Startup Canada

Kayla Isabelle is the CEO of Startup Canada, working across the non-profit and innovation sectors on entrepreneur support, community mobilization, and fundraising. Her background includes executive leadership, communications, and change management, and she serves as a board member and mentor for academic and charitable institutions. Her recognitions include DMZ Woman of the Year, the Globe and Mail's Top 50 Changemakers, and the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Board of Trade Top Forty Under 40, and she has spoken at events including the GITEX Summit in Dubai and SaaS North in Ottawa.

Ali Taiyeb is Director of Partnerships & Ecosystem at the Vector Institute, where he leads enterprise partnerships focused on AI adoption and innovation. He also serves as Board Chair of Startup Canada. His experience spans corporate partnerships, startup ecosystems, and social impact initiatives.

Amanda Logan is a Senior Vice President in Venture Banking at Stifel Bank. In this role, she works within a group that provides commercial banking services and bank debt financing to entrepreneurs, investors, and their businesses.

Arielle Land is the Small Business Segment Director at UPS Canada, where she works with small businesses on supply chain and logistics operations. She has 30 years of experience in logistics and has worked with businesses across a range of industries, from startups to growing companies, on areas including inventory management, shipping, and cost reduction.

Carleen Dehaney is a Marketing and Communications Officer at Startup Canada, where she manages the organization's social media and newsletters. Her work focuses on communicating and amplifying the stories of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Isabel Nolan is Director of Programs at Startup Canada, where she has worked since August 2021 overseeing programs including Startup Women, Startup Global, the Startup Canada Tour, Startup Canada Equal Slice, and Startup AI. She curates the Startup Women Advocacy Network, comprising 13 early-stage women-identifying entrepreneurs representing Canadian provinces and territories, and has collaborated with Women in Tech Regatta on events in Vancouver and Seattle since December 2020. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, she previously worked as an events coordinator in hospitality and organized monthly pitch nights with Volition, and was named one of The Peak's 2025 Emerging Leaders in Entrepreneurship.

Teri-Lyn O'Hara is a Managing Director in the Venture Banking Group at Stifel Bank. The group provides commercial banking solutions and bank debt financing to entrepreneurs, investors, and their businesses.