Altruistic by nature. Successful
through nurture.
Our Philosophy
The word “alacrity” means brisk and cheerful readiness. Propelled by this definition, we help existing B.C. businesses either digitize or build. Alacrity works with local and global strategic partners to connect entrepreneurs and startups in Western Canada with investors. We also invite startups from outside Canada to relocate to B.C. to further stimulate and amplify economic growth in the region.
We’re driving the Local Ecosystem
Alacrity Canada has contributed to B.C.’s technology ecosystem by offering innovative initiatives that address the ever-evolving needs of the world’s tech economy. Alacrity has collaborated with governments at all levels to empower business owners and entrepreneurs and has helped many gain recognition globally for contributions in their fields. This recognition has helped to establish B.C. as a hub for technology, research, and development on the international stage. The organization continues to focus on the fields of Internet Security, Data, Clean Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Adoption, in alignment with observed global needs and trends.
Meet Our Players
Inclusive and diverse, Alacrity relies on the ingenuity and intuition of its bright and hungry team, and encourages its players to explore ideas and opportunities that they’re passionate about. This organic approach has proven to produce unique and exceptional programming.
Alacrity’s experienced mentorship team and our extended network of business leaders around the world provide nuanced feedback to Alacrity’s incubating companies.
Richard Egli
CEO
As CEO, Richard manages the operation and strategic direction of the Alacrity Foundation. As a team member, he advises multiple portfolio companies by contributing to investment decisions and connecting them to potential partners and investors.
Richard is one part visionary, one part diplomat. His role requires him to turn his attention forward, in search of meaningful opportunities and partnerships. Focussing on those that add value to Alacrity’s portfolio of companies, and evolve Alacrity’s scope and goals. In parallel, Richard hones in, sourcing and working alongside the next generation of tech leaders. He has shown great success in assembling teams, and leading them into strategic alignment, through pitfalls, over hurdles, and into the light.
Over the past few years Richard has also led the effort behind the Alacrity Investor Readiness Program, which has brought more than $220M CAD of investment into the B.C. technology ecosystem; and spearheaded the initiative behind opening Alacrity’s Shanghai office, meaning cross-border opportunity and investment.
Richard holds a B.Com in Entrepreneurship from Royal Roads University and a MBA from the University of Victoria with a specialization in real estate, venture capital and finance. He has also spent 10 years involved in real estate development in various capacities: as a builder, project manager, and investor, across Western Canada and the USA. Beginning in 2005, he began managing a $40M+ budget for a 74 lot subdivision project in Kelowna, B.C. to successful completion. He continues pursuing real estate projects in Victoria by developing and providing unique work spaces to the growing local technology community.
While Richard is immensely proud of the results and impact his team has achieved in the last decade, for Richard, Alacrity is just getting started. Being an entrepreneur at heart means that he is invigorated by newness and being ahead of the game.
Alongside his work at Alacrity, Richard is a founding investor and managing partner of Cindicates Investment Fund , is on the board of Directors for Capital Investment Network, among others; and volunteers for the Power to Be Charity and Hero Work.
Richard Egli
Chris-Massot
Program Manager - Alacrity Canada
Chris supports Alacrity’s ecosystem by advancing early stage companies, leading various projects, and enjoys going on (virtual) coffee chats. Within the organization, he assists portfolio companies with strategic planning, implementing new initiatives, and project management.
Chris’ background in program management, startup operations, business management, strategic planning, e-commerce, sales marketing and grant application, makes him the perfect lead for Alacrity’s Start-up Visa Program. One which targets aspiring foreign entrepreneurs who wish to establish new, high-growth businesses in Canada. In two short years, Chris has ironed out a roadmap for entrepreneurs to acquire visas and set up their businesses in British Columbia – all with the intention of growing B.C’s tech ecosystem.
While at Alacrity, Chris has helped secure $4M+ in funding for programs, supported 20+ startups in a “hands-on” capacity, managed and supported 5 Programs, produced tech related events, and has formed strategic partnerships with different vendors and service providers.
Prior to joining Alacrity Canada, Chris studied at the University of Victoria where he received a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in entrepreneurship and marketing.
Chris is dedicated to empowering and growing B.C.-based startups, Global startups, and entrepreneurs through a variety of programs and resources.
Chris Massot
Chrystal Boyd
Office Manager
Chrystal is the first face one sees upon entering Alacrity Canada's HQ. She manages the space, supports our players and assists the accounting department.
Chrystal’s zeal for assisting and helping others perfectly aligns with Alacrity’s overall mission. Chrystal holds a vocational degree in Business Administration from The Shadd Health and Business Centre, and has spent ten years honing her people skills tending bar at some of Montreal’s coziest pubs. She found her way into Business Admin through years of hospitality work. With a strong work ethic, eye for detail, and ability to multitask, Chrystal's skillset & talents have been invaluable to our team.
Chrystal enjoys any opportunity to support portfolio companies, partners and the community. She has been a key player in many of the office’s events, from Turn the Tables, to our annual Pie-In-The-Face Fundraiser, and the Internship Search with the University of Victoria. From the moment Chrystal walked into Alacrity Canada she was drawn into the vibration of the space. Its energy, and friendly team, made her realize she couldn’t imagine not working with an enlivened community. Her time at Alacrity has instilled her with an invaluable wealth of knowledge and experience.
Chrystal Boyd
Ania-Wysocka
Digital Marketing Program Director
Ania leads communications and branding for Alacrity Canada. She is entrepreneurial by nature, with a strong sense for effective design, languages & cross-cultural communication.
Ania developed the Digital Marketing Bootcamp, a virtual skills-training program that prepares individuals and businesses for the digital marketplace by equipping students with marketing best practices, tools and resources. In partnership with the government of British Columbia, the Bootcamp has educated over 4000 residents of British Columbia since 2019.
As a graduate from the University of British Columbia’s International Relations program, and lifelong proponent of travel, living abroad, and experiencing new cultures, Ania embraces Alacrity’s mission to empower growth in technology startups on a global scale.
Ania has used her graphic design, relation building, content curation, project management, and branding talents to contribute to numerous companies in Canada's technology sector. The skillsets and interests Ania brings to Alacrity help make her suited for her additional areas of involvement, which include investor and stakeholder relations, design, and media creation.
Ania is also the founder of Rootd - the #1 rated mobile app for anxiety & panic attack relief. Ania designed and created Rootd’s complete content and has led the business to over 1000,000 users in over 150 countries. Her unique combination of graphic design, marketing, and subject matter expertise provide Rootd with its unmistakable personality.
She is a polyglot who enjoys studying languages, running long distances, reading fiction that explores themes of identity and culture, and working on projects to help end the stigma surrounding anxiety and mental health.
Ania Wysocka
Burak-Evren
Burak Evren
Terry Matthews
Terry Matthews - Wesley Clover International
Terry founded Alacrity with his son Owen Matthews and friend, Simon Gibbons. His experience as the founder and Chairman of Wesley Clover International, and as a founder/funder of more than 100 companies, has been indispensable in building Alacrity and its portfolio. Since 1972, Terry has founded or funded more than 100 companies. Early data networking giant Newbridge Networks and current business communications leader Mitel are highlights.
Today, Wesley Clover, his investment and holdings company, has active interests in a range of innovative cloud and SaaS technology companies, as well as in selected commercial and leisure real estate. Terry holds an Honours degree in electronics from the University of Wales, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers and of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
In 1994, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and in 2001, the Queen made him a Knight Bachelor. In 2017, Terry was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Terry Matthews
Laura Tiernay
Executive Administrative Assistant
Laura Tierny is the executive Administrative Assistant for the Digital Marketing Program Director. She administers online course material, and assists with the Programs Marketing Initiatives, Customer Support, Scheduling, and Task Management.
Laura’s administrative career has covered the design, construction, medical office, and religious institution sectors. This broad experience has enhanced her ability to contribute creatively and deftly in this position. She values the strong and positive team environment that she is a part of at Alacrity. As the Alacrity Academy grows, Laura is dedicated to contribute to the continued success and growth of our educational offerings.
Laura Tiernay
Justyn Maglalang
Program Manager
Justyn is a Project Manager at Alacrity and Project Lead within the organization. Most recently, he oversaw the Launch Online Grant program, where he managed relationships between the B.C Government, program partners, and Operations.
Impressed by the culture and potential opportunities within the organization, Justyn jumped at the chance to join Alacrity Canada. Justyn has over 12 years experience managing various types of projects. Prior to joining the team, Justyn spent over 5 years in the performance marketing industry where he led and coached teams in Operations, Sales, and Media Buying. After discovering his “zone of genius” within data & operations, Justyn started his own operations consulting business where he uses data and automations as his superpower. His technical skill set includes: MySQL, APIs, Salesforce, Data Analytics, and more.
Justyn is an analytical leader who enjoys harnessing the power of data in order to drive better operational decision making. He builds strong relationships both internally and externally in order to ensure projects run smoothly and that they meet their deadlines.
Justyn Maglalang
Golriz Fattahi
VP of Operations
As Vice President of Operations, Golriz works with internal and external stakeholders to support access to funding for programming and education. She also acts as our head recruiter, and is our culture enthusiast, providing a safe space for collaborative efforts.
Golriz holds a BA from Simon Fraser University and is a seasoned Operations Manager with over 15 years of experience in Retail, Recruitment, Research, Non for Profit, Fundraising, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship. Her areas of expertise are People Management (HR), Recruitment, Government Relations and Grant Writing. Something Alacrity Canada does a lot of in order to fund our Programs and Initiatives. Before Alacrity, Golriz worked in research within the recruitment industry as a Project Manager. Prior to that, she worked as a junior estimator in a construction company as well as a store manager for Starbucks – where she first realized how good her people skills were.
Golriz is a dedicated project manager, delivering exceptional programs through various Alacrity initiatives, including the launch and expansion of the Entreprenurship@Alacrity program in 2009. Currently, Golriz works with the Digital Marketing Bootcamp team and the BC Cleantech Initiative group on a number of program offerings, including the delivery of the Recycled Plastics Manufacturing Stimulus Fund. Golriz is also in charge of reporting to the government and funding partners for the above mentioned programs.
She is actively involved in building and growing the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion principals at Alacrity, bringing that focus to all portfolio companies, and is a member of Canadian Accelerator Incubator Network.
Golriz Fattahi
Sofie-Campbell
Cleantech Marketing Specialist
Sofie Campbell specializes in written and video content production, communications planning and portfolio company relationship management for our Cleantech Program.
Sofie supports the Cleantech Program team and its portfolio companies in their ongoing marketing activities. Many of Sofie’s responsibilities lie in nurturing the Cleantech Program’s relationships with its portfolio companies, to ensure that we deliver high-value and tailored support. Sofie has spearheaded the establishment of a key program partnership with the University of Victoria and is always on the lookout for other possible collaborations and partnerships in order to continue to offer high-quality events and opportunities to the Program’s portfolio companies.
Before coming to Alacrity, Sofie worked in Project Communications and Internal Communications at the global engineering and management consulting firm, Ramboll. She has experience working in Public Relations for companies, large and small. The thread that weaves through her 5+ years of experiences is her joy for writing and aptitude for distilling complex information into its most simple form. With a keen eye for design and a natural inclination towards collaboration, Sofie contributes to teams with energy and detail, pursuing novel promotional opportunities and engagements.
Sofie admires Alacrity’s dynamic and fast-moving approach and its commitment to continuously seeking out new opportunities and programs.
Sofie Campbell
Jennifer-Hodi
Administrative Assistant
With 15+ years in Customer Service in various industries, Jennifer’s experience & innate ability to read people’s needs, readies her to support Alacrity Canada in various capacities.
Jennifer was attracted to Alacrity because of its people, who all embody the organization’s meaning: brisk and cheerful readiness. Jennifer is solution-focused and offers her observation and organizational skills to support the Operations, Human Resources and Finance teams with administrative tasks.
Her support with creating a training program for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been instrumental in aiding our team in deepening their understanding and commitment to creating an inclusive workplace for all. Jennifer has also launched our HR platform to support our growing team.
Jennifer is currently enrolled in the Therapeutic Arts Practitioner program with the Canadian International Institute of Art Therapy, pursuing her interest in healing and the arts.
Jennifer Hodi
Galyna-Kulykova
Bookkeeper
Galyna runs our bookkeeping department facilitating payroll both in-house, and for our clients.
New to the team, Galyna is bringing a fresh perspective to our Accounting and Bookkeeping department. She holds a BA in Hospitality Management and a Post-Degree Diploma in Business Administration with an accounting major. Galyna endeavors to become a fundamental piece within Alacrity’s team. One who can be the face of the Accounting Department while meeting new clients and supporting them set up their processes and procedures for their businesses.
Upon first landing on Alacrity Canada’s homepage, Galyna felt like the organization was unique. It’s goal to help entrepreneurs and the B.C. ecosystem at large was new to her, and it felt meaningful. Upon arrival, to see how engaged her colleagues are in the day-to-day operations, she realized her gut instinct had been right.
Galyna Kulykova
Sofia-Rizzo
Project Coordinator - Start-up Visa Program
Sofia has completed Alacrity Canada’s Digital Marketing Bootcamp and holds a BA in Administration, for both Business and Theatre Management. With her experience in Event Planning, Project Coordination, and Administration, she has fine tuned the ability to communicate and multi-task. These skills developed by managing various programs, events, shows, festivals and workshops for non-profit organizations across Canada.
Sofia helps oversee the Start-up Visa Program, supporting tech startups from around the world establish their businesses in Canada. She has assessed and supported over 100 international tech startups entering the Canadian market. She has also had the opportunity to support the Launch Online Program team in administering $42 million in grants to small businesses.
Sofia was attracted to Alacrity Canada due to its culture, work environment, its community, and how innovative she found the projects Alacrity Canada runs. She means to continue to expand her own skills and knowledge within the tech industry and support the success of Start-up Visa companies from start to finish. Her ultimate goal is to build opportunities for women in tech to succeed.
Alongside her career at Alacrity Canada, Sofia supports Power To Be by doing grant research and processing data from fundraisers and campaigns. This charity works to remove cognitive, physical and social barriers to the outdoors.
Sofia Rizzo
Kalyn Adams
Digital Marketing Advisor - Alacrity Digital Marketing Bootcamp
As an Advisor and Facilitator for our Digital Marketing Bootcamp, Kalyn engages students through our learning platform, thinkific, and hosts Q&A webinars.
Kalyn has a BS in Sociology and a BA in Humanities. She mastered the art of strategic Digital Marketing through her own experience as a small business entrepreneur. This led her to support small businesses as their Digital Marketing consultant, and the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology as their advisor on an ongoing basis.
For our Digital Marketing Bootcamp, Kalyn passes on her 7 years of experience by facilitating three areas of study: Email Marketing, Pinterest, and Google Analytics.
Kalyn has been motivated by the success rate of the Bootcamp, and seeing those struggling to turning their businesses on their heads, especially during the pandemic.
Kalyn Adams
Pearce Hannah
Digital Marketing Coordinator
As the Alacrity Academy’s Digital Marketing Coordinator, Pearce harnesses his marketing experience to grow and enliven the Academy’s social platforms and website. In addition, his acute knowledge in Project Management and Strategic Planning makes him a great asset in assisting with the development of the Bootcamp’s webinar series.
Pearce is a graduate of both a BBA in Marketing Management from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Alacrity Academy Digital Marketing Bootcamp. His digital marketing knowledge is broad and includes but is not limited to: email marketing, content marketing, website development, analytical evaluation, copywriting, and search engine optimization (SEO).
Prior to joining the Alacrity Academy team, Pearce worked as a Marketing and Sales Manager for a home decor wholesaler. He then moved to Alacrity as a valuable player for the Launch Online Program. On this team, he contributed to the program’s development as a Project Coordinator and he consulted BC-based businesses throughout the program.
Today, Pearce’s work directly impacts the trajectory of Alacrity Academy’s Bootcamps. He believes the Academy is a high-quality resource for those wishing to pivot careers or expand their capabilities in the domain of Digital Marketing, while also being cost-effective and efficient for students.
Pearce is dedicated to perpetual education, constantly enhancing his breadth and scope of expertise and understanding of the digital realm. He sees immense growth opportunity for the Academy, having first-hand experience of its meaningful impact on business owners and employees alike.
Pearce Hannah
Simon Adnams
Controller
Simon manages Alacrity Canada’s financial and operational matters. His nine years of experience in taxation, assurance, infrastructure and energy, non-profits, and start-ups has led him to develop a wide spectrum of skills, which he contributes to Alacrity and its associated entities.
After completing a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Finance, at University of British Columbia, he subsequently completed a CPA designation. Previously, Simon provided financial services to large-scale infrastructure projects with assets in excess of $100M. Simon now sits as controller of the Alacrity Foundation and a number of the portfolio companies with which it is involved.
He also acts as the administrator of multi-million dollar Federal and Provincial government programs by allocating these funds to Alacrity Foundation and unrelated third parties, subject to government criteria.
Simon has found his home here at Alacrity, not only because of the interesting projects and companies which require his tactical diligence, but also because of the people with whom he gets to work with daily.
Simon Adnams
Danielle Anslow
Student Success Coordinator
As a Student Success Coordinator, Dani utilizes her 20+ years of customer service experience, data entry, and knowledge of customer relationship management tools to ensure students are sufficiently onboarded and supported throughout their Bootcamp experience.
Having transitioned through several careers due to an injury and family needs, Dani is a source for students who are navigating change. Her varied background is shown through her versatile education. She holds a Hair Design ABC Cutting Certification from Vidal Sassoon Academy, a Hair Design and Pivot Point Certification, and is also a graduate of the Alacrity Academy Digital Bootcamp. Most recently, Dani completed her Diploma in Paraeducation, graduating with Honors, at Ashworth College.
Customer service has always been an integral part of Dani’s career, starting her work with people in her first job at her family’s coffee shop, Shaw ‘N’ Finnegans. She then moved into tech, working in multiple departments within CompuSmart (previously Tesseract) and for a software solutions company before transitioning into hair design, becoming an Educator for the Kerastase and Kevin Murphy product lines.
After a forearm injury prevented her from being able to perform behind the chair, Dani pivoted back into tech, with the pandemic sending her on yet another adventure. Through homeschooling her step children, one of whom required further assistance, she took to her studies again, this time focusing on Paraeducation.
Dani cut her teeth at Alacrity Canada as the Application Coordinator for the Launch Online Program. She applied her skillset to support 5,669 funded businesses to get online and amplify their sales. Her success drew the attention of the Alacrity Academy team. As the Academy’s Student Success Coordinator, Dani is excited to assist people and businesses in receiving access to resources that prepare them for the digital marketplace.
Dani actively uses her digital knowledge in her own entrepreneurial endeavour, a podcast that’s launching soon!
Danielle Anslow
Mike Williams
Digital Marketing Program Facilitator
Mike facilitates the Digital Marketing Course at Alacrity Academy, teaching Digital Marketing and Digital Customer Acquisition.
Mike is also the CEO and cofounder of Jetstream Digital, where he leads the team, manages client relationships, and helps grow the company alongside client revenues. The agency provides digital marketing services for many of Alacrity’s portfolio companies.
Mike has experience in all facets of digital marketing, including search marketing, social media marketing, and content marketing. He focuses on developing strategies for performance-driven campaigns that drive results and help companies expand.
With nearly two decades of experience in the digital marketing field, Mike has co-founded several companies. He has a BCom in Entrepreneurial Management from Royal Roads University and a Diploma in eBusiness from Camosun College.
Currently an advisor for Sage Coins, Miks is aiding the company in overcoming challenges through coaching and development of a growth strategy.
Mike Williams
Rory Capern
Advisor
Rory Capern has spent more than 20 years at the intersection of the Technology, Media and Communications industries, working with some of the fastest companies in the world.
Rory is currently working with a group of venture-backed Canadian technology companies evolving from start-up to scaling. Prior to his advisory roles, Rory was Vice President of Partnerships for Pelmorex Corp, the 3rd largest weather media player in the world. Prior to that he was Managing Director of Twitter Canada, where he was responsible for all aspects of Twitter’s business in Canada and a member of Twitter’s Global Leadership team.
He led Google Canada’s large partnerships function for 5 years before that, surfacing the value of Google’s major platforms (Search, DoubleClick, YouTube, Android and emerging platforms) for its largest and most strategic partners. He has served in Business Development and Strategy functions at a number of Canadian technology and media companies including Microsoft Canada, Torstar and Bell Canada.
He started his business career as a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, and holds double degrees from the Ivey Business School at Western University - undergraduate (HBA) and Masters (MBA) degrees in business. Rory’s focus on people, partnerships, revenue growth and rapid change have fuelled passions in leadership, high-performance team development, and innovation.
Rory Capern
Devon Delarge
Cleantech Coordinator
Devon’s areas of expertise lie in entrepreneurship through team supervision and leadership, government relations, and incident command. With experience in logistics and project management, Devon handles our Cleantech Progam’s administration. This includes managing data collection and reporting, sourcing and consulting with potential Clean Tech program candidates, as well as established portfolio companies.
Devon has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Victoria with a Major in Psychology, Minor in Biology, and a Diploma of Art and Science in Psychology from Camosun College. At the beginning of his career, he applied his education to Emergency Medical Response, leading a ten person team in Mountain Rescue and First Aid. Further, Devon branched out as an entrepreneur, launching his own retail athletic company as well as a consulting and web development agency.
Devon moved into working in legislative governance where he was involved in the writing of legislation for the CleanBC program and Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day in British Columbia.
He was attracted to Alacrity because the foundation is consistently on the leading edge of environmental, social, and governance trends, enabling him to utilize his skills and drive forth more positive change.
Devon Delarge
Lisa Payne
President
Lisa is evolving and unleashing Alacrity Canada’s potential. Internally nicknamed our ‘guiding light’, Lisa brings 25 years of experience optimizing operations in tech focussed companies that utilize AI, data, Iot, and information technology, to Alacrity’s table. She’s known within B.C.’s tech ecosystem for company scale-ups, reorgs, M&A, strategy, raising multiple forms of capital (equity, debt, government funding, SRED, etc), geographic expansion, and international business development. Lisa has facilitated growth in clean technology, telecom services/infrastructure, enterprise software, mining, government and telematics sectors.
Lisa’s passion is stewarding people to successfully achieve. She joined Alacrity because the organization aligns with her core values as a self-sustaining organization that brings value for the benefit of our economy and community. After spending time with Alacrity’s team, she’s realized she’s found a home rife with scalable dreams.
Lisa Payne
Owen Matthews
Chairman - Alacrity Canada & Alacrity Academy
Owen helps lead the vision and direction of Alacrity Canada, and is a major contributor to the local technology community in Victoria. He donates his time and resources to the multiple groups within and outside Alacrity’s portfolio.
By the time Owen was leaving his hometown of Kanata, Ottawa, it had grown from a small town into the largest technology centre in Canada. Due to this influence, Owen studied computer sciences and psychology at the University of Victoria while running a web design firm and graphic arts studio.
He founded NewHeights Software, a pioneer in enterprise unified communication products, which was acquired by CounterPath Corporation. When it was publicly listed on Nasdaq, it was valued at $110M value, and produced tens of millions in annual revenue.
Following this successful venture, Owen joined his family’s technology investment firm, Wesley Clover. As a General Partner, Owen was offered the operational support to search for new investments, but no budget. Fuelled by his entrepreneurial spirit, Owen looked at the growth white-space in the market, and that was British Columbia. He collaborated with the Government and the Province’s universities to create an educational program to nurse budding tech entrepreneurs, and Alacrity Canada was born. Over the course of his career, Owen has founded dozens of companies that have generated at least $350M in value for shareholders and driven $60M in annual sales.
Owen also sits on several technology boards, including SaaSquatch, HYAS, Pretio Interactive, Encepta, Quantotech, and Talkative.