Partners & Sponsors
Sponsored by
Affiliates
PARTNERS: WEL OKANAGAN WMAN FUND 1
Camille Saltman
Current roles: Retired; Co-founder & GP, WEL Okanagan WMAN; Chief Marketing Officer, INCA RenewTech
Community activities: Building Committee, Art Gallery Kelowna; Co-Chair, Connected Communities, Okanagan Sustainability Leadership Council; former Board Member of the following: Opera Kelowna (Co-chair), BIOCOM; Wireless Life Science Alliance (President); San Diego Telecom Council/EvoNexus (Co-chair); Action Sport Innovators; La Jolla Playhouse; La Jolla Music Society
Former roles: Managing Director (Consultant), entrepreneurship@UBCO; President, MD Revolution, Malama Composites and CONNECT
Sherri Faloon
Current roles: Retired; Co-founder & GP, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Community activity: Mentor, Entrepreneurship@UBCO; Board Member, Vista Academy; former Mentor, Ottawa Boys & Girls Club
Former roles: Self Employed, Customer Service Consultant; Transition Lead and Business & Development Support, IBM; Director, Real Estate & Logistics, Cognos Inc.; Director, Global Customer Support, Cognos Inc.
Carollynn Schafer, LLB
Current role: Director/Investor, OKGN Angel Forum; General Legal Advisor, Trellis Social Enterprise Inc.; Sole Practitioner, Schafer Law; Co-founder & GP, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Rose Bhojani
Current roles: Valhalla Angel; Chief Operating Officer, NOAS Bookkeeping, Accounting & Tax Inc.; Co-founder & GP, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Community activities: Mentor, Entrepreneurship@UBCO; Entrepreneur-in-Residence, North Forge Technology Exchange; former Board Member (Chair), Real Estate Investors Alliance of Canada
Former role: Technology Sector Specialist and Senor Manager, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
Karen Christiansen, FCPA, FCA, CPA, CA
Current role: Partner & Business Advisor, Private Enterprise Team, MNP; Co-founder & GP, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Trina Warren, CPA, CA
Current role: Regional Managing Partner, Thompson Okanagan Region, MNP; Co-founder, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Community activity: Director, KGH Foundation
Ashley Ramsay
Current role: Founder & CEO, Yeti Farm Creative;
Community activities: Mentor, EM3 Sessions, Women’s Enterprise Centre Canada-wide; Board Member, Accelerate Okanagan, Small Business Roundtable
Helen Work
Current role: Co-owner, Corrig Capital
Community activity: Board Member and Volunteer, Mamas for Mamas
Former roles: VP of International Business Development, Everloop; Head of Business Development for Equities Asia, Cantor Fitzgerald and Dealing Director, E*TRADE Financial
Ria Kitsch
Current role: Proprietor, Kitsch Wines
Community activity: Founder & Yoga Instructor, Balance Tree
Former roles: VP, HR, Hiku Brands; Vice President, DOJA Cannabis Co.; Territory Development Manager, Waterplay Solutions Corp.; Vice President, Saxx Underwear; Marketing Manager, Terra Geothermal
Kelly Pedersen
Current role: Director, Indykko Limited (investment incubator)
Former role: Director, Tech 4 Kids Inc.
Jaclyn McPhadden, MBA
Current role: Co-Founder, Chief Administrative Officer, RecycleSmart
Shannan Schimmelmann, MBA
Current roles: Co-founder and Chief Adventure Officer of Liquid Kudos Beverage Co.; Indigenous Export Advisor, Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Interior First Nations;
Former role: Entrepreneur In Residence, Women’s Enterprise Centre of BC;
Community activity: former Vice Chair Community Futures Wood Buffalo; Steering Committee Member, Tides Canada - Northern Youth Leadership; Co-Founder, Taiga Adventure Camp
Rhonda Hymers, CIWM, CIM, FCSI, FEA – Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor, RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Current role: As a Portfolio Manager & Wealth Advisor Rhonda serves some of the most affluent families, business owners, sports professionals, and communities in the country.
Community activities past present: Board of Director for Third Space Charity, Passionate supporter of time and/or resources to Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Child Advocacy Center, Mamas for Mamas, Tree of Hope, Breakfast Club of Canada, Kelowna Food Bank, and Rotary among others.
Angela Nagy
Current roles: CEO & Co-Founder, GreenStep Solutions; CEO, EcoBase Solutions, Inc.; President, Tigress Ventures Inc.
Community activity: former City Councillor, City of Kelowna; former Board Member, Regional District Central Okanagan
Anne Marie Kirby
Current roles: CEO & Founder, CoreHealth Technologies; Founder, Metabolic Insights
Maria Correia, MBA
Current role: Founder WEvolve – Global
Former roles: Lead, Innovation & Creative Ventures, Social and Urban Development, The World Bank; Sector Manager, South Asia Region; Manager, Africa Region, The World Bank
Lesley Hobden, LLM
Current roles: Senior Counsel, Pihl Law Corporation; Owner/Creative Director, Sauce for Skin
Community activities: Board member, Autism Okanagan, Opera Kelowna (Co-Chair)
Joy Playford, CMC
Current roles: CEO, Playford Performance Group Inc; Forum Chair, MacKay CEO Forums;
Former role: Vice President, Western Canada, BDC Consulting
Nikki Csek
Current role: CEO, Csek Creative
Community activities: former Board Member (President) Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Kelowna Association
Jacquie Adam
Current role: Technology Leader (senior leadership role with undisclosed technology company in stealth mode)
Community activity: WiSE@UBCO (Women in Science & Engineering)@UBCO
Former role: Director, Technology & Studio Lead, Walt Disney Company
Renee Warren
Current role: CEO & Founder, We Wild Women; Investor.
Community Activity: Speaker, Startup Mentor, Advisor
Former role: Co-Founder, and Public Relations Specialist, Onboardly, Spark Boutik (Sold)
Miah Schull Olmsted
Current role: Student, UBC Okanagan, Bachelor of Fine Arts – BFA, Visual Communications and BA, Environmental Studies; IDC Freelance Staff Instructor/Underwater Cinematographer, PADI
Community activities: Founding Chapter Lead, Dazzle Okanagan, Zebras Unite (ecosystem for social impact founders, investors and thought leaders)
Former roles: Founder/CEO OCS Enterprises (SaaS consulting firm); Program Coordinator, Okanagan CoLab; Undergraduate Academic Assistant & Undergraduate Research Assistant, UBCO
Barb Marcolin, PhD
Current Roles: Associate Professor, Faculty of Management, UBC Okanagan; Research Director, Privacy Officer, Kinek Technologies; Management Consultant
Jaime Briggs
Current role: Business Owner and Team Leader, Briggs on Homes Real Estate Group at Coldwell Banker Horizon Realty
Community activities: former Board Member, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Kelowna
Alison Oxtoby, LLB
Current role: Lawyer & Founder Balmains Law Corporation
Community activities: Board Member (President), Kelowna Estate Planning Society
Former role: Director, Wealth Services, BMO Harris Private Banking
Dr. Meghan Van Vliet
Current Role: Diagnostic Radiologist, BC Cancer
Mimi Hurt
Current Role: Retired Professor, Management
Saskia Battersby
Current Role: Product Management Consultant, The Growth Spark; Product Management Mentor & Coach, Product Management Mindset; Real Estate Investor, Lakecrest Homes
Community Activities: Mentor, Entrepreneurship@UBCO; Board Member, Childhood Connections Society; Past President, Parent Advisory Council, Anne McClymont Elementary
Former Roles: Director Product Management, Visier Inc.; Product Manager, Analytics, Avigilon; Director, Solution Management/Product Management, SAP; Strategic Analyst, Ballard Power Systems; Software Engineer, MacDonald Dettwiler; Software Engineer, Infonet Software Solutions
Lauren Macaulay
Current role: Director and Kelowna Office Lead, IBI Group
Former roles: Green Building Service Coordinator, Recollective Consulting; Designer, IBI/HB Architects; Project Coordinator, IWK Health Center
Stephanie Andrew
Current role: Executive Director and Co-Founder, Capital Investment Network
Community activity: Founding Partner, Women’s Equity Lab Victoria and overall WEL organization
PROGRAM MANAGER
Sarah Sutherland, CPHR
Current roles: Program Manager, entrepreneurship@UBCO
Community activities: Former Board Member, ARTSCO; Co-founder, WEL Okanagan WMAN
Former roles: Regional Human Capital Advisor, MNP; Human Resources Manager, Two Hat; Human Resources Generalist, Grouse River
Jaime Briggs
WMAN Investor;
Owner, Briggs
on Homes
Real Estate Group
Interested in investing in our next fund?
Joining is by invitation only and is extended to women who share our vision.
Carollynn Schafer, LLB
WMAN Co-founder & GP;
Director & Investor,
OKGN Angel Summit