Areas Of Focus

Our startups develop solutions in areas such as:

Agri-tech

Technologies that enable sustainable farming and increased food production.

Advanced manufacturing

Technologies that help designers build better products.

Advanced materials

New materials engineered to improve existing products.

Energy

Solutions for storing, generating and distributing energy, and managing consumption.

Transportation

New ways to move people and products using eco-friendly fuel and vehicles.

Waste management

Technologies that treat and recycle industrial and household waste.

Water

Solutions for water purification and wastewater management.

Our Ecosystem

The MaRS Cleantech ecosystem consists of entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, policy makers, corporates and world-renowned research institutions.

Our team
Tyler Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton

Senior Director, Cleantech

Tyler Hamilton

Tyler Hamilton is senior director of cleantech at MaRS and guides all climate-related activities for ventures, corporate partners and investors, including the flagship Mission from MaRS program. Previous to joining MaRS, Tyler spent two decades as a journalist and wrote extensively about Canada’s clean technology sector and global cleantech trends. Most recently he was editor-in-chief of business and sustainability magazine Corporate Knights. He also spent 13 years at the Toronto Star, where he reported on Canada’s energy sector and wrote a popular weekly column on clean energy technologies and trends. In 2011, Tyler authored Mad Like Tesla, a book that examines the various barriers to clean energy innovation and surveys the landscape of some potentially world-changing clean technologies. A recipient of the Cleantech Group’s “Pioneer” award for his early writings on the sector, Tyler was also recognized in 2016 on Canada’s “Clean50” list for his thought leadership on clean energy and climate issues.

Harvey Coleman

Harvey Coleman

Senior Advisor, Cleantech

Harvey Coleman

Harvey Coleman has over 40 years of experience in the IT industry. In the mid-1980s he headed pre-sales support for banking systems and was responsible for marketing strategy for the Olivetti Group. Beginning in 1987 he spent 10 years variously responsible as managing director of the Acorn Group PLC, president of Olivetti Canada; president of Dell Canada; and executive vice-president of Geac Computer Corporation, a Canadian-based global software company. In the last 10 years Harvey has worked as an independent consultant to a variety of hardware, software, services, telecommunications and Internet-based companies, particularly startups, where he has also operated as an interim executive in a variety of senior roles. Harvey completed his degree in physics at Oxford University. He is married and has three children. Highlights

  • Executive vice-president, Geac Computer Corporation
  • Owner and principal consultant, Coleman and Associates
  • President, Dell Computer Corporation, Canada
  • President, Olivetti Canada
  • BA in physics, University of Oxford

Leah Perry

Leah Perry

senior manager, Cleantech Venture Services

Leah Perry

Leah is the Senior Manager, Cleantech Venture Services at MaRS where she works closely with the MaRS cleantech portfolio, connecting them to the capital they require to grow. Prior to MaRS, Leah worked at Export Development Canada (EDC), where she spent nearly seven years helping SMEs along their growth journey, including several years on EDC’s Cleantech Team. Leah is passionate about providing equal opportunity for women in business and life and as an avid hockey player also volunteers with the Grindstone Award Foundation to raise awareness and funds that support grant-making to female hockey players. Leah holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University in Sustainability and Social Impact and Innovation.

Andy Lam

Andy Lam

Manager, Climate Programs

Andy Lam

Andy is the Mission from MaRS program manager. He has a deep passion for working with entrepreneurs, previously managing the MaRS talent-funding programs, where he helped startups scale their businesses by providing crucial grants to hire employees. Andy is also a volunteer mentor with the Toronto Business Development Centre, supporting immigrant entrepreneurs build their businesses in Canada through the Start-up Visa Program.

Irene Lam

Irene Lam

Manager, Climate Programs

Irene Lam

Irene is project manager for the Mission from MaRS: Climate Impact Challenge. She has focused her education and career on addressing climate change and other environmental challenges, holding a bachelor of environmental studies from the University of Waterloo, where she gained hands-on interdisciplinary experience across government, educational organizations, social enterprises, and non-profits. During her time at MaRS, she has worked closely with partners and energy-sector stakeholders to address the barriers to innovation adoption and build capacity as the sector undergoes significant changes.

Ian McCarter

Ian McCarter

Manager, Business Development, Cleantech

Ian McCarter

Born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Ian is passionate about helping cleantech innovators create a better world. He’s focused on building relationships with climate-economy partners globally to support Canadian innovation. For Mission from MaRS, Ian is focused on building corporate and government partner support, from sponsorship opportunities to active coalition participation, helping remove barriers and accelerating technology adoption. Ian holds a bachelor degree in marketing from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Rick VanSant

Rick VanSant

Senior Advisor, Cleantech

Rick VanSant

Rick is a leader in the Canadian cleantech sector, a serial entrepreneur, and angel investor. He serves as a Senior Advisor to the cleantech sector at MaRS Discovery District. Rick is also a Director and CEO of Aclarus Ozone Water Systems, a Director of Sentry Water Monitoring Technologies, a partner with Toronto based private equity investment group 1440 Capital, and past Chair of the Board of WaterTAP Ontario, the province’s water technology accelerator until 2019. Aclarus Ozone engineers and produces globally leading ozone-based water and wastewater treatment technology and solutions for municipal, industrial, and commercial use, now in over 1000 applications in 9 countries. Sentry Water Monitoring Technologies provides advanced biologic monitoring systems. The SENTRY water sensor platform is a disruptive solution for real-time monitoring of microbial activity in smart water and wastewater treatment applications. They are installed in China, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America. From 2002 to 2018 he was President and founding CEO of UV Pure Technologies, a Canadian environmental technology company that develops and manufactures advanced UV water disinfection technology. It has an installed base of over 19,000 applications globally. Prior to UV Pure, Rick founded several public and private companies and was a member and Director of the Young Presidents’ Organization, in Toronto. He has a BA in Astro-geophysics from Colgate University, a MEd from St. Lawrence University, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business’ Institute of Corporate Directors program.

ENERGY BOARD

The MaRS Energy Board provides non-binding, strategic advice to members of MaRS leadership that serve our startup and partner communities.

David McFadden

David McFadden

President and CEO, Generation 4 Capital Corporation

David McFadden

David brings decades of leadership, including more than 30 years at Gowling WLG, and experience on the boards of Toronto Hydro, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and the Des Nedhe Group.

George Cooke

George Cooke

Board Chair, OMERS

George Cooke

Since retiring as CEO of the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, George has been a key advisor to the public and private sectors, most notably serving Ontario’s former deputy premier Robert Nixon.

Giles Gherson

Giles Gherson

Giles Gherson

Giles is the former Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and of Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction for Ontario. He is a senior public and private sector leader with demonstrated success leading high profile organizations and driving tangible results in areas of economic development and investment, technology and innovation, policy and regulation and corporate change. Giles has strong issues and crisis management expertise within both corporate and government reflecting a solid media industry foundation and is a trusted strategic advisor to senior Federal and Provincial leaders on critical public affairs and strategic growth programs that build profile and credibility.

Jon Dogterom

Jon Dogterom

Jon Dogterom

Jon Dogterom is a Cleantech Entrepreneur and Executive in Residence at MaRS Discovery District. From 2019 to 2022, Jon was the Senior Vice President of Venture Services at MaRS Discovery District where he led programming and advisory support to help grow Canada’s leading innovative companies in Health, Cleantech, Fintech and Enterprise. Prior to leading the Venture Services Team, he was the Managing Director of the Cleantech Practice. He is also the founder of the MaRS Advanced Energy Centre. Prior to joining MaRS, he led business development for Hydrogenics Corporation through the launch of the company's fuel cell and hydrogen generation divisions. He also co-founded Sustainable Energy Technologies (now Eguana Technologies), a leading Canadian provider of power electronics for the solar power industry. He has also served on the Energy Transformation Network of Ontario, and on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Clean Water Agency.

Lisa DeMarco

Lisa DeMarco

Senior Partner, Resilient LLP

Lisa DeMarco

With over two decades of experience in law, regulation, policy, and advocacy relating to energy and climate change, Lisa represents several governments and energy companies, including the Ontario Energy Board and the National Energy Board.

Martha Hall Findlay

Martha Hall Findlay

Chief Sustainability Officer, Suncor

Martha Hall Findlay

Martha is a twice-elected member of parliament and executive specializing in public policy and international trade. She stewards Suncor’s collaborations as they relate to economic, environmental and social performance.

Nicolle Butcher

Nicolle Butcher

Senior Vice President, Renewable Generation and Energy Markets, Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

Nicolle Butcher

Nicolle is responsible for OPG’s commercial business functions, such as energy trading, acquisitions and contracting. She brings over 20 years of experience in business development, asset management and more.

Paul Murphy

Paul Murphy

Board Chair, Ontario Energy Association

Paul Murphy

Paul has been involved with the planning and operation of the Ontario and North American electric system for over 35 years. A registered engineer, he was formerly president and CEO of IESO.

Peter Gregg

Peter Gregg

President and CEO, Nova Scotia Power

Peter Gregg

Peter is a seasoned leader in the electricity sector, having been president and CEO of Enersource, and COO at Hydro One Networks, overseeing effective power distribution across Ontario.

Rod Lever

Rod Lever

Team Leader, International and Financing Policy, Clean Growth Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), Government of Canada

Rod Lever

Rod is an expert in emerging markets, trade and energy-sector development, bringing a deep skillset in both the public and private sectors. He has held senior positions at CowaterSogema and Export Development Canada.

Steve Baker

Steve Baker

Board Member, IESO

Steve Baker

A Certified Professional Accountant and executive, Steve has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, always applying sound strategy through the lens of strong financial acumen and governance.

Tabatha Bull

Tabatha Bull

President and CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business

Tabatha Bull

Anishinaabe and a proud member of Nipissing First Nation, Tabatha helps strengthen both the Indigenous economy and the Canadian market. She is also an electrical engineer and member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce board.

Yung Wu

Yung Wu

Chief Executive Officer, MaRS Discovery District

Yung Wu

Yung is CEO of the MaRS Discovery District, one of the world's largest innovation hubs, and Canada’s premiere science and technology innovation ecosystem. The MaRS innovation community has raised over $16.7B in capital, generated over $9B in net revenues and contributed over $30B to GDP since inception, currently employing over 32,600 people in the health, cleantech, fintech and platform technologies sectors, and at all stages of growth. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, Yung has built breakthrough scale-stage companies in enterprise software, mobile analytics and big data, media and entertainment, technology services and biotech. He is a co-founder of two not-for-profit organizations, the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR) and DifferentIsCool (DiSC). Yung currently serves on the boards of OMERS, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Antibe Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: ATE) and is a member of Green Shield Canada. He is a Governor in Council appointee to Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body. Yung has been recognized as one of Canada's “Top 40 under 40” and for leading one of Canada’s “50 Best Managed Private Companies” in the nation. Yung has a B.Sc. Computer Science, Economics and Mathematics from the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the Entrepreneurial Master's Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the NACD Cybersecurity Oversight Certification Program at Carnegie Mellon University, a member of MENSA, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D).

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