Our Team

RICC came into existence under the visionary guidance of Pam Banks; now RICC’s Executive Director. With over 14 years of economic and business development experience in Ontario, Pam’s expertise is in developing and implementing entrepreneurial support programs by rallying collaboration from industry, educational institutions and government stakeholders. She strategically works to develop and grow the innovation capacity of emerging companies, assisting the innovation ecosystem in Peel Region to meet its full potential.

Paul is a business leader and strategist with more than thirty years of experience helping technology based businesses outperform. He has deep insight into technology trends and the challenges and strategic opportunities they present. As an entrepreneur in residence at RIC, he uses those insights to help entrepreneurial startups translate technologically driven disruption into innovative products that achieve market success.

Geoff is an accomplished entrepreneur with over two decades of experience operating and financing early stage companies. As an operator Geoff has founded, built and successfully exited five companies in industries including Software, Marketing and Financial Services. As an investor, advisor or board member Geoff has participated in dozens of companies primarily in IT, CleanTech and MedTech. Geoff continues to mentor business owners as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the RIC Centre and as a consultant.

James is an entrepreneur and veteran of the financial and environmental industries, bringing to the table over 25 years of experience from these sectors. He is Chairman of Environmental Business Consultants and serves on several boards including Actual Media, WE Communications and BlueZone Technologies. As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at RIC, he coaches business owners and technology developers through the process of commercialization. He is also on the Board of Directors for CHAR Technologies. 

Alex Senson, Senior Business Strategist, has been advising technology startups at the RIC Centre for nearly four years. He has worked with close to 1000 companies each with their own unique products/services, business models, team and challenges. Alex has a science background and holds a Master of Biotechnology degree. He also has a strong business acumen; having worked in business development, licensing and project management at a successful biopharmaceutical company.

Mariya Leslie is the Operations Manager of RIC Centre. Since graduating from the University of Toronto Mississauga Institute for Management and Innovation with a Masters degree in Biotechnology, Mariya worked in various basic and applied research laboratories in Toronto. Prior to joining RIC Centre she also delved into pharmaceutical drug development at Apotex. Today, Mariya combines her passion for science and technology by helping innovators fast-track their business to market through RIC Centre’s entrepreneurship help services. Mariya manages multiple programs for high potential clients including the Incubator Program, Volunteer Advisor Program, Professional Service Provider Program, and Champion Series of Pitch Panels.

Arushi is the Marketing and Communications Officer of RIC Centre and currently a Masters of Biotechnology student at the University of Toronto. Recently, Arushi has developed an interest on the intersectionality of healthcare and data science, and she is looking forward to encountering innovators in this field. She has a versatile skillset, being experienced in research, graphic design, programming, and photography. Outside of academia, Arushi is an avid rugby player.

Riley is a student in the Master of Biotechnology program at the University of Toronto with a passion for science, business, and entrepreneurship. He has previously run a company in the entertainment industry for several years, and is interested in how emerging technologies can help entrepreneurs & start-ups to achieve growth and success.

Jonathan has worked in various research laboratories ranging from start-up biotech companies to chemical companies in Fortune 500. He has a passionate for science, technology, and start-ups. Jonathan has a diverse skill set, with experience in construction, research, and laboratory management. His interests include volleyball, cooking, and writing food reviews.