Elyse Dzenick

Winona's Bio

Winona Lafreniere | Project Manager, Indian Resource Council
Future of Energy Panel (Friday 10:30-11:30)

Winona is Anishinaabe from Treaty 4 territory in Manitoba, currently living on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta. She lives out her passion for the environment, lifelong learning, and humanity through storytelling, philanthropy, and Indigenous ‘Ways of Living and Being’. She is recognized for championing diversity and inclusion in all aspects of her role as Project Manager with the National Energy Business Centre of Excellence (Indian Resources Council) and her entrepreneurial pursuits as owner of Indigenous Innovative Solutions Inc.

Winona holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Sciences from the University of Manitoba, a Project Management Certificate from Simon Fraser University and is currently working on a number of national and international energy projects. Her vision for a greener planet continues with her work in Rwanda, Africa where she is empowering women and youth in the shaping of a more sustainable future.

She attributes her success to the strong connection she has with her culture which has led her to various partnerships with Ducks Unlimited, Project Forest, Clean Resource Innovative Network, Eco Canada, Rotary Club Calgary North and more recently as a Fellowship member with Energy Futures Lab.

Indian Resource Council

Trina's Bio

Trina Innes | Executive Director, Sustainability Services, Alberta Municipalities
Future of Energy Panel (Friday 10:30-11:30)

Trina is Executive Director of Sustainability Services at Alberta Municipalities where she leads a portfolio of climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives including the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre and Clean Energy Improvement Program. Trina was recognized by the Women in Energy Transition Series in 2022, and as a Clean16 honoree in 2020 for national leadership in sustainability. Previously she served as a Chief Sustainability Officer in higher education. Trina is a Certified Climate Change Professional (CC-P®), Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP™), and corporate director (ICD.D). 

Municipal Climate Change Action Centre

Alberta Municipalities

Francisco's Bio

Francisco Basaure | MSc student, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Alberta
Innovation Gallery (Saturday 11:15-12:15)

Francisco completed his BSc in mechanical engineering at the University of Chile in 2021 before starting his MSc in the same field and year at the University of Alberta, continuing his research about electric vehicles, but now focused on energy storage for their fast charge applications.

Francisco is very passionate about sustainability and green transport solutions, along with renewable energy generation and storage. He is also part of the University of Alberta master energy plan advisory committee as a student representative, giving inputs and ideas for the UofA net zero goals.

Department of Mechanical Engineering - University of Alberta

Neal's Bio

Neal Tanna | Research Scientist, InnoTech Alberta
Round Tables (Friday afternoon)

Neal Tanna is an environmental professional with over 15 years of experience in design and implementation of effective monitoring and investigative programmes. He is an expert in characterizing environmental fate and quantifying ecological risks objectively, ensuring that field measurement tools are signal-to-noise optimized and produce reliable data at environmentally relevant concentrations.

InnoTech Alberta