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 clients including Western University, bwtech@UMBC, Planet Hatch, and Michigan State University Foundation, 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 is an MBA candidate at the University of New Brunswick and she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing), also from UNB.

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. 

Located in the southwest USA, Jackie is a former executive director of an award-winning research park. She has more than 20 years of experience leading a large public-private partnership in support of the park and recruitment of companies from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. A manager and leader of an award-winning state-funded small business program for more than 10 years, Jackie has successfully negotiated with state universities to implement a variety of programs. She is also skilled at lobbying state legislature and Governor’s office for additional project funds and driving annual economic impact and customer satisfaction surveys. Additional experience includes managing entrepreneur programs and designing diverse and inclusive entrepreneur forums, managing collaborative space co-located with multiple technology transfer organizations, and managing a technology maturation program.

Patricia is an information professional with more than 30 years of professional experience, specializing in customized business research, strategic planning, adult education, and marketing communications. She has extensive experience in the provision of competitive intelligence reports, environmental scans, demographic analyses, company / industry / market / product / prospect trend research, grant proposals, and knowledge mobilization. During her career, she has worked for multinational corporations, post-secondary institutions, trade associations, and all levels of government. Most recently, Patricia has worked on various US and Canadian client files, including City of Kingston, Queen’s University, Western University, New Brunswick Community College, Health Canada, Siemens, Invest Ottawa, and Michigan State University Foundation.  

Patricia holds a Master of Information Studies (Library Science) from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Education (Distance Education) from Athabasca University. 

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.  

Adam has over 10 years’ experience leading change and driving results for communities and businesses in Canada and internationally. An economic development practitioner by training, Adam supported the launch of over 100 startups across 18 sectors as the leader of the award-winning entrepreneurship centre, Planet Hatch. He has worked with emerging exporters to successfully penetrate global markets such as China, Peru and the United States. He supported the creation of hundreds of local jobs while leading Fredericton’s investment attraction strategy, with focus in the cybersecurity, biotechnology, and smart energy sectors.

Adam has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics and is a graduate of the Wallace McCain Institute. Adam currently serves on the board of The Order of the Wallace McCain Institute and is national special advisor to Global Vision. Part-time, Adam provides entrepreneurial skills training to growth-focused employers through his own venture, The Future of You Company, and teaches entrepreneurship at the University of New Brunswick.

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.

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.