GUELPH, Ontario, Jul. 3, 2024 — Boundless Accelerator™ is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its Board of Directors. The membership ratified the new Directors at the Annual Member Meeting on June 26.
“We are honoured to welcome our new board members to Boundless,” said Alison Crumblehulme, CEO of Boundless Accelerator. “Their diverse expertise and fresh perspectives will play a crucial role in steering our strategic direction and fostering the growth of the innovative businesses and entrepreneurs we support.”
The new board members bring a wealth of experience across strategic advisory, management consulting, co-operative advocacy, and operations management. Their backgrounds span private and public sectors, as well as roles in financial services, international trade negotiations, public and social finance, community service, and non-profit leadership. This extensive and diverse expertise will greatly enhance our Boundless Accelerator’s capacity to equip entrepreneurs to build innovative and sustainable ventures.
NEW APPOINTMENTS TO 2024-2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
- Bill Hawkins, Managing Principal of GROWTHBRIDGE
- Beena Tharakan, Co-founder and Principal Consultant of The Sector
- Jennifer Ross, Executive Director of the Ontario Co-operative Association
- Ritu Kohli-Sethi, Managing Partner at the Greater Toronto Executive Centre
EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE BOUNDLESS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
- Emma Rogers (Chair), CEO of the Norfolk General Hospital Foundation
- Felix Arndt (Vice-Chair), Professor & John F Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Guelph
- Jennifer Riddell (Treasurer), Partner at RLB
- Quintin Fox, Director of Training & Development at Gay Lea Foods Co-operative
- Shikha Jain, CEO of Green Energy Trading Corporation
- Spencer Waugh, President of Spencer Waugh Consulting
- Chris Kamarianakis, Founder & Managing Partner at Vector5 Innovation
- Sonia Varkey, Owner of Strategic Marketing Vantage and Senior Marketing Manager at Mevotech
MORE ABOUT OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Bill Hawkins
Bill is the Managing Principal of GROWTHBRIDGE, a strategic advisory firm helping businesses expand into high-growth markets. With over 25 years of experience, Bill has expertise in both the private and public sectors. In the private sector, Bill has served as Chief Operating Officer and President of a Canadian financial services group and as Managing Director of a private investment company with global agriculture-related holdings. In the public sector, Bill has held senior roles, including Principal Secretary to Canada’s 22nd Prime Minister and Chief of Staff to the Minister of International Trade. He played a key role in negotiating Canada’s free-trade agreements with 45 nations, including the EU, South Korea, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership bloc.
Bill holds an MBA and Post-MBA Graduate Diploma from the Schulich School of Business, a Public Policy and Administration Diploma from the University of Guelph, and a BA from McMaster University.
Beena Tharakan
Beena is the Co-founder and Principal Consultant of The Sector, a consulting firm focused on serving the social innovation and social finance ecosystem. With over 20 years of management consulting experience within the health, social services, public and private sector practices of IBM, Deloitte and Ernst & Young (EY), she transitioned to entrepreneurship to launch a consulting firm focused on supporting social enterprises.
Beena holds a Project Management Professional certification, an HBSc from the University of Toronto, an MBA from McMaster University, and most recently completed, an Advanced Academics Program in Data Analytics and Policy at Johns Hopkins University.
Jennifer Ross
Jennifer is the Executive Director of the Ontario Co-operative Association and a dedicated advocate for, promoter of and connector within the co-operative sector and believes strongly in their community benefits. She has 15 years of experience supporting co-operatives of all kinds in the areas of management, development, governance, legislation, advocacy, and education work. She has worked in administrative roles for a number of different non-profits, both locally and internationally.
Jennifer is a graduate of the Fundamentals of Co-operative Organizations Program from the Schulich School of Business and studied Non-profit Management at Sheridan College.
Ritu Kohli-Sethi
As the Managing Partner at the Greater Toronto Executive Centre, Ritu leads operations across multiple locations for a top-tier workspace solutions provider serving clients nationwide. With over three decades of diverse experience in corporate, professional, and small business environments, she brings a wealth of knowledge to drive business growth and achieve success. Her expertise encompasses operations management, process development, customer relations, and leadership.
Ritu holds an MBA and several other certifications, reflecting her dedication to continuous learning. Passionate about fostering collaboration and inspiring excellence, she is also actively involved in community service and supports non-profit organizations. Ritu’s current volunteer roles include Vice President, Charity Management, 100 Women Who Care Mississauga, and Chair, Professional Development Committee, Mississauga Board of Trade.
About Boundless Accelerator™
Boundless is an award-winning accelerator that equips entrepreneurs with expert mentorship, programs, resources and connections to grow innovative, profitable, sustainable businesses.
Accolades for our work include the Guelph Today’s Community Builder Award for Economic Development, the University of Guelph’s Gordon S. Lang HeForShe Impact Award, the National Enterprise Support of the Year Award and the CANIE Enterprise Support of the Year award for advancing Canadian entrepreneurship through leadership and impact. Most recently, the Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) Innovation Awards recognized our i.d.e.a. Fund program for Innovation in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Boundless Accelerator™ is located in Guelph, Ontario, in the heart of the Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor.
