Our People
Our experienced team strives every day to support Canadian SMEs in their individual journeys, while empowering their success and scalability.
Leadership Team
Our executive team is deeply passionate about our mission, and lead our organization with clear purpose.
Sylvain Moreno
Dr. Sylvain Moreno is a neuroscientist, a global innovation leader and a tech entrepreneur. He is a neurotechnology professor at Simon Fraser University. He has collaborated in numerous studies investigating how the brain can be modified by its environment and the technology, with particular emphasis on how interactive digital technologies can impact communities such as children and senior population. In 2016, Dr. Moreno founded British Columbia AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub: Circle Innovation, a non-profit facilitator of digital healthcare solutions in Vancouver, of which he is CEO and Scientific Director. Circle supports technology co-creation using a collaborative community model called Circle Innovation created by Moreno.
Dr. Moreno is also a special advisor in Innovation to the Vice-President Office at Simon Fraser University. His work has been covered by The Globe and Mail and The Wall Street Journal. Over the last decade, he has authored several scientific publications and patents, making an impact in educational and clinical environments. Dr. Moreno has worked in academia since 2003 and held positions with the University of Toronto, York University, Simon Fraser University and Université d’Aix-Marseille. He was the chairman of Brain Power Initiative between 2011 and 2014 and he has been a member of the New York Academy of Science since 2006. From 2019 to 2020, Dr. Moreno has led, as scientific director, the Agtech Innovation Sandbox (AGIS) to support and develop the agtech sector in British Columbia.
Heather Campbell
Programs & Operations
Heather Campbell, BA, Dip. Gero. – Associate Director of Programs & Operations: Heather is an experienced operations professional with exceptional skills in program management, operations, governance, finance, and grants. She brings many years of experience to Circle Innovation, both in the non-profit and small business sectors. Having worked in the non-profit health space as well as running her own small business for over a decade, Heather’s unique perspective ensures program efficiency while supporting all partners in our projects.
Loki Jörgenson
Dr. Loki Jörgenson is a dynamic tech leader bringing 20+ years of private industry entrepreneurship experience to his role at Circle, having also worked within academia and non-profit. As a founder and CTO in Vancouver and Bay area tech startups, Loki provided strategic vision and direction, developing IP in emerging technologies for IT, finance, and medical devices. His PhD in computational physics (McGill) positioned him to pursue and commercialize data-intensive, machine learning, and predictive solutions for B2B and B2C. Loki has been an active member of several NCEs and research centers, adjunct professor of mathematics at SFU, digital editor for the Canadian Mathematical Society, and president of BC non-profit societies.
Our Team
Our organization is made up of smart people with diverse experience, an abundance of talent, and motivation fueled by purpose.
Maha Rehal
Maha brings over four years of experience in project management, product design, market research, business development and client relations. Maha earned his Bachelor of Health Science and Business from Simon Fraser University, and he is also a former BCIT Computer Science alumni. Prior roles include time at Avio Tech and Sauvier Accessories as a business owner, and Namdhari Construction as a junior project manager, where he developed extensive experience in business operations, strategy development and project management. Maha enjoys outdoor activities, travelling, learning about new technologies and designing new products.
Malcolm Kennard
Dr. Kennard has over 30 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries primarily in the areas of therapeutic protein production, drug and medical device development bridging academic and industrial fields. He is currently working as a consultant to Circle Innovation facilitating funding and project development and management. Previously he has held a number of senior management positions as Director of R&D at Synapse Technologies, Director of Cell Line Engineering at Chromos Molecular Systems Inc., Director of CMC at Protox Therapeutics and Senior Director of Operations at DBMI. Dr Kennard holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and prior to working in industry he was an assistant professor in Biochemical Engineering at Heriot Watt University, Scotland and later at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Tony Cheng
Tony brings six years of business operational support and client service experience in university administration, law offices, and pharmaceutical company. He earned his Bachelor of Health Science and is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration at Simon Fraser University. Tony has developed strong analytical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills and he consistently delivers high-quality results, making him a valuable asset to the team. In his free time, Tony enjoys community events, jogging in the forest, and swimming in nature; you will likely catch him in a lake or the ocean when the weather is nice.
Chris Carvalho
Chris is an experienced and certified project manager with a proven track record of successfully delivering projects on time and on budget. As a project manager for numerous IT system implementations, Chris has developed strong skills in change management which have allowed him to quickly establish strong working relationships with his project team and key stakeholders. His leadership style and flexible and collaborative approach allowed him to understand and meet my clients’ needs while delivering practical and tangible results.
Governance and Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors has played a crucial role in determining our growth and direction since its official inception in 2018. We are committed to best practices in corporate governance, and regularly review our governance structure and policies to ensure they incorporate evolutions in good practice. We value accountability in delivering on our mission and long-term objectives.
Learn MoreAbout Circle Innovation
For over eight years, our Circle Innovation Model has revolutionized the way technology SMEs develop new products.
Learn More