Meet the RUNWITHIT Team

Armed with her BA in English, and finishing her MBA, Myrna started her first tech company in 1992, developing a commercial internet groupware product used by NASA and US West for real-time remote communications, followed by co-founding a 3D neural net visualization research company funded by an Australian billionaire. When they told her she couldn’t, she didn’t listen. Myrna passionately lives and promotes the imperative for inclusion, diversity, and representation.

Dean is an early web pioneer who has hacked his way through thought and market leading ventures in hypermedia clients and authoring, messaging and conferencing, artificial intelligence and visualization, communications and cryptography, medical software and devices, television and advertising, and large-scale enterprise. He is an incurable dreamer, non-conformist, and coding funder and founder.

Katelyn holds a joint Ph.D. in German Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from the University of Alberta and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. With a background in international relations, technology development, and higher education, Katelyn enjoys bringing people together to solve interesting and complex challenges. Outside of work, Katelyn can be found running, reading, writing, and travelling.

Mark has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, business planning, and strategy, raising more than $100M in private debt and equity. He has held senior finance positions at four technology companies guiding company founders through early-stage financing to enterprise exit. Mark obtained an MBA from the University of Western Ontario and a combined Honours Commerce and Economics degree from McMaster University. Mark is also the Treasurer for a children’s charity focused on education and life skills.

Melissa is an international business development specialist, with over 15 years of experience representing government and SME's in international markets. She enjoys learning from different cultures, playing tennis, and exploring nature with her kids.

Krista is a passionate leader who cares deeply about everyone she interacts with. Her 10+ years of professional experience span various industries, including sports and entertainment, oil and gas, and technology. A common theme across all experiences is her involvement in service excellence, connecting and engaging with clients and uplifting and supporting her colleagues. Krista holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Saskatchewan, where her curiosity about people and how they are connected to our surrounding world peaked. Outside work, her interests include cooking, hosting, working out at pilates, barre or climb, spending time with her family and friends, and finding the perfect wine to pair with life’s adventures.

Brent is a high-energy leader passionate about building partnerships that are rooted in shared value. He holds an MBA in Community Economic Development and extensive experience in the social impact sector. Brent is fuelled by opportunities to work with others to make our world a more inclusive, resilient place for everyone. Brent and his wife Kristy have two amazing kids, Jake and Casey. As a family, they love spending lots of time outside, especially at the lake and mountains, having campfires, and cheering on the Oilers!

Megan has an educational background in graphic communications and brings a diverse skill set from experience in customer service, administration, and accounting. Recognized for strong organizational abilities, dedication, and continuous drive to enhance her professional capabilities, she actively seeks opportunities for growth and development. Outside of work, Megan pursues creative interests such as playing Minecraft, sewing, and participating in Dungeons & Dragons. She also values spending quality time with her cats.

Kjell is a visionary business leader with extensive experience driving growth and innovation across industries such as AI, AR/VR, automotive, intelligent infrastructure and GIS/geospatial. Renowned for building strategic alliances, Kjell has successfully led collaborations with global industry leaders like Airbus, Esri, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Unity, and holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor in Business Administration.

Niloofar holds a MSc. In Engineering Management from the University of Alberta. She is passionate about understanding the behavior of systems, people, and processes. With her combined engineering and management knowledge, Niloofar hopes to tackle real challenges in a Synthetic environment by bringing strategic planning and decision-making approach using data, research, and technology. She enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants.

Sama has a Master’s in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Alberta (’20) and has co-authored multiple publications on sustainable bridge design. Her passion lies in creating an environmentally sustainable future, where underrepresented segments of population are seen and heard, and the AI is unbiased. As a shutterbug, she brings an artistic element to her technical role. Outside of work, Sama enjoys comedy, playing the guitar and attempting haikus.

Rory holds a marketing diploma from NAIT’s J.R. Shaw School of Business, & is working his way towards a diploma in Alternative Energy Technology, with a career background as a parts clerk & salesperson at various small businesses. He’s passionate about the emergence & future of renewable energy around the globe, and especially enjoys marketing communications - making advanced concepts easy to understand. When not at work, he enjoys tinkering with power equipment, cars or electronic devices, & is an avid music listener.

Over his twenty years in the technology sector, Brett has had the opportunity to acquire a diverse set of skills across a range of disciplines, including software development, product management, staff management, coaching, and mentorship. Through this varied career, a pair of common themes emerge: an intense curiosity and passion for learning across a diverse and often eclectic mix of subject areas; and a deep desire to help and support others — whether by building the right products and features that delight and empower users or by coaching and mentoring staff to build thriving teams. These same themes repeat themselves even when Brett isn't working, where you might find him knitting a pair of socks for a friend, cooking a family meal, or learning a new song on his guitar. That is, assuming he isn't gardening in his backyard, hiking or skiing in the Rockies, or cycling in the Alberta countryside.

Shauna is a professional agrologist who holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Alberta and a Diploma in Professional Writing from Grant MacEwan University. She has over 30 years of experience in research, writing, and trade-show marketing. Shauna enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her interests include gardening, beekeeping, dog training, reading, and learning the violin.

Amanda has a Master's Degree in Journalism and a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and community engager. In her off-time, she enjoys tabletop gaming, horror fiction, and listening to truly awful podcasts with her husband and pets.

Shaylynn is a Digital Media and IT - Visual Communications graduate from NAIT. She has a passion for illustration, often connecting emotions with environmental and nature-themed narratives through her work. With sharp attention to detail, she enjoys weaving digital painting in with the marketed message to create elegant design solutions. When not designing, she loves photography, video games, exploring the outdoors with friends, and all kinds of hands-on crafting!

Jovana is a creative technologist with an interdisciplinary background in digital technologies and computer graphics, working at the intersection of art, engineering, and science. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, and her experience includes crafting real-time 3D visualizations and virtual reality content for diverse industries. She is passionate about technology for good, diversity, and visual arts.

Mel has five years of quality assurance experience, three years of technical support and a decade of hospitality experience where she found her passion: travelling. During that time she developed the vital ability to think critically and stay curious about new, emerging features and technologies. Always eager to try new things, Mel enjoys spinning, pilates, yoga and crafts. On weekends, she loves connecting with friends and engaging in new experiences.

Nick is a huge Star Trek fan with a pulse on the latest tech developments. He holds a B.Sc Major in Computer Science from UBC and a keen interest in Synthetic development. A self-described ‘huge nerd’, he loves to build computers, repair electronics, indulge in Hi-Fi audio, and play video games.

Richard holds a B.A. in Computer Science from York University. He is experienced in programming, and Linux system administration. He is passionate about Synthetic concepts and software development. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, and studying philosophy.

Jessica holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia. She has a deep curiosity for how complex programs function and enjoys debugging intricate issues to get to the root cause. Always eager to learn, she thrives on exploring new technologies, libraries, and systems to expand her expertise. Outside of work, Jessica can often be found mastering guitar solos, composing her own music, or unwinding with a yoga flow.

Thomas holds a BSc in Geography with French from Queen’s University Belfast and has a background in GIS modelling and research within the environmental sector. He is passionate about leveraging geospatial technology to support resilience and sustainability initiatives. GIS allows him to combine his interests in geography, technology, and visualization, and he is committed to continuously learning new tools and techniques to optimize workflows. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, playing board games, and studying languages.

Sandeep is a professional data scientist with a demonstrated history of working in research. She holds a doctorate in computational physics from Panjab University, India, in collaboration with the European Council of Nuclear Research, Geneva. She has more than five years of research and work experience in CMS collaboration at CERN. Sandeep loves to analyze data and brings insight from that experience to RWI. She believes in spreading positivity and kindness around her; we are looking forward to working with her.

Sangué holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Alberta. She enjoys how diverse the world is and how people react to various situations in real life as well as in cinema. These interests combine excellently with her work of looking into how humans react, respond and behave in Synthetic Environments. In her spare time, she enjoys trying out restaurants, watching dramas/TV shows and listening to a diverse musical genre.

Ryan holds a Bachelor of Business Economics from Brock University, and a MSc in Management Analytics from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is passionate about organizing complex data into dynamic visualizations and models to identify emerging trends and insights. Outside of work, Ryan is an avid motor racing fan, and enjoys playing video games, watching TV/sports, cooking, and ice skating.

Keaton holds a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta with a double major in Mathematics and Physics. He's passionate about understanding how complicated systems work and uncovering what rules govern their behaviour and evolution. In his spare time, Keaton loves to read, play chess, watch movies, and spend time with family and friends.