Meet our team
Our team of approachable mentors build genuine connections with every client, navigating entrepreneurial journeys through business expertise and experience.
Nicole Stephenson
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Nicole Stephenson is the founder of Stephenson Law Group™ with over 15 years of Canadian capital markets experience. Nicole practices corporate and securities law with a specific focus on corporate finance and capital raising initiatives for public and private companies, compliance and registration matters, and will and estate planning for entrepreneurs and business owners. She also advises senior management, boards of directors and shareholders on corporate governance, regulatory matters and business strategy.
Prior to founding Stephenson Law Group™, Nicole spent over twelve years at the Ontario Securities Commission, a Canadian stock exchange and in private practice at a corporate and securities law boutique.
Nicole holds a Juris Doctor from Queen’s University Faculty of Law and a Masters of Laws (Securities law) from Osgoode Hall Law School. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from York University.
Alana Dall
Operations & Events Manager
Alana has been with the Innovation Cluster since 2017 and continues to bring her detail-oriented, organized, and solution-driven approach to ensure that the daily operations of the Innovation Cluster’s two incubators, events, and other programming run seamlessly.
Her responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Booking meetings between clients and partners
- Planning and executing public and private workshops
- Community outreach
- Internal and external event planning
- Managing the Board of Directors
- Assisting in program planning, implementation, and management
- Managing the Startup Visa Program
- Managing AR Makerspace
Alana has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Trent University and a post-graduate certificate in Event Management from Algonquin College.
Areas of Expertise
- Event Planning, Coordination & Execution
- Event Marketing
- Client Relations
- Community Relations
- Organizational Operations
- Program Planning & Management
Camila Duarte
Senior Innovation Specialist & Programs Director
Camila is an experienced technical project manager, entrepreneur, and life/career coach with eight years of experience designing, planning, and implementing projects for startup businesses in the technology, marketing, and customer-faced service industries.
Camila aligns technological progress, stakeholder management, and long-term value creation for all clients, and her leadership provides excellent service in digital and social innovation projects across the startup world.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and Human Environment and a post-grad diploma in Business Administration from Concordia University in Montreal. Camila is a certified Scrum Master as well as a Life and Career Coach.
When she is not at the office, you’ll find Camila reading, riding her bike, or doing yoga!
Areas of Expertise
- Strategic Planning
- Marketing Communications
- Information Technology
- Coaching
- Community Development
- Networking
- Complex Project Management
Lindsey Irwin
Senior Innovation Specialist & FastStart Program Manager
Lindsey is a seasoned entrepreneur, e-commerce pro, and social innovator with more than 10 years of experience working with startups.
Strategic, innovative, and creative, Lindsey has worked as a marketer for startup brands, as a freelance content creator, and as a small business and branding coach. She is also the founder of Old Jar Candle Co., a social enterprise that uses only recyclable, renewable, and all-natural resources to create a zero-waste, luxury soy candle product and innovative sustainability brand.
Before joining the Innovation Cluster, Lindsey managed the Entrepreneurship Centre for Durham College’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she worked with a faculty team to provide strategic consultation to student entrepreneurs.
Lindsey holds an MA in Creative Publishing from Trent University, a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, and a post-grad diploma in Marketing from Humber College.
In her downtime, Lindsey is hanging with her kids, making sustainable candles for her company Old Jar Candle Co., or enjoying R&R at the cottage on Stoney Lake!
Areas of Expertise
- E-Commerce
- Marketing
- Content Creation
- Branding
- Business Coaching
- Sustainable Products
- Strategic Consulting