CILAR’s Top 20 Aspiring Innovators of the Year 2022

Navdeep Bains

The Honorable Navdeep Bains is the Vice-Chair of Global Investment Banking for CIBC. He is responsible for strengthening all Capital Markets and Commercial Banking with a particular focus on Innovation, Sustainability, and Industrial sectors. He was one of the longest serving federal Ministers of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, where he introduced the most comprehensive innovation and skills plan for Canada in over three decades. Before entering politics, the Honorable Navdeep Bains was a distinguished visiting professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, an adjunct lecturer at the Master of Public Service program at the University of Waterloo and worked for several years in accounting and finance for the Ford Motor Company of Canada. He holds a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant designation, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Windsor and has a Bachelor of Commerce from York University. He has been a long-time resident of Mississauga, along with his wife and two daughters.

Meagan Byrne

Meagan Byrne is an Apihtawikosisân (Métis of Ontario) new media artist and game designer born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. Since 2014, she has been creating digital interactive works heavily influenced by both traditional RPG video games and Woodland Style art as well as stories she heard growing up. Her designs incorporate narrative, game mechanics, sound and traditional art deeply rooted in indigenous futurism, language and indigenous feminist theory. She sees her work as a constant struggle to navigate the complexities of indigenous identity within a deeply colonized system. Meagan uses her work to explore questions of cultural belonging, the indigenization of media and the future of indigenous language and culture.

Lise Birikundavyi

Lise Birikundavyi is the Managing Partner of BKR Capital, the first institutionally-backed black-led VC fund in Canada. Lise is an innovative finance specialist who has worked with several international institutions, most notably the Jacobs Foundation for whom she managed an edtech impact investment strategy. Lise also mentors and supports highly promising and impactful start-ups in emerging markets.

Alfred Burgesson

Alfred Burgesson immigrated from Ghana to Canada with his family to pursue a better quality of life at an early age. He is a social entrepreneur whose unique talents include convening leaders, and an ability to launch grassroots movements and coalitions while utilizing digital tools and technology Platforms. Alfred is a former member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council — he is also the co-chair of Canada’s first ever ‘State of the Youth’ Report. Alfred has been an advisor to the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs, the Prime Minister and various community organizations and initiatives across Canada. Alfred is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the Founder & CEO of Tribe Network.

Ashley Callingbull

Ashley Callingbull is an actress, model, host and First Nations activist from the Enoch Cree Nation. She is an actress on Blackstone and Tribal and was a contestant on the Amazing Race Canada. Ashley is also an international motivational speaker and has been a keynote speaker at Harvard University, TED Talks and WE Day. Ashley is an ambassador for Hillberg & Berk, RW&Co, The Saskatoon Blades, The Saskatchewan Rush and Nike. She is also the physical fitness ambassador for the Indigenous Sports Council of Alberta. This March, Ashley was announced as the first Indigenous First Nations woman to become a Sports Illustrated Model. Ashley is currently the In Game Host for the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League. She also recently signed her first book deal with Harper Collins publishing and will be a published author in Fall 2024.

Nouhaila Chelkhaoui

Nouhaila Chelkhaoui is the Founder & CEO of Scale Without Borders, a startup that helps immigrants find the tech jobs they deserve and helps employers find brilliant immigrant tech talent. SWB is building an entire tech ecosystem for newcomers to access resources in tech including tech training programs, exclusive events, networks, and job opportunities. As an immigrant from Morocco who has led an exciting and meaningful career in tech, Nouhaila is passionate about helping others do the same. Nouhaila was also awarded Baystreet Bull's Women of Year 2021.

Jason Courtepatte

Jason Courtepatte is a proud member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, a Professional Electrical Contractor, Master Electrician, and adventurous entrepreneur. He has successfully operated an electrical contracting company in Edmonton, Alberta while specializing in renewable energy, solar photovoltaics, and residential battery storage. Jason sits on the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta Edmonton Chapter board as well as serving as the Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy and Agriculture Association of Alberta. Jason has been exploring his connection to his ancestry in the past few years as he discovers the pride, ingenuity, and accomplishments of his people. At the same time, he is open and accountable to his faults and enjoys sharing stories of both success and failure to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Gurneet Dhami

Gurneet Kaur Dhami is a Panjabi-Sikh settler passionate about bringing social and food justice into the places she lives, works and studies. In the field of nutrition, her research and advocacy address how racism impacts the representation and inclusion of dietitians from racialized backgrounds. Gurneet has worked with organizations and community experts to change the narrative and promote anti-racism in the field over the past few years. As a collaborator by design, she believes change happens by bringing folks along for the journey of transformation. Currently, she is finishing up her MSc at Mount Saint Vincent University and working part-time in the non-profit/food security field in her local community in Vaughan, ON.

Any message you want to give to other aspiring innovators in our CILAR community:

Change takes time to happen in the world. Work on yourself so you can show up when it's time!

Dr. David Fortin

Dr. David Fortin is a registered architect in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, and professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. He was previously the Director of the McEwen School of Architecture and the inaugural Associate Director of the Maamwizing Indigenous Research Institute at Laurentian University. He has taught architectural history, theory, and design in the UK, US, and Canada and has published on topics related to Indigenous design, Métis architecture, and speculative architectural thinking, including the relationship between science-fiction and design. He is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario and in 2018 became the first Indigenous person to direct a school of architecture in Canada.

Ahmed Ismail

Ahmed is a global innovator and industry insider with a proven track record for spotting emerging trends. Ahmed started Influencers PR after exiting a rewarding career in US federal politics. His negotiation skills, as well as his ability to simultaneously see the big picture and distill it into actionable details, enabled him to work alongside the NFL Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, and the NBA. He is also the Co-Founder of Hxouse a leading creative incubator and accelerator with Lamar Taylor and The Weeknd. Last fall, alongside the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, was able to launch a $300 Million Permanent Fund to invest in Black Entrepreneurs, it is the first of its kind project in the world.

Sage Lacerte

Sage Lacerte is a graduate of the University of Victoria in the department of Gender Studies with a focus on Indigenous feminism and cultural resurgence. In 2018, she founded Sage Initiative - a national impact investment collective of Indigenous womxn who invest in Indigenous-owned social purpose businesses. Her position as an Indigenous advocate is celebrated nationally, ranging from innovations like the Moose Hide Campaign to being recognized as one of the 21 Founders to Watch by Future of Good and 30 under 30 designation in Sustainability by Corporate Knights.

Ismail Mohamud

My name is Ismail Mohamud and I'm from Toronto, ON. I'm a recent electrical engineering graduate and have a passion for creating innovative solutions and delivering projects from start to finish. I will be taking on a new opportunity as an Associate Product Manager as I'm pursuing a career in PM. In my most recent project, my team and I created a Digital Dashboard designed to improve online education. Growing up as an inner-city marginalized kid, I have faced bias/discrimination, lack of assistance and rejection far more than I can count, and this motivated me to push harder for myself, my family and my peers. I'd like to help increase the access disadvantaged youth have to opportunities, mentorships and resources.

Tizazu Mekonnen

My name is Tiz Mekonnen, and I am an associate professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo. My research focuses on the design of sustainable polymers for multiphase and functional material applications. I also serve as the inaugural Director of the Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) PhD Project - a Canada-wide initiative. The innovation ecosystem thrives with diversity and a multiplicity of perspectives. Yet, there is a dearth of Black and Indigenous PhD scholars at the highest levels of academia – where the next generation of STEM leaders are trained. As the Director of the IBET PhD Project, I lead and closely work with institutions to increase Black and Indigenous PhD scholars in engineering and Technology

Khalid Merhi

Khalid Merhi loves solving problems. He is passionate about helping the companies he works with and the customers he serves transform data into valuable information and insights. To accomplish this, he focuses on delivering value attached to outcomes, building amazing teams, and cultivating a growth mindset. He is a co-founder and the Vice President of R&D at Shinydocs and is excited to be disrupting the enterprise content management industry status quo. Khalid is a community champion leaning in and supporting a variety of causes such as helping immigrants and refugees settle into their new lives in Canada, mentoring and assisting skilled workers build their networks and careers in the technology industry, and helping his friends & colleagues find and embrace a healthy work-life balance.

Tristan Morris

I am a graduate from McMaster University, I studied Social Psychology with a minor in Health and Aging, I currently work as a Youth program Coordinator at MyStartr. I am passionate about racial disparity and mental health issues. I currently run a mentoring program in the innovation space and it has changed my career trajectory and made me understand how passionate I am about the future of youth work and their development. I now moonlight as a podcast host, among my many other opportunities that working in this space has opened up to me. I am looking forward to continuing working in spaces where I can help people who are finding difficulties doing so themselves.

Vitalis Omambia

Vitalis Omambia is the founder and CEO of Selstan Inc, which manages enterprise-grade data security and compliance on the go. He is also a co-founder of Kunye Financial Inc, which provides borderless payment to migrants who want to participate economically and maximize social impact in the lives of loved ones. Previously, he was the Director of Technology and Product Management at Wayfound Mental Health Group, Canada, and a Digital Product Lead at Safaricom PLC, a Vodafone UK company based in Kenya. Vitalis graduated with a master's degree from Smith School of Business at Queen's University, Canada where he served as the Vice-President in his cohort of leading innovators. He is also a mentor at OBSIDI by BPTN where he offers leadership to professionals looking to build their careers and life in a new country. He has vast experience in product management, go to market strategy, and has held key roles in designing solutions for B2B, B2C, and B2B2C customers.

Any message you want to give to other aspiring innovators in our CILAR community:

The true mark of a leader is the ability to get your hands dirty – get the work done and be vulnerable and remember to be vulnerable. Be bold with the decisions you make and seek clarity from those you consider experts in a specific area. This way, you will be able to build a team and get to inspire others.

Joseph Sayers

Joe Tom is currently the General Manager of the Missanabie Cree Business Corporation; a wholly owned company of the Missanabie Cree First Nation. He is a lifelong member of the Ojibways of Batchewana and identifies as Giizhe Anishinaabe and is of the traditional crane clan. Joe has worked to balance his formal education and business career with his cultural upbringing as a hereditary keeper for his community. It has allowed him to develop a unique and impactful approach to innovation and success. A graduate with distinction and Gold medal winner in 2018 from the Faculty of Arts, Joe Tom’s undergrad in Public Administration and Governance at Toronto Metropolitan University prepared him for a Master’s degree in Public Administration at Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies in 2020. He moved on to the PhD program in Social and Political Thought at York University shortly after and continues his studies and research into Indigenous Civics and Political

Ethics. Joe was raised by his parents and was tutored in traditional leadership by his late uncle, a hereditary chief. He continues to practice his culture and his life commitment to his nation as keeper, healer, helper and advocate.

Colleen Ward

With over 20 years as an executive, Colleen Ward has held successive leadership positions in global, American and Canadian financial institutions. With a deep focus on enterprise results, strategic planning, and successful delivery, she sustains her passion for cultivating a pipeline of top executive leaders, and providing extensive mentoring/coaching for many internal and external to TD. Canadian born of Jamaican descent, Colleen is a sought-after keynote speaker and presenter at many university, corporate, and community events focused on Black, Women, and underrepresented professionals. Her passion in diversity, inclusion and belonging is the driving force behind her involvement as a trusted advisor with TD's Black Experience, Women in Technology and Visible Minority committees.

Selina Young

Selina is Métis from northern Saskatchewan. She has been a guest on Anishnawbe and Haudenosaunee territory in and around Toronto her whole life. Selina is passionate about the outdoors and spends hours running and walking through local urban parks along the Credit River and Lake Ontario. She has over 25 years of experience in public service, having worked for governments in Ontario, Canada and Scotland and is currently the Director of the Indigenous Affairs Office in the City of Toronto. Selina has undergraduate and graduate degrees in aquatic toxicology and environmental studies. She has volunteered throughout her life most recently as a Board Member for Park People, Katimavik and the Toronto Public Library's Indigenous Advisory Council.

Georgette Zinaty

Dr. Georgette Zinaty is the EVP at Corporate Class Inc and Practice Lead for the Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, a Professor at Huron Western University, Author of Why Not YOU Challenging Diversity and Inclusion Assumptions, Founder of Women Helping Empower Women (WHEW!) a non-profit that focuses on empowering, educating, engaging, elevating women of all backgrounds, a TEDx speaker, champion and ally Dr. Zinaty is a proud immigrant and advocate. WHEW! partners with organizations and offers and opportunities to shine a light on women, marginalized groups and provides a platform for learning, connections and growth. She sits on a number of strategic boards leveraging advocating for key issues, being a champion, sponsor and ally as often as possible

Any message you want to give to other aspiring innovators in our CILAR community:

Develop your confidence and own your space, ask for what you deserve, take risks, develop a strategic network and network up. Sow seeds early and steward relationships. When in doubt ask yourself – why not you?