis Iaconis
Jean-Louis is an Entrepreneurial product development professional with a unique combination of creative, analytical and management expertise driven by a passion for creating new products in both the cleantech and consumer electronics spaces. Renowned for developing simple, creative solutions blending engineering principles with bold design aesthetics and successfully leading multidisciplinary teams through numerous new product development cycles from ideation to implementation.
Jeff Reading
EIR
Jeff Reading
Jeff has more than 35 years’ experience in putting companies into global markets that focus on cleantech, energy innovation, energy efficiency along with climate change mitigation and adaption solutions.
He has a particular interest in working with early stage ideas and coaching, mentoring and adapting leadership towards company creation and scaling, company development (ie shareholder agreements and registration), Founders Team structuring, definition of first customer, key partnerships/relationship development, value proposition and differentiation clarity, viable multi-sided business models, customer relationships, commercialization channels, key resource definition, investor package and proforma development, IP and data strategies, innovation ecosystem connections, funding ecosystem connections, revenue stream clarity, cost structure clarity, industry relations, and tactics for staying focused and on point.
Primarily the focus has been on sectors that include utility innovation (renewables, microgrids, data analytics, platform orchestration, automation, smart/intelligent technologies, blockchain, high performance buildings and energy storage), electrification of transportation, multi-sector low carbon cleantech, along with carbon capture and conversion technologies.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts (York University), a Bachelor of Education (Queen’s University) and a Master of Arts (San Diego State University), along with lots of “education” in the trenches of being an entrepreneur.
Jeff has worked in education, within government, in the corporate/private sector and the not for profit arena. In addition, Jeff teaches at the University of Calgary and is the Chair for the Green Learning Canada Foundation, co-founder of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE), an advisor with Carbon Talks Canada and sits of the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation.
John Wallace
EIR
John Wallace
John R. Wallace is currently serving as a Board director for SBE, a provider of low impedance capacitors and ICRTec, who is developing high efficiency gas turbine engines for class 8 trucks. Mr. Wallace retired from Xantrex Technology in 2008. He joined Xantrex as Chief Executive Officer in November 2005 after serving as interim CEO since July 2005. Wallace has been a Director of Xantrex since May 2003.
Since 2002, Wallace provided management, business and technology consulting services to a number of companies in the alternative energy and power electronics industries. From November 2004 until May 2005, Wallace was interim Chief Executive Officer of AVESTOR, a developer and manufacturer of a lithium-metal-polymer battery, based in Boucherville, Quebec and from 1982 to 2002, Wallace worked for the Ford Motor Company, where he spent more than a decade helping Ford become the world’s largest producer of alternative fuel vehicles. His final assignment with Ford was serving as Executive Director of THINK Group, where he was responsible for the development of hybrid electric, fuel cell electric and battery electric vehicles. Prior to Ford, John was a leader in microprocessor development in high growth technology companies such as Texas Instruments and Intel.
Wallace has also been named as Chief Technical Advisor to the China/UNDP Fuel Cell bus program.
Wallace holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Computer Science.
Jolyn D’Andrea
EIR
Jolyn D'Andrea
Kim Sturgess
WATERTECH EIR
Kim Sturgess
Kim Sturgess is an Executive-In-Residence for the Watertech Program at Foresight; founder and CEO of WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. and has successfully led the organization since its inception in 2005. She is also the Executive Director of the not-for-profit Alberta WaterPortal Society, which provides education on key water issues in Alberta and around the world.
As the CEO of several technology based companies over her career, Kim has extensive experience in technology start-ups and technology management, as well as in oil and gas, pipelines, and industrial products and services. In addition to serving on the boards of her own companies, she has served on the boards of CCI Thermal Technologies, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, the Alberta Land Institute, the Alberta Water Council, the Calgary Airport Authority, the Council of Canadian Academies, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the National Research Council, APEGA, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, and Queen’s University. She also served as President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Kim graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Engineering Physics, and from Western University with a Master of Business Administration. In 2016, Kim received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Queen’s University, and in 2018 she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary.
In 2007, she was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and in 2012 she was named Business Woman of the Year in Calgary by Consumers Choice Awards. In 2015 she was awarded the SCI Canada Medal and was recognized by the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation for her Outstanding Contribution to the Alberta Science and Technology Community.
Kim has been recognized with the YWCA Women of Distinction award, the Global Woman of Vision award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2015, she was awarded the Order of Canada for her outstanding achievements, dedication to community, and service to the nation.
Kim continues to build on her lifelong passion for water to make water management a priority for corporations, interest groups and policy makers at home in Alberta, in Canada and in the world.
Kirk Hamilton
EIR
Kirk Hamilton
Kirk Hamilton is an executive with international experience implementing strategies for technology adoption to capitalize on unique business opportunities in Information Technology, Telecom, and Manufacturing industries. As CEO of a number of public and private companies for over 20 years, he has led them from a loss position to profitability. During his career, the scope of his assignments ranges from the repositioning and turnaround of a global provider of smart card equipment and software solutions, NBS Technologies Inc, to major telecom start-up operations with leading edge technology for BCE and others, to turnarounds of manufacturing operations within GE Canada.
Currently, through personal engagement with client businesses of Élan Tactical Management Inc., he leverages business and management experience to assist companies improve market growth, productivity and cost performance. Additionally, he coaches entrepreneurs of the BC Venture Acceleration Network as an Executive-in Residence for BC Innovation Council. Kirk is an active Angel Investor in a variety of BC based start-up businesses and as an investor member through E- Fund Vantec Entrepreneur’s Fund.
Kirk is a graduate of Electrical Engineering from McGill and received his MBA from the Rotman School of Business from University of Toronto. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and trained in Board Effectiveness for Small and Medium sized businesses.
Kirstin Gulbransen
EIR
Kirstin Gulbransen
Kirstin is a 28-year marketing and product management technology veteran with a startup success rate six times the industry average. Building on her computer science and marketing education, she thrives on conceiving, developing, and promoting groundbreaking products and services across a range of industries, including the world’s first wireless PC card modem for laptops in the late 90s and more recently, the world’s most promising industrial wastewater treatment technology.
Not only has she generated record investor interest and orchestrated innovative go-to-market strategies for tech and cleantech startups throughout North America, she’s also worked at a top clean energy venture capital firm where she was responsible for attracting entrepreneurs, helping those same innovators drive immediate growth and value in their companies, and raising $100 million+ funds from the likes of Shell, Boeing, and Citigroup. Kirstin is known for getting the right things done at the right time – and at the right cost – and inspires the teams she works with through her energetic, hands-on, get-it-done approach critical for success.
Lisa Wolfe
EIR
Lisa Wolfe
Lisa Wolfe has 15+ years of experience in managing projects, people and operations in non-profit, and educational environments. Lisa was the Manager of Training for Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of BC (AFOABC) from 2014-2019, working with BC Indigenous communities in the areas of capacity building and financial management. She is the Principal of SpiritWolfe Consulting working with Foresight and ASTTBC. Prior to that, Lisa held the position of Director of Education for BC’s largest construction association – the Vancouver Regional Construction Association. She also worked as a project manager for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association (CME).
Lisa completed the Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator’s program in 2017. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Simon Fraser University. Over the past 15 years, Lisa has contributed to many non-profit organizations including the Burnaby Rotary Club, Yaletown Rotary Club, Aunt Leah’s Place and Share Community Services. She is the Past President of Communities Embracing Restorative Action (CERA) and past board member of Theatre Terrific.
Lorraine Becker
EIR
Lorraine Becker
Lorraine is a cleantech capital strategist with an entrepreneurial and executive mindset who collaborates with founders, funders, and leaders to support them in growing their organizations to achieve positive outcomes for profit as well as the people and the planet.
Through her work across the cleantech sector, with start-ups, scale-ups, accelerators, investors, and energy companies, Lorraine has developed a specialized understanding of the unique requirements for capital, expertise, governance, and business models in the cleantech and climate impact space. She uses that knowledge to assist her companies she works with achieve the fundamental characteristics and metrics that investors are seeking.
In addition, Lorraine is the Chair of the Investment Committee for the Alberta Ecotrust Climate Innovation Fund, a new $40M fund to accelerate municipal climate plans in Calgary and Edmonton. The fund will identify, invest in, and sale up carbon reduction solutions.
Mark Grist
EIR
Mark Grist
Mark is an entrepreneur with a track record of success in new ventures and energy markets. His experience base spans a variety of industries ranging from LNG and hydrogen to advanced imaging to gas processing technologies. He has experience developing relationships with strategic partners in Europe, North America and Asia and his corporate development experience includes execution of acquisitions and divestitures.
Over his career Mark has held senior level business development and marketing positions with large enterprises such as FortisBC, Methanex and C-I-L and with a series of startups that includes BrightSide Technologies, QuestAir, SunCentral and R-Lux Innovations.
Mark has an MBA from Queen’s University and a B. Comm from UBC and his specific strengths are in business strategy, leadership and early stage revenue generation. Market areas of particular interest include clean tech, renewable and low carbon fuels and transportation.
Mike Manion
EIR
Mike Manion
Mike has an extensive background in senior executive positions for a number of Canada’s largest corporate farming operations and as an owner operator of his own facility.
Mike has been directly involved in or responsible for farming operations in 6 of Canada’s 10 provinces.
He has held leadership roles with locally Moneys Mushrooms, Golden Eagle Berries, and Rolland Farms, a company that had sales in excess of $100 million and 1000 employees and globally with Campbell Soup Company, and Con Agra.
Currently, Mike is CEO of Agrisco Supplies Corp a company specializing in Agriculture Technology Development consultancy for the Agri- food Industry.Within this capacity Mike acts as an Executive in Residence with Innovate BC (Foresight Accelerator) and occupies agriculture-focused advisory roles with organizations including the Pitt Meadows Agriculture Advisory Committee, Past Ministers Ag Council, and the current Chair of the Metro Vancouver Ag Advisory as well as a recent appointment as Director of IAFBC.
Rick Gagner
EIR
Rick Gagner
Rick began his career in finance, and quickly rose to the level of CFO after graduating from SFU with a BBA and obtaining his Chartered Professional Accountant (CMA) designation. His first taste of high growth was in apparel and sporting brands, going from early stage to $50M in 6 short years. Subsequently, Rick turned around two publishing enterprises, one of which he transitioned into digital marketing as the media world changed over, and ran as President for 7.5yrs, before making a successful exit.
Rick’s talents in leading growth were called upon once again, as he first consulted and then took on joint finance and operations roles in a startup food processing concern that quickly grew to $10M after 3 years. He then moved on to another processing concern where he was responsible for 5 plants, 1800 employees, representing .$5B in revenues. Since then Rick has focused his time on fast growth small to mid-size enterprises in food and advanced manufacturing, and has had the greatest satisfaction coaching and mentoring them following a coaching model based on EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System).
In addition to Rick’s work in industry, he was also a Director, Vice Chair, and then Chair of the BC Food Processors Association (over an 8 year period), BC’s largest food, beverage, and natural products manufacturing industry association. He was also a Director of Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C., an industry-led, not-for-profit organization working with industry partners and funders to invest in projects that enhance the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of BC agriculture and agri-food.
Rustam Sengupta
EIR
Rustam Sengupta
Rustam presently works for Sustainable Development Technologies Canada and has been a cleantech entrepreneur for most of his adult life. He is also an impact investor and base of the pyramid (BoP) expert with extensive research experience of over a decade in sustainable social enterprise design and renewable energy access. He has expertise in identifying, designing and analyzing strategies for the clean energy space and has worked on projects in India, Tanzania, Zambia, Myanmar, Nepal and Puerto Rico. He has authored of the book De-mystifying Impact Investing an Entrepreneurs’ Guide, which provides strategic advises and recommendations on impact investment and has served as a useful guide for several emerging entrepreneurs and investors. Rustam also holds a patent for dynamic pricing based smart energy meters used in solar pre-paid micro-grids and has over ten years of direct field experience in micro-grids and solar rooftops.
Rustam founded Boond (www.boond.net), one of India’s fast-growing solar energy access enterprise that creates distribution channels for development products like solar rooftops, solar microgrids solar lamps, solar home systems in the remote parts of India. He was one of the top entrepreneurs who accompanied the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi as a part of his Startup India delegation to the US in 2015. In addition to his role in impact investment advisory and deal structuring to start-ups, he has had wide experience in private banking and strategic consulting and has worked in organizations like Standard Chartered (in Singapore), Syngenta (in Switzerland) and Deloitte Consulting (in the US). He is the board member and investor of Emsys Electronics (P) Ltd (a company that designs and manufactures high-quality electronic products), Mynergy Solar (P) Ltd., (a company that specializes in leasing, crowd-funding and asset management for solar rooftop projects). Owing to his first-hand experience in the development sector and emerging economies, he has collaborated with international agencies like the United Nations, GIZ The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and universities like Columbia University, Aalto University of Finland, University of British Columbia, University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh.
Rustam holds an INSEAD MBA graduate with MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. He has been awarded the ‘Echoing Green Fellowship’ for work in Climate Change in 2014 and the Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Technology Fellowship in 2017.
Sam Grill
EIR
Sam Grill
After working as a forest fire fighter in the early years after graduating from University of BC with a BA in economics, Sam started a financial advising business in 2005. In early 2008 Sam sold his book to a colleague and returned to grad school in Toronto where he graduated with an MBA from the University of Toronto in 2010. Working for the next four years in investment banking and commodities trading, Sam moved out of finance in the Summer of 2014 to take over a struggling waste-to-resource startup. As the CEO of IMR, Sam brought the company to profitability one year later and in 2017 built a new facility in partnership with a global player in the recycling industry.
Seeking a challenge above all else, Sam thrives in a dynamic setting where the only sure thing is the unexpected. A broad skillset built through years in finance, managing companies and time in the outdoors allows him to operate at an elevated capacity. Using a relational management style and focusing on motivation through responsibility, Sam develops the trust and respect of clients, contacts and colleagues to effectively execute his duties.
Sean Irvine
EIR
Sean Irvine
Sean Irvine is a professional engineer (Civil – P.Eng. – Carleton University, 1986) and an expert in technology commercialization and strategic management (C.L.P.). He started as a project manager overseeing construction projects located from Ottawa to Iqaluit including innovative work on giant gravity fed septic systems and installing municipal services in permafrost.
Within the federal government, Sean was a senior patent examiner where he issued over 1,000 patents in the arts of buoyant and propelled marine structures, railway rolling stock and solar-related systems integration. For the NRC, he was an Associate IRAP ITA and became their go-to advisor on IP matters in Western Canada. In 2000, he became Industry Canada’s life sciences lead across Western Canada where he worked closely with provincial governments on fed/provincial strategic plans such as Saskatchewan’s Life Sciences Strategy (2007). He also provided due diligence support for federal funding into various hundred million dollar investments such as the Michael Smith building at UBC, and Genome Canada. After 2008, Sean managed several grants and contributions programs at WED, and then DFO’s Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program.
Sean was a board member at BC Medical Devices Association (now LSBC), and as a board advisor at Life Sciences BC, the Canadian Health Information Technology Association (now CATA-Health), and the BC Centre for Aquatic Health Science.
As a professor at UBC, Sean taught two intellectual property management courses over two decades. During this period, he was co-chair of the Canadian Education Committee for the Licensing Executive Society (Canada-USA), and a member of IPIC and the PDMA.
Today, Sean is the Managing Director at Mojo Ventures advising on growth strategy and competitive dynamics. Over 30 years, Sean has owned an advertising agency, a real estate business, and two management consulting firms. He is currently an Executive in Residence at Foresight CleanTech Accelerator, an executive advisor to technology firms, and an angel investor. He has finance experience that includes venture capital investment management and governance, CFO responsibilities in small organizations, the Canadian Securities Course (1992), the Canadian Exempt Market Dealer Program (2018). Finally, Sean has over 20 years of operational management experience supervising CPA’s and other professional staff.
Shannon Bard
EIR
Shannon Bard
Shannon is a dynamic leader with over 25 years of experience in commercializing innovations, sustainability, environmental health, biomedical research, toxicology, ecological impact and risk assessment. She has extensive experience in leading regional, national and international multidisciplinary technical teams to tackle complex interdisciplinary environmental problems. Her environmental health and sustainability work has required forging working relationships with multiple stakeholders including business, industry, government regulators, environmental managers, politicians, academia, environmental groups, First Nations, media and the public.
Co-Lead of the Climate Venture Studio at the University of British Columbia, Shannon co-developed and launched a Climate Solutions strategy to create a framework for concrete action by the university to address the recently declared climate emergency. This strategy addresses the need for faster feedback loops and better communication between academic researchers and the broader market (industry, governments, civil society and consumers) to create impactful Climate Solutions. To accelerate the successful commercialization and scaling of the Climate Ventures, she and her team facilitate commercial scale pilots with industry or government collaborators, engage with regulators and policy makers to create regulatory pathways for adoption of climate-smart solutions, and engage with governments, corporations, and other large entities to create scalable procurement opportunities.
Shannon was previously the global Director of Innovation for the environmental consultancy Hemmera and parent engineering firm Ausenco. She developed and launched a global corporate Innovation Program for >2000 staff to undertake industrial-academic-government R&D collaborations to develop and commercialize new science and engineering services to solve sustainability issues. She oversaw a Board-directed innovation incubator to invest in applying new technologies and approaches, including AI, automation, data analytics, clean tech, VR/AR & digital solutions, biological and genomic tools to reduce the environmental footprint of industry activities. Formerly, Shannon was a professor of Environmental Science at Dalhousie University, Director of the Marine Ecotoxicology Laboratory and co-winner of the Senate Environmental Award.
Ted Mao
EIR
Ted Mao
Dr. Ted Mao is newly appointed as Chief Technology Officer at Evercloak. Since March 2020, he has been President, MW Technologies, Inc., offering “CTO for hire” to help start-up companies to develop and commercialize new technologies in the CleanTech space. Ted was Vice President, Research and Chief Technology Officer for 14 years at Trojan Technologies (part of Danaher Corporation, an S&P 100 company).
As part of the Executive team, drove >300% growth and built a global leading brand in the water industry with science and innovation, helping lives of over 1 Billion people with technologies in consumer, industrial, municipal and marine segments. Dr. Mao built a world-class industrial research team to develop innovative water treatment technologies using ultraviolet light and non-UV based core technologies to provide safe drinking water and to protect environment and public health. He developed a global network of thought leaders, influencers and open innovation partners, including academics, regulators, end-users, consulting engineers and technology providers. Dr. Mao is passionate on developing young scientists. He established an internship program with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at Trojan Technologies and developed over 70 highly skilled R&D professionals. Many of them are professors, scientists and senior engineers in the water industry around the world. Ted is a highly sought-after international speaker on technologies and innovation, and an active organizer of international conferences and workshops. He was Chair of IWA ecoSTP2018 Conference on “Ecotechnogies for Wastewater Treatment”.
He is currently an executive board member of International UV Association (IUVA) and vice president of IUVA Americas, and a member of WEF and IWA. He has served on Research Review Panels of US EPA, Canadian NSERC and Ontario MRI. Dr. Mao is a Professional Engineer and an adjunct professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto.
Trevor Stuthridge
EIR
Trevor Stuthridge
Dr. Trevor Stuthridge brings extensive international executive and governance experience in innovation and technology commercialization organizations in the forestry, bioeconomy and clean technologies sectors. Trevor recently served as Executive Vice President for FPInnovations – the world’s largest not-for-profit forestry sector research organization – where he led R&D operations and staff across 3 campuses and was responsible for business development, organizational strategy, and executive level engagement with industry, federal and provincial governments, academia and indigenous communities.
In addition to his operational duties, Trevor also led change programs to improve inter-disciplinary collaboration and established Centres of Excellence to drive innovation. Trevor also worked to harmonize internal business management and research delivery systems and re-invigorated the ideation-to commercialization innovation pipeline, including a customized stage-gating system, entrepreneurship program, and an online open innovation platform.
Trevor Westerlund
EIR
Trevor Westerlund
Valerie Henderson
EIR
Valerie Henderson
Valerie is well known in Vancouver for a successful consulting practice established in 1994 to provide senior HR services to small and medium sized companies. She has worked with dozens of companies in a variety of industries to establish best Human Resources practices, manage organizational change and instill corporate values within the team. Her track record includes:
- Providing start-up infrastructure for well-known Vancouver hi-tech companies and leading HR function through to recruitment of in-house HR teams
- Participating on transition teams on both sides of transactions
- Coaching technical leads in people management skills to assist their growth to senior management positions
- Providing communications and interpersonal professional development to employees
- Ensuring companies follow current HR Best Practices
MENTORS
Aaron Fyke
MENTOR
Aaron Fyke
Aaron Fyke has spent over twenty years as an entrepreneur, engineer, and investor, having co-founded six companies in a number of technology areas including fuel cell, ocean power, concentrating solar, and energy storage technologies. He is currently Founder and Managing Partner of Thin Line Capital, bringing investment capital to bear on some of the biggest opportunities in energy, water and food sustainability. The 2nd wave of clean tech innovation has begun and now is the time to act.
While CEO of Edisun Heliostats (now Heliogen), he was committed to lowering the costs of solar thermal power, backed by Idealab, Bill Gates, NRG, and others. Prior to Edisun, Aaron was the Founder and CEO of Energy Cache, a low-cost grid scale energy storage technology company, serving a multi-billion dollar energy market. Aaron continued his involvement with Energy Vault, also supported by Softbank.
He headed up the development of a $10M X PRIZE in Energy, he was a Partner at Starfish Ventures, Australia’s largest venture capital firm, and has been an adjunct lecturer on entrepreneurship at USC in Los Angeles. Aaron earned his MBA and MSME as an LGO fellow at MIT, and his BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria, graduating at the top of his class, and has been certified as a Professional Engineer both in California and British Columbia.
Andrew Matthews
MENTOR
Andrew Matthews
Dynamic leader with over 14 years of management experience that spans the international marketplace, with a proven track record of building and leading companies. Occupied various corporate leadership positions in challenging environments since 2003 throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa including Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq and Djibouti. He was a partner and International Operations Director of Afghanistan’s leading engineering consulting firms and was instrumental in helping its local clients win over $150M USD in engineering projects. Currently running his own business called Douglas McNeill Consulting, which focuses on providing practical, common sense business development services to early stage Canadian companies in Cleantech.
Andy Harris
MENTOR
Andy Harris
Andy’s a seasoned business owner who allows his personal fondness for the great outdoors to influence his professional pursuits. He’s lived and worked all over the world, and has fostered a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of our shared home and all its inhabitants.
Enjoying variety, Andy has worked in sustainable development, clean technology, and renewable energy in remote communities throughout the Americas, and provided deployment leadership and commercialization services for real estate and infrastructure throughout SE Asia.
He’s also directed teams from the UK and Canada through complex international manufacturing and development projects, and led a sustainable real estate development in the Caribbean. He helped scale renewable energy and sustainability businesses within new markets, and worked to grow sustainable technology as Vice President of a venture capital firm.
David Hunt
MENTOR
David Hunt
David Hunt is a prominent figure and thought leader in the clean technology sector. Hailed as a leading green entrepreneur by the Financial Times, David also presents at industry events such as EcoSummit, Energy Storage Europe, Solar & Storage Live and Fully Charged Live. He also hosts the ‘Leaders in Cleantech’ Podcast. He was also chosen as one of 25 LinkedIn Top Voices 2018, where he has over 150,000 followers.
David is a frequent contributor to trade publications such as Energy Storage News, Solar Power Portal, PV Tech, Clean Energy News and Smart Cities World. His industry insights have been quoted in UK broadsheet newspapers such as The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph and the Sunday Times. Being well versed in business and economics, he has also lent his voice to the likes of BBC Radio Four and ITV’s 6 o’clock news.
A cleantech expert and industry insider, David specialises in the clean energy and eMobility sectors. His drive to accelerate these growing markets led him to set up Hyperion Executive Search Ltd, a talent acquisition company specialising in the cleantech space that incisively places talent where it’s needed. Hyperion has been helping businesses grow and succeed since 2014, with offices in Liverpool, Munich and Austin, TX. David’s headhunting team now operates across EMEA and the US. David is also Board Advisor at Nanotechnology company Nexgen Futures.
Before this, David co-founded an award-winning multi-technology renewable energy installation business, sat as a policy board member with the UK Renewable Energy Association, and was a member of PRASEG (Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group).
The ‘Leaders in Cleantech’ podcast is a platform where David invites expert guests from his network to share their cleantech journeys and insights. Speaking with entrepreneurs, CEOs, thought leaders and industry insiders, David explores the challenges, opportunities, highs, and lows of business in the cleantech sector.
George Rubin
MENTOR
George Rubin
A proven corporate team leader with the unique combination of a strong scientific background and an in-depth knowledge of financial markets and strategies. Chartered Financial Analyst and capital markets expert with 5 years of corporate finance experience with Canada’s leading independent investment firms. As a co-founder, Vice President and subsequently President of Day4 Energy Inc. was instrumental to developing strategic vision and directly responsible for execution of the corporate development plan including growing company operations from research and development start-up in 2003 with a total staff of 5 through 265 employees, annual sales of more than $165 million CDN and an annualized sales run rate of over $230 million CDN in 2010. As a CEO of Heliotrope Technologies Inc., led the transition of the company from R&D to commercialization including definition of the minimum viable product strategy, engagement of the early adopter customer group and development of product sales commitments in excess of $50 million CDN required to proceed with the manufacturing scale-up.
Currently, a CEO of Cerebral Strategy Inc., a consulting company specializing in go to market and minimum viable product strategy development for technology companies. Areas of focus include hydrogen fuel cell and battery applications in transport electrification, smart-home / smart building products including dynamic glazing, photovoltaics and BIPV as well as printed electronics and IoT.
A graduate of Moscow State University with Masters Degree in Quantum Radio Physics and a British Columbia Institute of Technology graduate with a Diploma in Financial Management and a Bachelor Degree in Accounting. A CFA charter holder and a Business in Vancouver Top 30 under 30 award recipient, played an instrumental role in the development of Day4 Energy Inc. that was recognized with the British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) Emerging Company of the Year award in 2008. A finalist of the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards ceremony.
Hami Ben Bassat
MENTOR
Hami Ben Bassat
Hamutal is a business Development expert with over 12 years experience in creating new platforms that support the organization’s global growth. Hamutal is passionate about finding the right growth vehicles and is a strong believer in multidisciplinary environments.
Over her career, she enabled growth by a multitude of vehicles and processes including investments, mergers and acquisitions, strategic cooperation agreements, devising and implementing market entry strategies, leading BI-CI teams, business model analysis, capital raising for start-up and mature companies and International public bids.
Hamutal holds an LLB and an MA in philosophy. In the 5 years, she practiced law, Hamutal lead various Public offerings (TASE, NASDAQ), closed numerous International transactions and M&A processes.
Hamutal worked with leading global water technology companies as well as startups and new ventures. Her focus is on international expansion and finding the best platform to generate growth.
With extensive experience in LATAM and Asia Hamutal offers deep knowledge of these business environments.
In her last role, Hamutal lead the Business Development activity of Essilor’s online Division, expanding its activity to LATAM and Europe through M&As and organic expansion. She currently works as a consultant for various organizations and is a mentor at the [email protected] UBC LLP program.
Jennifer Thompson
MENTOR
Jennifer Thompson
Jennifer has a not-so-secret passion for all things applied science that could make a significant and positive difference to people’s lives. A true left-coaster, the themes of environment, innovation and entrepreneurship have woven their way through her entire career. Scarred by early memories of driving through Silicon Valley selling software with a Sun Microsystems monitor so large it required a dolly and convertible car to transport, she has focused the remainder of her career on hardware projects.
She has helped commercialize a wide variety of Vancouver-based technologies including a novel food dehydration system for food and pharmaceuticals (Enwave Corp), natural gas engines for buses and trucks (Westport Fuel Systems), black soldier fly larvae for animal feed and people food (Enterra Feed, Heilu), point-of-use drinking water sterilization (Acuva Tech), human-machine interaction for surgeons (NZ Tech) and pill packaging IoT (CuePath).
As a business mentor, Jennifer prefers to work with full-time founders who are dedicated, organized and coachable and whose technologies will benefit the many on the planet, not the few.
John Bruce
MENTOR
John Bruce
John has been involved in building, managing, and investing in early stage energy and technology based ventures for 20 years.
John is passionate about Products and getting them right, the first time. He believes Products that deliver superior value to customers and strong returns to investors come about through early and rigorous use-case analysis, customer value proposition evaluation, business model optimization, and unambiguous product definition. His experience includes new product development management, market analysis, business model and strategy development, and program management. He is recognized for the capacity to take initiative, think creatively, and bring strategic context to product and technology development challenges.
He has an established product management consulting practice focused on clean technologies where he has worked with clients such as Westport Innovations and Delta-q Technologies. Start-up experience includes founding an innovative Health Coaching venture. Prior to this, he was Director of Product Management and Vice President Business Development with Cellex Power Products Inc., Product Manager at Creo Products, and Investment Manager with Ventures West Management. John holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Engineering in Advanced Technology Management both from the University of British Columbia.
Len Zapalowski
MENTOR
Len Zapalowski
Len Zapalowski has more than 30 years of senior management experience with some of Vancouver’s most successful companies, including Nexus Engineering, Creo Products, Pivotal Software, Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies and Mazza Innovation.
His broad global business experience includes executive & general management, R&D, sales, marketing, and business development in North America, Asia, and Europe. Len graduated with a BSc and MSc from Imperial College, London.
Mauro Meneghetti
MENTOR
Mark Grist
Mark is an entrepreneur with a track record of success in new ventures and energy markets. His experience base spans a variety of industries ranging from LNG and hydrogen to advanced imaging to gas processing technologies. He has experience developing relationships with strategic partners in Europe, North America and Asia and his corporate development experience includes execution of acquisitions and divestitures.
Over his career Mark has held senior level business development and marketing positions with large enterprises such as FortisBC, Methanex and C-I-L and with a series of startups that includes BrightSide Technologies, QuestAir, SunCentral and R-Lux Innovations.
Mark has an MBA from Queen’s University and a B. Comm from UBC and his specific strengths are in business strategy, leadership and early stage revenue generation. Market areas of particular interest include clean tech, renewable and low carbon fuels and transportation.
Mike Walkinshaw
MENTOR
Mike Walkinshaw
Mike has over 20 years of experience in energy technology and venture capital and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Mike is currently CEO of TIMIA Capital Corp., a Vancouver based Revenue Financing platform focused on Canada’s technology community. Prior to TIMIA, Mike was a Managing Partner in energy technology venture capital firms Fronterra Ventures and Chrysalix Venture Capital. Mike has made successful investments over the past decade in many clean energy companies including Liquid Light, H2scan, FatSpaniel, and Akermin.
For over five years, Mike was with Ballard Power Systems, the world’s leading developer and manufacturer of PEM Fuel Cells. He held a number of roles within the organization and was the Manager of Product Strategy and a Product Manager for the Nexa Power Module, the world’s first commercial fuel cell module, and the precursor to many of Ballard’s current products. Prior to Ballard, he spent six years with Price Waterhouse in Vancouver, gaining his Chartered Accountant status and helping small entrepreneurial businesses grow.
Rolf Dekleer
MENTOR
Rolf Dekleer
Rolf has over 20 years of venture capital experience, currently as VP with Pender Ventures. Additionally, he has 15 years of operating experience with private and public technology companies such as Cymbolic Sciences, MacDonald Dettwiler, Agilent Technologies, Hewlett-Packard and Schlumberger. He has extensive experience in operations, product management and business development, including over 10 years with venture capital backed firms.
Recent board roles include Boreal Genomics, Cooledge Lighting, Copperleaf Technologies, D-Wave Systems, General Fusion, Switch Materials and the Vancouver Entrepreneurs Forum (VEF). He also currently serves as a lab investigator at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Vancouver). Rolf has an MA and an MBA from York University, and graduated from BCIT’s Electronics Engineering Program.
Taran Grey
MENTOR
Taran Grey
A fervent advocate for tech, Taran Grey is currently the Director of Intellectual Property and Grants for several Vancouver-based technology firms. With a 100% pending application to issued patent success rate at Moj.io Inc., Bionic Power Inc., and Nextleaf Solutions Ltd., Taran’s success far surpasses the 55% average of the Fortune 500. He has obtained non-dilutive, non-repayable cash grants and subsidized labour for his firms in the seven figures. Immediately prior, he was employed by Webtech Wireless Inc. where he tripled the size of the patent and trademark portfolios and obtained copyright registration for source code in the US and Canada while reducing the aggregate total IP expenses incurred.
Prior to Webtech, he was employed by the multinational electronics corporation Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. in the Intellectual Property and Standards Division (“IP&S”) as Senior IP Paralegal. More specifically, his position was within the Creation Team attached to the Lighting Business Group. Taran acted as sole paralegal to two attorneys situated in Boston, handling all docketing and eFiling for both. In addition, the IP&S executive branch seconded Taran to manage post-merger integration issues following the $4.5 billion USD acquisitions of several lighting firms.
FORESIGHT BOARD MEMBERS
Beth Loughney
DIRECTOR
Beth Loughney
Beth Loughney’s career has spanned three decades in start-ups in 3D graphics for Hollywood, multi-billion dollar international firms, and even a stint keeping the world safe from nuclear annihilation. She has over 25 years’ executive management in large and small companies and actively consults with entrepreneurs in areas such as cleantech and AI/machine learning. Her most recent focus has been on change management and market expansion strategies taking into account international security and macroeconomics as factors in business decision making. Founder and executive chair of Zorroa, an AI/machine learning software company based in California, she is also an Executive-in-Residence at the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator in Vancouver.
Until May 2005, Beth was the founder and General Manager of NVIDIA Corporation’s Entertainment division. She was CEO of Exluna and headed Strategic Marketing at Open TV during the largest IPO of 1999. Before transitioning to the commercial sector, Beth was a program manager with the US Government’s Cooperative Threat Reduction program to dismantle the former Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons stockpile. She has been with Foresight since its founding working with companies in hydrogen as a service, upcycling waste into fuel and building materials, and a specialty in software solutions.
Beth has an M.A. in National Security Policy Studies and a B.A. in Asian Studies, both from the George Washington University
Elicia Maine
DIRECTOR
Elicia Maine
Elicia Maine is a Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Simon Fraser University. She is also the Academic Director of the Invention to Innovation program, aimed at giving PhD Scientists and Engineers the skills to lead Science & Technology Commercialization. Prof. Maine teaches Managing Technological Innovation in the Management of Technology MBA program, Managing Innovation in the Executive MBA program, and Lab to Market in the Invention to Innovation program at SFU Beedie School of Business. She has used her expertise at home and abroad to guide innovation policy and strategy and to mentor emerging talent. Shaped by formative experiences at Shad Valley and at M.I.T., she is passionate about the positive impact that can be made by scientist-entrepreneurs in addressing global challenges. Dr. Maine holds a PhD in Technology Management from the University of Cambridge, Masters degrees in Technology & Policy and in Materials Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Bachelors degrees in Materials Engineering and in English from Queens University. She publishes extensively on Innovation Management in journals such as Research Policy, R&D Management, Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Materials. She has worked in industry as a strategy consultant, specializing in technology management in the automotive sector and in advanced materials sectors. She is active as a speaker on innovation policy and the commercialization of science
Jeanette Jackson
DIRECTOR
Jeanette Jackson
Jeanette is an experienced CEO, entrepreneur and business strategist with broad-based experience in technology, business development, marketing and operations. Jeanette brings innovation, integrity and passion to all projects and is thrilled to bring her tenacious commitment to help Foresight achieve its next phase of growth milestones.
With local clean-tech company, Light-Based Technologies, Jeanette held the position of founding CEO. She successfully raised millions in investment funding, established partnerships to maximize revenue potential, led cross-functional teams to deliver real results, and created highly functional advisory teams and boards of directors. As President of The Brag Company, a combination of online and retail product distribution for smart travel products, Jeanette oversaw the complete restructuring of the business. This included growing local and international sales channels, engaging outsource partners to optimize operations, launching new product and services, and developing a comprehensive plan for the next stage of growth. Recently, she helped Canadian loyalty and reward platform, eTrove, scale their technology for mass adoption and ramp up sales throughout the US with a focused go-to-market strategy.
Over the last 4 years, Jeanette has supported more than 20 Foresight companies as an Executive In Residence in several markets including bio-energy, electric vehicles, smart buildings, water tech, robotics and wind. She is excited to bring the new vision of Foresight to life: advancing the adoption of Canadian transformative cleantech companies through programs that help them launch, scale and grow.
John W. Tak
DIRECTOR
John Tak
John is a cleantech consultant advising the federal government and acts as strategic advisor to the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre on the development of a B.C. Cleantech Cluster Strategy.
John was CEO of the Canadian Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA) and prior to that managed Mitsubishi Canada’s multi-million dollar specialty chemicals business based out of Vancouver. He also worked in Tokyo for five years as the Senior Representative for the BC Trade and Development Corporation. John started his career working for Magna International at the corporate head office and opened Magna’s first office in Tokyo. Magna is Canada’s largest automotive parts company.
John also serves as Vice President & Board member of the Canada Japan Society of British Columbia (CJSBC). He has served on the Advisory Board of the National Research Council’s Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
Keith Gillard
DIRECTOR
Keith Gillard
Mr. Gillard is General Partner at Pangaea Ventures Ltd., an industry leader in early stage advanced materials investment. He joined Pangaea in 2010. Mr. Gillard has over twenty years’ experience as an investor and entrepreneur, with the past twelve years focused on Cleantech and advanced materials.
From 2006-2010, Mr. Gillard served as President of BASF Venture Capital America. He was responsible for the establishment of the Silicon Valley office and expansion of the team. Mr. Gillard led investments into SDCmaterials Inc., Luca Technologies LLC, Ultracell Corporation, Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., Sciona, Inc., and ARCH Ventures VII, among others. From 2001-2006, Mr. Gillard was with Mitsubishi Corporation and responsible for venture investment and business development activities in Canada, with a specific focus on Cleantech. He was instrumental in establishing Japanese markets and partners for several Canadian and American Cleantech companies, with a special focus on fuel cells, solar and smart grid applications. Prior to joining Mitsubishi, Mr. Gillard began his career in investment banking, structuring mergers and acquisitions as well as manufacturing technology joint ventures into China. In the late ’90’s, he spent five years as an full-time entrepreneur, establishing three IT companies in succession. Mr. Gillard sits on the board of directors of Vestaron Corporation and NewLeaf Symbiotics Inc. He is also the co-author of “Inside the Minds: Energy Venture Capital Best Practices”, published in 2008 by Aspatore Books. Outside of work, he is a high-energy father of two, an avid cyclist and a Canadian Independent Music Award winner.
Mark Longo
DIRECTOR
Mark Longo
Mark Longo is Co-Chair of Osler’s Emerging Companies Group and Managing Partner of Osler’s Vancouver office. Mark has over 20 years of experience in corporate finance, M&A, and technology law. During his career, he has served in General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and senior executive capacities for a number of private and publicly traded technology companies, including Intrinsyc Software International Inc., Star Data Systems Inc. and Datawire Communication Networks Inc. In the three years immediately prior to joining Osler, Mark was a partner in the Vancouver office of a boutique law firm focused on the technology industry. Previous to that, Mark was a partner in the technology and corporate finance groups of a Vancouver-based law firm for over three years.
Having earned an LL.B. from Queen’s University in 1992, Mark also obtained his Masters of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in 2001. Mark is called to the Bar in BC and Ontario. Mark’s hobbies include playing and coaching/managing his daughter and son in various sports, including hockey, volleyball and squash, and climbing the North Shore mountains in Vancouver.
WATERNEXT BOARD MEMBERS
Bruce Edgelow
DIRECTOR
Bruce Edgelow
Bruce has 45 years of banking experience with a focus on lending to the oil and gas industry.
After having spent 31 years with Royal Bank of Canada, Bruce joined ATB in July 2003 and took on the responsibility to help build ATB Financial’s Energy business and capabilities. In early 2015 he headed up their Turnaround Assistance Group, providing leadership to ATB’s sales teams whose clients were experiencing financial difficulties through the downturn. He retired from the organization March 31, 2017, at which point he and his business associate Mark George formed EdgeMark Capital and Advisory Services Ltd. They specialize in advising entities related to their capital needs and sourcing either debt or equity on a fee for service basis.
Bruce has attained the ICD.D designation. He is a very active participant in community and church activities. He serves as a Director for Calgary Health Foundation and Chairs the Peter Lougheed Centre Development Council. He is vice-chair of Trellis, the predecessor agency post the merger of Boys & Girls Club & Aspen Family and Community Network and an advisor to Canada Water NEXT Innovations Inc.
Bruce also serves as a member of the Alberta Government’s Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council and is a board member of Bumble Bees Venture Capital.
Jack Elliot
DIRECTOR
Jack Elliot
Mr. Elliott has over 40 years of experience in construction and technology-enabled engineering. He was President and CEO of Pure Technologies Ltd. (“Pure”) until the company was acquired by Xylem, a leading provider of water technologies and solutions, in February 2018. During his tenure, Mr. Elliott was instrumental in building Pure into a world leader in technology-driven condition assessment, monitoring and analysis of water, wastewater and oil and gas pipelines.
From April 2018 until June 2020, Mr. Elliott was a Director of DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. (DRT:TSX), a technology-enabled provider of high-quality customized prefabricated wall systems for building interiors. Prior to joining Pure, Mr. Elliott’s experience included general management and engineering roles with several leading construction companies. Mr. Elliott holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from National University of Ireland (University College Cork).
Jeanette Jackson
DIRECTOR
Jeanette Jackson
Jeanette is an experienced CEO, entrepreneur and business strategist with broad-based experience in technology, business development, marketing and operations. Jeanette brings innovation, integrity and passion to all projects and is thrilled to bring her tenacious commitment to help Foresight achieve its next phase of growth milestones.
With local clean-tech company, Light-Based Technologies, Jeanette held the position of founding CEO. She successfully raised millions in investment funding, established partnerships to maximize revenue potential, led cross-functional teams to deliver real results, and created highly functional advisory teams and boards of directors. As President of The Brag Company, a combination of online and retail product distribution for smart travel products, Jeanette oversaw the complete restructuring of the business. This included growing local and international sales channels, engaging outsource partners to optimize operations, launching new product and services, and developing a comprehensive plan for the next stage of growth. Recently, she helped Canadian loyalty and reward platform, eTrove, scale their technology for mass adoption and ramp up sales throughout the US with a focused go-to-market strategy.
Over the last 4 years, Jeanette has supported more than 20 Foresight companies as an Executive In Residence in several markets including bio-energy, electric vehicles, smart buildings, water tech, robotics and wind. She is excited to bring the new vision of Foresight to life: advancing the adoption of Canadian transformative cleantech companies through programs that help them launch, scale and grow.
Jeff Guild
DIRECTOR
Jeff Guild
Jeff is an internationally recognized expert on water technologies and their markets, with over 25 years’ of commercial and technical experience gained from engagements with start-ups, investors and large corporations in the dynamic global water space. He is globally connected and uniquely positioned to advise companies on their technology portfolios and future innovation strategies. Jeff has worked with global Fortune 500 corporates including P&G, BHP, L’Oréal, Unilever, Samsung and PepsiCo. Jeff has also advised many leading utilities such as Metro Vancouver, DC Water, OCWD, Singapore PUB and Severn Trent Water, helping them create business and asset management plans.
A business strategist and water industry leader who knows how to impact the bottom line, Jeff has advised businesses with wastewater treatment technologies, has led technology acquisition and integration projects, and has structured and negotiated strategic alliances, joint ventures and licensing agreements. Jeff has managed technology scale-ups, executed technology commercialization projects, and has held senior process engineering and project management roles in both the municipal and industrial market sectors.
Jeff is widely recognized for his expertise in market analysis and ability to identify growth opportunities. He has successfully worked with numerous venture-backed water companies and has assisted a number of Venture Capital and Private Equity funds such as XPV Capital, True North Venture Partners, SKion and Emerald Ventures, helping them identify water sector investment opportunities. Jeff also advises companies on acquisitions, running comprehensive due diligence projects to assess assets, liabilities and evaluate commercial potential. He has supported Morgan Stanley, Baird Capital, Novozymes, Hitachi, DuPont, and Siemens, to name a few.
Jeff earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Bio-Resource Engineering and a Master of Applied Science in Chemical and Biological Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He has authored several published papers, has delivered numerous presentations at water and wastewater conferences, and is a co-author for the Humana Press “Handbook of Environmental Engineering” series. Jeff is an active member of WEF and provides mentorship to a variety of accelerators, funds and SMEs in the water space.
John Van Ham
DIRECTOR
John Van Ham
John Van Ham is the Executive Director for Sector Alignment & Programs at InnoTech Alberta. He’s responsible for fostering relationships and alignment with others in the innovation ecosystem, including priority clientele, industry associations, technology consortia, and public and private sector organizations in the research and tech development space (provincial and national). The group also works with public sector investment and granting programs, to align InnoTech’s research capacity and capabilities (facilities, equipment and people) with provincial R&D needs.
John has worked extensively in the private and public sectors. Most recently at Alberta Innovates, he was an Executive Director in Clean Resources, focused on investment funding for R&D in environmental innovation. Prior to InnoTech & Alberta Innovates, John spent much of his career in the natural resource sectors, working for industry (ConocoPhillips and Geomaque Exploration), not-for-profit organizations (International Institute for Sustainable Development), government agencies, and several start-up companies/organizations in oil & gas, renewables, clean-tech, mining and agriculture.
John has a track record as a driven and resourceful leader in the natural resource and clean tech sectors, with a passionate for innovation and strategy to create business and product sustainability. Assets include deep expertise in corporate strategy and business planning, combined with extensive operational and field experience. This background enables a core strength in leading organizations through complex external environments, to achieve knowledge-based or technical solutions that deliver economic value, environmental stewardship, and social progress.
John has a Master of Environmental Design Degree (MEDes) and a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) – double major in Geology and Geophysics – both from the University of Calgary. John lives in Calgary with his wife and family, and enjoys all activities related to food, travel and the great outdoors.
Kariann Aaurup
DIRECTOR
Kariann Aaurup
Kariann has been with Aqua Forum since 2017, focusing on scaling its flagship program, the AquaHacking Challenge.
Motivated by sustainability-focused outcomes, especially those that engage stakeholders from multiple sectors, Kariann enjoys finding the sweet spot around which partners can collaborate to amplify impact. Originally from Montreal, enjoying the freshwater lakes of the Laurentians, Kariann grew up in a family enterprise and holds an MBA from McGill University. Committed to change-agency, Kariann has brought her passion for social innovation to all her work – as founder and Executive Director of a national cross-sector internship program, instructor at the Desautels School of Business, and 10 years of community and external relations in the mining sector. She is very happy to be back in the non-profit world, making use of her business background to positively impact freshwater health.
Kariann has been in BC since 2013 and lives in Victoria, with her partner and two children. The silver lining of COVID has meant less travel and more hygge home-time, for which the whole family is happy. In her spare time, Kariann enjoys seaside dog walks, driftwood collecting and cooking. She also loves to bake sourdough bread for family & friends.
Kim Sturgess
DIRECTOR
Kim Sturgess
Kim Sturgess is an Executive-In-Residence for the Watertech Program at Foresight; founder and CEO of WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. and has successfully led the organization since its inception in 2005. She is also the Executive Director of the not-for-profit Alberta WaterPortal Society, which provides education on key water issues in Alberta and around the world.
As the CEO of several technology based companies over her career, Kim has extensive experience in technology start-ups and technology management, as well as in oil and gas, pipelines, and industrial products and services. In addition to serving on the boards of her own companies, she has served on the boards of CCI Thermal Technologies, the Alberta Chamber of Resources, the Alberta Land Institute, the Alberta Water Council, the Calgary Airport Authority, the Council of Canadian Academies, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the National Research Council, APEGA, the Alberta Economic Development Authority, and Queen’s University. She also served as President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Kim graduated from Queen’s University with a degree in Engineering Physics, and from Western University with a Master of Business Administration. In 2016, Kim received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Queen’s University, and in 2018 she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Calgary.
In 2007, she was named as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and in 2012 she was named Business Woman of the Year in Calgary by Consumers Choice Awards. In 2015 she was awarded the SCI Canada Medal and was recognized by the Alberta Science and Technology Foundation for her Outstanding Contribution to the Alberta Science and Technology Community.
Kim has been recognized with the YWCA Women of Distinction award, the Global Woman of Vision award, the Distinguished Service Award and the Alumni Achievement Award from Queen’s University, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Alberta Centennial Medal. In 2015, she was awarded the Order of Canada for her outstanding achievements, dedication to community, and service to the nation.
Kim continues to build on her lifelong passion for water to make water management a priority for corporations, interest groups and policy makers at home in Alberta, in Canada and in the world.
Rick VanSant
DIRECTOR
Rick VanSant
Rick is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor.
He serves as a Senior Advisor to the cleantech sector at MaRS Discovery District, Toronto, and is a member of the Board of Advisors to WaterNEXT, the water cluster accelerator with Foresight Cleantech Centre, British Columbia. Rick is also a Director and the CEO of Aclarus Ozone Water Systems, a Director of Island Water Technologies, a partner with Toronto based private equity investment group 1440 Capital, and past Chair of WaterTAP Ontario, the province of Ontario’s water technology accelerator.
From 2002 to 2018 he was President and founding CEO of UV Pure Technologies, a Canadian environmental technology company that develops and manufactures advanced UV water disinfection technology. Prior to UV Pure, Rick founded several public and private companies and was a member and Director of the Young Presidents’ Organization, in Toronto.
He has a degree in Astro-geophysics from Colgate University, a Masters of Education from St. Lawrence University, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business’ Institute of Corporate Directors program.
Robert E. Kulhawy
DIRECTOR
Robert Kulhawy
Robert was the founder (former CEO and Executive Chairman) of newterra Group Ltd. – a global leader in the research, development and manufacturer of practical environmental and water treatment solutions.
Robert was appointed to and served on Canada’s National Round Table on the Environment and Economy.
Robert currently serves as:
• Executive Chairman of Cleantech Utilities Inc.
• Member Board of Directors of BURNCO Rock Products Ltd.
• CEO of Commerx Corporation – a leader in Telecom Services network transformation, Billing Revenue Management, and Digital Technology Solutions with projects, staff, operations and clients across North America, Central America and the Caribbean
• Executive Chairman of CLAS (Canadian Land Access Systems)
And is currently a member of:
• The Commanderie de Bordeaux, Confrerie du Tastevin, Chaine des Rotisseurs
• YPO Alberta Gold
Some of his past capacities include:
• Global Advisory Board of the Thomas and Charles Edison Foundations
• International President and the structural architect of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization
• Member of the President’s Council and international board member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO)
• Longtime judge of the finals of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
• Chairman of the Premiers’ CEO Advisory Board
• Co-founder and Chair YPO Homes of Hope
Robert is co-author of “The Canadian Creed”, a featured speaker on water and environment, business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, wine, technological innovation, and advocates businesses donating their excess capacity to worthwhile charitable endeavours.
Rodger Bernar
DIRECTOR
Rodger Bernar
Rodger is a business and technology development professional with expertise in strategy, business analysis, customer acquisition and retention, product development and management. He is experienced in commercializing new products and services and skilled in researching and determining new business development opportunities across the water, energy, power, agriculture and pulp and paper sectors. He has extensive experience from both the technology developer and industrial client consumer perspective.
TERRY MAH
DIRECTOR
Terry Mah
Dr. Terry Mah is an innovative performance-oriented leader and manager with 20+ years of international experience and a passion for water. Dr. Mah has a proven track record of technology development & commercialization, business development and transformation, profitable growth, and value creation across a diverse and challenging background of highly specialized activities and geographies.
Terry is the Co-Founder of Thales Water Advisors, Founder of The Malabar Group, and Co-Founder of TerraFin Partners whose activities are focused on innovation and strategies that bring positive impact. Prior to this, Terry spent 19 years with Veolia where he held numerous executive positions, including serving as a member of Veolia’s Management Committee, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia North America, and Chief Operating Officer of Veolia’s Global Water Technologies group.
Dr. Mah studied at the University of British Columbia where he earned a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Microbiology, and received his Ph.D. in environmental engineering
