Alison is an EIR at SFU VentureLabs. She holds 20 years of strategic marketing and HR experience, having worked for early-stage innovators in big data, telecommunications, and high- performance computing, as well as non-profit and public sector organizations. She is known for her ability to truly understand her audience – customers, partners, influencers, investors, and team members – to deliver strategic programs that engage and deliver results. Alison developed HR and marketing strategies at Abatis Systems, which was acquired by Redback Networks for over $1B. Alison also co-founded OctigaBay, a supercomputing startup acquired by Cray for $115M, as well as a successful e-commerce business, and has advised numerous other startups. She loves chocolate, wine, Netflix, and her kids (almost always in that order.)