Our Team
SONYA GILL
Sonya Gill is the founder of Doyenne Capital and is a leading female Digital Media Entrepreneur and Growth Hacker in Canada. She has scaled some of the worlds most reputable brands and coached dozens of teams on leadership and marketing. Sonya was also nominated as one of the top entrepreneurs by the Toronto Board of Trade and was the owner of Youzus; a Digital Marketing Agency that was acquired in 2015 by an award winning Australian ad agency. She has also published two books that can be found on Amazon and developed a highly sought after South Asian marketplace called Take My Sari.
Meet Our Board Of Advisors
Georgette Zinaty
Georgette has served most recently as Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations at UTSC, where, over the last 8 years, she has developed a strong and effective advancement program. She has introduced many innovative initiatives, nurtured very effective relationships with alumni and donors, improved advancement performance across many dimensions, and secured some of UTSC’s largest and most impactful gifts. Georgette and her team exceeded UTSC’s ambitious campaign goals and saw significant increases in alumni and community engagement. Georgette began her career at U of T in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering back in 1990 working in the Registrar’s Office. She then moved to our Alumni Office and then to the Office of the Vice-Dean where she served as Director of Operations. From there she took on the newly created position in the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering of Director of Advancement and Research and successfully led a $30 million campaign while contributing to the strategic advancement of that Department and the Faculty. She then moved on to the Vice-President, Research Office where she took a leadership role in creating a tri-campus network to support the University’s Honours and Awards portfolio that resulted in significant gains in international and national awards and recognitions. Georgette holds a BA in English and Political Science from U of T, a MBA in Strategic Marketing and Human Resources from the University of Liverpool and a MSc in Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies from the University of Reading, with both of her Master’s degree completed while continuing her work at U of T. She is currently working towards completion of her Doctor of Business Administration at the Henley Business School (Reading joint with Rotman) with a focus on women, leadership, diversity and inclusion. Georgette has been recognized by the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), the University of Toronto with a Stepping Up award, Certificate of Recognition from her MP and Parliamentary Secretary for her community work, and most recently by the Canadian Immigrant Magazine as one of 6 women across Canada for her work in leadership and diversity. Georgette has served on numerous boards and has been a keynote speaker/presenter and most recently a TEDx speaker.
Shirin Movahed
Shirin Movahed is a U.S. lawyer who is licensed to practice in New York, Florida and D.C. She is registered with the Law Society of Ontario as a Foreign Legal Consultant. Shirin received her Bachelor of Commerce Degree with Honours from Ryerson University, before heading to law school in the U.S. where she has spent the last 12 years of her career practicing corporate, commercial and intellectual property law. Having worked at several large national and international law firms, Shirin brings her formidable years of experience and expertise to her clients in the financial, entertainment, consumer product, celebrity, fashion and art industries. Shirin also enjoys giving back to the community as a mentor for the Ryerson Fashion Zone, as well as a facilitator and panelist with the Ryerson University Law Practice Program discussing diversity in the legal profession and was recently nominated to a board position with the Toronto Chapter of the Fashion Group International. She has lectured at universities, cultural institutions and trade associations on intellectual property rights and protection, as well as on what it takes to do business in the U.S. Shirin was selected by Thomson Reuters’ to their elusive list of New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars and top female lawyers, an honour which is only bestowed upon the top 5% of lawyers in each state.
Farah Kanji
Originally from Canada, Farah ran talent for award winning Toronto based startup, BNOTIONS - a mobile, data and analytics innovation firm and was part of this team from the very founding days. Farah was responsible for scaling the team to 60 employees of product thinkers, designers and engineers which led to a strategic acquisition by Symbility Solutions. Farah was also a community leader for the Toronto technology community and chaired several conferences since inception including AndroidTO, jQueryTO and the NASA Space Apps challenge. Additionally, she was involved in the development of the inaugural launch and intake of students for the Yorkville Media Centre, where it's core activities were to provide training programs within the field of digital media and software development. As a result, Farah was able to provide meaningful opportunities for participants to gain relevant job skills. Prior to joining the Factory, Farah joined London based startup, Onfido and helped double the size of their team within 6 months to help prepare for their $25M Series B round of funding.
Camas Winsor
With close to 20 years senior experience in corporate strategy and operations within the tech sector, I help emerging and established companies achieve business objectives and profitability. A multi-faceted leader operating with both a strategic and tactical lens, I have in-depth knowledge of varied organizational disciplines including business development, client services, product and operations. Armed with this experience, I’m able to connect the dots to maximize operational and human performance to achieve key strategic objectives. An innovative problem solver, I excel at developing and implementing robust and agile toolkits that empower teams to produce their best work, delivering client goals and advancing corporate objectives.
Anne Connelly
Connelly is passionate about harnessing blockchain and decentralized technology to transform the lives of people in developing countries. Anne is Faculty at Singularity University at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley & SingularityU Canada, teaching global leaders how exponential technologies can solve problems that impact over a billion people. She has been an active part of the global blockchain community since 2012, working with and advising notable companies including Jaxx, Ledger Labs, Bunz, and is currently the Vice Chair of the board of Blockchain Canada. She previously worked with Doctors Without Borders Canada in Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and currently serves on their board of directors. Anne has a Bachelor of Life Sciences from Queen’s University, an MBA from McMaster University, and a Fintech Certificate from MIT. She was honoured as one of CBC’s 12 Young Leaders Changing Canada and one of the Fifty Most Inspirational Women in Technology in Canada.
Usha Srinivasan
Usha Srinivasan is a recognized leader in the Canadian innovation community and in the past 10 years of working at MaRS has built some of the most unique service offerings for start-ups. She leads a team dedicated to both nurturing & developing the talents of Canadians through a range of diverse programs. Together, they provide advisory services and leadership training, connect entrepreneurs with program funding, help leverage market & industry intelligence, engage the tech talent community and work to make online and experiential educational content accessible through Regional Innovation Centre’s across the province, including MaRS. She is also passionate about making the tech community inclusive which she does as both co-chair of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging council at MaRS and supporting her team in doing this work in the ecosystem. Usha is a scientist turned market researcher and now educator of entrepreneurs. Prior to joining MaRS, she worked at Frost & Sullivan, a leading global market research and consulting company where she published key research papers, consulted for companies of varying sizes and managed a group of analysts to provide quality market research and consulting services. She is often asked to speak about her career journey and eclectic background. She believes strongly in the concept that diversity is ones strength, change is the only constant embrace it and in creating your own opportunities. She is a recent graduate of Stanford LEAD Executive program on Corporate Innovation. She has technical & industry background in water, environment and building technologies space having worked with global clients such as GE, Siemens, Veolia, American water, IBM, Honeywell and Brita. She holds a BSc Hon in Environmental Microbiology from University of Bristol and a PhD in Environmental Sciences from University of Abertay in Dundee, Scotland. She is an NRC fellow and has completed postdoctoral work at the US Environmental Protection Agency and University of New Brunswick.
Georgette Zinaty
MBA MSc Executive Director, Advancement
Georgette has served most recently as Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations at UTSC, where, over the last 8 years, she has developed a strong and effective advancement program. She has introduced many innovative initiatives, nurtured very effective relationships with alumni and donors, improved advancement performance across many dimensions, and secured some of UTSC’s largest and most impactful gifts. Georgette and her team exceeded UTSC’s ambitious campaign goals and saw significant increases in alumni and community engagement.
Georgette began her career at U of T in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering back in 1990 working in the Registrar’s Office. She then moved to our Alumni Office and then to the Office of the Vice-Dean where she served as Director of Operations. From there she took on the newly created position in the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering of Director of Advancement and Research and successfully led a $30 million campaign while contributing to the strategic advancement of that Department and the Faculty. She then moved on to the Vice-President, Research Office where she took a leadership role in creating a tri-campus network to support the University’s Honours and Awards portfolio that resulted in significant gains in international and national awards and recognitions.
Georgette holds a BA in English and Political Science from U of T, a MBA in Strategic Marketing and Human Resources from the University of Liverpool and a MSc in Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methodologies from the University of Reading, with both of her Master’s degree completed while continuing her work at U of T. She is currently working towards completion of her Doctor of Business Administration at the Henley Business School (Reading joint with Rotman) with a focus on women, leadership, diversity and inclusion.
Georgette has been recognized by the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), the University of Toronto with a Stepping Up award, Certificate of Recognition from her MP and Parliamentary Secretary for her community work, and most recently by the Canadian Immigrant Magazine as one of 6 women across Canada for her work in leadership and diversity. Georgette has served on numerous boards and has been a keynote speaker/presenter and most recently a TEDx speaker.
Shirin Movahed
Esq. B.Comm (Hons), JD Of Counsel – Foreign Legal Consultant
Shirin Movahed is a U.S. lawyer who is licensed to practice in New York, Florida and D.C. She is registered with the Law Society of Ontario as a Foreign Legal Consultant. Shirin received her Bachelor of Commerce Degree with Honours from Ryerson University, before heading to law school in the U.S. where she has spent the last 12 years of her career practicing corporate, commercial and intellectual property law. Having worked at several large national and international law firms, Shirin brings her formidable years of experience and expertise to her clients in the financial, entertainment, consumer product, celebrity, fashion and art industries.
Shirin also enjoys giving back to the community as a mentor for the Ryerson Fashion Zone, as well as a facilitator and panelist with the Ryerson University Law Practice Program discussing diversity in the legal profession and was recently nominated to a board position with the Toronto Chapter of the Fashion Group International. She has lectured at universities, cultural institutions and trade associations on intellectual property rights and protection, as well as on what it takes to do business in the U.S. Shirin was selected by Thomson Reuters’ to their elusive list of New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars and top female lawyers, an honour which is only bestowed upon the top 5% of lawyers in each state.
Farah Kanji
Head Of Talent, Founders Factory
Originally from Canada, Farah ran talent for award winning Toronto based startup, BNOTIONS – a mobile, data and analytics innovation firm and was part of this team from the very founding days. Farah was responsible for scaling the team to 60 employees of product thinkers, designers and engineers which led to a strategic acquisition by Symbility Solutions.
Farah was also a community leader for the Toronto technology community and chaired several conferences since inception including AndroidTO, jQueryTO and the NASA Space Apps challenge. Additionally, she was involved in the development of the inaugural launch and intake of students for the Yorkville Media Centre, where it’s core activities were to provide training programs within the field of digital media and software development. As a result, Farah was able to provide meaningful opportunities for participants to gain relevant job skills.
Prior to joining the Factory, Farah joined London based startup, Onfido and helped double the size of their team within 6 months to help prepare for their $25M Series B round of funding.
Camas Winsor
Chief Operating Officer at Rangle.io
With close to 20 years senior experience in corporate strategy and operations within the tech sector, I help emerging and established companies achieve business objectives and profitability.
A multi-faceted leader operating with both a strategic and tactical lens, I have in-depth knowledge of varied organizational disciplines including business development, client services, product and operations. Armed with this experience, I’m able to connect the dots to maximize operational and human performance to achieve key strategic objectives.
An innovative problem solver, I excel at developing and implementing robust and agile toolkits that empower teams to produce their best work, delivering client goals and advancing corporate objectives.
Anne Connelly
Faculty – Blockchain, Singularity University
Connelly is passionate about harnessing blockchain and decentralized technology to transform the lives of people in developing countries. Anne is Faculty at Singularity University at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley & SingularityU Canada, teaching global leaders
how exponential technologies can solve problems that impact over a billion people. She has been an active part of the global blockchain community since 2012, working with and advising notable companies including Jaxx, Ledger Labs, Bunz, and is currently the
Vice Chair of the board of Blockchain Canada. She previously worked with Doctors Without Borders Canada in Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and currently serves on their board of directors. Anne has a Bachelor of Life Sciences
from Queen’s University, an MBA from McMaster University, and a Fintech Certificate from MIT. She was honoured as one of CBC’s 12 Young Leaders Changing Canada and one of the Fifty Most Inspirational Women in Technology in Canada.
Usha Srinivasan
Vice President Venture & talent Programs – MaRS discovery district
Usha Srinivasan is a recognized leader in the Canadian innovation community and in the past 10 years of working at MaRS has built some of the most unique service offerings for start-ups. She leads a team dedicated to both nurturing & developing the talents of Canadians through a range of diverse programs. Together, they provide advisory services and leadership training, connect entrepreneurs with program funding, help leverage market & industry intelligence, engage the tech talent community and work to make online and experiential educational content accessible through Regional Innovation Centre’s across the province, including MaRS. She is also passionate about making the tech community inclusive which she does as both co-chair of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging council at MaRS and supporting her team in doing this work in the ecosystem.
Usha is a scientist turned market researcher and now educator of entrepreneurs. Prior to joining MaRS, she worked at Frost & Sullivan, a leading global market research and consulting company where she published key research papers, consulted for companies of varying sizes and managed a group of analysts to provide quality market research and consulting services.
She is often asked to speak about her career journey and eclectic background. She believes strongly in the concept that diversity is ones strength, change is the only constant embrace it and in creating your own opportunities.
She is a recent graduate of Stanford LEAD Executive program on Corporate Innovation. She has technical & industry background in water, environment and building technologies space having worked with global clients such as GE, Siemens, Veolia, American water, IBM, Honeywell and Brita. She holds a BSc Hon in Environmental Microbiology from University of Bristol and a PhD in Environmental Sciences from University of Abertay in Dundee, Scotland. She is an NRC fellow and has completed postdoctoral work at the US Environmental Protection Agency and University of New Brunswick.