Our Team
Building a diverse and collaborative work culture that supports and celebrates innovation at all levels.
Our Team
At Edmonton Unlimited, we welcome challenges and engage in purpose-driven work, aimed at positioning Edmonton as an inclusive global innovation capital. Rooted in equity, diversity, and inclusion, we are committed to supporting and celebrating innovation communities and problem solvers across all sectors, backgrounds, and stages. The Edmonton Unlimited team value experimentation, trial and error, and big leaps of faith to achieve Edmonton’s audacious goals, and we are here for you and your big ideas!
Tom Viinikka
CEO
Tom Viinikka
CEO
Tom Viinikka is the CEO of Edmonton Unlimited, with the mandate of empowering the organization to move into the next level of scale and integration locally and globally, while supporting Edmonton’s innovators who are solving the world’s toughest problems.
As a passionate, community-centric, long-time entrepreneur and investor, Tom has founded, acquired, exited and invested in businesses spanning technology, construction, retail and energy.
Prior to joining Edmonton Unlimited, Tom served as the CEO of Edmonton Screen Industries Office (ESIO), where he oversaw economic development in the film, TV and video games industry. He has also held senior roles at AlignVR and vrCAVE—both of which he cofounded—along with Enzo Energy Services and Allsports & Cycle.
Tom is a Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) mentor at the University of Alberta, where he supports entrepreneurs building high-impact ventures in Edmonton. He holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in international business and minoring in business law, from the University of Alberta and is fluent in Spanish.
Beyond work, Tom loves spending time with his wife and six kids. Together, they share a zest for sports and cycling, adventuring in the great outdoors and exploring the world!
Sangeet Brar, CPA, CA
Vice President, Finance & Administration
Stephanie Gillis-Paulgaard
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Ken Bautista
Vice President, Venture & Community
Seanna Baxter
Head of Community
Seanna Baxter
Head of Community
Seanna Baxter is a meticulous, task-driven administrative professional with over a decade of experience. In her role at Edmonton Unlimited, Seanna has the unique privilege to work closely with the Directors providing administrative assistance. Seanna supports the day-to-day administrative, financial, and operational functions by working collaboratively with management. Seanna keeps an open channel of communication within and between departments. She also provides technical and logistical support to special projects and brings a ‘can-do’ attitude to her job.
Before joining the team at Edmonton Unlimited Seanna has provided high-level administrative support in the Edmonton region. Seanna believes an administrative profession must model diplomacy, adaptability, and professionalism as a trusted partner to senior executives. Seanna has managed fast-changing schedules, coordinated travel logistics, created professional correspondence, planned events, and handled sensitive information with a high level of confidentiality. Seanna is upbeat, energetic, and highly motivated. Seanna’s hobbies include cooking, gardening, and camping.
Allan Waine
Head of Startup
Allan Waine
Head of Startup
Allan loves kick-starting ideas — from dreams to programs. He brings experience in not-for-profit and cross-cultural educational leadership to Edmonton Unlimited, where he is responsible for delivering our curriculum in a dynamic and thoughtful way. Allan has experience leading workshops around the world and is excited to sit down with founders and establish their next steps. He is equally passionate about giving back to the community and has been involved in many humanitarian projects over the years. Currently, he teaches citizenship classes to help prepare immigrants to become Canadians. When Allan is not coaching basketball with his son, you will find him playing touch football or cheering on the Edmonton Football Team with his family. Ask Allan about: humanitarian work and issues, the world, geography, culture.
Victoria Celi
Program Facilitator, Startup
Victoria Celi
Program Facilitator, Startup
Victoria is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. She has experience in business strategy, design thinking, leadership, and team building. As a startup founder, she has gained valuable knowledge and insights by actively participating in every stage of business growth, from the initial concept to the growth phase. Her extensive hands-on experience has equipped her with a deep understanding of the inner workings of a business, making her an excellent resource for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking guidance. Victoria is thrilled to join Edmonton Unlimited and contribute to Edmonton's entrepreneurial community.
Eugenio Coccimiglio, MBA
Program Facilitator, Startup
Eugenio Coccimiglio, MBA
Program Facilitator, Startup
Eugenio is an energetic community-focused leader serving on two non-profit boards, including his community league and Net Impact Edmonton. Eugenio graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Business Administration from NAIT.
He is a proud Edmontonian, harnessing the power of possibility by supporting Edmonton’s startup ecosystem while encouraging social and sustainable innovation to help solve the next generation's challenges.
Monica Rukeba
Program Facilitator, Startup
Mina Mahmood
Program Coordinator, Startup
Colin MacDonald
Program Specialist, Accelerate
Colin MacDonald
Program Specialist, Accelerate
Colin is a Program Coordinator at Edmonton Unlimited with over a decade of experience in post-secondary program development and delivery in a School of Business context, with experiences ranging from student and community engagement (business incubator programs), website development, graphic design, governance management, fund development, grant management, events management, team leadership, researching, and writing.
Born and raised in Edmonton and a U of A graduate with a degree in Psychology (with a minor in Creative Writing!), Colin is passionate about his city, his community, and wants to contribute to our exciting future as a hub of innovation, creativity, and prosperity!
Shalon McFarlane
Manager, Research
Shalon McFarlane
Manager, Research
Shalon has extensive experience in technology commercialization, innovation, and technical communication. For over 8 years she has been assisting researchers, local entrepreneurs, and SMEs in the greater Edmonton region with their intellectual property and business development needs: everything from evaluating technologies for their patentability and commercial potential, formulating commercialization strategies, supporting grant applications, performing market intelligence research, and negotiating commercial agreements.
Shalon has a strong scientific research background; she obtained her BSc with a specialization in Physics in 2010 before completing her MSc in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics in 2012, both from the University of Alberta. Shalon enjoys spending time doing anything fitness-related, is a nationally ranked powerlifter and a very active volunteer for the Alberta Powerlifting Union.
Addison Schulz
Manager, Facilities
Kelsey McNaughton
Facilities Coordinator
Doris Simader
Financial Controller
Kundan Deep "KD" Singh
IT & Business Systems Lead
Andrea Motta
Intermediate Accountant
Marc Bendico
Graphic and Digital Marketing Specialist
Jeff Shon
Lead Executive in Residence
Kasia Rackel
Executive Assistant
Sai Lakshman
Finance
Our Board
Lindsay Dodd
CEO, Cashco Financial; and Board Chair Edmonton Unlimited
Lindsay Dodd
CEO, Cashco Financial; and Board Chair Edmonton Unlimited
Lindsay Dodd is Chief Executive Officer of Cashco Financial, a consumer finance company based in Edmonton, Alberta. Initially a member of the Board of Advisors for the company, he stepped into the CEO role in 2021 with a passion to create a social enterprise dedicated to ending financial exclusion by bringing one million Canadians on a path to financial health.
Lindsay is also a Managing Partner of Sprout Fund LP, an early-stage technology investment fund in Alberta, and he is the former CEO of Savvia Inc., a technology-advisory firm acquired by CompuVision Systems Ltd. in 2016. Before launching his company, Lindsay was a Partner with the international IT consulting firm of Sierra Systems and held management roles with both ATB Financial and PCL Construction. Lindsay is a Director with the Edmonton Elks Football Club and a member of the Edmonton Executive Committee of the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is the former Chair of several community boards including the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, he is a member of the A100 and a mentor with the VMS program at the University of Alberta. Lindsay holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree with distinction from the University of Alberta and a Master of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Arden Tse
Investment Manager, Yaletown Partners
Arden Tse
Investment Manager, Yaletown Partners
A venture capital Investment Manager with Yaletown Partners, Arden leads a team focused on Alberta-based technology startup companies. He is an accomplished investment professional with almost 20 years of private and public sector experience and is highly active in the Alberta startup community. Coming into venture with a strong background in commercial real estate and public equities, Arden’s career as a professional investor in multiple asset classes gives him a broad perspective on capital markets and various ways to look for value. He brings this experience and a love for business to early-stage venture capital investing and enjoys the up close and personal aspect of being able to work directly with entrepreneurs. As a trained Executive Coach and former business owner, Arden helps founders understand how their business and capital raising strategies align.
Blaine Labonte
President, DJI Capital
Blaine Labonte
President, DJI Capital
When Blaine LaBonte joined Cougar Drilling Solutions in 1992, few people realized he'd eventually transform the small Canadian firm into an international oilfield services provider.
He jumped at the chance to buy Cougar in 2005 and become its president. In 2011, he became the CEO of Cougar Drilling Solutions. He sold the company to international investors in 2019. Today, Blaine spends his time on family, community projects, startups, and angel investing.
Farzad (Haider) Alvi
Assistant Professor of Innovation Finance at Athabasca University
Farzad (Haider) Alvi
Assistant Professor of Innovation Finance at Athabasca University
Dr. Haider Alvi is a former corporate financier turned academic and company director. Having grown up in North America, he has worked in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Dr. Alvi’s research investigates Innovation Finance, examining the individual agency and entrepreneurial orientations exhibited in high-growth firms, and the adaptation of strategy to volatile contexts.
At Athabasca University, Dr. Alvi has been involved in pilot projects with IBM Watson in applying artificial intelligence to teaching materials and testing that improves learning outcomes for students. Additionally, he teaches Innovation Finance in Athabasca’s online MBA program – the online MBA is an innovation pioneered in Edmonton over 25 years ago. Dr. Alvi holds degrees from the University of Cambridge (PhD), University of Toronto (MBA), Indiana University – Bloomington (JD), and University of Chicago (AB).
Jacquelyn Cardinal
Founder and CEO, Naheyawin; Inaugural member of Edmonton Unlimited’s Innovation Growth Council
Jacquelyn Cardinal
Founder and CEO, Naheyawin; Inaugural member of Edmonton Unlimited’s Innovation Growth Council
Jacquelyn Cardinal is a sakāwithiniwak (or Woodland Cree) entrepreneur and Indigenous technologist from the Sucker Creek Cree First Nation in northern Alberta. In her role as Founder & CEO at Naheyawin, a storytelling and education social enterprise based in amiskwacîwâskahikan (or Edmonton, Alberta), Jacquelyn works to integrate and mobilize diverse knowledge systems to realize the promise of our treaties. She has received an Esquao Award for Achievement in Business and a SHEInnovates Award from the UN Women's Global Innovation Coalition for Change for her ongoing entrepreneurial pursuits. As an artist, she has received the 2019 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding New Play given to Lake of the Strangers, her first play co-written with her brother.
Launa Aspeslet
COO, Hepion Pharmaceuticals
Launa Aspeslet
COO, Hepion Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Launa J. Aspeslet is COO of Hepion Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with offices in Edmonton, AB, and New Jersey, USA working on a drug treatment for liver and other fibrotic diseases. Dr. Aspeslet also serves as Chairperson for the Board of Directors of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, an industry-led not-for-profit organization that serves as a catalyst to support the development of life science products and companies in Canada. Dr. Aspeslet has over 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry overseeing large operating budgets and dozens of multiple-phase clinical trials. Prior to Hepion, Dr. Aspeslet was the CEO of TRIO, a global clinical research organization headquartered in Edmonton that runs oncology trials around the world, a biotechnology consultant working primarily with early stage companies through their product development strategy, and Chief Operating Officer for Isotechnika Pharma Inc., a former Edmonton biotechnology company.
Maureen Moneta, CPA, CA, ICD.D
CPA and Board Member for: Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, Mainroad Group and AGLC
Maureen Moneta, CPA, CA, ICD.D
CPA and Board Member for: Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, Mainroad Group and AGLC
Maureen Moneta is a dynamic and caring Indigenous leader within the Métis Nation of Alberta, Edmonton and Alberta.
Maureen has spent the last decade in executive leadership roles, with a passion for community building and driving social impact.
Maureen’s experience spans diverse industries including health, education, construction, cannabis and gaming within private business, government, regulatory and charitable sectors. Maureen currently serves on the Board of Directors of CPA Alberta, Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC) and the Mainroad Group and is also on the ICD Edmonton Chapter Executive. In 2020, Maureen’s accomplishments were acknowledged with both a CPA Alberta Early Achievement Award and Edify Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 Award (YEG). Maureen has earned Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designations.
Nicole Janssen
Co-Founder and Co-CEO at AltaML
Nicole Janssen
Co-Founder and Co-CEO at AltaML
Nicole Janssen is Co-Founder & Co-CEO at AltaML Inc. and Co-Founder & CEO of Janalta Interactive, both based out of Edmonton, Alberta. In two and a half years AltaML has grown rapidly from a handful of people to nearly 100 employees in three cities, prompting an expansion of its headquarters that reflects and support its evolution from startup to scaleup. Nicole considers herself to be a serial entrepreneur and is recognized for her plethora of ideas, seemingly at a moment’s notice. She is a valued mentor who also believes in giving back to the community, serving as the Chair on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta & NWT. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta.
Wendy King
SVP, Operations & Innovation, WCB Alberta
Wendy King
SVP, Operations & Innovation, WCB Alberta
Wendy King is an innovative and creative problem solver with a wealth of experience in driving transformative change across a variety of industries. With a career that has spanned leadership positions at Telus, IBM Canada, Southview Acura and WCB Alberta, Wendy has demonstrated a consistent ability to drive innovation and growth by leveraging emerging technologies and forward-thinking strategies.
Most recently with WCB, as Senior Vice President of Operations and Innovation at WCB Alberta, Wendy is responsible for overseeing multiple disciplines within the organization, including disability and risk management, and the newly created innovation portfolio. Under her leadership, WCB Alberta has redefined service delivery through the implementation of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, positioning the organization at the forefront of innovation in its field.
With a Bachelor's degree in Business from the University of Alberta, Director designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, a number of public and private sector board appointments, Wendy brings a unique combination of academic rigor and practical experience to all of her endeavors. Wendy has been awarded the International Association of Business Communicators Capital Region Communicator of the year and was selected by the Governor General as one of Canada's top 125 future leaders.
Edmonton Unlimited would like to thank and recognize the contributions and governance from our inaugural board: Naseem Bashir, Ashlyn Bernier, Joanne Fedeyko, Aaryn Flynn, Farzad (Haider) Alvi, Shaheel Hooda, Nicole Janssen, Sheetal Mehta Walsh. These business leaders set the foundation of our organization, approved our strategic and business plans, and determined the location of our new home on Jasper Avenue, which opened in May 2023.
Innovation Growth Council
The Innovation Growth Council is a council dedicated to exploring and connecting the diverse range of innovators in Edmonton. Innovation Growth Council members will be ambassadors and champions for innovation in all its forms in Edmonton. Advising the CEO and Board of Edmonton Unlimited, the job of the Innovation Growth Council is to:
- Explore, map and connect diverse innovators to Edmonton Unlimited to establish a more holistic innovation inventory in Edmonton.
- Advise at IGC meetings on how to engage and incorporate innovators of all stripes into IE programming, and identify supports to unlock and build on their potential.
- Work with Edmonton Unlimited to find creative ways to tell the stories of these innovative individuals and companies, their work and their sectors.
Abby Aiyeleye
Co-founder, Clavis Studio
Carolyn Campbell
President & CEO, NorQuest College
Claire Theaker-Brown (she/her)
Founder, Unbelts
Connie Stacey (she/her)
Founder & President, Growing Greener Innovations, Inc.
Gail Powley P.Eng
President, Technology Alberta
Ghalia Aamer
CEO, TalkMaze and University of Alberta Student Representative
Jason Suriano (he/him)
Founder & CEO at TIQ Software
Keenan Pascal
Founder & CEO, Token Naturals
Lana Cuthbertson
Founder & CEO, Areto Labs
Pilar Martinez
CEO, Edmonton Public Library
Ron Mills
CEO, Tevosol
Sandra Stabel
VP Innovation, HelpSeeker Technologies
About The Council’s Work
Perhaps more than at any other time in Edmonton’s modern history, our city needs to truly value and capitalize on the diversity of our people and our economy and leverage the strength of this diversity – in sectors, in representation, and in approach – to support a post-pandemic recovery and to meet global challenges. Edmonton needs to dig deep and discover productive companies, sectors and communities, including prominent players and those that have been overlooked. We’ve gone through too much to leave people behind.
The innovation ecosystem has evolved rapidly in the last decade and we have a lot to build on – we have a great innovation tech community in Edmonton, driven by the hard work of people who took risks to create the city they wanted to see. Edmonton traditionally celebrates specific innovation strengths – especially in our formal start up and scale up infrastructure. But we don’t always hear from the innovative minds in all corners of our city. We can’t always benefit from those who don’t see support programs as the right fit nor find community networking events accessible. To not seek, engage and find ways to support these innovators is to leave growth on the table.
Duties
Over a two-year term, the members of the council will attend three meetings a year where they will brainstorm solutions and provide advice to the CEO and Board on growing Edmonton’s innovation ecosystem.
Between meetings, they will act as ambassadors for the growth of our innovation community and will do targeted outreach according to a work plan for each council member; as well as support other council members when the opportunity arises. Council members may also work with Edmonton Unlimited staff to guide the narratives of companies discovered across the outreach network.
Principles of the Innovation Growth Council
The members of the Innovation Growth Council:
- Practice innovation in their profession.
- Foster community, collaboration, and healthy competition.
- Always think imaginatively and critically about what innovation should mean in Edmonton’s context.
- Seek and find the existing untapped innovation potential across Edmonton.
- Want to learn and exchange new perspectives on innovation, business, and organizing with a diverse group of council members.
Get Started
Reach out today for a free, 30-minute meeting to learn how we can help you with your idea, business and passion for innovating.