Startup Canada is pleased to announce the election of Ali Taiyeb as Chair of the Board of Directors and Brenda Beckedorf as Vice Chair, following a formal vote at our June 12, 2025 Annual General Meeting.
This marks an important moment for Startup Canada as we strengthen our national leadership to meet the moment entrepreneurs are facing across the country. Founders are showing incredible resilience in the face of shifting conditions, and our role is to adapt, advocate, and show up with clarity and action. This board transition reflects our renewed commitment to amplifying impact, deepening trust with our ecosystem partners, and building a more connected, resilient, and inclusive entrepreneurial economy across Canada.
Ali and Brenda bring complementary strengths and deep commitment to our mission. Ali, Director of Partnerships & Ecosystem at the Vector Institute, brings extensive experience in strategic partnerships, AI innovation, and ecosystem leadership, with a strong focus on national visibility and financial resilience. Brenda, CEO of Society 5.0 and a leading voice in Canada’s tech sector, brings decades of experience scaling non-profits, supporting diverse founders, and leading with operational discipline and regional insight from Alberta and Western Canada.
This year also marked the introduction of an enhanced governance and nominations process for board leadership, designed to support long-term organizational resilience and transparent succession planning. Special thanks to Paula Kwan, Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee, for leading this process with clarity and care, and to the full board for their trust and engagement throughout.
We extend our sincere thanks to Jamie Savage, who served as Chair during a pivotal period of growth and transition for Startup Canada. In addition to leading the Board, Jamie stepped in as Interim CEO in 2024, guiding the organization through a significant leadership shift while continuing to lead her own company, The Leadership Agency.
During her tenure, Jamie played a critical role in hiring and onboarding a new Managing Director, establishing a formal onboarding process for new Board members, and setting the strategic direction for national programming, including what became Startup Canada’s largest in-person tour stop to date.
Her values-driven approach, calm under pressure, and deep commitment to purpose-led leadership laid the groundwork for the governance renewal and Board evolution now underway. We are grateful for her service.
We look forward to working with Ali and Brenda as we continue to build a more connected, equitable, and resilient entrepreneurial economy from coast to coast to coast.
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the gateway to Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’re here to connect entrepreneurs with the support, community, and tools they need to build a successful business in Canada. Since our inception in 2012, Startup Canada has grown to support more than 130,000 entrepreneurs annually and an ever-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem support network from coast to coast to coast. Through our flagship and digital programs, we provide guidance, eliminate barriers, and champion the needs of each and every entrepreneur to private and public sector partners. Startup Canada supports entrepreneurs in starting up and scaling up to ultimately make Canada the best place to start and build a business. For more information, visit https://www.startupcan.ca/.