Our Leadership
Our leadership is accountable to our membership and our partners, and are responsible for the governance and management of the Calgary Innovation Coalition. They represent a broad cross-section of Calgary’s innovation ecosystem, and our board of directors include innovation entrepreneurs, technology founders, and educators.
The Calgary Innovation Coalition and our members have the experience and expertise to help you build the future.
Meet our Team
Meet our directors
Advisory Board:
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
Technology Development Advisor
Committee Members:
DIRECTOR
Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and Engagement
Advisory Board:
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
Technology Development Advisor
Committee Members:
Meet our Te
Meet our Directors
DIRECTOR
Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and Engagement
Meet our Team
Michelle Wagner
Regional Innovation Network (RIN) Director
Michelle Wagner (she/her) is an accomplished leader with deep expertise in program development, organizational change, and stakeholder engagement.
With experience spanning the non-profit, public health, and corporate sectors, she has successfully designed, launched, and scaled programs that strengthen communities and drive organizational growth.
Her leadership includes senior roles with Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Blue Zones Project, where she advanced strategic initiatives, aligned partnerships, and spearheaded large-scale community engagement. Michelle is recognized for her ability to guide cross-functional teams, foster collaboration, and align diverse stakeholders around shared goals.
Outside of her work, Michelle loves running, volunteering, travelling, and is a trauma-informed yoga instructor.
Meet our Directors
DIRECTOR
Steering Committee Chair
Matt is a 2-time founder and leader in strategy, innovation, and organizational excellence at Arete Initiative. He has extensive experience working with organizations across sectors to move toward a sustainable future, including facilitating collaboration and innovation with unusual suspects. His work showcases cutting-edge approaches to mobilizing people and organizations to thrive in the 21st century.
Matt is a Venture Partner at AioT Health VC fund, a Research Director at the Canadian Incubator and Accelerator Network, a contributor to Creative Destruction Lab (Rockies) and part of the founding team of the Energy Futures Lab.
Matt holds a Doctor of Business Administration, MSc in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability and a BComm. He has published articles on innovation and sustainability and is a Faculty member at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and the Haskayne School of Business, teaching courses on business strategy, innovation, and sustainable development.
Jamie McInnis, M.ED, PMP
BOARD
Jamie received her Master’s in educational policy from the University of Alberta.
She is experienced in working with private, non-profit, Indigenous and government organizations to fund research and product development to address challenges identified by partners.
With over 17 years of experience in research portfolio management and securing over $74M in funding for research execution, Jamie is skilled in working closely with partners to change narratives. Her work facilitates industry and stakeholder relations, team formation, and change management and guides the development of impactful contributions.
With over 77,000 square feet of lab space and $55M of supporting infrastructure, Jamie is leading the ARIS scientific, technical and research administration teams in developing novel, impactful solutions that diversify our economy, train tomorrow’s technical experts and provide students unique experiences working side-by-side with partners.
These shared learning experiences focus on emerging technologies and applications in Clean Energy, Green Building Solutions, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing and Unmanned Heavy Lift Aerial Vehicles.
David Yiptong
BOARD, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Technology development, commercialization and community engagement have been at the heart of David’s recent work. He has worked with hundreds of technology startups and entrepreneurs, helping them build their businesses and connecting them with resources and support in the community. Their successes are what drives David’s passion for the sector in Calgary and Alberta.
David brings a wide range of experience having worked in startups, large corporations, and not-for-profits, in industries ranging from manufacturing, energy, and telecommunications. He continues to volunteer to coach students and entrepreneurs through various programs in Calgary.
Kevin Dahl
BOARD
Kevin has built his career around driving startup growth, fostering collaborative communities, and leading high-impact initiatives. From launching new ventures to guiding founders through complex growth stages, Kevin has worked hands-on to create environments where innovation thrives. His experience spans building ecosystem capacity, leading teams, and developing strategies that bring together entrepreneurs, industry, & policymakers to drive meaningful impact.
Over the last few years, Kevin has expanded his focus to include the critical role of intellectual property (IP) in driving innovation and economic growth. He works closely with founders, accelerators, and industry partners to help startups develop IP strategies that align with their business models and protect their competitive advantage, positioning them for scale.
As Director of ElevateIP Alberta, he is passionate about supporting IP-rich companies that can compete globally while retaining ownership of the ideas developed here in Canada. Whether it’s integrating IP into commercialization plans, educating founders on the value of IP, or connecting innovators to resources that protect and leverage their intangible assets, he believes IP is a cornerstone of sustainable innovation.
At his core, Kevin still considers himself a geek, endlessly curious about technology and its impact on society. Today, that curiosity drives him to explore how Canada can strengthen its innovation economy by owning what we create.
Melanie McDonald
DIRECTOR
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Josh Welz
BOARD
Josh is an engaged and connected community leader, focused on developing Okotoks in a purposeful and socially focused way. As an economic development professional for 10+ years and an entrepreneur for even longer, he is interested in all forms of business, people and where the two intersect. One of his current focuses in Okotoks is "OkoTech:" a bold new incubator fueling the next wave of tech innovation in Southern Alberta, helping accelerate early-stage startups with mentorship, community, and the resources they need to scale — right from the heart of Okotoks.
Josh is proud to call Okotoks home alongside his wife Ashlee and two beautiful children Sloan and Jude. Cooking, reading, video games and sports of all varieties are what fill his free time.
Mike Procee
BOARD
Mike Procee is an intrapreneur, entrepreneur, board member, energy industry professional, innovation & entrepreneurship educator, innovation Podcast host, Doctor of Business Administration Candidate with a focus on corporate innovation, and a founding member of the Calgary Innovation Peer Forum.
Mike strives to provide practical solutions to large organizations looking to leverage innovation as a way to achieve their long-term strategy, sharing his journey with those interested along the way and utilizing his knowledge to help others.
Constantly exploring how to take opportunities from ideation to execution inside large organizations.
Ursula Sherwood
BOARD
Ursula is a passionate supporter of entrepreneurs. She has over 30 years’ experience in small business entrepreneurship, having successfully owned and operated several small businesses. She is a certified business coach and has been working directly with entrepreneurs for the past 10+ years. Throughout her career, Ursula has worked in a variety of industries, including IT, oil and gas, health, and arts, within both the for profit and non-profit sectors.
In her current role as Executive Director of Community Futures Highwood, Ursula and her team work exclusively with rural entrepreneurs, assisting them across the entire business life cycle (from start up to exit) with coaching, programming, and loans. A current project that Ursula is very excited about is the OkoTech tech incubator developed in partnership with Economic Development of the Town of Okotoks, supporting tech entrepreneurs in the pre-revenue stage through mentorship and education.
In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors, going hiking, kayaking and camping.
BOARD
Karam-Ali (Ali) is the Vice President of Partnerships & Engagement at Platform Calgary. He leads the organization’s partnerships with corporate, ecosystem, and community partners, while driving value for Platform Calgary's expanding membership base.
Ali’s leadership stems from a diverse professional background; he began his career as a corporate lawyer before transitioning into the tech sector as a founding executive at a Calgary-based tech- startup. In that role, he was instrumental in steering operational, investment, and IP strategies while scaling the team to over 35 employees.
A seasoned business strategist, advisor, and dedicated community builder, Ali takes pride in the challenge of seeing the big picture and finding creative, novel ways to identify synergies and weave together new opportunities. He is passionate about fostering the kind of long-term relationships that turn vision into reality, allowing him to navigate complex, cross-functional initiatives that drive lasting results.
A born and raised Calgarian, Ali is deeply committed to the long-term success and prosperity of his home city. Beyond the office, he is a hardcore Calgary Flames fan who enjoys traveling and spending quality time with his wife and two young daughters.
Jennifer Jensen
DIRECTOR
Technology Development Advisor
Jen is a seasoned entrepreneur and innovation advocate with over 18 years of experience in business development, business coaching, and venture growth. She has successfully founded, operated, and sold two businesses, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges of scaling and commercializing new ventures. Her expertise spans business strategy, go-to-market execution, and fostering relationships across the innovation ecosystem.
Before joining Alberta Innovates, Jen played a pivotal role in Calgary’s startup community within the Calgary Regional Innovation Network, where she provided tailored guidance to startups and worked closely with key stakeholders to support innovation across the province.
A lifelong Albertan, Jen is passionate about seeing the province thrive and is committed to lifelong learning both for herself and in supporting others in achieving their goals and dreams. Now, as a TDA with Alberta Innovates, she is excited to work with entrepreneurs and startups by providing strategic guidance, connecting them to key resources, and helping them commercialize their technologies.
Advisory Board:
Stephan Zuberec
ADVISOR
Shane thrives in connecting, serving and celebrating entrepreneurs and community leaders. He spent two decades in the Kitchener-Waterloo innovation ecosystem before a startup acquisition brought him to Cochrane in 2019. He’s held various roles working in and with startups, scaleups, large companies and incubators and is currently the Program Manager of Cochrane’s Startup Incubator. He is a founding Board member of Innovate Cochrane and enjoys all sorts of outdoor adventures and sporting activities alongside his wife and 3 children.
Committee Members:
Pej Ghanipour
COMMUNITY INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
Pej brings over two decades of experience in technology commercialization, spanning from venture capital analysis to co-founding and successfully exiting a tech startup. Currently serving as a Technology Development Advisor (TDA) at Alberta Innovates, he mentors a portfolio of 140 startups in Calgary.
Previously, Pej managed intellectual property commercialization at Innovate Calgary and oversaw two startup accelerator programs. He also held leadership roles at Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) and the University of Lethbridge.
Pej holds a BSc (Hons.) in Physics and Astronomy and a MASc in Computer and Electrical Engineering from UBC.
Kim Caves
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Kim Caves is an Advisor with Alberta Innovates and has a rich history in the digital transformation journey from the beginning. Her most recent role was as an account executive selling enterprise cybersecurity software. Today she works with small and medium businesses helping with their business development strategies, particularly good sales practices.
Emmanuel Oluwatosin
GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
Emmanuel is a Certified Leanstack, Certified Startup Coach, and the founder of Startupcourt, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with black and new immigrants to conceptualize and establish new business ventures. He possesses a remarkable track record in effectively formulating real-time business and product strategies and translating them into impactful actions, ensuring operational excellence and achieving significant financial results.
Emmanuel holds the belief that many startups face failure due to entrepreneurs investing time and resources in building the wrong products or services. Consequently, he actively collaborates with individuals and businesses to implement Continuous Innovation principles and establish an effective innovation process. As a first-generation immigrant, Emmanuel is deeply passionate about technologies, startups, and creating opportunities for underserved demographics.
Michael Kerr
Director
Alberta Innovates
LinkedIn
Andrew Browne
Court Ellingson
Kari Gordon
Nima Najand, Ph.D
Director, Life Sciences Innovation Hub
Vanessa Gagnon
Brigitte Legault
BOARD CHAIR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES COMMITTEE
Haley Jabusch
Brenda Beckedorf
Zak Biggs
Jaret Hargreaves
Natoya Abiola, MBET
Simon Raby, Ph.D
Shane Pegg
Kate Klopovich, MBA
Bilal Rasool
Inês Bartilotti