Sara Clarkson – Chair
Marketsupport Canada Inc.
Sara is the President/CEO of Marketsupport Canada and has been part of the organization since 2010. Marketsupport originated in Sweden and came to Canada as a start-up business in 2009. After, starting with the company in a Business Development role, Sara moved to leading and growing the business in 2011. The company grew to a National organization with over 500+ employees across Canada. In 2019 Sara, acquired the business and is now the soul Owner of the company here in Canada.
Marketsupport is a provider of third party outsourcing people solutions to some of the largest brands, retailers and manufacturers. The teams are able to provide various services in sales, merchandising, education, audit and promotion solutions in several markets throughout the nation.
When Sara is not managing her business she is a Professional Singer and enjoys performing throughout the GTA. She has also had the opportunity to speak in Canada, the USA and Europe.
Sharron Gilbert – Past Chair
Septimatech Group Inc.
Sharron Gilbert is the President and CEO of Septimatech Group Inc. Septimatech is a leading provider of quick change container handling products and solutions for packaging machines and conveyors. Septimatech serves customers globally with efficient changeover products for quick, repeatable machine and line performance. It is a full service, innovative manufacturer of custom engineered solutions for new and existing equipment. Septimatech prides itself on proven performance in every packaging change.
Lou Smeyers – Treasurer
CGA, Grant Thornton
Lou is a Senior Manager at Grant Thornton LLP (Canada), a leading Canadian accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax and advisory services to private and public organizations. As Chartered Professional Accountant, CGA he is primarily responsible for advising privately owned independent business owners and entrepreneurs in a variety of industries including hospitality, medical, manufacturing, distribution, real estate and consulting.
Lina Cunningham
Extend Communications
Lina Cunningham is the General Manager of Extend Communications Inc. Extend is a premier provider of call center services tailored to meet the unique needs of a multitude of businesses Extend is a Canada based call centre that helps direct and triage client calls, catering to industries such as manufacturing, small businesses, service companies, corporations, and governments.
Lina holds a Honours BA in Organizational Leadership, with a career spanning over 20 years in the telecommunications and customer service industries. She joined Innovators as an Intrapreneur in 2020. She enjoys being engaged in initiatives aimed at supporting aspiring leaders and fostering diversity and inclusion within various industries.
Larry Sainte-Marie
Pic The Gift and Majobu LLC
Larry is co-founder, CTO, and partner at Pic The Gift LLC. Pic The Gift is a print-on-demand manufacturer specializing in dye sublimation personalized goods, It is based in Saint Louis, Missouri.
He created Majobu in 2020, which is a SaaS for the sellers of personalized goods to address a need for automation.
After graduating from the University of Toronto with a BSc (Hon) he lived in Tokyo for five years, working in finance, communications, English teaching, mobile game development, and managing a restaurant. He then moved to New York City for 5 years where he was project management director at an educational software company while also dabbling in stand-up comedy. Following those travels he moved back to his hometown of Oshawa so he could work in Saint Louis.
Karl Scholz
Pacline Overhead Conveyors
Karl has been a part of the Material Handling Industry for more than 35 years. His career began as an Engineer for the conveyor company he now owns, but for many years he worked as a successful Sales Engineer for the largest firm in the material handling industry. After rejoining Pacline in a management buyout in 1999, he championed Pacline’s transformation from distributor of one product line to manufacturer of several product lines and has grown the company slowly but consistently over the course of 22 years. Karl has been a member of Innovators Alliance for 11 years and recognizes the important role IA has played at various stages of his business development and growth. Ideas, feedback and enthusiasm are always his key takeaways from chapter meetings and events.
Vernon Solomon
Environmental Systems Corporation, USTOR.CA Inc & Concepts to Solutions Inc.
Since 1983, Vernon Solomon has been driving innovation with the companies he has founded. Now the owner of 3 thriving businesses, Vern has continued to inspire advancements in the industrial HVAC/R, Temperature, and Humidity Control sectors for 45+ years, and in Cleanrooms and Biological Safety Containment services for 35+ years.
As a master of his industry, Vern has been a speaker at 20+ industry events on energy and operational efficiencies in designing and maintaining Critical Environments. As a mentor, he adds value through guiding conceptual design teams.
ESC is an innovative design, build and manufacturing company providing Cleanroom and Critical Environment solutions to a variety of industries from Healthcare/Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical and Biopharma Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Electronics/Optics, R&D Facilities, and Incubation hubs across North America.
Innovation and creation of leading-edge solutions is at the heart of everything we do. Our core vision is to “Create Environments for Success” for all stakeholders on a project. ESC’s BHAG is “Net Zero” Critical Environments by 2030.
USTOR.CA Inc is a family-owned self-storage solution provider in Alliston, ON
Concepts to Solutions Inc. has 9 patents / provisional patents and 5 trademarks.
Jason Stern
Exclusive Rentals
Jason has over 20 years of experience working in the real estate industry with specialization in income-producing residential/multifamily properties. He is the co-founder of 2 property management and a renovation/maintenance company, overseeing $250M+ (3,000+ bedrooms) in assets. Jason has primarily been involved in value-add and repositioning of residential properties including consulting clients on highest & best-use in the residential space. He also personally owns investment properties since 2002 with an understanding through the lense of an investor/owner.
He has always strived to be at the forefront of technology within the property management area and in turn has developed custom software in an effort to scale & streamline in what is otherwise a labour-intensive sector using technology such as RPA (Robotic Process Automation).
Jason is a former sprinter (60m, 4x200m, & 4x400m) at Western University (’96-’99) and a member of the 2004 Canadian 4-man Bobsled team.
John Ulcar – Special Officer
CrossLink Technology Inc.
John is a graduate from the University of Toronto with an Honours B.Sc., has earned a post-graduate degree from McMaster University with C.Dir., and has the Toxic Substance Reduction Planner License from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. He is also a Designated Official for the Controlled Goods Security Plan (meets the requirements of the U.S. 2011 ITAR).
He is a cofounder and President of Crosslink Technology Inc. and is very involved in industry organizations. He has been the Chairman of the ERF (Epoxy Resin Formulators) Committee for SPI in Washington DC, as well as a founder and President of the TRFA (Thermoset Resin Formulators Association) in Chicago IL. John has given presentations to the ERF Division of SPI, to the TRFA, and to PMA and CUMA. He also holds two U.S. patents.
Robert Wilbrink
BMF
Rob Wilbrink graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario prior to spending 23 years in the corporate world holding senior positions in Operations and Marketing with Procter & Gamble and RONA. He founded BMF in 2003 with the purpose of helping independent home improvement retailers renovate their stores. BMF has since grown to become the one stop solution (design, supply and installation) for retailers across North America in both the Home Improvement and Sporting Goods sectors. BMF is now the preferred supplier to most of the major industry buying groups on both sides of the border. BMF has also worked closely with many brand name vendors to these stores to develop and build innovative fixtures and displays to drive sales. Rob has been a member of Innovators Alliance since 2013 and very much values the friendships, advice and shared experiences of his fellow chapter members.
