Our Board of Advisors

John leads the Office of Zone Learning overseeing the institutional strategy and direction of the 10 innovation zones at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Previously, John led institutional initiatives at the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (OVPRI) including management of the Canadian Accelerator and Incubator Program and the Ontario Campus-Linked Accelerator (CLA) funding to the zones. John is also a founding director of I-INC, the national network connecting university-based innovation hubs across Canada.  

John was Regional Director for a provincial innovation funding agency and in the private sector, spent over 15 years in international business development for large industrial control systems projects in China, United States, Brazil, Taiwan and Canada.

Clare is the Director of economic development at the City of Brampton. She brings a unique perspective to Brampton with her private and public sector experience in economic development, attracting Foreign Direct Investment, communications, and place branding and marketing. 

She also has expertise in business development and marketing, which was cultivated over fifteen years focused on Ontario’s economic competitiveness with the provincial government. She served as Ontario’s representative in the United Kingdom with a mandate to further Ontario’s trade, investment and broader economic interests, and she established and led Ontario’s first Investment Office. 

Brendon Lalonde is a Commercial Healthcare Executive with over 20 years of private sector, public sector, and top tier consulting experience in Canadian and US healthcare. In his current role as Vice-President, Business Development and Client Solutions, Brendon serves on the Dynacare executive team and is responsible for commercial activity across the organization.

Brendon began is career as a forensic toxicologist. He was a part of the Boston Consulting group, first as a generalist, and later as a leader in their global healthcare practice. Subsequently, Brendon moved on to Cancer Care Ontario. In addition to being a board advisor for the Brampton Venture Zone by TMU, Brendon is a board member for Rapport Child and Youth Services.

Tim Dutton is the Director of Corporate Affairs at Intellijoint Surgical, a leading Canadian medtech business that develops technologies to improve patient outcomes in joint replacement surgery.

In this role, he is responsible for strategy, stakeholder relations, and public policy and leads projects that drive long-term growth for the business. Prior to this, Tim was the Director of Policy in the Office of the Premier of Ontario, where he oversaw work related to innovation policy and economic growth, education and workforce development, and government services modernization. He previously worked on Canada’s National AI Strategy at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). He holds a Masters of Global Affairs from the University of Toronto.

Tamara Seales, President at Seaford Pharmaceuticals, is recognized as a dynamic and visionary leader responsible for guiding the company’s administration, finance, strategy, and marketing. 

Tamara supports Seaford Pharmaceuticals’ charitable initiatives, including the establishment of a pediatric clinic in Jamaica and substantial contributions to disaster relief efforts. She is also actively engaged in fundraising activities dedicated to women’s health, cancer research, and brain health causes.

Her inspirational leadership, coupled with her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and industry advancement, guides Seaford Pharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical landscape toward a brighter, more equitable, and healthier future. Tamara has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, also at York University.