Every year, we bring together a refreshed roster of Growth Coaches – a team of specialists who help our founders and clients go further – especially when the road gets bumpy.

Picture our in-house business advisors, WEtech Alliance’s Director of Venture Services and Partnerships, Adam Castle; and Business Advisor & Manager of Startup Services, Susana Martins, as the generalists: they help diagnose challenges, identify blind spots, and get things moving. But sometimes, you need a true specialist, someone who can dive deep on a tough problem, offer the kind of advice you can only get from experience, and open doors you didn’t even know existed.

That’s exactly what our Growth Coaches do. They’re the surgeons, the deep thinkers, the “let’s roll up our sleeves and fix this” crew. Most come from right across Canada’s innovation ecosystem, though you’ll find a few from further afield. What unites them is that every single one has built incredible things and brings a genuine, give-first mentality to our community.

When a founder is stuck, Growth Coaches are the ones who help get things moving again. They tap into their own networks, sometimes across provinces, sometimes across borders, but always with the ultimate goal of giving Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent startups a launchpad into bigger ecosystems.

We don’t make these matches at random. In every program, we take our time to pair Growth Coaches and founders thoughtfully, making sure the fit is right and the relationship has a real chance to thrive. It’s all led by Susy Kusta, our Manager of Programs, who oversees the entire Growth Coach platform and makes sure every year’s roster reflects the best of what this community can offer – people who care deeply about helping others find their footing and take their next step, whatever that might look like.

This year’s group is no exception. We’re excited to introduce the new faces joining our Growth Coach team. They know what it means to build, to stumble, and to start again. They’re here to guide, challenge, and cheer on our founders and clients as they go after big goals and tackle real problems.

We can’t wait for you to meet them.

• Karen Wetteskind, Product Development Coach
• Michael Greenhow, Business Development Coach
• Susy Martins, Human Resources Coach

The new Growth Coaches will be joining:

• Heather Galt, Marketing Coach
• Petar Josic, Pitch Prep Coach
• Paul Lucier, Business Development Coach
• Garry Chan, Technology Coach
• Ron Spreeuwenberg, Fundraising Coach
• Sonya Willsher, Digital Marketing Coach
• Shelley Fellows, Advanced Manufacturing Coach
• Camille Kennedy, Marketing Coach
• Richard Lee, Finance & Accounting Coach
• Katie Stokes, Social Media Coach
• Mick Higgins, Sales & Marketing Coach
• Colin McKillop, Automobility Coach

If you’re interested in working with the WEtech Growth Coach team, you’ll need to become a client first. You can get started by applying at www.wetech-alliance.com/client.

And if you think you’ve got the experience and energy to help this team reach new heights, we refresh our roster every year, so feel free to reach out to Susy Kusta.

Learn more about our Growth Coaches at www.wetech-alliance.com/coaches.