Board of Directors

Chowdary Meenavilli, a future forward thinker with a deep understanding of emerging and innovative technology. The Co-Founder of NTWIST, a company rooted in artificial intelligence for industrial excellence, Chowdary has vast experience in AI for manufacturing. NTWIST was born out of the obsession to simplify complex industrial and business problems by leveraging cutting edge technology, their focus is in sustainability, mining and oil & gas. As an avid problem solver, Chowdary delivers high quality, cost effective solutions through technologies like machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation. 

Connect with Chowdary Meenavilli today on LinkedIn. 

Remi Duquette is a driven innovator with over 20 years of building practical and effective solutions for a variety of industry applications. Remi is the Vice-President of Maya HTT, a company that provides computer-aided engineering software to industrial engineering companies and is an expert in industrial AI and IIoT, engineering, and software development. Remi has led the ideation phase of innovation projects as well as machine learning (industrial-grade #AI) on real-time monitoring operations and lifecycle/manufacturing data.

Connect with Remi Duquette on LinkedIn. 

Jennifer LaPlante is an energetic leader who is focused on bringing together innovation, strategy and technology to advance artificial intelligence. Jennifer is the Executive Director of DeepSense, an organization focused on economic growth through industry and academic partnerships in the ocean economy. Her work is rooted in advancing technology adoption and developing the talent pool. She is a member of the Government of Canada’s AI Public Awareness Working Group and the co-organizer of the Halifax Chapter of Women in Machine Learning and Data Science (WiMLDS), an organization that aims to support and promote women and gender minorities who are working, studying or are interested in the fields of machine learning and data science.

Connect with Jenifer LaPlante on LinkedIn.    

Craig Metcalfe is an entrepreneurial and innovative leader with over 18 years of experience developing new technologies across a variety of industries. He is the Co-Founder of Impact AI, a company focused on using artificial intelligence to revitalize the weld inspection process by utilizing data the process already produces. His vast experience in technology development and manufacturing allows him to understand complex situations and provide tactical solutions.

Connect with Craig Metcalfe on LinkedIn. 

Robert Ziner has over 30 years working in AI and advanced manufacturing pertaining to natural fibers, where he has developed an entrepreneurial and sustainability driven mindset. Robert is the CEO of Advanced Bio Material Technologies Corporation, a world leading natural fiber plastics technology company that  transforms agricultural waste into high performance plastics - at the lowest possible cost! Robert is a proven expert in fiber processing (softwood lumber and hemp stalk), optimization and believes innovations are first created in the imagination’s virtual world – to then be translated into existence!

Connect with Robert Ziner on LinkedIn. 

Chris Checken has an entrepreneurial and leadership focused mindset that has allowed him to facilitate collaborative projects. Currently he is a Workshop Manager at Autodesk, a company rooted in closing the gap between researchers, designers and the tools, equipment and expertise that produce their work. Knowledgeable in a variety of different manufacturing and software stream’s, Chris is passionate about driving innovation through collaboration.

Connect with Chris Checken on LinkedIn. 

Paul Boris has led efforts in the area of advanced manufacturing and ops mobility globally, driving digital transformation. With decades of experience in industrial operations, with emphasis on big data, software, sensors, controllers and robotics combined with lean principles to increase productivity, asset, and operations optimization. Paul is driven to deliver differentiated solutions to manufacturing and field service operations, with particular focus on creating sustainable and scalable value added solutions.

Connect with Paul Boris on LinkedIn. 

Rahim Hajee is an avid problem solver and thought leader, with over 17 years of experience in Enterprise Architecture and Governance across a variety of industries. Rahim is the Chief Technology Strategy Officer at Adastra North America, a company that is transforming the Data & Analytics space by providing smart Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud, Digital, Governance services and solutions. Rahim is an expert in data management and has a proven track record of configuring innovative solutions to advance manufacturing processes. 

Connect with Rahim Hajee on LinkedIn. 

Frank Defalco is results oriented communicator who is motivated to accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing within Canada. Currently, Frank is the Director of Member Relations at NGen, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. His work at NGen has allowed him to support members across the country understand and accelerate the implementation of technology across a variety of manufacturing applications. As a connector and facilitator Frank has developed the skills sets needed to implement positive change across Canadian manufacturing.

Connect with Frank Defalco on LinkedIn.