Process

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Jennifer Altenberg

Jennifer Altenberg is a bi-racial women and educator, with Michif and settler ancestors. A Coordinator of Learning Services for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) she has served as Vice-Principal of Oskāyak High School and a teacher in GSCS for over 13 years. A graduate of the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) obtaining her master’s degree in Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive Education and is as a community scholar at McGill University supporting the grassroots work of TRC#66 and The Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia. Jennifer takes an anti-racist approach in the classroom, workplace, and everyday life. Doing this has allowed opportunities to create diverse and equitable spaces for students and First Nations and Michif families within GSCS schools and the broader community. A mama to one and an aunty to many, Jennifer believes anti-racist/anti-oppressive education is the learning that all educators, school staffs, and families need to ensure we are dismantling white racism and settler colonialism and building strong self-determined and governed, Michif and First Nations communities in Saskatchewan. Jennifer was the recipient of the Order of Gabriel Dumont in 2010 a distinguished award for Metis Citizens in Saskatchewan and A Guiding The Journey Indspire Award receipt in for Community Organizations in 2020.

Marcia Nozick

In 2001, Marcia Nozick founded EMBERS (the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) as a community economic development charity with the mission to create economic opportunities for people – one person, one job, one day at a time. A long-time community advocate, Marcia’s leadership at EMBERS over the years has helped thousands of people facing work barriers lead productive lives by providing access to self-employment education, job placements, training and support. In 2008, Marcia broke new ground by launching EMBERS Staffing Solutions (ESS), an award-winning temporary staffing agency. Her goal was to create flexible, short-term work placements for people looking to re-enter the workforce. A social enterprise, ESS is self-sustaining and invests 100% of its profits back into the community through higher hourly wages, equipment, and training for workers. With Marcia’s leadership, ESS is able to have a tremendous social impact. An innovative leader, Marcia has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the fields of community economic development and social enterprise. Marcia has received numerous awards for her work with EMBERS including: the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award (2015); YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2016); Business In Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business Award (2017); Vancouver Board of Trade’s Wendy McDonald Diversity Award (2020); The Governor General’s Innovation Award (2020); the BC Achievement Foundation’s Community Award (2021); the BC CEO Award (2021); the Stevie Award for Women in Business (2021) and, most recently a Special Citation for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (2022). Marcia holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning, and wrote the influential Canadian book, No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities (1992), that David Suzuki praised as “a must read”.

Melissa Allen

Melissa Allen began her career in digital marketing at tech companies such as Torstar Digital and Google, before pivoting to an award-winning career in financial services at Desjardins. Combining her passions for innovation and finance, Melissa became an angel investor in 2019. After selling her financial practice, Melissa began lending her expertise in ecosystem advisory and leadership roles at organizations such as LOI Venture and League of Innovators. Melissa now leads Capital M Ventures, a pre-seed venture capital fund focused on brilliant founders that reflect Canada’s diversity.

Audra Renyi (Assessment Committee Chair)

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Marcia Nozick

In 2001, Marcia Nozick founded EMBERS (the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) as a community economic development charity with the mission to create economic opportunities for people – one person, one job, one day at a time. A long-time community advocate, Marcia’s leadership at EMBERS over the years has helped thousands of people facing work barriers lead productive lives by providing access to self-employment education, job placements, training and support. In 2008, Marcia broke new ground by launching EMBERS Staffing Solutions (ESS), an award-winning temporary staffing agency. Her goal was to create flexible, short-term work placements for people looking to re-enter the workforce. A social enterprise, ESS is self-sustaining and invests 100% of its profits back into the community through higher hourly wages, equipment, and training for workers. With Marcia’s leadership, ESS is able to have a tremendous social impact. An innovative leader, Marcia has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the fields of community economic development and social enterprise. Marcia has received numerous awards for her work with EMBERS including: the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award (2015); YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2016); Business In Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business Award (2017); Vancouver Board of Trade’s Wendy McDonald Diversity Award (2020); The Governor General’s Innovation Award (2020); the BC Achievement Foundation’s Community Award (2021); the BC CEO Award (2021); the Stevie Award for Women in Business (2021) and, most recently a Special Citation for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (2022). Marcia holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning, and wrote the influential Canadian book, No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities (1992), that David Suzuki praised as “a must read”.

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk is a cardiac surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, OH. She is the first Inuk heart surgeon in Canada. She graduated medical school from the University of Calgary in 2014, completed cardiac surgery residency at The University of Ottawa Heart Institute in 2020, and an advanced cardiac surgery fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic in 2021. She has been presented to The Senate of Canada for becoming the first Inuk heart surgeon and the first Nunavut land claims beneficiary to become a MD, and has been presented to the House of Commons for receiving the 2018 Inuit youth Indpsire award. She was featured in the Globe and Mail’s article on 16 reasons to celebrate International Women’s Day 2018. She is part of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, and has given multiple talks about improving Indigenous and women’s heart health.

Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia

With a global career spanning six countries and five continents, Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, M.A., B.A. is a multilingual, award-winning innovator, entrepreneur, and technology business executive with over 20 years experience in the private, public, non-profit, and academic sectors. In her current role as Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology & Innovation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ulrike leads federal policy files on digital infrastructure, digital transformation, technology adoption, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and privacy and data protection. Ulrike also established the Canadian Chamber’s health innovation, life sciences, and biomanufacturing portfolio, and the national health innovation and digital economy committees. As the architect of the Canadian Chamber’s national Cyber. Right. Now. Council, the newly formed Future of AI Council, and as the Canadian Chamber’s Privacy and Digital Trade Council Lead, Ulrike heads up multiple national initiatives, supported by a broad range of close to 150 organizations of all sizes and sectors from across Canada. Together they are set to raise awareness and propose solutions to government to empower Canada to be a global leader in the realms of digital technologies, innovation, and productivity. A life-long advocate for EDI and careers in STEAM, Ulrike is a member of the Government of Canada’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness Working Group, an Advisory Board Member for the Women in Tech Global Movement – Canadian Chapter and HER Digital Academy, an elected member of the International Women’s Forum and a Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Ambassador. Originally from Germany, Ulrike completed her M.A. in the United States and has worked in executive leadership roles at the headquarters of prominent technology MNCs, SMEs, and start-ups including Intel, Compaq (Hewlett Packard), McAfee, Madge Networks, Commtouch (CYREN), Nipendo, CarteNav, Thorasys and Seaside Wireless. With a passion for languages, different cultures and teaching, which earned her the Mannesmann Teaching Award, Ulrike was also a lecturer at the University of Houston and Mount Saint Vincent University. In addition, Ulrike led ocean tech and tidal research projects, rural broadband initiatives, CETA consultations, global priority markets and international commerce/trade initiatives while working for the Nova Scotia provincial government, including a provincial Crown Corporation. Prior to joining the Canadian Chamber, Ulrike successfully re-established and led a provincial technology non-profit/industry association, Digital Nova Scotia, for over seven years in her role as President and CEO. Ulrike was honoured with numerous regional and national recognitions, awards, and features, including: WXN Top 100 Most Powerful in Canada Hall of Fame, RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant, Atlantic Business Magazine Top 50 CEO, WCT Top 15 Leadership Excellence in Canada: Innovator, and Progress Women of Excellence: Innovator/Entrepreneur. Ulrike was also highlighted as one of Canada’s Top 40 Change-Makers by Canadian Living Magazine, featured in the Executive Voice Publishing “Best of Canada 150 Anniversary Report” and in 2017 was one of the “Canada 150 Women” best-selling publication of the same name. Ulrike is married with a son and daughter and moved to Canada from Israel in 2002. Ulrike has called Canada her home ever since and as a self-described “nature nerd”, can be found in the great outdoors pretty much every day.

Jennifer Altenberg

Jennifer Altenberg is a bi-racial women and educator, with Michif and settler ancestors. A Coordinator of Learning Services for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) she has served as Vice-Principal of Oskāyak High School and a teacher in GSCS for over 13 years. A graduate of the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) obtaining her master’s degree in Anti-Racist/Anti-Oppressive Education and is as a community scholar at McGill University supporting the grassroots work of TRC#66 and The Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia. Jennifer takes an anti-racist approach in the classroom, workplace, and everyday life. Doing this has allowed opportunities to create diverse and equitable spaces for students and First Nations and Michif families within GSCS schools and the broader community. A mama to one and an aunty to many, Jennifer believes anti-racist/anti-oppressive education is the learning that all educators, school staffs, and families need to ensure we are dismantling white racism and settler colonialism and building strong self-determined and governed, Michif and First Nations communities in Saskatchewan. Jennifer was the recipient of the Order of Gabriel Dumont in 2010 a distinguished award for Metis Citizens in Saskatchewan and A Guiding The Journey Indspire Award receipt in for Community Organizations in 2020.

Audra Renyi (Assessment Committee Chair)

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Patty Francis

Patricia A. Francis was born and raised on the First Nation of Akwesasne in the district of Kawenoke. She Graduated from General Vanier Secondary School and attended Saint Lawrence College in the Business Administration field. Patricia and her husband Peter have three sons and several grandchildren. She brings much experience in administration and policy making through her tenure as a Federal Contracting Officer for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and her time spent in management positions over the last Twenty (20) years. Patty’s background and experience in dealing at the Federal, State and Provincial level as a Policy Analyst, and at the community level as Chair of a Community Trust; serves as a nice backdrop for her work currently as an independent consultant and part time Archive Coordinator, for the development of a Archival Complex on the Akwesasne Territory. Her community involvement brought her from the lacrosse box coaching her son’s minor lacrosse team to the board table of the Akwesasne Membership Board in the mid 1990’s. When Patty isn’t at work she is home enjoying her family and her grandchildren.

Marcia Nozick

In 2001, Marcia Nozick founded EMBERS (the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) as a community economic development charity with the mission to create economic opportunities for people – one person, one job, one day at a time. A long-time community advocate, Marcia’s leadership at EMBERS over the years has helped thousands of people facing work barriers lead productive lives by providing access to self-employment education, job placements, training and support. In 2008, Marcia broke new ground by launching EMBERS Staffing Solutions (ESS), an award-winning temporary staffing agency. Her goal was to create flexible, short-term work placements for people looking to re-enter the workforce. A social enterprise, ESS is self-sustaining and invests 100% of its profits back into the community through higher hourly wages, equipment, and training for workers. With Marcia’s leadership, ESS is able to have a tremendous social impact. An innovative leader, Marcia has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the fields of community economic development and social enterprise. Marcia has received numerous awards for her work with EMBERS including: the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award (2015); YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2016); Business In Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business Award (2017); Vancouver Board of Trade’s Wendy McDonald Diversity Award (2020); The Governor General’s Innovation Award (2020); the BC Achievement Foundation’s Community Award (2021); the BC CEO Award (2021); the Stevie Award for Women in Business (2021) and, most recently a Special Citation for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (2022). Marcia holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning, and wrote the influential Canadian book, No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities (1992), that David Suzuki praised as “a must read”.

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk

Dr. Donna May Kimmaliardjuk is a cardiac surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, OH. She is the first Inuk heart surgeon in Canada. She graduated medical school from the University of Calgary in 2014, completed cardiac surgery residency at The University of Ottawa Heart Institute in 2020, and an advanced cardiac surgery fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic in 2021. She has been presented to The Senate of Canada for becoming the first Inuk heart surgeon and the first Nunavut land claims beneficiary to become a MD, and has been presented to the House of Commons for receiving the 2018 Inuit youth Indpsire award. She was featured in the Globe and Mail’s article on 16 reasons to celebrate International Women’s Day 2018. She is part of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, and has given multiple talks about improving Indigenous and women’s heart health.

Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia

With a global career spanning six countries and five continents, Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, M.A., B.A. is a multilingual, award-winning innovator, entrepreneur, and technology business executive with over 20 years experience in the private, public, non-profit, and academic sectors. In her current role as Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology & Innovation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ulrike leads federal policy files on digital infrastructure, digital transformation, technology adoption, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, intellectual property and privacy and data protection. Ulrike also established the Canadian Chamber’s health innovation, life sciences, and biomanufacturing portfolio, and the national health innovation and digital economy committees. As the architect of the Canadian Chamber’s national Cyber. Right. Now. Council, the newly formed Future of AI Council, and as the Canadian Chamber’s Privacy and Digital Trade Council Lead, Ulrike heads up multiple national initiatives, supported by a broad range of close to 150 organizations of all sizes and sectors from across Canada. Together they are set to raise awareness and propose solutions to government to empower Canada to be a global leader in the realms of digital technologies, innovation, and productivity. A life-long advocate for EDI and careers in STEAM, Ulrike is a member of the Government of Canada’s Advisory Council on Artificial Intelligence Public Awareness Working Group, an Advisory Board Member for the Women in Tech Global Movement – Canadian Chapter and HER Digital Academy, an elected member of the International Women’s Forum and a Women’s Executive Network (WXN) Ambassador. Originally from Germany, Ulrike completed her M.A. in the United States and has worked in executive leadership roles at the headquarters of prominent technology MNCs, SMEs, and start-ups including Intel, Compaq (Hewlett Packard), McAfee, Madge Networks, Commtouch (CYREN), Nipendo, CarteNav, Thorasys and Seaside Wireless. With a passion for languages, different cultures and teaching, which earned her the Mannesmann Teaching Award, Ulrike was also a lecturer at the University of Houston and Mount Saint Vincent University. In addition, Ulrike led ocean tech and tidal research projects, rural broadband initiatives, CETA consultations, global priority markets and international commerce/trade initiatives while working for the Nova Scotia provincial government, including a provincial Crown Corporation. Prior to joining the Canadian Chamber, Ulrike successfully re-established and led a provincial technology non-profit/industry association, Digital Nova Scotia, for over seven years in her role as President and CEO. Ulrike was honoured with numerous regional and national recognitions, awards, and features, including: WXN Top 100 Most Powerful in Canada Hall of Fame, RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant, Atlantic Business Magazine Top 50 CEO, WCT Top 15 Leadership Excellence in Canada: Innovator, and Progress Women of Excellence: Innovator/Entrepreneur. Ulrike was also highlighted as one of Canada’s Top 40 Change-Makers by Canadian Living Magazine, featured in the Executive Voice Publishing “Best of Canada 150 Anniversary Report” and in 2017 was one of the “Canada 150 Women” best-selling publication of the same name. Ulrike is married with a son and daughter and moved to Canada from Israel in 2002. Ulrike has called Canada her home ever since and as a self-described “nature nerd”, can be found in the great outdoors pretty much every day.

Fred Morley (Assessment Committee Chair)

Fred is an economic growth specialist. He is Founder and Chief Economist of Rising Tide Economics, a consultancy dedicated to helping communities and leaders succeed through innovation. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Economist of the Greater Halifax Partnership and has held senior positions with Tourism Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Office of Regulatory Affairs, the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia Business Inc., Nova Scotia Economic Development, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, and was an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Saint Mary’s University. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and economics from Dalhousie University, and did graduate work in economics and economic development issues at both Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University. Fred was on the inaugural Governor General’s Innovation Awards Assessment Committee in 2016, a committee which he continues to chair. Fred was one of eight members of the Selection Board of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) which awarded $1.25 billion to 20 Canadian universities in 2015 and 2016. He was a council member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Ottawa, a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington DC and Chair of Business Retention and Expansion International. Fred was the first Canadian to receive Business Retention and Expansion International’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2008 and in 2015, and was awarded Fellow Member (FM) status by the International Economic Development Council. He was the second Canadian to receive this designation.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Audra Renyi

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

Gena Rotstein

Karma & Cents™ was founded by Gena Rotstein and Richard Ouellette. They each bring a unique perspective to the social enterprise philanthropy industry. Gena grew up in a family business and part of a larger enterprising family. She has over 20 years of philanthropy management experience with a Masters in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and as a certified Family Enterprise Advisor through the University of Alberta. She also has received certification from 2164 in Next Gen philanthropy, is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and part of Canada’s Pro-Bono Marketplace.

Sandra Wear

Sandra cut her tech-teeth with SaaS and has never looked back. She’s spent over 20 years taking new products to markets. Some of them won awards, others were acquired, all drew the attention of Fortune 500. Sandra loves to understand what companies need & tell the stories that help make technology come alive. She’s held roles in Marketing, CEO, GM, and BD. Sandra has a B.Sci. from UBC & Dipl. Marketing Management from BCIT. She’s featured in “Innovation Nation” about successful tech entrepreneurs and Canada 150 Women. She is a Fractional CMO that helps companies scale their marketing. Currently she is VP Marketing + Communications at Innovate BC.

Patty Francis

Patricia A. Francis was born and raised on the First Nation of Akwesasne in the district of Kawenoke. She Graduated from General Vanier Secondary School and attended Saint Lawrence College in the Business Administration field. Patricia and her husband Peter have three sons and several grandchildren. She brings much experience in administration and policy making through her tenure as a Federal Contracting Officer for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and her time spent in management positions over the last Twenty (20) years. Patty’s background and experience in dealing at the Federal, State and Provincial level as a Policy Analyst, and at the community level as Chair of a Community Trust; serves as a nice backdrop for her work currently as an independent consultant and part time Archive Coordinator, for the development of a Archival Complex on the Akwesasne Territory. Her community involvement brought her from the lacrosse box coaching her son’s minor lacrosse team to the board table of the Akwesasne Membership Board in the mid 1990’s. When Patty isn’t at work she is home enjoying her family and her grandchildren.

Marcia Nozick

In 2001, Marcia Nozick founded EMBERS (the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) as a community economic development charity with the mission to create economic opportunities for people – one person, one job, one day at a time. A long-time community advocate, Marcia’s leadership at EMBERS over the years has helped thousands of people facing work barriers lead productive lives by providing access to self-employment education, job placements, training and support. In 2008, Marcia broke new ground by launching EMBERS Staffing Solutions (ESS), an award-winning temporary staffing agency. Her goal was to create flexible, short-term work placements for people looking to re-enter the workforce. A social enterprise, ESS is self-sustaining and invests 100% of its profits back into the community through higher hourly wages, equipment, and training for workers. With Marcia’s leadership, ESS is able to have a tremendous social impact. An innovative leader, Marcia has been recognized nationally for her contributions to the fields of community economic development and social enterprise. Marcia has received numerous awards for her work with EMBERS including: the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award (2015); YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2016); Business In Vancouver’s Influential Women in Business Award (2017); Vancouver Board of Trade’s Wendy McDonald Diversity Award (2020); The Governor General’s Innovation Award (2020); the BC Achievement Foundation’s Community Award (2021); the BC CEO Award (2021); the Stevie Award for Women in Business (2021) and, most recently a Special Citation for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (2022). Marcia holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning, and wrote the influential Canadian book, No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities (1992), that David Suzuki praised as “a must read”.

Fred Morley (Assessment Committee Chair)

Fred is an economic growth specialist. He is Founder and Chief Economist of Rising Tide Economics, a consultancy dedicated to helping communities and leaders succeed through innovation. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Economist of the Greater Halifax Partnership and has held senior positions with Tourism Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Office of Regulatory Affairs, the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia Business Inc., Nova Scotia Economic Development, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, and was an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Saint Mary’s University. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and economics from Dalhousie University, and did graduate work in economics and economic development issues at both Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University. Fred was on the inaugural Governor General’s Innovation Awards Assessment Committee in 2016, a committee which he continues to chair. Fred was one of eight members of the Selection Board of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) which awarded $1.25 billion to 20 Canadian universities in 2015 and 2016. He was a council member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Ottawa, a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington DC and Chair of Business Retention and Expansion International. Fred was the first Canadian to receive Business Retention and Expansion International’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2008 and in 2015, and was awarded Fellow Member (FM) status by the International Economic Development Council. He was the second Canadian to receive this designation.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Patty Francis

Patricia A. Francis was born and raised on the First Nation of Akwesasne in the district of Kawenoke. She Graduated from General Vanier Secondary School and attended Saint Lawrence College in the Business Administration field. Patricia and her husband Peter have three sons and several grandchildren. She brings much experience in administration and policy making through her tenure as a Federal Contracting Officer for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and her time spent in management positions over the last Twenty (20) years. Patty’s background and experience in dealing at the Federal, State and Provincial level as a Policy Analyst, and at the community level as Chair of a Community Trust; serves as a nice backdrop for her work currently as an independent consultant and part time Archive Coordinator, for the development of a Archival Complex on the Akwesasne Territory. Her community involvement brought her from the lacrosse box coaching her son’s minor lacrosse team to the board table of the Akwesasne Membership Board in the mid 1990’s. When Patty isn’t at work she is home enjoying her family and her grandchildren.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Audra Renyi

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

Gena Rotstein

Karma & Cents™ was founded by Gena Rotstein and Richard Ouellette. They each bring a unique perspective to the social enterprise philanthropy industry. Gena grew up in a family business and part of a larger enterprising family. She has over 20 years of philanthropy management experience with a Masters in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and as a certified Family Enterprise Advisor through the University of Alberta. She also has received certification from 2164 in Next Gen philanthropy, is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and part of Canada’s Pro-Bono Marketplace.

Sandra Wear

Sandra cut her tech-teeth with SaaS and has never looked back. She’s spent over 20 years taking new products to markets. Some of them won awards, others were acquired, all drew the attention of Fortune 500. Sandra loves to understand what companies need & tell the stories that help make technology come alive. She’s held roles in Marketing, CEO, GM, and BD. Sandra has a B.Sci. from UBC & Dipl. Marketing Management from BCIT. She’s featured in “Innovation Nation” about successful tech entrepreneurs and Canada 150 Women. She is a Fractional CMO that helps companies scale their marketing. Currently she is VP Marketing + Communications at Innovate BC.

Fred Morley (Assessment Committee Chair)

Fred is an economic growth specialist. He is Founder and Chief Economist of Rising Tide Economics, a consultancy dedicated to helping communities and leaders succeed through innovation. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Economist of the Greater Halifax Partnership and has held senior positions with Tourism Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Office of Regulatory Affairs, the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia Business Inc., Nova Scotia Economic Development, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, and was an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Saint Mary’s University. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and economics from Dalhousie University, and did graduate work in economics and economic development issues at both Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University. Fred was on the inaugural Governor General’s Innovation Awards Assessment Committee in 2016, a committee which he continues to chair. Fred was one of eight members of the Selection Board of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) which awarded $1.25 billion to 20 Canadian universities in 2015 and 2016. He was a council member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Ottawa, a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington DC and Chair of Business Retention and Expansion International. Fred was the first Canadian to receive Business Retention and Expansion International’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2008 and in 2015, and was awarded Fellow Member (FM) status by the International Economic Development Council. He was the second Canadian to receive this designation.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Patty Francis

Patricia A. Francis was born and raised on the First Nation of Akwesasne in the district of Kawenoke. She Graduated from General Vanier Secondary School and attended Saint Lawrence College in the Business Administration field. Patricia and her husband Peter have three sons and several grandchildren. She brings much experience in administration and policy making through her tenure as a Federal Contracting Officer for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, and her time spent in management positions over the last Twenty (20) years. Patty’s background and experience in dealing at the Federal, State and Provincial level as a Policy Analyst, and at the community level as Chair of a Community Trust; serves as a nice backdrop for her work currently as an independent consultant and part time Archive Coordinator, for the development of a Archival Complex on the Akwesasne Territory. Her community involvement brought her from the lacrosse box coaching her son’s minor lacrosse team to the board table of the Akwesasne Membership Board in the mid 1990’s. When Patty isn’t at work she is home enjoying her family and her grandchildren.

Dr. Kamran Khan

Dr. Kamran Khan is an infectious disease physician and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and a Professor with the Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Motivated by his experiences as a frontline healthcare worker during the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak, Dr. Khan has been studying outbreaks over the past 15 years to lay the scientific foundation for a global early warning system for infectious diseases. To translate and disseminate scientific knowledge into timely action, Dr. Khan founded BlueDot, a digital health company that builds data-driven technologies to help governments protect their citizens, hospitals protect their staff and patients, and businesses protect their employees and customers from dangerous infectious diseases. His research during public health emergencies such as the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak and the 2016 Zika epidemic have led him into numerous advisory roles from the White House to the World Health Organization. Over the past year Dr. Khan received a number of accolades for his work transcending clinical medicine, public health, big data, and artificial intelligence, including the Governor General’s Innovation Award, the Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award, a Techvibes Canadian Innovation Award, and the University of Toronto’s President’s Impact Award.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Audra Renyi

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

Gena Rotstein

Karma & Cents™ was founded by Gena Rotstein and Richard Ouellette. They each bring a unique perspective to the social enterprise philanthropy industry. Gena grew up in a family business and part of a larger enterprising family. She has over 20 years of philanthropy management experience with a Masters in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and as a certified Family Enterprise Advisor through the University of Alberta. She also has received certification from 2164 in Next Gen philanthropy, is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and part of Canada’s Pro-Bono Marketplace.

Fred Morley (Assessment Committee Chair)

Fred is an economic growth specialist. He is Founder and Chief Economist of Rising Tide Economics, a consultancy dedicated to helping communities and leaders succeed through innovation. He was Executive Vice President and Chief Economist of the Greater Halifax Partnership and has held senior positions with Tourism Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Office of Regulatory Affairs, the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia Business Inc., Nova Scotia Economic Development, the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, and was an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Saint Mary’s University. He holds undergraduate degrees in chemistry and economics from Dalhousie University, and did graduate work in economics and economic development issues at both Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University. Fred was on the inaugural Governor General’s Innovation Awards Assessment Committee in 2016, a committee which he continues to chair. Fred was one of eight members of the Selection Board of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) which awarded $1.25 billion to 20 Canadian universities in 2015 and 2016. He was a council member of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Ottawa, a board member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in Washington DC and Chair of Business Retention and Expansion International. Fred was the first Canadian to receive Business Retention and Expansion International’s “Distinguished Service Award” in 2008 and in 2015, and was awarded Fellow Member (FM) status by the International Economic Development Council. He was the second Canadian to receive this designation.

David Brown

David Brown is a biotechnology entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for youth entrepreneurship in Canada’s biotechnology sector. Mr. Brown serves as the co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks and is the founder of Mycodev Group. In 2013, he and his team from the University of Alberta won MIT’s iGEM competition and Mr. Brown then went on to start the food-technology company Chinova Bioworks. Chinova is a leader in the development of natural antimicrobial ingredients for foods and beverages, and has become one of the largest and most innovative companies in this space. He has patented several innovations and won awards such as the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2017 and the University of Alberta Alumni Horizon Award in 2018.

Dr. Breanne Everett

Dr. Breanne Everett is the CEO and Co-Founder of Orpyx® Medical Technologies Inc. (“Orpyx”) and Kinetyx Sciences Inc. (“Kinetyx”), as well as a medical doctor and resident in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Calgary. Seeing the burden that diabetic foot complications pose on both patients and the healthcare system, and with the goal of addressing these issues, she founded Orpyx to create meaningful, life-changing impacts with medical-grade wearable technologies. Orpyx has developed a proprietary, pressure sensor platform designed to empower patients to optimize the medical care of certain conditions, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Beyond these immediate applications in diabetic foot monitoring and amputation prevention, the platform technology that Orpyx has developed can be leveraged to multiple applications in pressure sore prevention, athletic performance optimization, and injury prevention. For her work at Orpyx, Dr. Everett was awarded the Governor General’s Innovation Award in 2016. She was named one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, and the University of Calgary’s Graduate of the Last Decade in 2014. She is a Loran National Scholar who serves as an active member of the Loran Alumni Community, and is a member of the Canadian Medical Association’s Joule Innovation Council, and the Governor General Innovation Award Selection Committee. Her pride and joy is her family, and when not working, she loves spending time with her husband, their two sons, and their extended families.

Dr. Kamran Khan

Dr. Kamran Khan is an infectious disease physician and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and a Professor with the Faculty of Medicine and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Motivated by his experiences as a frontline healthcare worker during the 2003 Toronto SARS outbreak, Dr. Khan has been studying outbreaks over the past 15 years to lay the scientific foundation for a global early warning system for infectious diseases. To translate and disseminate scientific knowledge into timely action, Dr. Khan founded BlueDot, a digital health company that builds data-driven technologies to help governments protect their citizens, hospitals protect their staff and patients, and businesses protect their employees and customers from dangerous infectious diseases. His research during public health emergencies such as the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak and the 2016 Zika epidemic have led him into numerous advisory roles from the White House to the World Health Organization. Over the past year Dr. Khan received a number of accolades for his work transcending clinical medicine, public health, big data, and artificial intelligence, including the Governor General’s Innovation Award, the Ernest C. Manning Innovation Award, a Techvibes Canadian Innovation Award, and the University of Toronto’s President’s Impact Award.

Dr. Robert Luke

Robert Luke, PhD, is CEO of eCampusOntario, which provides leadership and support to Ontario’s Indigenous Institutes, universities and colleges, promoting digital-by-design education, collaboration and innovation. eCampusOntario helps inform and shape Ontario’s postsecondary education system in consultation with stakeholders. Dr. Luke has over 25 years’ experience in the Canadian and Ontario college and university systems, including teaching, carrying out research, and developing academic programs, as well as innovation and business incubation initiatives. Prior to his role at eCampusOntario, Dr. Luke spent 10 years in executive roles at OCAD University and George Brown College. His expertise is in human-centered knowledge media design, working at the intersections of education and information science to produce useful and useable technology to support education, health and innovation systems. He has extensive experience in the evaluation of national research and innovation systems. He served on the Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of The State of Science and Technology and the State of Industrial Research & Development in Canada, 2016-18, and as Expert Panelist, Council of Canadian Academies Expert Panel Review of Science and Technology in Canada, 2011-2012. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian education and innovation.

Audra Renyi

Audra Renyi is the executive director of the non-profit World Wide Hearing and the founder of earAccess, a for-profit social enterprise. She has worked as an investment banker on Wall Street dealing with private equity firms. Ms. Renyi has also worked with Doctors Without Borders, in Chad; in Rwanda she served as the CFO of the One Acre Fund; in Kenya she worked as a business consultant in microfinance and as director of development at Canada World Youth in Montreal. Ms. Renyi holds bachelor’s degrees in economics (Wharton School) and international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. She is a winner of the 2020 CANIE Woman Entrepreneur Award, 2017 Governor General’s Innovation Award, was named a Heroine of Health at the World Health Assembly, was chosen Wharton Top 40 under 40, recognized as the Young International Leader of Quebec by ARISTA, and designated a Rising Talent by the Women’s Forum in France.

Gena Rotstein

Karma & Cents™ was founded by Gena Rotstein and Richard Ouellette. They each bring a unique perspective to the social enterprise philanthropy industry. Gena grew up in a family business and part of a larger enterprising family. She has over 20 years of philanthropy management experience with a Masters in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and as a certified Family Enterprise Advisor through the University of Alberta. She also has received certification from 2164 in Next Gen philanthropy, is a member of the Purposeful Planning Institute and part of Canada’s Pro-Bono Marketplace.