Meet the visionary team behind Bioenterprise Canada

Lorelei Graham

Board Chair

Colin Farnum

Board Director and Innovation Advisor

Previously the Senior Director, Innovation and New Technologies at Maple Leaf Foods, Colin is a seasoned food science/business professional with 40+ years of food experience. Having worked in multiple food categories he has led teams of 5 to 20 Food Scientists responsible for product and process development, cost containment and cost reduction. Since his retirement he has continued his involvement through a combination of consulting, mentoring and Bioenterprise Board work.

James Meddings

Board Director

James Meddings was in the federal public service for 32 years, and most recently served as the Deputy Minister of FedDev Ontario for the past five years. Previously, he held increasingly senior roles with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Privy Council Office, Human Resources Development Canada, Environment Canada, the Canada School of Public Service and Western Economic Diversification. Prior to his retirement, Meddings was a board member with Communitech Corporation and served on the Toronto Region Board of Trade Recovery Framework Steering Cabinet, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Ontario’s Economic Future, the U.S-Canada Innovation Partnership and the federal government’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector table. He also represented Canada on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Regional Development Policy Committee for the last six years.

Richard Cloutier

Board Director and Innovation Advisor

Richard Cloutier brings nearly 40 years of expertise in the deployment of innovation, business start-ups and business development strategies, including managing partner of the Ecofuel Fund, a venture capital fund that invests in climate tech including agri-tech. He has also been President and CEO of the Centre québécois de valorisation des biotechnologies (CQVB), an organization dedicated to innovation and technology transfer in Quebec’s bio-industry sector, and was the founder, president and CEO of Gelkem, a private biopharmaceutical company involved in controlled drug delivery systems. Cloutier holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Sherbrooke University and an MBA from Laval University and is frequently consulted on innovation strategy development.

Joanne Fedeyko

Board Director

Joanne Fedeyko is the Founder & CEO at Connection Silicon Valley (CSV), an organization that helps accelerate Canadian startups from Seed to Scale, and the Founder of the Canadian Women’s Network (CWN). With over 800 members, CWN is the preeminent community that connects Canadian founders to an influential network of U.S. investors, mentors and executives to help them grow locally and scale globally. Fedeyko is the co-founder and general partner of Women’s Equity Lab Silicon Valley, an angel investment fund with the mission to increase the number of female investors in early-stage startups. She hails from Alberta and has lived in Silicon Valley since 1999.

Michael McGee

Board Director, Director of Innovation, and Investment Advisor

Michael has been investing risk capital in small and medium enterprise businesses since the early 90’s, most recently as a Partner with Avrio Capital, a Calgary based fund focused on Agriculture and Food.

Prior to joining Avrio in 2012, Michael spent eight years in senior investment positions at two Calgary based family offices, most notably, as Managing Director – Investments with Werklund Capital Corp. and as Executive Vice President – Investments with Cavendish Investing Ltd.

Michael also has extensive institutional experience in Mezzanine / Sub-debt financing stemming from his seven years with Bank of Montreal Capital Corporation, where he was recruited at its genesis in 1996 and where as Managing Director, he launched its Western Canadian office in 1997. Michael was also a Vice President & Director – Toronto Dominion Bank Capital where he was involved with the launch of their subordinated debt initiative.

Michael has extensive board experience with both private and public companies, as well as with the Venture Capital Association of Alberta. He remains a Director of Durum Properties Ltd., Chairman of the Finance Committee of St. Michael Catholic Community and Treasurer of the Valley Ridge Community Association.

Michael has a Master of Finance degree from Loyola University, Maryland and an undergraduate degree from Western University.

Scott Ross

Board Director

Scott Ross has been the Executive Director of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture since 2022. Prior to that Scott served as CFA’s Assistant Executive Director and Director of Farm Policy, where he covered a wide variety of agricultural issues. 

Scott has extensive experience in collaborating across the agri-food sector to achieve ambitious goals, most recently including co-founding the Agriculture Carbon Alliance, a coalition of 17 national farm associations advocating on behalf of farmers with regard to carbon pricing and environmental policies.

Dave Smardon

President & CEO

Since 2005, Dave Smardon has led the development of Bioenterprise Canada, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, the leading national accelerator focusing solely on food and agriculture technologies. Bioenterprise Canada delivers significant impact to Canada’s economy through Dave’s vision of supporting innovative, high-growth food and agriculture businesses through funding programs and mentorship that match their potential. Dave is advocating for a united agricultural ecosystem nationally, mirroring the collaboration and cross-regional knowledge-sharing that has made other top-performing countries global leaders in technology and commercialization.

His background in venture capital and corporate leadership includes Apple Computer Inc., and Texas Instruments, as well as angel investment and his own entrepreneurial pursuits. Dave is also an advisor for government, family offices, investment companies, and innovation centres nationally, where his leadership has influenced the progression of Canada’s agriculture industry; an industry which is at the forefront of global innovation and economic development. This balance of finance and corporate experience, coupled with public interest ensures a healthy relationship with government, private sector corporations, and multi-nationals. Dave’s leadership continues to educate the expanded agricultural ecosystem on the potential to adopt and expand emerging technologies in sustainability, digitization, and automation.

Dr. Rickey Yada

Scientific Advisor to the Board

Dr. Rickey Yada is Professor and Dean, Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Alberta. From 2014 to 2024, he was Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia. Prior to UBC, Dr. Yada was at the University of Guelph where he held numerous leadership roles, including Chair, Department of Food Science, Assistant Vice President Research, Canada Research Chair in Food Protein Structure, and Scientific Director of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (Networks of Centres of Excellence Canada).  

Dr. Yada is a co-editor of Trends in Food Science and Technology and serves on the editorial boards of several journals. Aside from Bioenterprise Canada, he is an advisor to other Boards of research and industry organizations, such as the Canadian Food Innovation Network and Saltagen Ventures Limited (Hong Kong). Other positions include External Advisory Committee Member at Arrell Food Institute; Member of the Scientific Advisory Panels at Riddet Institute (New Zealand), AgResearch (New Zealand); and External Advisory Committee, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, The University of Sydney (Australia). 

Dr. Yada is the Past President of the Deans Council of the Faculties of Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Medicine in Canada; Past President and Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the International Academy of the International Union of Food Science and Technology; as well as a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, and Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Yada has an honorary DSc from the University of Guelph.  

Nevin McDougall

Financial Advisor to the Board

Nevin is an accomplished business executive, entrepreneur, and investor with 30 years experience in industry-leading, innovative agri-business organizations.  He has led business operations for companies such as BASF in both North American and International markets with expertise in commercial operations, R&D, and executive management.  He has also been involved as an investor, entrepreneur, and coach to several small and medium sized companies in the agri-food sector.  He brings broad perspective and governance capability to the organization from past roles in industry associations, non-profit, public and private company boards.

Doug Knox

Innovation Advisor, Agri-Food Equipment and Technology

Doug is a senior executive with over 35 years experience establishing and managing international partnerships, technology licenses, acquisitions and strategic alliances. Doug has managed both large corporate product divisions and developed small technology-based businesses.

He was the senior analyst at Bioenterprise Corporation as VP Technology for over 14 years. Doug spent 11 years with Unisys Corp. in the program management group where he held worldwide responsibility for the Education Line of Business “Computers in the Classroom”.

Doug has been an advisor to a variety of technology companies including e-commerce, RF Wireless, RFID, 3-D graphics, internet software, underground radio, broadband on copper, internet training, precision laser manufacturing of electronics, cleantech and alternative energy, most recently with several sensor and precision agri-tech and food-tech companies.

Bethany Deshpande

Innovation Advisor, Dairy Industry Tech Development

Bethany is a seasoned Founder & CEO with a proven track record in entrepreneurship, innovation, and fundraising. She has raised over $20M in funding and has won more than $2M at pitch competitions. With 8 years of experience leading SomaDetect, a dairy technology startup, Bethany brings expertise in technology development and strategic planning. She holds an MSc and PhD in Biology from Université Laval and a Bilingual Honours BA in Mathematics and Environmental Studies from York University. Bethany also serves on the boards of the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network and Springboard Atlantic.

Erik Landry

Innovation Advisor, Precision Indoor Agriculture, CEA

Dr. Erik Landry is a Horticultural consultant specializing in precision indoor agriculture. He holds advanced degrees including a BSc in Horticulture, an MSc in Plant Physiology, and a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics. A certified project manager with experience combining the scientific method and continuous improvement principles to overcome roadblocks, he can rapidly iterate and ground truth ideas, as well as identify and mitigate risk through root cause analysis.

Dr. Landry consults on conducting scientifically rigorous research trials to optimize processes or field test new products and is a guiding resource for emerging indoor ag-tech start-ups.

Dr. Murray McLaughlin

Innovation Advisor, Bioeconomy (Agriculture & Forestry)

Innovation Advisor, Bioeconomy (Agriculture & Forestry)

Dr. Murray McLaughlin is President of McLaughlin Consultants and an Advisor to Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) and to Forest Products Innovation (FPI). Experiences over the years; Sustainable Chemistry Alliance; Deputy Minister Agriculture, Saskatchewan; President AgWest Biotech. Others area of experience includes Canadian Light Source as Business Director; Managed FORAGEN,a Venture Capital Fund; Research and Marketing with ELANCO. Participate on several boards and advisory committees and recognized with several achievements over his career.

He is a graduate of NS Agricultural College, McGill (BSc) and Cornell (MSC/PhD). He has an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Dalhousie University and received several awards; LSO Community Service Award; the GoldLeaf award from BioteCanada and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was recipient of the LSO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and recognized in the top 100 global leaders in the Advanced Bioeconomy at Biofuels Digest Conference in 2016.

Rodrigo Santana

Innovation Advisor, Agri-Food Business

Rodrigo has over 25 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience within the agtech, cleantech and food processing sectors, among others. He has supported the scaleup of public and private fast-growing technology driven organizations such as Dow AgroSciences, CubicFarms, Sacre-Davey Engineering, HTEC and SGS.

Rodrigo has deep knowledge and extensive network within the global food and agtech ecosystem, including food processing across most food sectors, controlled environment agriculture, precision farming and plant genomics.

Currently, Rodrigo is the CEO of BeriTech, an agtech startup developing a solution to produce off-season locally grown premium blueberries and raspberries in Canada. He is also the Director of Food & Agribusiness for GHD in Western Canada, a global engineering consultant organization, and an angel investor with focus on the agtech and cleantech sectors.

Rodrigo holds a Bachelor of Agriculture Engineering and an MBA.

Dr. Jody Dexter

Innovation Advisor, Technology Development & Intellectual Property

Jody is a highly motivated and performance-orientated professional who is driven by her passion for commercializing inventions and innovative ideas into practical applications for public use and benefit. Jody graduated with her PhD in Agriculture and Food Sciences from the University of Alberta and holds an MSc (Honors) from the University of Manitoba.

Since graduation, Jody has explored various career paths working in project management with Genome Canada, regulatory science with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and business development with Cangene Corporation. She currently works as a Technology Transfer Manager at the University of Manitoba and manages a large Intellectual Property and Research and Development portfolio focused on Health and Life Sciences, Med Tech, and Agriculture.

As a Business Consultant, Jody offers business advisory services for startup ventures in Agriculture and Food Sciences. She has over 3 years of experience consulting for the Manitoba Technology Accelerator Start-up-Visa program and has mentored over 45 companies looking to bring new products to the Canadian market. Jody’s background and areas of expertise lie in sustainable farming practices and genetically modified crops, vertical farming, SaaS, early-stage technology valuation, Intellectual Property, in and out-licensing, research and development, regulatory, market analysis, and strategic thinking.

Frank Leffelaar

Innovation Advisor, Agritech & Foodtech, Go-to-Market, Investment, Sustainability

Frank has been active in the Agrifood ecosystem and angel network as a mentor, advisor, and angel investor for over 10 years. He works closely with a wide range of innovative, early-stage companies across Canada. Frank advises founders on their business model and go-to-market strategy and helps them become investment-ready.

While Frank has experience with various industry sectors, his primary focus is on Agritech, Foodtech and Cleantech, bringing his broad expertise in technology and deep interest in agriculture, food & beverage. He is passionate about supporting innovation in soil, plant, animal and human health and the digital transformation of the agrifood value chain.

Frank has over 30 years of experience in marketing and product management with global software and manufacturing companies in Europe and Canada. He is also an entrepreneur and the founder of Crush Marketing Inc.

Martha Castillo

Innovation Advisor, Food Safety, Regulatory and Compliance Systems

Martha is a food safety, regulatory, and training specialist with over 20 years of experience strengthening compliance systems and workforce capability across North and Latin America. She delivers practical, behaviour-based education in HACCP, PCP, GMPs, QMS, supplier evaluation programs, and food processing, training both industry teams and future professionals at leading Canadian colleges.

Her expertise includes interpreting and applying international standards under Codex Alimentarius, ISO and GFSI aligning programs with global frameworks that influence the agri-food sector through institutions such as FAO, WHO, WTO SPS, and international certification bodies.

Martha supports companies in building robust HACCP and PCP systems, validating operations, meeting certification requirements such as BRCGS, SQF, FSEP, and ISO 22000, and preparing products for Canadian and export markets.

She also guides teams in understanding the growing role of AI across the supply chain from primary production to processing, distribution, and retail, helping organizations use digital tools to improve traceability, risk detection, quality monitoring, and decision-making. As a bilingual educator in English and Spanish, she provides accessible training for diverse agri-food teams, immigrant entrepreneurs, and early-stage processors seeking to scale safely and competitively.

John Free

Innovation Advisor, Agri-Food AI and Enterprise Solutions

With over 35 years of experience as a hands-on technologist, John has successfully tackled development challenges across various contexts, enjoying project roles that include software architect, senior developer, management consultant, technical lead, director, and CTO. 

In the late 1990s, John served as VP of Global Risk Management Technology for Deutsche Bank in New York. For many years thereafter, he ran his own consultancy, providing technology services to investment banks in Europe and North America. On the vendor side, John has led development projects for Algorithmics, Scrittura, Sungard, GFT, Calypso, Infinity Financial, and NumeriX. For Publicis, the world’s largest digital agency, John designed and developed the firm’s hybrid cognitive/machine learning Artificial Intelligence platform and technical go-forward AI strategy.

John’s academic journey began with a four-year study of 20^th-century music composition at the University of Waterloo, followed by several years working in the commercial music business. Then he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Toronto, graduating with distinction. Today, John provides CTO advisory services to an international client base.

Steve Slater

Innovation Advisor, Agricultural Biotechnology

Steve Slater has over 30 years of experience in Ag Biotech. After completing postdoctoral work at Harvard University, he spent ten years with Monsanto company as a senior scientist focused on metabolic engineering of agricultural crops. He led teams focused on bacterial genomics and production of monoclonal antibodies and was appointed a Senior Monsanto Fellow. He spent the next ten years in Academia, First at Arizona State University and then at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2014, he has focused on biotech startups in CSC and PDG roles, and as has been an independent advisor to many companies in the industry.

Mike Manion

Innovation Advisor, Agri-Business

Mike has an extensive background in senior executive positions for a number of Canada’s largest corporate farming operations and as an owner operator. He has been directly involved in or responsible for mushroom farming operations in 6 of Canada’s 10 provinces.

Mike Manion has held senior leadership roles within Campbell Soup Co Ltd, Conagra, who at various times were among the largest mushroom growers in North America Moneys Mushrooms, and finally as a Senior Vice President helped Rolland Farms,” a family farm” to achieve National status and to be one of the largest corporate farming operations in Canada with sales in excess of $100 million, production of 1,000,000 lbs a week of mushrooms and over a 1000 employees.

Currently, Mike is CEO of Agrisco Supplies Inc an Agricultural Consulting Company. Within this consultancy Mike is an Executive in Residence with Foresight Cleantech Accelerator and occupies agriculture-focused advisory roles with organizations including the Pitt Meadows Agriculture Advisory, Metro Vancouver Agriculture Committee (current chair) and past Ministers Agricultural Advisory Council.

Mike currently is also a director of the Investment Agricultural Foundation of BC.

Dr. Love-Ese Chile

Innovation Advisor, Biomaterials, Biowaste Recovery, and Circular Product Development

Dr. Love-Ese Chile is an accomplished researcher and consultant specializing in biomaterials, biowaste recovery, and circular product development. As the founder of Regenerative Waste Labs, a research consulting firm, she collaborated with diverse consumer product and packaging businesses to assess environmental impacts, optimize formulations, and align with sustainability regulations. Her work enabled companies to make informed decisions and deliver market-ready, sustainable products. Currently, Love-Ese leads the BC Agricultural Climate Action Network, managing a multi-institutional initiative designed to enhance the climate resilience of British Columbia’s agricultural sector.

With a PhD and extensive experience in renewable materials, systems, and product design, Dr. Chile excels at bridging the gap between research and commercialization. She brings a creative, solutions-focused mindset to every challenge, empowering emerging leaders to thrive in a field where resilience and iterative problem-solving are essential.

Mike Williams

Innovation Advisor, CPG Products and Specialty Pet Food

Mike Williams has enjoyed a varied and successful career in the CPG industry, and today has over 35 years of experience selling human food and pet food products. Mike has played a key role in developing brands for a variety of CPG companies including General Mills, JM Schneider’s, Merisant Sun Rype products, Meow Mix Company, US Pet Nutrition and Trouw Nutrition. Mike has also worked as Senior Business Development Manager at Oilseed Innovation Partners (OIP) since 2006, where he is responsible for developing and coordinating business and commercialization activities on behalf of the organization’s clients and their products and services.

Mike’s sector-specific knowledge spans multiple product categories including natural/organic, grocery, mass, drug, and pet specialty foods. Many of Mike’s roles have included consumer marketing, customer-facing sales and business development. He has also gained extensive experience throughout his career working with brokers, distributors, and direct sales forces. Mike has provided tailored coaching support to businesses at all developmental stages and has been instrumental in helping start-ups, SMEs, as well as global companies and brands achieve their goals.

Martin Yuill

Innovation Advisor, Technology & Research Commercialization, Pitching, Sales, New Business Development

Martin Yuill is an accomplished entrepreneur, corporate executive, business mentor, and research commercialization and innovation advisor with specific expertise launching and growing companies, building high-performance sales and operations teams, operationalizing strategy, and driving revenues and growth.

Having cut his teeth in the veterinary pharmaceutical, animal health, natural human health, food services, industrial products, business consulting, and timber sectors, more recently Martin has built programming and infrastructure to support go-to-market strategies, the commercialization of new innovation, and access to funding for ventures in the IT, life sciences, animal health, food, agtech, and cleantech sectors.

For the past five years Martin has led the development of Cleantech Commons: an 85-acre research and innovation park and internationally-recognized “area of innovation” which is being developed as a hub that brings together cleantech companies with university faculty, researchers, students, and investors to develop and commercialize cutting-edge clean, green, sustainable, and low-carbon technologies that address global energy, environment, and climate challenges.

Martin holds an MBA degree from the University of South Africa. He is an I-Corps™ (USA)-accredited program instructor and venture mentor.

Henrique Dias

Innovation Advisor, Product Positioning, Go-To-Market Strategy

Henrique is a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur currently running his 3rd startup. After just 3 years in the market, BudTrainer is available at over 200 retailers across North America, Australia, NZ, and Europe. He has also consulted and coached over 100 startups and businesses in various industries over the last 8 years, helping them generate millions of dollars. As a startup mentor, Henrique helps entrepreneurs understand their market and competition, and take their products to market through various sales and marketing strategies. His expertise includes Market Research, Competitor Analysis,  Product Marketing, and B2B Sales Process.

Sherin Jose

Innovation Advisor, Ag & Clean Technology

Dr. Sherin Jose is a highly experienced professional with over 15 years of experience in Ag Biotech, holding an MSc in Biotechnology and a PhD in Plant Biology, complemented by postdoctoral research at Dalhousie University. Her broad expertise includes bio-stimulant and bioproduct development, controlled plant trials and bioassays, clean-tech innovations, and advanced genomics and metagenomics studies.

Dr. Jose has successfully guided numerous initiatives from conceptualization to practical applications in the life sciences and clean-tech sectors. She is committed to leveraging her interdisciplinary expertise to drive transformative advancements in agricultural science and technology.

Dave Shambrock

Innovation Advisor, Food & Beverage Development and Manufacturing

Dave Shambrock has extensive experience in food and beverage R&D and technology. He has worked with over a hundred companies involved with food processing, ingredient manufacturing, functional foods, and bioactive compound fractionation and processing. Dave gained this experience working as an Industrial Technology Advisor for the National Research Council and as the Director for one of Canada’s food technology centres.

Dave is a consultant to industry and government clients. Areas of specialization include new product development, scale-up, business decision models, strategic planning, business plan development and feasibility studies. Consulting activities focus on clients in the agri-food and life sciences sectors with a particular emphasis on new business launches and expansions. 

Dave holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Food Science and an MBA.

Evan Hall

Innovation Advisor, Fundraising, Go-to-Market Strategy, International Expansion, Business Development & Sales

Evan William Hall is a father, partner, avid outdoorsman, and seasoned founder with a proven track record in innovation and entrepreneurship. Raised in a family of entrepreneurs, Evan brings both personal and professional credibility to the ventures he builds and supports.

As founder and CEO of Wittaya Aqua, he has led the company for 8 years—growing it from a two-person startup into a 25-person international team with offices in Canada and Singapore. Wittaya became a global leader in aquaculture data analytics and is now expanding into poultry and swine. The company has served clients in over a dozen countries across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

Under Evan’s leadership, Wittaya has been nominated for five global awards in aquaculture innovation and won the Global Aquaculture Challenge in 2021, selected from a field of 180 companies worldwide.

He turned an initial $20,000 investment from his family into $1.5M+ in non-dilutive funding, a $4M international VC round (featured in TechCrunch), and more than $5M in global sales. He brings extensive international business experience—not just across the EU and Americas, but also in Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Evan holds both a BScH in Environmental Science and an MBA from Queen’s University. He is fluent in French, speaks conversational Spanish, and is passionate about coaching mission-driven founders, teams, and companies working at the intersection of sustainability, science, and business.

Jeffrey Cutler

Innovation Advisor, Research Commercialization & Strategic Partnerships

Jeffrey Cutler is the President of Sylter Science Inc. and serves as an Executive in Residence at Foresight Canada – Cleantech Innovation & Adoption Accelerator. He is a dynamic scientific leader with more than 30 years of experience applying leading-edge analytical techniques and methodologies to a broad range of industrial and academic challenges spanning health, agriculture, advanced materials, and related fields.

Dr. Cutler has extensive expertise in executive leadership, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and research management, with a proven ability to align scientific innovation with organizational strategic and operational objectives. He is recognized as a collaborative mentor who fosters high-performing, multidisciplinary teams by empowering colleagues and cultivating a culture of excellence. An engaging and effective communicator, Dr. Cutler is skilled at translating complex scientific research into clear, accessible information for academic, industrial, government, and public audiences.

Before founding Sylter Science Inc. in 2020, Dr. Cutler joined the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in June 2000 as an Industrial Liaison Scientist. During his two decades at the Canadian Light Source, he held several senior executive positions, including Co-Director of Research, Director of Industrial Science, and Chief Strategic Relations Officer, where he played a key role in advancing research partnerships, industrial engagement, and strategic initiatives.

Dr. Cutler earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1993.

Paul Richards

Strategic Advisor

Paul Richards is the sector lead for Agri-technology for Innovacorp, a Nova Scotia Venture Capital organization. Paul focuses on enabling knowledge-based companies to accelerate the commercialization of their technology to create dynamic, high-growth venture grade companies and develop the entrepreneurial culture in the region.

Since taking on this role, Paul has worked to establish a growing ecosystem in Atlantic Canada for the agri-tech sector and has helped his companies raise over $75 million dollars.

Italo Cerra

Strategic Financial Advisor

Italo Cerra is a seasoned financial executive with diverse experience in public and private sector companies and brings over 25 years experience in working with technology enterprises. His years in the technology sector have provided particular financial expertise in R&D financing, and operational reporting and controls.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Italo spent 10 years with Deloitte and Touche in their audit practice. He then joined the telecommunications industry, as VP Finance with Teltone Limited, a large North American telecommunications corporation. Since that time Italo has held executive level responsibilities including Controller, VP Finance, Director of Finance and CFO at a variety of technology-based enterprises. In 1995, Italo orchestrated the Management Buy-Out and became the CFO and Partner in a leading service provider company. After five years of profitability, he subsequently arranged for the company to be acquired.

Italo is currently involved in raising investment capital for high-emerging businesses and in providing advice and counsel to high-net-worth investors.

Alexis Aram

Director of Programs

As Director of Programs at Bioenterprise Canada, Alexis oversees the successful delivery of the organization’s various funding programs and initiatives. She is responsible for the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative programs that support start-ups and SMEs in the agricultural sectors on their pathway to commercialization. Working collaboratively with her team, Alexis develops new programs that align with the strategic direction of the organization and partners with the Marketing and Communications teams to advance communication initiatives.

Before joining Bioenterprise Canada, Alexis coordinated educational and marketing programs in the pharmaceutical and healthcare fields. She has also held positions in food and health-related organizations, focused on knowledge translation, and program development and evaluation. Alexis holds a Master’s degree in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Guelph, where her studies centred on regulatory affairs, program development, and quantitative research in human health.

Liza Baetz

Senior Program Manager

As Senior Program Manager, Liza plays an essential role in the execution of Bioenterprise’s funding and acceleration programming. This includes supporting program planning, delivery, maintenance, client management, and impact reporting. Liza collaborates with the Director of Programs to develop new initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic direction, ensuring stakeholder expectations are met.

Liza brings valuable experience in communications and event coordination. She excels in organizing program events, developing materials, and creating communication strategies, including program guides, communication plans, and social media content to increase awareness and engagement for Bioenterprise’s programs.

Previously, Liza worked as a Clinical Trial Recruiter, coordinating marketing, advertising, and web design activities. At the University of Guelph Research Innovation Office, she also planned and executed virtual and in-person events, including the annual Project SOY Plus competition. Liza holds an M.Sc. in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, focusing on people and project management, and knowledge mobilization.

Kasia Kowanda

Program Manager

As Program Manager, Kasia supports Bioenterprise Canada’s execution of programs and delivery of funding. In her role, she assists the Programs team in planning, coordinating, and delivering our programs while successfully meeting stakeholders’ expectations and advancing company initiatives. 

With a Master of Science in Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, Kasia has cultivated a diverse skill set, excelling in communication, research, and knowledge transfer skills. In past work and volunteer experiences, such as her involvement with Nutri-S.M.A.R.T., Kasia has established her strength in project management and teamwork. With a growth oriented and lifelong learning mindset, Kasia has made a consistent effort to engage in the community, share knowledge, and empower the next generation in her experiences.

Husein Siamwalla

Program Coordinator

As Program Coordinator at Bioenterprise Canada, Husein plays a key role in delivering programs that help advance innovative solutions across the agri-food sector. Working closely with the Programs team, he coordinates initiatives, facilitates program operations, and connects innovators with opportunities that move ideas toward real-world impact.

Husein’s path into agri-food innovation began in the field, studying plant systems and working directly with growers. With a background in botany and experience in agronomy, he brings a practical understanding of agriculture and a strong appreciation for the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. His work has included supporting decisions related to soil health, crop performance, and sustainable farming practices, as well as contributing to agricultural projects and international collaborations. These experiences have strengthened his ability to translate technical knowledge into practical solutions and build collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

Husein holds an MBA from the Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA), Savitribai Phule Pune University, and a Bachelor of Science in Botany. He is passionate about supporting growers, innovators, and industry partners working to build a more resilient, productive, and sustainable agri-food system.

Tabitha Caswell

Director, Strategic Communications

As Director of Strategic Communications, Tabitha leads the development and execution of integrated communication strategies that strengthen Bioenterprise Canada’s national presence and support the organization’s core objectives. She oversees brand presence and strategic messaging, content development, digital communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement across multiple platforms, while also supporting funding strategy and proposal development through grant writing, editing, and communications counsel.

A graduate of the Professional Writing and Communications post-graduate program from Centennial College – School of Communications, Media, Arts, and Design, Tabitha brings diverse experience from roles in communications, B2B sales and marketing, healthcare technology, and small business management. She is known for transforming complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that educate, build relationships, and drive action.

Deeply committed to agriculture, food security, and sustainability, Tabitha studied permaculture design at Oregon State College and actively contributes to the sector through industry engagement and volunteer leadership roles. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Canada Farm Writers Association (ECFWA).

Renata Wallau

Social Media & Content Coordinator

As Social Media & Content Coordinator, Renata supports Bioenterprise Canada’s initiatives through content creation, digital storytelling, and visual communications. She develops both written and visual content for social media, newsletters, and digital campaigns, helping to share the stories of the people, the innovations, and the companies advancing Canada’s agri-tech sector. 

A graduate of Seneca Polytechnics’ Creative Advertising program, Renata combines creativity with thoughtful tactics for clear communication. She believes great content is about making ideas and information accessible while building meaningful connections, and she enjoys transforming industry-focused topics into content that is clear, engaging, and relevant to diverse audiences.

Renata is inspired by the opportunity to contribute to an ecosystem where collaboration and innovation drive meaningful change, helping bring forward the ideas, organizations, and people shaping the future of Canada’s agri-food system.

Laura Millson

Operations Manager

As Bioenterprise’s Operations Manager, Laura brings extensive professional administrative experience from both public and private industry.   She plays an instrumental role supporting Bioenterprise’s team, managing and delivering impactful, results-oriented special projects.  A sampling of these activities includes projects related to provincial funding programs, design, and administration of the enterprise database program, IT support collaboration and office management.

Laura’s exposure to high-performance environments, coupled with solid customer service experience emphasizes her value of being an accomplished, conscientious member of the team with proven discretion and rapport when dealing with all levels of an organization.

In her previous roles, Laura has been an active liaison for senior executives, board members, middle management, and support staff at organizations such as Canadian Bearings, Pavaco Plastics Inc. and the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO).  These positions allowed her to meet and work with professional industry leaders and champion major projects and events.

Laura joined Bioenterprise in an executive support role and through the national growth of Bioenterprise, she has evolved into the role of Operations Manager. Laura and her husband Murray live in Rockwood with their two daughters.

Carla Berquó

Director, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine

As the Director of Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine at Bioenterprise, Carla is responsible for all facets of the Engine, including its development, implementation and management, strategic partnerships, and membership growth and engagement. She is committed to working with communities, governments, industry, and all related partners as a catalyst for establishing long-term relationships, connectivity and collaboration in the food, agri-tech and related sectors across Canada.

Carla and her team provide member companies with customized services for them to keep growing and achieving their goals. Offering a mix of marketing, communications, events and partnerships, they help members feel part of a larger community, while encouraging Engine Insiders to get involved.

Carla brings a well-established track record demonstrating strong business acumen, team building skills, project management and marketing at large scale organizations across many global regions and cultures, including the UK, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Her experience includes working with private sector, not-for-profit organizations, and various levels of government, leaving her perfectly positioned to lead Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine.

Lori Grossett

Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (GOAH) Manager

As Manager of the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (GOAH), Lori leads the delivery and ongoing evolution of the initiative. She oversees program operations, including application processes, resource coordination, and performance tracking, while serving as the primary point of contact for participants and stakeholders. Lori fosters strong relationships across the innovation ecosystem, supports funder reporting and compliance, and drives collaboration through networking, community engagement, and industry events. 

Prior to joining Bioenterprise Canada, Lori developed fundraising proposals to support local business outreach initiatives at The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. She also served as an Assistant Project Coordinator in McLaughlin Library at The University of Guelph, where she assisted in workflow development, project proposal creation, and the migration of appointment booking systems across multiple departments. Lori holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Sciences from the University of Guelph.

Reegan Kett

Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement Manager

As Manager of Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement, Reegan leads efforts to build meaningful connections across Canada’s food and agri-tech ecosystem. She works closely with industry leaders, academia, nonprofits, and private-sector partners to foster collaboration, create strategic opportunities, and advance Bioenterprise Canada’s mission. 

Reegan brings a diverse background spanning stakeholder engagement, communications, and operations. Prior to joining Bioenterprise, she supported Corteva Agriscience at Think Shift, one of Canada’s leading agricultural marketing agencies, and served as Operations Manager for Ag in Motion and Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, where she helped deliver two of the country’s leading industry events. 

Her agricultural roots include hands-on experience working on farms in British Columbia and Ontario, as well as supporting families, and community partners at a nonprofit therapy farm. These experiences continue to shape her passion for building relationships, strengthening communities, and helping drive the future of food and agri-tech innovation across Canada.  

Ben Lienhard

Membership Engagement Coordinator

As Membership Engagement Coordinator, Ben supports the growth and engagement of The Engine through membership coordination, onboarding, and outreach initiatives. He works to ensure members receive meaningful value through their participation while helping foster a strong and connected innovation ecosystem. In collaboration with partnership and funding teams, Ben helps facilitate connections across a diverse network of stakeholders.

Ben brings a background in stakeholder engagement, event coordination, and community-focused programming. He has experience working with startups and client-facing teams, as well as leading large-scale programs and events in fast-paced environments. Known for his strong communication skills and people-first approach, Ben enjoys building relationships and creating positive experiences for those he works with. Ben holds an MBA in Sustainable Business and a Bachelor of Commerce in Sport and Event Management from the University of Guelph.

Cynthia Jarvis

Membership Liaison Coordinator

As Membership Liaison Coordinator, Cynthia serves as a first point of contact for innovators and organizations interested in joining The Engine. She supports membership administration and customer service activities, including processing renewals, maintaining records, assisting with recruitment efforts, and helping ensure a positive member experience across the network.

With more than 20 years of experience supporting senior executives and teams across multiple industries, Cynthia brings strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills to her role.