Notre équipe

LiftOff a une équipe de leaders exceptionnels et axés sur les résultats qui aiment travailler avec notre clientèle croissante. Notre équipe est désireuse apprendre, ouverte aux nouvelles idées et passionnée de connecter les personnes noires au sein de notre communauté. Lisez ci-dessous pour en savoir plus sur notre équipe exceptionnelle.

Dr Trevor Charles

Directeur exécutif

Trevor est un microbiologiste, formé à UBC, à McMaster et à Université de Washington. Son groupe de recherche à Université de Waterloo étudie la microbiologie environnementale et agricole, avec une orientation vers la bioéconomie circulaire et le développement durable. Application de cette recherche se fait par intermédiaire de son entreprise dérivée.

Jane Egbon

Bureau et finances

Gestionnaire

Jane est passionnée par éducation et les mouvements sociaux au sein des communautés marginalisées. Jane Egbon est la responsable du bureau de initiative LiftOff by CCAWR.

Michèle Oduka

Gestionnaire de programme

Mitchelle est un professionnel de la gestion entreprise, avec plus de 10 ans expérience dans la gestion de programmes et de projets. Dans son rôle de gestionnaire de programme, elle est chargée de travailler avec les entrepreneurs, les mentors et les entraîneurs de LiftOff et de gérer la prestation quotidienne des services et la programmation de incubateur. Ses spécialités sont: Gestion de programme | Gestion de projet | Planification stratégique | Exécution de la stratégie

Graham Edwards

Associé à engagement de la communauté et des partenaires

Graham est un ancien de Université de Waterloo où il a obtenu un baccalauréat ès arts en affaires récréatives et sportives avec une mineure en gestion événements. Il possède une expérience pratique dans le marketing, le développement commercial et la gestion des relations avec les parties prenantes, et dans son rôle, il a intention utiliser ces compétences pour assurer que LiftOff travaille avec la communauté pour autonomiser ses entrepreneurs noirs, son écosystème et ses résidents.

Graham Edwards

Associé à engagement de la communauté et des partenaires

Graham Edwards

Associé à engagement de la communauté et des partenaires

Graham Edwards

Associé à engagement de la communauté et des partenaires

Entraîneurs

Sharon Cain-Zeliger

Assistant exécutif

Sharon a une formation en soins de santé en tant infirmière auxiliaire autorisée avec une expérience dans industrie et les petites entreprises ! La croissance personnelle ainsi que amour pour sa famille et son prochain, sont ce qui la motive à ne JAMAIS abandonner ! « La persévérance est la clé du succès » !

Tamara Cooper

Coordonnateur de programme

Tamara est diplômée du Conestoga College avec un diplôme a en administration de bureau (cadre). Elle aime redonner à la communauté et a lancé une organisation nommée Ambitions Hands, dans le but aider les enfants sourds. Tamara pense une fois que vous aurez confiance en vous, vous ne pourrez plus vous arrêter, et elle prêche la valeur de estime de soi et de élévation de soi.

Tori Atkinson

Associé marketing numérique

Tori est titulaire un baccalauréat ès sciences de Université de Waterloo, où elle a cofondé une organisation de jeunes pour créer des opportunités de développement professionnel pour les étudiants des Caraïbes. Tori est passionnée par la création opportunités pour la communauté noire et est ravie de travailler ensemble pour construire écosystème de entrepreneuriat noir dans la région.

Uche Onuora

Coach de risque

Uche est un mari, un père et un optimiste irrépressible, qui vit à intersection des arts et de la technologie en tant entrepreneur en série et poète en herbe. Il est engagé dans des efforts interdisciplinaires qui synthétisent éducation et la technologie pour un bénéfice sociétal maximal. En tant que père ayant des besoins spéciaux, les expériences Uche dans le soutien de son jeune fils qui fait partie du spectre de autisme ont amené à cofonder HITCH - une startup basée à Waterloo qui construit une plate-forme éducative reliant apprentissage appliqué à une réelle opportunité pour les étudiants africains de la maternelle à la 12e année et enseignants.

Lénore Johnson

Coach de risque

Lenore Johnson est la fondatrice et propriétaire de LenJo Bakes, une boulangerie et une pâtisserie sur mesure à Midtown Kitchener. Après avoir obtenu un diplôme en économie de Université de Waterloo et un diplôme en gestion des arts de la boulangerie et de la pâtisserie du George Brown College, Lenore a voyagé et travaillé de la France à Angleterre en passant par la Nouvelle-Zélande. Ouvert en février 2020, LenJo Bakes a remporté le prix du choix des lecteurs de The Waterloo Region Record pour les meilleurs gâteaux / cupcakes en 2020 (or) et 2021 (platine).

Folake Owodunni

Coach de risque

Folake Owodunni est un Venture Coach chez LiftOff et le co-fondateur et PDG Emergency Response Africa, une société de technologie de la santé fournissant des services médicaux urgence de type 911 au Nigeria, en Afrique de Ouest. Folake aime travailler avec des fondateurs qui résolvent des problèmes significatifs et souvent difficiles dans différentes industries et appuie volontiers sur ses expériences en tant que leader et fondatrice pour les soutenir.

Ajoah Minta

Coach de risque

Ajoa Mintah est un ingénieur professionnel, devenu entrepreneur de crème glacée et fondateur et PDG de Four All Ice Cream. Diplômée de Université de Waterloo, Ajoa a obtenu son diplôme en génie chimique en 2001 et a passé les 16 années suivantes dans divers rôles, allant du développement de produits dans industrie automobile au conseil technique dans industrie financière, avant de poursuivre son rêve de devenir un "fabricant" . Four All Ice Cream, qui vise à « apporter le plaisir de la crème glacée à tous, quels que soient les choix et les restrictions alimentaires », est aboutissement de éducation, des expériences Ajoa et, par-dessus tout, de son désir de créer. Ses points forts incluent établissement objectifs et la résolution de problèmes.

Mentors

Aileen Agada

Venture Coach

Aileen Agada is the founder of BeBlended–a tech startup focused on the Black hair care industry–where she manages a team of 3 employees. On the side she is also a part-time Venture Capital Analyst at Emerald Technology Ventures and is currently completing a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (MBET) as a part-time student at the University of Waterloo.

Jeff Hylton

Mentor

A seasoned Supply Chain professional with over 15 years of experience specializing in demand, supply, production, logistics and distribution. Jeff's experience spans across several different industries in many varying capacities.

Jimmy Petrie

Mentor

Jimmy is a Talent Acquisition and Human Resources professional, with over 10 years of experience helping to build businesses and teams; that deliver effective results, growth, and navigate the ever-changing markets throughout Canada. Jimmy has worked within the Engineering, IT, Technical, Health Care, Marketing, Retail and Manufacturing sectors.

Naomi Adams

Mentor

Naomi Adams is the owner and CEO of Beauty Club Outlet, an online and in-store curly hair product and wig boutique located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada that provides hair and wig products to communities all throughout North America and the UK.

Colleen James

Mentor

Colleen James, award-winning equity and inclusion consultant, believes in challenging the status quo of racial equity and social justice. With over 15 years of experience, she has worked with many organizations to embrace the differences that exist within their workforce.

Named one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada in 2020 and one of the top DEI persons of the year in 2021, Colleen enables leaders to deepen their understanding of power and privilege, empowering them to rethink their outdated business models and create more equitable workplaces.

Chinyere Okafor

Mentor

Chinyere Okafor is a skilled legal practitioner specializing in startup, venture capital, and private equity industries. She founded Acelera Law, a boutique law firm that offers start-up lawyering consultancy and complementary services to small businesses, startups, and investors. Chinyere's extensive experience includes advising public and private sector clients on infrastructure finance, venture finance, real estate finance, project finance, and energy transactions.

Jennifer Seberras

Mentor

Jennifer is the owner of Simplify Supply Chain Solutions, a courier company providing package delivery for businesses across Ontario. Jennifer has 20 years of experience in logistics.

Celeste Lopreiato

Mentor

Celeste is the founder & CEO of The Conscious Farm Kitchen, a farm-to-table meal delivery service based north of Guelph. The Conscious Farm Kitchen allows their clients to eat in alignment with their values, and is focused on delivering fresh, healthy, and seasonal meals across Southwestern Ontario. Celeste is passionate about helping other women run ethical & financially sustainable businesses and serves as a mentor for various entrepreneurial programs. She lives in rural Grey County with her partner, two dogs, and three piggies.

Bili Balogun

Mentor

Bili Boboe-Balogun is a budding beauty maven who has built a 7 figure global brand in a noisy industry, leveraging the power of community. Surrounding herself with a network of professionals who do it best, her focus has been on building a business of accessibility and empowerment.

Vitalis Omambia

Mentor

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 border-less payment to migrants who want to participate economically and maximize social impact in the lives of loved ones.

Kyle McKenzie

Mentor

Kyle McKenzie est mentor chez LiftOff By CCAWR.

Jérôme Hylton

Mentor

Jerome Hylton est mentor chez LiftOff By CCAWR.

Jérôme Hylton

Mentor

Jerome Hylton est mentor chez LiftOff By CCAWR.

Anjola Tunde-Ojo

Mentor

Anjola has spent the past decade advising and working with a variety of companies in the technology, SaaS, manufacturing and service sectors. She spent her initial years gaining experience in the audit and assurance departments at KPMG and Deloitte. She later worked as a Financial Controller for a startup that grew 80x in revenue in a year, raising a series A funding round in the process. She has worn multiple hats including finance and accounting, sales, marketing and operations; gaining a breadth of experience in multiple sectors of a business. She runs a boutique accounting firm that caters to growing businesses and would like to use her experience to help businesses set up financial structure and controls so they are primed for future growth.

Orville Brown

Mentor

Orville Brown the owner of Villa Financial Services, a tax and bookkeeping service provider in the local Kitchener area. Orville Brown has been a Tax Accountant for the last 3 years helping Canadians mitigate their tax liabilities while being compliant and offer professional services. In addition, Orville helps small businesses with bookkeeping services that sometimes get overlooked because it is such a time consuming task for business owners as they focus on growing their business. Orville Brown’s goal is to help the small businesses in my community save money on their taxes while providing guidance and professional advice.

Kemar Lawrence

Mentor

Creative and tenacious Product Specialist offering 16+ years’ success transforming insights into ideas and ideas into products across the financial and creative services industry. Combines experiences in advertising, UI/UX design, product strategy, and business development to bring multiple perspectives that challenge the status quo and set new standards. Kemar has his UX certification with Neilson Norman Group, the leader in the user experience field. Kemar runs Islandlegalwills.com, a service for people in the Caribbean to create their legally valid will online, and he owns Casa Bloom, a Boutique Hotel. Kemar spends his time as a Venture Coach with Conestoga College.

Andre Smith

Mentor

As an entrepreneur and real estate investor, Andre emerges as a visionary leader and committed problem solver. His fervor for pioneering innovation and crafting transformative solutions fuels his role as the Founder and CEO of Flip & Floss. Through this venture, he champions a mission to empower children with essential financial literacy skills, facilitating learning, savings, investment, and the disruption of generational cycles.

Dr. Karen Lowe

Mentor

Dr. Karen Lowe, a small business strategy expert with over 15 years of experience. Dr.Karen holds a Doctor of Business Administration, an MBA, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies. Founder of Dreamer 2 Creator Business Magazine and Epigram Consulting Services, she specializes in market research, business development, growth planning, marketing strategy, and operational efficiency, offering insights and solutions across various industries.

Alex Ade Adefemi

Mentor

Alex Ade Adefemi, popularly known as Coach Triple A, is a UK-certified Mind Empowerment Expert, Peak Performance Strategist, and Life Coach. Alex advises high-level CEOs and business leaders globally and is a certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist and Neuro-Linguistic Programming practitioner. As a Brand & Business Development Strategist and Management Consultant, Alex works with companies in North America, Europe, and Africa. An international speaker and media personality, Alex is also an entrepreneur and investor.

Lena Thibeh

Mentor

Lena is the CEO of SOUK Consulting and an accomplished sales leader with over a decade of experience in driving results.

She's an expert in relational selling with her career spanning across the world in multiple industries including: real estate, SaaS & the fitness industry.

Daren James

Mentor

Daren James is a tech professional who immigrated from St. Lucia and lives in the Waterloo Region. He holds a Master of Technology Management, a bachelor’s degree, and several diplomas and certificates in education and technology. He has worked in different industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, education, and engineering. Daren is passionate about the community, philosophy and fostering environments where everyone can thrive and be their best version. His passion for community has led him to volunteer with several community organizations in the Waterloo Region.

Theophile Ossinga

Mentor

Theophile Ossinga is a seasoned project manager and strategic communications specialist who supports entrepreneurs in developing effective marketing and web strategies. His expertise includes managing complex projects from concept to execution, driving innovative digital solutions, and aligning strategy with impactful execution.

With a background in digital innovation and business development across various industries, Theophile helps entrepreneurs tell their stories and engage their target audiences effectively. His approach combines meticulous planning, creative problem-solving, and a deep understanding of strategic communications.

Passionate about inspiring and educating entrepreneurs, Theophile is dedicated to helping them achieve their business goals through powerful marketing and web strategies

Olabukonla Mise

Mentor

Olabukonla (Ola) Mise (She/Her) is the founder of The Successful Newcomer, a non-profit helping African newcomers settle and thrive in Canada. The organization fosters connection, learning, and resource-sharing to support immigrants in navigating their new environment. Ola, along with her husband Ayodeji, is passionate about building a strong community. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Diploma in Marketing Communications, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Community and Social Service Management. Ola is also a non-profit consultant, learning designer, facilitator, and part-time professor.

Nik-Keisha Moodie

Mentor

Nikki Moodie, a Visionary Growth Coach and Consultant with a background in finance and business development. I have an Honours Bachelor's in Hospitality Operations Management from George Brown College and am currently pursuing a postgrad in Financial Planning.

Nik-Keisha Moodie began her career in hospitality, where she developed key skills in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and leadership. In 2020, she founded Nik-Keisha Moodie Coaching & Development (NMCD) Inc., providing support to entrepreneurs in growing their businesses and managing finances.

Mthabisi Mhlanga

Mentor

Mthabisi, born and raised in Zimbabwe, has been passionate about public speaking since joining Toastmasters in 2018. Serving as VP Education, he has competed at various levels, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Championship of Public Speaking and winning first place among motivational speakers in Toronto.

He delivers inspiring keynote speeches and leads public speaking workshops for individuals, groups, and corporate clients, helping people become more confident communicators. Mthabisi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Simon Fraser University and is a CPA, with experience working for KPMG in Vancouver and Toronto.