Stiletto turns your big idea into action

Laura has more than 25 years’ experience in leading change, generating results, marketing products and services, lobbying, building relationships, and successfully negotiating new business opportunities and contracts. An experienced facilitator and an MBA candidate, she is a consensus builder who can bring diverse stakeholders together to drive transformative change. She has a wealth of knowledge in export markets and has helped companies across sectors expand and thrive in global settings. Her ability to merge traditional industries with high-tech solutions has produced meaningful economic and social impact for numerous clients.

Laura holds a variety of regional, national, and international leadership positions, and she has developed a strong network of innovators and collaborators. She is an award-winning business leader and is frequently sought out as a speaker to share her entrepreneurial journey and her passion for building communities of innovation.

Jenna is an experienced project manager, facilitator, and market researcher who excels at energizing and mobilizing teams. She has led complex, multi-stakeholder projects and generated high-impact results for research parks, government, and industry clients. Working with Western University, Tech Parks Arizona, Michigan State University Foundation, and other clients, Jenna has guided project teams to success by providing strong, personalized support from the planning stage through implementation. A skilled coordinator and communicator, she takes a proactive approach to involving project partners and maintaining engagement over the course of the project journey.

Jenna holds a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in entrepreneurship and technology management from the University of New Brunswick. She is a board member of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and has been sought out as a mentor, invited speaker, and Apex Competition judge.

Jeffrey has spent the last four years working in private student housing where he led the development team as Project Executive leading to the creation of over 3,000 beds totaling upwards of $320M in total costs.  Prior to that, Jeff was the Director of Discovery Park District Development, and was responsible for leading the nearly $1 billion development of Discovery Park District, a large-scale and long-term, mixed-use district that serves as the western entry to Purdue University and the City of West Lafayette.  This vibrant new community represents a generational opportunity to transform Purdue and the Greater Lafayette area.

Before that, Kanable led the contracting branch of Purdue University’s Sponsored Program Services, responsible for reviewing negotiating and executing over 330 contracts per month.

Prior to joining Purdue University, Kanable enjoyed ten years of successful management and team leadership in the commercial real estate industry, serving many roles in the acquisition, development and construction of real estate located throughout the United States.

A native of Lafayette, Indiana, Jeff received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Purdue University and his Master of Science in Real Estate from the University of Denver.

Austin has over 30 years’ experience associated with research and technology parks and developing successful communities of innovation. He specializes in governance modelling and launching new organizational structures. Having served in leadership roles with Innovation Place, Association of University Research Parks (AURP) Canada, and AURP International, he has been recognized by the International Association of Science Parks as a research park expert.  

Austin is a trained facilitator of the Pacific Institute’s Investment in Excellence program and a co-founder of TALM Services. 

Lynda is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and President and CEO of Aperture Capital Consulting, a New Brunswick-based consulting firm. Her specialties include corporate governance, administration of corporate finance projects, raising capital, business modelling, and financial analysis. Lynda excels in developing and providing interim financial management solutions. 

Tara specializes in professional communication, project management, and community engagement. She has over 20 years’ experience in private and public sectors, including roles in marketing, communications, and research management. Tara is a skilled relationship builder, and her approach to strategy development and stakeholder engagement reflects her deep commitment to inclusive and equitable economic and social impact. Tara has managed a variety of complex projects with multiple stakeholders, working with clients including University of Toronto Scarborough, Ignite, and the New Brunswick Association for Community Living.   

Tara holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Political Science. She also has a certificate in Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship. 

Cailee is an experienced project manager, data analyst, and grant writer who excels at communicating with clients and translating data into impactful strategies. Since joining Stiletto, Cailee has led complex projects with multiple stakeholders and generated high-impact results for economic development agencies, institutions, and businesses. Working with clients including Siemens Canada, Western University, University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Chalmers Foundation, Cailee has guided teams and clients to success by creating evidence-based recommendations backed by stakeholder engagement, data collection and analysis, and years of project management experience. Her approach to project communication and coordination is accessible and engaging, and she is committed to ensuring that project partners are involved and informed throughout the project process.  

Cailee holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Economics and Finance from the University of New Brunswick and is pursuing a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Development at the University of Cardiff in 2022-23.  

Gina is an agile project lead with over 10 years of experience in project management, strategic planning and implementation, policy development, and change management. Having created and managed operational plans, budgets, and institutional strategic plans herself, Gina has an in-depth understanding of the practicalities of planning and execution, and thus creates plans for clients that are grounded in realistic, achievable, and impactful recommendations.

Gina brings experience from higher education, municipal government, and industry settings, and is known for her ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders. At Stiletto, she has provided customized support and leadership to a range of U.S. and Canadian clients including Acadia University, George Mason University, and the San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory.

Gina holds a Master of Arts in community psychology from Wilfred Laurier University and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from St. Xavier’s College.

Joshua has over 15 years of teaching and research experience at the post-secondary level. He specializes in high-level research, data analysis, and effective, concise messaging and communication. Joshua develops a range of research products for clients, including comparative matrices and competitor analyses. He brings broad-based research and writing expertise with experience in health, cleantech, and the food and beverage industry, and his work has contributed to projects for Alpha Healthcare, the New Brunswick Association of Community Living, Ontario Shores, Ignite, and the Chalmers Foundation.  

Joshua holds a Master of Arts in English literature from Carleton University. 

Kim specializes in writing and editing and has created clear, engaging copy for business plans, proposals, feasibility studies, and economic and social impact assessments. Her work has contributed to projects for clients including Michigan State University Foundation, the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation, and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO), and the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists. Kim’s past work experience includes roles as a corporate communications editor, writing centre manager, and head of an academic support centre. A successful proposal writer, Kim has garnered funding from provincial and national funding agencies for academic and community groups.  

Kim holds a doctorate focused on plain language from the University of Waterloo, and her individual and group-authored publications include work on plain language, higher education pedagogy, academic integrity, medical education, public health, and interprofessional health care communication. 

Katherine is a data and asset mapping specialist who excels at data collection, cleaning, and visualization. Her asset mapping of community and entrepreneurship ecosystems, university research excellence, and research and technology park assets has contributed to insights and strategic recommendations for clients including Western Research Parks, the Michigan State University Foundation, bwtech@UMBC, and Innovation Place.  

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. As a venture capital associate at Venture Grade at Saint Mary’s, Katherine participated in several entrepreneurial initiatives and was part of the only university-student raised and led fund in Canada. 

Rosalynd Mitchell provides in-depth social and economic impact analysis, secondary research, data analysis, and information consolidation to make informed recommendations and provide validated solutions for clients. Rosalynd provided detailed research for New Space New Mexico and University of Toronto Scarborough in Ontario, conducted research and analysis on government priorities for Innovation Place in Saskatchewan, and led the development of a business plan for a New Brunswick craft cannabis company, Sustainable Craft. Working closely with Stiletto’s Chief Economist, Rosalynd has developed social and economic models to provide meaningful insights for clients’ unique needs. Her analysis helped Alpha Labs in Ontario build a strong case for its new services and supported the New Brunswick Association of Community Living in making a social and economic case for the organization’s new institute.  

Rosalynd holds a Master of Arts in Economics at Dalhousie University, where she focused on natural resource economics and completed her research thesis on Nova Scotia’s offshore natural gas market. 

Natalia provides multifaceted support including liaising with clients and conducting stakeholder engagement, outreach, and primary and secondary research. She brings experience and knowledge from past positions with provincial and federal government organizations, development agencies, and post-secondary institutions. With her skills in project processes, recommendation frameworks, and report development, Natalia advances projects and ensures deliverables are tailored to client and industry needs. 

Natalia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with an honours in Political Economy, and a major in Communications and Public Policy. She is the recipient of the 2021-22 NB Power Leadership in Communications & Public Policy Scholarship. 

Mikaela brings a keen eye for detail to the editing and production team at Stiletto. Her previous experience includes lab management, project management, grant writing, survey design, and working in a writing centre. She is well-versed in diverse qualitative research methods and has led comprehensive scoping reviews, nation-wide interview studies, discursive analyses, and has supported undergraduate students in conducting learning qualitative methods and executing their own qualitative analyses. In all her work Mikaela remains committed to clarity in communication and knowledge accessibility.

Mikaela holds a Master of Arts (applied social psychology) and a Bachelor of Applied Science (child, youth, and family) from the University of Guelph.

Victoria is a talented designer and illustrator with more than 10 years of professional experience that includes all aspects of print and digital document design. Specializing in making complex details easy to digest, Tori creates dynamic and engaging reports, slide decks, flyers, data visualizations, and other products for a broad range of sectors and clients. Most recently, Tori has designed materials for clients including Pima County, the City of Niagara Falls, the Collaborative at the University of Arkansas, Western University, and the Maricopa Area of Innovation.

Tori is an expert user of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Adobe Acrobat, and has in-depth training in accessibility, including PDF document tagging. She holds a Bachelor of Design (cum laude) from York University and Sheridan College.

Amelia Puñales is a project coordinator who brings a strong background in business administration, human resources, marketing, and communications to her role. She ensures that teams have the data and analysis they need to move forward with recommendations, and she provides a variety of support to keep projects on track. A trilingual communicator (English / Spanish / French), Amelia is at ease with a variety of communications, project management, and design tools. With an eye for detail, she ensures that decks, social media materials, and client-facing documents are high-quality products that meet the needs of specific clients and communities.

Amelia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Brunswick, and was awarded the R. Wayne Jollineau Prize in Business.