British Columbia Innovation Council

Did You Know

Team

Executive Team

Mark Payne Acting CEO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dean Prelazzi Vice President, Business Development
Idea & Market Validation Stages		 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Paulin Laberge Entrepreneur-in-Residence This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Lin Kishore Director, Marketing and Communications This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Programs

Tomica Divic Manager of Imagination Strategies (Secondary Schools)
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sarah Albrecht (Maternity Leave) Senior Manager of Imagination Strategies (Secondary Schools)
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Dawn Wood Senior Manager of Innovation Strategies (Post-Secondary Institutions)
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Arlene Fernandez Programs Specialist
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nancy Powroznik Programs Specialist
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nadine Diner
 Programs Specialist
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Marketing and Communications

Lindsay Thom Media Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Danielle Libonati Marketing and Design Specialist This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Finance & Administration

Tarah Ferguson Office Manager/Executive Assistant This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fred Lam Controller This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mark Payne
Mark has more than 25 years experience in leadership, sales, marketing, emerging technologies and business development. Mark joined BCIC as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and member of the Executive team in 2010 and was initially focused on establishing a framework for province-wide incubation and accelerator facilities and programs. He led the merger of ORIC and OSTEC, which resulted in the creation of Accelerate Okanagan, the new organization focused on helping technology companies start and grow in the Okanagan.

He specializes in working with companies going through significant change, ranging from driving early-stage acceleration and revenue growth to reorganization and business turnaround. His roles have included CEO, Managing Director, board and non-executive director, consultant and investor. Experienced in international organizations, early-stage companies and startups, Mark has worked in the private and public sectors in Europe, The Far East and North America.
Dean Prelazzi
As VP, Business Development of Idea & Market Validation Stages, Dean (@deanprelazzi) is spearheading the development of programs to support technology entrepreneurs and startups in BC. An operator in four technology startups and one mid-sized software company over the past 13 years in Ottawa, Washington D.C., Silicon Valley and Vancouver, Dean also has significant experience in sales, business development, marketing, product management and business strategy.

As founder and principal in Management Adventures Corporation, he has consulted with and advised many tech startups. He has a diverse technology background and has spoken at numerous technology events throughout North America including Canada 3.0, Telemanagement Forum, The Software Industry Information Association, Business in Vancouver Breakfast Series and BCIC CONNECT.

Dean is a member of BCIT’s Commercialization Advisory Committee and the Canadian Technology Alliance’s Action Committee for Entrepreneurship and has been a BCIC-New Ventures mentor for the past four years. He is also a technology marketing instructor at BCIT and a Board Member with the Kids Up Front Foundation. He earned an Executive MBA from the University of Ottawa in 1997, specializing in technology sales and marketing.
Paulin Laberge
Paulin is a seasoned business leader with over 30 years in the high technology industry. As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with BCIC, Paulin's role is to identify and develop strategic initiatives of high business value to early-stage technology companies. His initial focus is to establish a province-wide venture mentoring service to enable CEOs to develop personally and professionally by learning from their peers and experienced mentors. Paulin has held a variety of technical and managerial positions in several public and private technology industry companies. He is past CEO of Con-Space Communications and three other technology companies. He is a current director and past Chair of ACETECH and currently serves on the Board of Directors of iCompass Technologies. Paulin is a mentor and a leader of ACETECH's Growth Strategy Program and is an advisor to a number of technology companies. Paulin is a professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Lin Kishore
As Director of Marketing and Communications, Lin (@linkishore) provides leadership for the development and implementation of integrated marketing, communications and public relations strategies to create visibility and understanding of the services and programs offered by BCIC. Her background includes strategic communications, traditional and digital marketing as well as product development. She has worked in the industries of technology, entertainment and finance and holds a commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.

Sarah Albrecht

As Senior Manager of Imagination Strategies (Secondary School), Sarah (@shoutsofsarah) is responsible for development and implementation of  BCIC’s secondary school and undergraduate programs. Sarah joined the Council in 2007 and previously managed Special Projects, Operations, Human Resources, IT and was the point of contact for the BC Regional Science and Technology Network (BCRSTN) and BC’s University Industry Liaison Offices (UILOs). Prior to joining BCIC, Sarah was worked in the technology sector, was a freelance journalist and played an integral role in developing the human resource and operations infrastructure for the BC Canada Pavilion, which showcased throughout the 2008 Beijing Olympic & Paralympic Summer Games. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Algonquin College in Ottawa and a degree in Fashion Design from Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design in Vancouver.
Tomica Divic

As Programs Manager, Tomica (A_tomica) is responsible for the implementation of BCIC's secondary school programs and the development of regional initiatives across the province. Tomica brings a well-rounded mix of international experience ranging from commercial law in Europe to public relations for consumer-tech and entertainment startups in Silicon Valley. She also led communications for Vancouver's YWCA Career Zone where she was responsible for managing its online and social media strategies and conducting community outreach targeting young job-seekers. She holds a Master of Laws degree in International Business Law from the Central European University in Hungary and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Zagreb in Croatia.
Dawn Wood
With over nine years of experience in the development and delivery of award programs, Dawn (@dwoodbcic) serves as the Programs Manager for BCIC. She is responsible for the management of BCIC's Mentor Program as well as BCIC's post-secondary talent development and research innovation programs. She also coordinates institution and sector-based research funding programs managed by BCIC for its strategic partners. Dawn joined the Council in 2001 and previously managed secondary school and graduate scholarship programs as well as a number of sector-based programs. She is an honours graduate in geography from the University of British Columbia.

Arlene Fernandez
As Programs Specialist, Arlene manages the BCIC Graduate Scholars Program and BCIC's Commercialization of Agricultural Technology (CAT) Program. She is also secretariat of BCIC's sector specific advisory group consisting of key stakeholders from government, industry and academia and works with them to design, develop and execute programs and initiatives, such as the CAT Program. Prior to transitioning into her role as Programs Specialist, Arlene was involved in sponsor contract negotiation and overseeing BCIC's participation at conferences to promote BC's Life Sciences industry.

Arlene holds a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and a certificate in Liberal Arts from Simon Fraser University. She is currently focused on project management and is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Nancy Powroznik
As Programs Specialist, Nancy organizes and manages various Secondary School programs and special events. Her responsibilities include overall administration of Science Achievement Awards and coordination of special events including Innovation Exploration. Prior to joining BCIC, Nancy worked as a Sales and Marketing Coordinator for Vancouver Magazine, Western Living, Teraspan Networks, and as an Advertising Controller at The North Shore Outlook. She holds a Bachelors in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Victoria, as well as a Marketing Management Certificate in Communications from BCIT.


Nadine Diner
As Programs Specialist, Nadine (@NadineDiner) participates in the design, administration and evaluation of BCIC's Imagination and Innovation Strategy programs, working with other departments, external program partners, funding agencies and the community. Most recently, Nadine served as the Outreach Manager at UBC Botanical Garden, designing and implementing events and educational programs in collaboration with donors, volunteers, academic, industry and media stakeholders. Previously, Nadine also interned at TVOntario (TVO), developing educational packages to support TVO productions. Nadine holds a Masters in Science from the University of Western Ontario, with a specialization in biochemistry to study the process of phytoremediation, and a Bachelors of Education from the University of Toronto.

Lindsay Thom
As Media Manager, Lindsay (@linds_thom) is responsible for the development and implementation of BCIC communication plans and activities including written communications, special events and media relations. Lindsay’s expertise working with various stakeholder groups including government and media come from previous work and volunteer roles in agency and not-for-profit. Prior to joining BCIC, Lindsay worked in PR & media relations at the Rick Hansen Foundation. She holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree in Marketing from the University of British Columbia.
Danielle Libonati
As the Marketing and Design Specialist, Danielle (@dd_l) provides creative direction to the conceptualization and promotion of BCIC programs and marketing initiatives. Prior to working with BCIC she worked in sport for six years, gaining marketing and design experience in both the non-profit sector at Sport BC and in professional sport with the BC Lions and the Vancouver Canucks. Danielle attended BCIT for Marketing and Communications and is continuing her education in 2D Design at Emily Carr.
Fred Lam
As Senior Financial Accountant, Fred provides support to the provision of accounting and financial services. His responsibilities also include financial control, accounting, and the financial and statutory reporting needs of the organization. Prior to joining BCIC, Fred worked in the information technology and the public practice sectors.