With a vision to “propel growth and entrepreneurship across the region,” the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas is moving forward with the addition of three new board members.
Waun Broderick, Jan d’Ailly, and Kelly Hagen have been appointed to the Innovation Cluster’s board of directors.
“We are excited to work with our new directors as we aim to achieve our vision and establish Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes as a centre of innovation in Ontario,” said Innovation Cluster board chair Nicole Stephenson in a media release.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the organization “is at a pivotal point in its strategic transformation,” as it reinvents its approach to creating a future that aligns with both its mission and the emerging needs and opportunities of the region, the release noted.
“Our three new directors bring a depth of experience in finance, operations and commercialization that complement the skills of our existing board members,” Stephenson said.
“Together, with our existing team, our new directors will enable the cluster to capitalize on emerging strategic opportunities and meet rapidly rising demand for our programming and services.”
Broderick is described as a serial entrepreneur and software engineer, who shares his experiences with Innovation Cluster clients as an advisor and expert in residence.
An Innovation Cluster alumni, he co-founded Electric City Hacks while studying at Trent University. The university’s first-ever hackathon, the 2016 event saw hundreds of high school and post-secondary students from across Canada come to Peterborough where they had 36 hours to create innovative software solutions or products.
Broderick also co-founded a startup that raised more than $3 million in seed investment and launched two products for distribution in the North American markets prior to being acquired. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Broderick served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Broderick told kawarthaNOW he’s happy to join the board.
“I’ve been part of the Innovation Cluster for over a decade,” Broderick said. “They were crucial in launching my first business, providing essential resources that led to its successful exit. Serving on the board of directors is my chance to give back to the community and contribute to its future success.”
d’Ailly has led sales and business development for large and small technology-based companies ranging from AI vision recognition software to oil and gas document information management. d’Ailly was elected City of Waterloo councillor for seven years and has been an active volunteer and board member in many community-based organizations.
Hagen started her career in finance, first on Wall Street and then at AT&T. Following AT&T, Hagen was recruited to be the chief financial officer (CFO) of a 100-person technology startup.
She has since served as the chief operating officer and CFO of several startup and emerging growth companies in software, professional services, and most recently with Entomo Farms, an innovative agtech (agricultural technology) and food processing enterprise. Hagen has expertise in fundraising, exit strategies, and operations.
The Innovation Cluster said the new board appointments reflect its commitment to build a prominent and vibrant centre for the incubation and commercialization of innovation to support the needs of companies, partners, and the ecosystem.
Based in downtown Peterborough, the Innovation Cluster is a non-profit organization that supports clean tech, health care tech, agtech, and digital IT entrepreneurs in launching, commercializing, and scaling their businesses. It provides programming, mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities to help companies achieve their business goals and grow the local community, job market, and economy.
