CITM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Innovation Advisor, Venture Growth
Andrea Guest has worked in entrepreneurship and social business for over a decade. She has been with the Innovation Factory since 2021 where she takes great pride in supporting start-ups through validation and growth as an Innovation Advisor. Prior to joining Innovation Factory, Andrea co-founded a tele-vet business (Milele) in Tanzania, where she also previously worked with women's health initiatives through Anza's Social Business Accelerator. Additionally, Andrea has spent time working for the UN focusing on South-South Cooperation. Andrea holds an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a postgraduate degree from Humber College. She is also a certified Scrum Master and holds a certificate in Product Management. Andrea is enthusiastic about the growing Femtech industry in Canada, leading the operationalization of Femtech Canada with the Innovation Factory's support. She enjoys connecting with women's health advocates, Femtech entrepreneurs, and leaders with big dreams.
Brent Downey brings over five years of experience in project and program management across the startup, government, and private sectors and is also an established business owner working inside the agri-technology industry in Canada and The United States. Brent has obtained his Masters' of Global Business from the University of Victoria (Canada), a Master of Science of Business from Montpellier Business School (France) and is a certified Circular Supply Chain Learner from SKKU (South Korea) bringing with him a globalized network and cross cultural perspective to his work inside Innovation Factory.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Bruce is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and is currently consulting technology companies on commercialization and successful go-to-market activities such as business strategy, investor relations, product management, and more. He previously worked as Senior Director, Business Marketing at BlackBerry. He has over 25 years of business management expertise in software and hardware companies specializing in the mobility, healthcare, and transportation industries.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
David W. Wright, ICD.D, is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory. He provides capital markets, corporate finance, and transaction advisory and valuation services through Cassio Capital Advisors Inc. David has spent his career supporting technology-enhanced high-growth companies as an equity research analyst, investment banker, and corporate advisor. David has analyzed thousands of public and private technology companies, including conducting due diligence of private China-based corporations. As the Executive Director of Equation Angels / Angel One Network, a local angel group, David assisted with deal flow curation and supported the members with industry education and due diligence.
Job Titles:
- Innovation Advisor, Venture Growth
Evan MacDonald has been working in the startup industry since 2017, starting in Vancouver, BC. She has experience working in the biotech and medtech spaces, supporting entrepreneurs of all stages. Evan found her way to the Innovation Factory in 2022, in her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. Evan studied fine art and graphic design at Mohawk College and George Brown before entering the workforce. Evan still enjoys using her artistic skills in her small business "Trash Queen Boots," where she paints cowboy boots and other second-hand goods. You will find her at art markets in Hamilton and Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Gordon Wehner is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory who brings extensive experience in guiding innovative medical organizations toward the implementation of effective quality management systems and navigating international medical device regulatory requirements. With Nearly 35 years of experience in Quality Management and Regulatory Affairs, Gordon continually demonstrates cross-disciplined talents in problem-solving for complex issues in both mature and start-up organizations in the medical device industry.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Ian is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and a technology professional with over 25 years of experience in creating, managing, and supporting IT and software solutions. He is an accomplished People Manager with a proven track record of building highly-effective teams that are motivated to execute and deliver with excellence. Ian has an immense passion for the magic of software and its ability to translate imaginative ideas into solutions that help people be more productive.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Inge has 40 years of experience in the field of creative communications. She made her mark as Creative Director at international PR firm, Hill & Knowlton and subsequently launched her own consulting/coaching business. For 25 years, she worked with clients such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, AstraZeneca, and CIBC, helping their teams to apply creativity to communications challenges. This includes teaching them to pitch their solutions to decision-makers in a clear, concise, and compelling way. In addition to working with Innovation Factory as an Expert Advisor, Inge is also Communications Coach for The Forge at McMaster.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
John is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory. Prior to establishing Plutus Consulting Group (www.plutuscg.com), John spent over 25 years as a senior executive and CEO in the multinational Food and CPG industries. He successfully launched many recognized new products on three continents, achieving their branding and sales goals. He now guides businesses in the monetization of product innovation, business strategy, change management, organizational effectiveness, brand/product positioning, and retail customer development.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Julie Ellis is a notable executive and business coach. She provides her unique experience and expertise, gained through 25 years of working first in the corporate world, and then as a leading Canadian entrepreneur. She is a co-founder of award-winning Mabel's Labels, one of Canada's greatest small business success stories. As a professionally certified coach with the International Coaching Federation (2020), Julie works directly with bold leaders propelling them to unlock their capacity, leading to accelerated success. She is also Chair of the Board at Angel One Investment Network, one of the most active angel investor groups in Canada. A sought-after speaker and trainer, Julie has developed keynotes and workshops for private companies, corporations and associations, with titles such as "Ignite, Scale and Exit", "Success Secrets of Wonder Women!" and "Why We All Need to Think Big!".
Job Titles:
- Innovation Advisor, Venture Growth
Katherine Noble joined Innovation Factory's Venture Growth team in 2023 after recently working at the City of Hamilton as a Business Development Officer in the Hamilton Business Centre (HBC). Katherine has also been a business owner herself, operating a multi-award winning flower shop for several years which she sold in 2021. Past corporate experience as a project manager in both the pharmaceutical advertising and medical education industries rounds out more than 20 years of her professional experience. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemical Pharmacology, Minor in Marketing degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Soon after graduating, she completed the Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education (CCPE) accreditation course. Katherine is also a certified Professional Floral Designer. In her down time, she continues to enjoy designing florals for family and friends. Katherine loves traveling with her family, gardening, a good cup of coffee and walking her rescue dog Booker.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Mark Elliott is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and is the founder of VA Partners. The VA Partners team provides part-time sales and marketing services. With the Innovation Factory Mark leads a Sales Bootcamp, co-champions the Sales and Marketing P2P, supports the IDEA Fund, and is an expert Advisor. Mark is active in the start-up sales community as champion of the Communitech Sales Leaders P2P, teaches at U of T, and works with other RICs including Acceleration +, Altitude Accelerator, Haltech, and Innovation Niagara.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Mark is a fractional CMO, strategic advisor, and entrepreneurship coach for B2B SaaS companies. He provides innovators with strategic guidance to establish marketing foundations underpinned by clear customer stories, go-to-market plans, and tactical oversight. Before starting Marketing Spark in 2008, he co-founded a startup, worked for startups, and was an award-winning technology journalist.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Megan Coombes is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry leading teams and projects at both multinational and local start-up companies. Megan has a robust understanding of global markets, evolving healthcare policies, and health technology assessment practices. Megan's career journey has been marked by a series of achievements in roles that have allowed her to develop a wide range of skills. Her experience includes cross-functional team leadership, strategic planning, clinical research, project management, and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on health technology assessment and reimbursement.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Michael is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory with over 20 years of experience leading business performance optimization within the manufacturing sector utilizing a process-driven, continuous improvement approach. Over that time, he developed an expertise in not only understanding fundamental process improvement but also the critical interplay between the tools that govern those processes and the people who execute them. Now, as a consultant, Michael leverages his background in ISO, AS9100 and other quality management systems to assist organizations in operationalizing strategic initiatives toward scalability and sustainability. At his core, Michael is a People Manager with a proven track record of creating alignment across diverse stakeholders employing a needs-based approach with strong change management techniques.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Oren is an Expert Advisor for Innovation Factory with over 20 years of experience leading large cross-functional teams where he brings a structured and analytics-driven approach to complex business problems. He is passionate about win-win strategic partnerships that drive growth, innovation, and long-term value, and his relentless spirit has seen him through several startup leadership positions, as well as 2 exits. With a special focus on marrying innovative technologies with strategic multi-national partners, Oren has successfully delivered various partnership models with Tier 1 brands such as Cathay Pacific, Google, UBER, LG, TELUS, and more.
Job Titles:
- Director, Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility
Richard brings 30 years of software and communications experience, with key roles at Microsoft and Rogers. With extensive experience in sales, product launches and management, and strategic development, Richard offers unique expertise in his current role as the Director of the Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility. Educated at the University of Waterloo, he holds a Bachelor's in Systems Design Engineering and a Private Company Director's Certificate, preparing him for board roles in scaling companies. Richard also contributes to strategic boards for start-ups, illustrating his dedication to tech sector growth.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Rick is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and specializes in the areas of Sales Productivity and CRM. He has been involved with the technology industry since 1991 as a Company Founder, Senior Executive, Board Member, Educator, Consultant, and Professional Speaker. He currently leads a Sales and CRM Consultancy Practice, speaks at industry events, and writes for the Microsoft Dynamics Community Website.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Sanjay is an Innovation Factory Expert Advisor who has a wealth of experience in different industries. He has offered financial stewardship in building and managing entrepreneurial companies and has provided SaaS and software/data-related services to their global clients. Sanjay has developed and implemented business-specific financial tools, accounting and finance structures, policies, processes, and procedures as the startup companies were going through hypergrowth. Sanjay has vast experience in many other industries in addition to technology and has been a trusted advisor to the senior leadership teams.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Innovation Advisor, Venture Growth
Shannon is an equal part advisor, connector, and program manager, supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Innovation Factory since 2017. Over that time, Shannon has advised and supported hundreds of companies across diverse sectors in their journeys to grow and scale. She can also frequently be found supporting IF in the community by delivering "perfecting your pitch" workshops, among others. Shannon holds a double degree in French and Political Science from Wilfrid Laurier University. In her spare time, Shannon spends her time competing as an internationally ranked Powerlifter, bikepacking around Ontario, and spoiling her rescue dog from St Lucia, Dean. She also loves supporting her local restaurants (Relay Coffee and Cowabunga pizza are among a few of her favourites) and volunteering to make the city a better place.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Stephanie McLarty is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and award-winning entrepreneur and champion of sustainable business. Stephanie founded REfficient in 2010 which provided a reuse and recycling marketplace and services in the Telecom sector. Under Stephanie's leadership, REfficient became Hamilton's first Certified B Corp and grew to have customers in 14 countries. The company was acquired by Canada's largest electronics recycler, Quantum Lifecycle Partners, in January 2022. Stephanie is now Head of Sustainability at Quantum, where she is in charge of building and executing a sustainability strategy across the company's 10 locations and 500+ employees. Her work has already resulted in awards for the company in ESG leadership.
Job Titles:
- Expert Advisor, Venture Growth
Tom is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory who has been working in the technology industry for over 35 years. He advises tech companies of all sizes in Business Strategy, Sales Execution, and Routes to Market Structure. He has successfully taken his clients through significant growth stages. Prior to establishing his practice, Tom spent 30 years as a senior executive at IBM, leading teams in their software and services division. He brings a unique combination of large company experience and entrepreneurial knowledge to the organization.