Meet the Invest Ottawa team

We're working hard to help you find success in Ottawa.

Abby Donald
Client Experience Coordinator

Venture Development

Adam Dewar
Director, Americas and Communications Technologies

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Amanda Speroni
Marketing Strategist, Venture Development

Marketing & Communications

Anouchka Kusaki
FDI Project Specialist, Investor Support

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Attianna Palmer
Client Experience Coordinator

Venture Development

Audrey Willsey
Business and Administrative Specialist, Board Secretary
Bereket Kefyalew
Client Experience Coordinator

Venture Development

Breanna Berthiaume
Program Coordinator, Finance and Corporate Services

Corporate Services

Caroline Croft
Program Manager

Finance and Corporate Services

Chelsea Pengelly
Manager, Market Insights

Marketing & Communications

Crystal Schuder
Manager, Finance and Accounting Operations

Finance and Corporate Services

David Rodas Wright
Senior Sector Strategist, Software

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Divyanshu Kamboj
Strategic Technology and Testing Director, Area X.O

Area X.O

Ella Wiggins
Bayview Experience Associate

Bayview Yards

Emily Harper
HR Coordinator

Talent

Emily McKay
Bayview Events Coordinator

Bayview Yards

Emma Myers
Community Administrator

Venture Development

Erin Seegmiller
Senior Manager, Early Stage Programs

Venture Development

Gray Brohm
Digital Marketing Specialist

Marketing & Communications

Hendrik Kohler
Building Manager

Bayview Yards

Hossain Samei
Simulation Engineer

Area X.O

Igor Stipanac
Entrepreneurship Education Services Coordinator
Inzamul Rakib
Marketing & Communications Strategist, Global Expansion

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Jennifer Prevost
Marketing and Communications Strategist

Bayview Yards

Jens-Michael Schaal
Vice President, Global Expansion

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Joanne Gardner
Director, Strategic Initiatives

Strategic Initiatives

Jonathan Ruano
Business Analyst

Marketing & Communications

Juhi Pinto
Business Operations Assistant

Area X.O

Julia Stewart
Director, Finance
Kara Eusebio
Director, Bayview Yards Growth and Success

Marketing & Communications

Kelley Crowe
Partnerships Strategist

Marketing & Communications

Kelsey Burns
Graphic Designer

Marketing & Communications

Kevin Anthony
Audio-Visual Producer

Bayview Yards

Khaled Mostafa
Senior Manager, IT and Security

Finance and Corporate Services

Kirsten Sardelis
Senior Market Development Manager, Americas & Germany

Global Expansion

[email protected]

Lindsay Kavanagh
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing

Marketing & Communications

Lisa Hewton
Senior Manager, Placemaking and Bayview Experience

Bayview Yards

Lotte Wannet
Senior Director, Corporate Performance Management, IT & Systems

Corporate Services

Madison Fisher
IP Program Manager

Venture Development

Marie Ainsworth
Senior Manager, Programs

Corporate Services

Marissa DiNardo
Manager, Community Engagement

Venture Development

Megan Maltby
Senior Manager, Accelerator Programs & Investor Relations

Venture Development

Melissa McMahon
Client Experience Coordinator

Venture Development

Michael Mahon
Director, Venture Services

Venture Development

Michelle Younes
Director, Venture Programs

Venture Development

Mila Belokurova
Manager, Finance and Program Funding

Finance and Corporate Services

Muzzammil Ahmed Siddiqui
IT Support Analyst

Finance and Corporate Services

Nick Quain
Vice President, Venture Development

Venture Development

As Vice President of Venture Development at Invest Ottawa, Nick leads all programming and support for start-ups, early stage and growth companies alike, while supporting Ottawa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem as a whole. Under Nick’s leadership, Invest Ottawa launched the IO Accelerator in 2018. Previously at CellWand, Nick was co-founder and CEO, where he drove all development, strategy and execution, while pioneering the use of abbreviated dialing codes in North America with the award winning #TAXI (Pound Taxi) service and subsequently in the mobile transportation space, with The Ride app. Highlights of Nick’s accomplishments include raising several million in capital, closing industry first deals with every major wireless carrier in North America and architecting a marketing strategy that has created #TAXI as a national brand used over 16 million times, while propelling CellWand to millions in revenue and profitability.

CellWand won numerous business and innovation awards, including the 2010 Canada’s Top 10 Competition for Technology, Named one of the Hottest Innovation Companies in Canada, and one of the top 10 Wireless Companies to watch by IDC. Nick is currently a CEO in Residence and Executive Mentor at Telfer School of Management and has also served as a guest lecturer, business pitch judge and panel member at various business and entrepreneurial conferences and events. Nick graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Marketing at the University of Ottawa in 1993. In 2009, Nick received the Young Achievers Alumni Award from the Telfer School of Management. In 2003, he was named to the Ottawa Business Journal’s Top Forty Under 40 and was a judge for the same award for ten years.

Nishima Malviya
Social Media Specialist

Marketing & Communications

Parisa Zare
Venture Strategist

Venture Development

Patricia Ip
Manager, ScaleUp Program

Venture Development

Patrick Kenny
Senior Director, Marketing and Communications

Marketing & Communications

Paula Hopkins
Director, Entrepreneurship

Venture Development

Rachael Patraw
Business Operations Manager

Area X.O

Randy Gaudreau
Team Lead, Corporate Communications and Mainstreet Marketing
Rebecca Thompson
Senior Manager, Operations

Area X.O

Sara Perron
Entrepreneurship Programs Lead

Venture Development

Sonya Shorey
Interim President and CEO

Marketing & Communications

Sonya Shorey, Vice President of Marketing and Communications with Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards, is a communications executive and management consultant with more than 19 years of leadership experience with private and public technology and innovation-based organizations. She specializes in corporate and communications strategy development and execution that achieves results. For example, since 2005, Sonya has led, strategized, authored and/or made a significant contribution to successful funding proposals valued at more than $123 million from municipal, provincial, federal and international governments. These complex, multi-year projects often engage multiple stakeholders from industry, academia and non-profit organizations; leverage additional matching in-kind or cash contributions from the private sector; and enable funding recipients to increase their impact on stakeholders served.

Sonya launched her career as the Manager of Communications and Member of the Vice-Presidential Cabinet with the 10G Organization of Optical Networks for Nortel from 1999 to 2002, and then served as the Director of Marketing Communications for CMC Microsystems until 2007. Building on a decade of experience, Sonya launched her own strategy company in 2008, addressing the needs of S&T organizations, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development agencies across Canada, and their partners around the world. She volunteers her time as a mentor for MindTrust and TiE Ottawa; as a leader for the Ottawa Women Build initiative of Habitat for Humanity; and as a steering committee member for flagship technology and entrepreneurship conferences such as Impact AI and TiECon Canada. Sonya holds a Bachelor of Arts, Combined Honours in English and Political Science from Carleton University, and has received nine international awards for her work in communications.

Tyler Morton
Investment Analyst

Venture Development

Yoko Cooper
Director, Human Resources, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Culture

Human Resources