Spark Centre is guided by a powerhouse Board of Directors with expertise across finance, marketing, sales, investment, and more. Their real-world insight helps our clients overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and grow faster.
Hari is the Chair of the Board of Directors and works closely with the board and management to provide governance and oversight of Spark’s C-suite, financial performance, risk, strategy, board rejuvenation and leadership transition. He joined Spark’s board in October 2021 and assumed the role of Chair in October 2023. Hari joined the Board of Directors at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (not-for-profit life sciences commercialization organization) in June 2024, and assumed the role of Acting Chair in June 2025. His professional background includes a deep knowledge of North American equity markets given his role as the Former Associate Director of the Bank of Montreal’s Canadian Equity Research Team, and his experience as a top-tier sell-side equity analyst focusing on North American biotechnology and specialty pharma companies. Hari earned his MBA from the University of Western Ontario, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto. In 2019, he completed the Board of Directors Corporate Governance Program at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
Business Futures Architect with over two decades of experience driving exponential growth and transformation across highly competitive, multi-million-dollar sectors. As a valued member of the SPARK Centre Board, Nikki contributes her extensive expertise in strategic planning, financial oversight, and human capital management.
Nikki’s executive career includes serving as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Commerce Officer, where she managed organizations responsible for up to $600 million in client billings annually. She has a proven track record of creating value, notably by leading a company through a successful acquisition that saw its valuation grow by 7X in less than three years. Her designation as a Business Futures Architect reflects her expertise in long-range planning, anticipating market shifts, and translating complex challenges into clear, executable growth strategies.
Nikki is a passionate, purpose-driven leader known for her ability to build collaborative and high-performing cultures. She has consistently achieved the Highest Employee Satisfaction Scores, underscoring her commitment to mentorship and talent management. Furthermore, as an Indigenous leader, she has championed Indigenous Mentorship and Recruitment efforts, bringing a valuable perspective on diversity, equity, and sustainable community impact to the Board.
Lori is an experienced board director. She has expertise in legal, governance, government relations/public policy and human resources with a particular focus on immigrant entrepreneurs and the technology sector. Lori has over 30 years experience working at senior levels at both provincial and federal l governments. She has been the Deputy Minister of Labour, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Associated Deputy Minister of Justice and Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development. She also has experience in the private sector having worked at the law firm of Bennett Jones LLP. Lori has taught at the University of Toronto Law School on the Charter of Rights, Indigenous and employment issues and published numerous articles. She is the current Board Chair at Windmill MIcrolending, Chair of the Legal and Regulatory Committee at PEN Canada, past Chair of Pearson United World College and past board member at the Niagara Parks Commission.
Tauseef Riaz has extensive international experience in global M&A, venture building and innovation. He is currently the co-founder of ConsidraCare, a platform for enabling global senior care, Mashkraft, a development studio, and Stock Target Advisor, an investment-tech platform. He also mentors entrepreneurs at various organizations including BHive, FI, TBDC and EquityMatch.
Tauseef has held SVP/CXO level positions in global technology companies, overseeing investments exceeding $5B in projects to acquire and build technology ventures and establish incubators and VC funds in many emerging markets.
He has worked with government organizations to enhance innovation ecosystems in Canada, Qatar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Singapore. As an Industrial Technology Advisor for NRC-IRAP, and part of its elite Large Value Contribution team, he supported over $25 million in funding for tech SMEs and innovation centres such as MaRS and CSI. Tauseef holds an MBA from Ivey, is an electrical engineer and a CFA charter holder.
Armed with a legal background and IP and partnerships expertise, Saleema has a global career that spans multiple continents and disciplines including her former role as Chief Innovation Officer for MCI Onehealth Technologies Inc., a high-performance healthcare network focused on innovations in primary care delivery and building a fully integrated healthcare and health-data ecosystem. Having learned first-hand that the best innovations come from the cross-pollination of information and insights from diverse industries and people, Seleema has a thorough understanding of creating synergy across cultures, verticals and geographies, within the innovation ecosystem, yielding unique partnerships and collaboration platforms. Saleema has also developed extensive expertise in patenting and nurturing technologies through the development life cycle with a series of healthcare & pharma technology projects, including co-inventing an AI-based sensor technology for counterfeit drug detection and other applications through the University of Oxford. Saleema is deeply passionate about mentoring young girls and women in STEM, entrepreneurship & innovation, and empowering them to excel in their careers.
Accomplished health-tech innovation leader with a proven track record in spearheading strategic initiatives and fostering groundbreaking healthcare solutions. Entrepreneurial background as a founder and mentor for dozens of startups. Demonstrated expertise in leading multidisciplinary R&D, driving results, and ensuring stakeholder satisfaction. Exceptional at building and nurturing cross-sector partnerships, with a strong focus on delivering impactful healthcare innovations. Adept in navigating complex international business landscapes, with a commitment to excellence in leadership and management.
Simon Gill is a strategic leader, speaker and innovator and is currently the Director of Economic Development with the Region of Durham. His focus is on building international and local relationships to foster economic growth, innovation, and diversification for Durham’s economy. Simon holds a certificate in Economic Development and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University. Prior to joining Durham Region, Simon was a leader in the global solar industry holding senior-level management positions at Ontario Power Generation and SunEdison.
Erfa Alani is the Inaugural Executive Director of Small Business Centres Ontario (SBC Ontario), the shared-services umbrella supporting 54 Small Business Enterprise Centres across the province. This first-of-its-kind provincial platform expands entrepreneurship supports, strengthens collaboration, and equips the network with shared data, insights, and tools to amplify impact.
Previously, Erfa helped found Invest Ontario, the province’s investment attraction agency, where she served as its inaugural Chief of Staff during its formative years. She also represented Canada in international trade negotiations with the European Union, the United States, and Mexico, bringing a global perspective to questions of competitiveness and innovation.
Her career spans more than two decades at the intersection of law, strategy, institution building and organizational change. She has led in government, civil society, and international development—including with the Aga Khan Development Network in Sub-Saharan Africa—where she advanced pluralism, diplomacy, and sustainable growth.
Erfa is also developing frameworks on ethical literacy, pluralism, and trust as essential capacities for leaders and institutions navigating rapid technological and societal change. She brings to Spark both a systems-level perspective and a commitment to advancing innovation that drives economic and social flourishing.
Sona is an Independent Board Director and Advisor with 25+ years of global leadership across the UK, US, and Canada. She serves on several boards spanning private, not-for-profit and government sectors. She has served on HR & Compensation, Nominations/Governance, Technology, and strategy committees, bringing expertise in governance, fiduciary oversight, and organizational transformation across regulated industries, family enterprises, startups, and publicly traded companies. In her most recent executive role as Partner at a national insolvency firm, she built and led the Marketing, Sales, HR, and Operations functions. She now leverages her breadth of executive and governance experience to strengthen boards, mitigate risk, and deliver impact across complex organizations.
Alfonso is the President and CEO of ORION. He has a strong track record in the design and launch of new and disruptive enterprises in the technology space and across multiple market segments. At ORION, Alfonso helps drive the organization’s strategy forward in a highly collaborative and strategic manner.
He brings his unique blend of experience in user-first service, teamwork, and strategic alliance-building to bear on solving the complex problems faced by Ontario’s research, education, and innovation community.
Alfonso sits on the board of ORION and OCAD University’s Digital Futures Advisory Board, serving as an Adjunct Professor in this graduate program. He serves as a Volunteer Mentor and Entrepreneur in Residence, supporting teams and companies at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ), Communitech, and MaRS. He previously held a similar role at Deloitte, after co-founding several technology-based companies over the last 20 years.
Hailey Wright serves as the Director of Business and Economic Development Services for the City of Oshawa, a role she has held since 2021. In this capacity, she leads the City’s efforts to attract investment, strengthen key industry sectors, and foster a dynamic environment for business growth. Hailey is recognized for her excellence in cultivating strategic relationships and building impactful partnerships that advance Oshawa’s economic priorities.
Before joining the City, Hailey spent more than a decade at Trent University Durham GTA, most recently as Manager of Community Relations and Articulation. Her work there deepened her expertise in stakeholder engagement, collaborative program development, and regional partnership-building. A proud Trent University alumna, Hailey brings a strong track record of leadership, sector development, and community-focused economic strategy to her role with the City of Oshawa.
Join us at Oshawa’s Fire Station 5 on Oct. 29 as we spotlight some of the Region’s most promising startups in Emergency Services.
Peter Crouse bio coming soon.
Dave Miller bio coming soon.
