Meet Our Team

Altitude Accelerator team consists of more than 100 highly qualified business professionals focused on providing Altitude Accelerator companies with the fastest path to success.

Core Team

Offering dedicated administrative support to entrepreneurs seeking guidance, recommendations, and access to our services and programs.

Pam Banks

Position: Executive Director
Categories: Our Team

Altitude Accelerator came into existence under the visionary guidance of Pam Banks; now Altitude Accelerator’s Executive Director. With over 20 years of economic and business development experience in Ontario, Pam’s expertise is in developing and implementing entrepreneurial support programs by rallying collaboration from industry, educational institutions and government stakeholders. She strategically works to develop and grow the innovation capacity of emerging companies, assisting the innovation ecosystem in Peel Region to meet its full potential.

Pam Banks

Executive Director

Hessie Jones

Position: Innovations Manager
Categories: Our Team

HessieJones is a serial entrepreneur, strategist,venture partnerandwriter with more than 20+ years in start-up technology: data targeting, behavioural and profile analytics, social media technology, privacy and security tech.Hessie is a strong advocate for AI readiness, education and ethical distribution of AI as well as the strong proponent for data self-determination: in the ownership and control of individual data. As the Innovations Manager, she provides the operational support for events and programs, to ultimately influence founder success.

Learn more about Hessie Jones

Hessie Jones

Innovations Manager

Rutuja Jori

Position: Venture Services Manager
Categories: Our Team

Rutuja holds two Masters degrees – an MBA in Marketing from Pune University, an MSc. in International Business from HEC Montreal and a Bachelors in Computer Science Engineering. She has 6+ years of experince working with B2B clients and entrepreneurs across North America, Europe, India and Japan in development of their strategic initiatives. Her expertise lies in building relationships, understanding clients’ business needs, recommending innovative solutions and successfully managing complex projects.

Learn more about Rutuja

Rutuja Jori

Venture Services Manager

Anika Murray

Position: Finance Coordinator
Categories: Our Team

Anika Murray

Finance Coordinator

Josue Garcia Granados

Position: Marketing and Communications Associate
Categories: Our Team

Josue Garcia Granados

Marketing and Communications Associate

Board of Directors

Industry professionals, government, and academic representatives who ensure we are relevant and current for our Clients.

Holly Gardner

Position: Co-Chair, Altitude Accelerator & VP Operations, Nuport Robotics
Categories: Our Team 2

Holly Gardner

Co-Chair, Altitude Accelerator & VP Operations, Nuport Robotics
Nick Kuryluk

Nick Kuryluk

Position: Co-Chair, Altitude Accelerator & Founder, CoSality
Categories: Our Team 2

Nick Kuryluk

Co-Chair, Altitude Accelerator & Founder, CoSality

Andrew Opala

Position: Chief Technology Officer, Simmons Sharpe Inc
Categories: Our Team 2

Andrew Opala

Chief Technology Officer, Simmons Sharpe Inc

Angelo Rizzo

Position: Co-founder, Systems With Intelligence
Categories: Our Team 2

Angelo Rizzo

Co-founder, Systems With Intelligence

Stephen Beney

Position: Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP
Categories: Our Team 2

Digital Media and ICT;Mergers and acquisitions, IP (Intellectual Property; Patents and trademarks), Litigation, Licensing, Corporate law

Stephen Beney

Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP

Donna Heslin

Position: Manager, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, City of Mississauga
Categories: Our Team 2

Donna Heslin

Manager, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, City of Mississauga

Carolyn Moorlag

Position: Director – Centre of Advanced Manufacturing & Design Technologies (CAMDT), Sheridan College
Categories: Our Team 2

Carolyn has over 20 years of experience working on materials technologies. During her time in industry, she gained expertise in sensing and IOT, 3D printing and prototyping, and conducting collaborative projects with industry and government partners. As director of CAMDT at Sheridan, Carolyn develops the strategy and mandate of CAMDT as an advanced manufacturing centre. Her role focuses on applied research, particularly within highly relevant and advancing areas of manufacturing, such as automation, modelling and simulation, and cybersecurity.

Carolyn Moorlag

Director – Centre of Advanced Manufacturing & Design Technologies (CAMDT), Sheridan College

Alfredo C.M. Tan

Position: Chief Digital & Information Officer, Canada Goose
Categories: Our Team 2

Alfredo C.M. Tan

Chief Digital & Information Officer, Canada Goose
Paul Grenier

Paul Grenier

Position: Manager Government Affairs, The Clorox Company
Categories: Our Team 2

Paul Grenier

Manager Government Affairs, The Clorox Company
Amber Pajtasz

Amber Pajtasz

Position: Economic Development Officer, Humber River Center
Categories: Our Team 2

Amber Pajtasz

Economic Development Officer, Humber River Center
Moien Giashi

Moien Giashi

Position: Principal, GreenSky Ventures
Categories: Our Team 2

Moien Giashi

Principal, GreenSky Ventures

Tara Hunter

Position: Interim Sector Manager, Innovation and Technology at City of Brampton
Categories: Our Team 2

Tara Hunter

Interim Sector Manager, Innovation and Technology at City of Brampton

Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

Geoff Simonett

Position: Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Categories: Cleantech, Entrepreneurs-In-Residence

Geoff brings over two decades of experience in starting, operating and successfully exiting multiple companies acting as a principal, advisor, investor, board member, mentor and/or consultant. He is also President of Pinelands Capital, an investment management firm that invests in and advises early stage technology companies with the potential for rapid growth.

His specialties include: Long-term partnerships with high growth companies and dedicated entrepreneurs, and supporting the execution of strategic transitional events.

Learn more about Geoff and how he’s helped our startups reach success.

Geoff Simonett

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Bryan Duarte

Position: Entrepreneur-In-Residence
Categories: Cleantech, Entrepreneurs-In-Residence

Bryan Duarte, a seasoned social venturist, impact investor, entrepreneur, and licensed professional engineer. With over three decades of experience in the energy industry, Bryan sees energy as the driving force for individual and organizational growth.Bryan is the founder and CEO of Enliten, a company dedicated to sustainable solutions, and co-founder of BlackTech Capital, an innovative pre-seed fund emphasizing love, integrity, and transparency. Committed to equal opportunities, BlackTech Capital gained recognition from the World Economic Forum for its support of people and planet-focused entrepreneurs. Bryan believes in supporting those who will build solutions for a sustainable future.

 

Learn more about Bryan

Bryan Duarte

Entrepreneur-In-Residence

Giselle Melo

Position: Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Categories: Entrepreneurs-In-Residence

Giselle Melo brings specialized expertise in finance, entrepreneurship and software and AI/ML to her role as EIR. Her background includes extensive experience in capital markets, tech entrepreneurship and strategic business development, with a particular focus on deep technologies. Giselle provides targeted mentoring and coaching to entrepreneurs building deep tech software (semiconductor solutions, applied AI, robotics automation, edge computing, and machine learning) companies across energy, health, cyber/privacy and fintech sectors, helping them navigate technological challenges while building sustainable business models. Her expertise in AI applications and digital transformation has proven invaluable for companies developing cutting-edge solutions.

Learn more about Giselle here.

Giselle Melo

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Client Advisors

Dedicated industry and subject matter experts volunteer their time and skill to help our clients navigate challenges and achieve their goals.

James Sbrolla

Position: President & CEO, Cleantech Capital
Categories: Cleantech, Industry Advisors

James is an entrepreneur and veteran of the financial and environmental industries, bringing to the table over 25 years of experience from these sectors. He is Chairman of Environmental Business Consultants and serves on several boards including Actual Media, WE Communications and BlueZone Technologies. As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Altitude Accelerator, he coaches business owners and technology developers through the process of commercialization. He is also on the Board of Directors for CHAR Technologies.

James Sbrolla

President & CEO, Cleantech Capital

Uzoma Erondu

Position: Senior Manager Impact Investing, The Atmospheric Fund
Categories: Industry Advisors

Uzoma Erondu

Senior Manager Impact Investing, The Atmospheric Fund

Urs Villiger

Position: Cleantech, ESG, Sustainability, and Renewable Energy
Categories: Industry Advisors

Cleantech, ESG, Sustainability, and Renewable Energy. Marketing and Sales.

Urs Villiger

Cleantech, ESG, Sustainability, and Renewable Energy

TJ Machado

Position: Partner, Dimensional Strategies Inc.
Categories: Industry Advisors

TJ Machado

Partner, Dimensional Strategies Inc.

Peter Jones

Position: Senior Business Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth
Categories: Industry Advisors

Financial Services; Operations

Peter Jones

Senior Business Advisor, Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Growth

Lyle Clarke

Position: President & C.E.O, Lyle Clarke & Associates Inc.
Categories: Cleantech, Industry Advisors

Main Industries:  Clean technologies

Areas of Expertise:  Sustainability, Commercialization,
Strategic alliances
,

Bio:

Lyle Clarke is a “clean tech” specialist focusing on recycling, waste recovery, resource conservation and management. He also advises product manufacturers, retailers and others with an interest in recycling, sustainability, and product stewardship.

The consumer products business has undergone profound change. Government-mandated recycling and product stewardship programs that reached Canada almost fifteen years ago continue to grow, doubling costs every few years. At the same time, intense competition is restricting margins and market share, necessitating diligent cost control throughout the supply chain.

The pressure to improve environmental performance will continue to intensify, and precipitate continual change. Success will flow to those that understand where change is leading, what impact it will have, and how best to respond. Lyle Clarke is uniquely capable of helping his clients understand how pressures for environmental change impact business, to craft and execute effective strategies to manage risk and control costs, and to leverage innovation to exploit new opportunities.

Lyle has extensive knowledge accumulated over many years in the retail sector, as a Board Director for Waste Diversion Ontario and Stewardship Ontario, and most recently as the head of Stewardship Ontario, one of Canada’s leading product stewardship organizations. Lyle has spearheaded many innovative changes that generated new opportunities for companies that collect, recycle and manage resources; he has attracted substantial new investment to the sector, and he has saved Canadian and global retailers and packaged goods companies many millions of dollars.

Lyle Clarke

President & C.E.O, Lyle Clarke & Associates Inc.

Kulpreet Khanuja

Position: Founder of Amrik Advisory Inc.
Categories: Industry Advisors

Finance; B2B, Business development, Fintech, Product management, Project management, Raising capital, Renewable energy

Kulpreet Khanuja

Founder of Amrik Advisory Inc.

Kevin Smith

Position: Chief Story Architect, Impact Assured Business Services –> The Story Architect
Categories: Industry Advisors

Main Industries:  Digital Media and ICT

Areas of Expertise:  Digital marketing, Content marketing, Analytics marketing, Sales training, Business development

Kevin Smith

Chief Story Architect, Impact Assured Business Services –> The Story Architect

Jonathan Loudon

Position: Partner, Swave Studios
Categories: Industry Advisors

Digital Media and ICT; Medical devices, Product management; Life Sciences; Operations

Jonathan Loudon

Partner, Swave Studios

John Lacey

Position: President & Founder, Hydraulic Marketing Group Inc.
Categories: Industry Advisors

Digital Media and ICT; Marketing

John Lacey

President & Founder, Hydraulic Marketing Group Inc.

Johan De Greef

Position: Advisory Board Member
Categories: Industry Advisors

Consumer Goods; Food and Beverage; Manufacturing; Marketing; Operations; Sales

Johan De Greef

Advisory Board Member

Joanna Ma

Position: Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP
Categories: Industry Advisors

IP; Intellectual Property; Law; Legal Services; Digital Media and ICT

Joanna Ma

Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP

Harry Kim

Position: Environmental Business Executive, Corporate Growth Accelerator
Categories: Industry Advisors

Harold (Harry) H. Kim is Senior Executive with more than 30 years of environmental consulting and contracting experience in various market sectors including mining, energy and infrastructure. A proven team leader investing in people and delivering desired results collaboratively. Client focused team builder promoting collaborations to maximize profitability. A people focused executive with a proven track record of delivering outstanding results. Special strength in growth acceleration in turnaround situations. Broad functional foundation including M&A, Business Development, and Operations in both large multinational company and entrepreneurial experience in a diverse set of industries. Extensive global experience, including USA, APAC, and South America.

Competencies: Top line growth strategies, team building, mentoring, operations, M&A, government liaison, expert witness and legal technical support, environmental engineering, cleantech, climate change mitigation, environmental site assessments, site remediation, and renewable energy.

Harry Kim

Environmental Business Executive, Corporate Growth Accelerator

Graham McBride

Position: FundThrough, Individual
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Main Industries:  Financial Services

Areas of Expertise:  Raising capital, Strategic planning, Executive management, corporate finance

Graham McBride

FundThrough, Individual

Drew Fraser

Position: President, Westbrook Greenhouses
Categories: Industry Advisors

Drew Fraser

President, Westbrook Greenhouses

Doug Metcalfe

Position: Account Executive, Kinaxis
Categories: Industry Advisors

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing; Sales; Technology

Doug Metcalfe

Account Executive, Kinaxis

David Peterson

Position: CEO and Founder, Optimization Coach
Categories: Industry Advisors

Digital Media and ICT; Financial Services; Life Science; Advanced Health; Finance; Marketing; Operations; Technology

David Peterson

CEO and Founder, Optimization Coach

Brenda Hogan

Position: Ontario Capital Growth Corporation
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Main Industries:  Financial Services

Areas of Expertise:  Corporate finance

Brenda Hogan

Ontario Capital Growth Corporation

Alan Lysne

Position: Partner, Fastbreak Ventures
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Alan Lysne

Partner, Fastbreak Ventures

Sidhant Sakhuja

Position: Business Development and Commercialization Manager, Ontario Centre of Innovation
Categories: Industry Advisors

Sidhant Sakhuja

Business Development and Commercialization Manager, Ontario Centre of Innovation

Mujir Muneeruddin

Position: Partner, Pallett Valo LLP, Corporate Securities Lawyer & Real Estate Entrepreneur
Categories: Industry Advisors

Mujir Muneeruddin

Partner, Pallett Valo LLP, Corporate Securities Lawyer & Real Estate Entrepreneur

Jasmeet Singh

Position: Physical AI: Emerging VC, Founder @ JMoon, Startup Alchemist
Categories: Industry Advisors

Jasmeet Singh

Physical AI: Emerging VC, Founder @ JMoon, Startup Alchemist

Jude Sacramenthas

Position: VC @ Graphite, Ecosystem Builder
Categories: Industry Advisors

Jude Sacramenthas

VC @ Graphite, Ecosystem Builder

Alia Lee

Position: Chief Financial Officer | Technology Executive
Categories: Industry Advisors

Alia Lee

Chief Financial Officer | Technology Executive

Rob Sinyard

Categories: Industry Advisors

Rob Sinyard

Jody Yvonne

Position: Versatile, Strategic Leader in Public Relations, Communications, Media, Marketing
Categories: Industry Advisors

Jody Yvonne

Versatile, Strategic Leader in Public Relations, Communications, Media, Marketing

Hamid Alemohammad

Categories: Industry Advisors

Hamid Alemohammad

Sarah Willson

Sarah Willson

Position: Principal, Panache Ventures
Categories: Industry Advisors

Sarah Willson

Principal, Panache Ventures
Shafiq Vallani

Shafiq Vallani

Position: Head of Canada, Redesign Health
Categories: Industry Advisors

Shafiq Vallani

Head of Canada, Redesign Health
Mark Goode

Mark Goode

Position: Technical Project Manager, Smith
Categories: Industry Advisors

Mark Goode

Technical Project Manager, Smith
Mark Elliott

Mark Elliott

Position: Founding Partner, VA Partners
Categories: Industry Advisors

Mark Elliott

Founding Partner, VA Partners
Reshika Dhir

Reshika Dhir

Position: Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP
Categories: Industry Advisors

Reshika Dhir

Principal, Smart & Biggar, LP

Angela Byrne

Position: CEO & President, Angela Byrne Consulting Inc.
Categories: Industry Advisors

Angela Byrne is an Independent Board Member, CEO, and experienced Advisor and Consultant to boards of directors, C-Suite and senior government officials in highly regulated sectors such as provincial and municipal governments, finance, insurance, safety authorities and charities.

Angela contributes her expertise in risk, finance, and technology, along with her deep regulatory perspective, in meaningful discussions with board members and senior leaders seeking to build resiliency during times of uncertainty.

Angela Byrne

CEO & President, Angela Byrne Consulting Inc.

Leigh Solomon

Position: Seed Investor
Categories: Industry Advisors

Sales leader with a proven track record of driving ARR growth, leading to VC rounds and acquisitions. Leigh empowers teams with the tools and education necessary to succeed, turning opportunities into gold through repeatable processes. She is passionate about disruptive technology and making a lasting impact in startups.

Her specialties are Software Sales Leadership; Sales Development and Management, Business Development and Lead Gen; Talent Recruitment and Team Building; Sales Opportunity and Funnel Management; Revenue Growth; Proficiency in Salesforce.

Leigh Solomon

Seed Investor

Daniel Samyn

Position: Founder, Samyn Consulting
Categories: Industry Advisors

Daniel Samyn

Founder, Samyn Consulting

Wilson Luo

Position: Senior Advisor, Mitacs
Categories: Industry Advisors

Wilson Luo

Senior Advisor, Mitacs

Robbie Marks

Position: Director, Investments, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund
Categories: Industry Advisors

Robbie Marks

Director, Investments, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund

Investor Network

Leading investors from across Canada in all sectors work closely with our core team to help Altitude clients achieve fundraising goals.

Graham McBride

Position: FundThrough, Individual
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Main Industries:  Financial Services

Areas of Expertise:  Raising capital, Strategic planning, Executive management, corporate finance

Graham McBride

FundThrough, Individual

Brenda Hogan

Position: Ontario Capital Growth Corporation
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Main Industries:  Financial Services

Areas of Expertise:  Corporate finance

Brenda Hogan

Ontario Capital Growth Corporation

Neil Peet

Position: Senior Associate, GreenSky Capital Inc.
Categories: Investor Network

Neil Peet

Senior Associate, GreenSky Capital Inc.

David Harris Kolada

Position: Managing Partner, Greensoil PropTech Ventures
Categories: Investor Network

David Harris Kolada

Managing Partner, Greensoil PropTech Ventures

Mike Boyd

Position: Owner, Argosy Bridge Management
Categories: Investor Network

Mike Boyd

Owner, Argosy Bridge Management

Mauro Lollo

Position: Managing Partner, L2
Categories: Investor Network

Mauro Lollo

Managing Partner, L2

Alan Lysne

Position: Partner, Fastbreak Ventures
Categories: Industry Advisors, Investor Network

Alan Lysne

Partner, Fastbreak Ventures

Sarah Willson

Position: VC at Panache Ventures
Categories: Investor Network

Sarah Willson

VC at Panache Ventures

Michael List

Position: Principal, Greensky Capital Inc.
Categories: Investor Network

Michael List

Principal, Greensky Capital Inc.

Barry Ginsburg

Position: Independent Consultant
Categories: Investor Network

Barry Ginsburg

Independent Consultant