I have had the honour of serving the OKGNtech community as the Chief Executive Officer of Accelerate Okanagan (AO) for over three years. Effective February 15th, 2019, I will be resigning from AO and taking on a new position as President and CEO with lnnovateBC.

I am thrilled to be taking on the leadership of Innovate BC at this exciting time for our province’s innovation economy, where technology is everywhere, in every industry, and enhancing lives and creating business value across B.C and globally.

I am very proud of what AO has accomplished in the last three years. We passionately pursued and expanded the interests of the organization and brought value to technology entrepreneurs locally, provincially, and nationally. I am convinced that AO will continue to be an increasingly strong force in the technology industry and will bring more innovative ideas and create pioneering programs for our entrepreneurs nationwide.

It has been my great privilege to work with the exceptionally dedicated and skilled team here at AO. I am exceedingly grateful for all the long hours and hard work these employees have put in to boost the organization from a small local incubator to a nationally recognized leader in this space. These are not accomplishments a CEO makes alone. These are achievements that require a committed team of gifted, tenacious, individuals who come together to work relentlessly for a common goal.

Additionally, I was so blessed to work with an amazing group of Executives-In-Residence whose dedication to help entrepreneurs grow their business, and their empathy towards them, goes far beyond what I could have asked of them.

As many of you know, one of my great passions is the development of programs and services to help entrepreneurs with great, new, innovative ideas. I believe that the future of our economy depends on innovation and this new position will give me the opportunity to be a part of advancing the innovation landscape throughout the entire province.  

Reflecting on the last 3 and a half years, I feel pride and satisfaction with what I was able to accomplish. I am leaving behind a sustainable organization that will continue to have forward momentum and provide services to emerging entrepreneurs. I am also very proud that both the Provincial and Federal Governments have great respect and admiration for the organization and look to Accelerate Okanagan as one of the national leaders in the acceleration space.

We have also had a tremendous impact on the local community. Over the last 3 and a half years, our community has benefitted with over $20 million in investment, both from Government and private sectors –this is incredible impact!

It has been my absolute pleasure to lead the team at Accelerate Okanagan. Thank you for the opportunity. I know the OKGNtech community is thriving and we are only just getting started. Can’t wait to watch it all unfold.

Congratulations and Best Wishes!