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Usha Srinivasan PhD, IVLP Alumna
Strategic Innovation Leader | Collaborative Community Builder I Entrepreneur I Angel Investor
Usha Srinivasan PhD, IVLP Alumna is a multifaceted professional with a diverse career spanning over 30 years.12 She is currently the Founding Director at Brampton Venture Zone, which is associated with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).12
Career Highlights
Usha's extensive experience includes roles as:
- Scientist
- Market research consultant
- Innovation ecosystem builder
- Entrepreneur
- Angel investor (specifically at SPATULA Foods)
Skills and Expertise
Usha possesses a wide range of skills, including:
- Entrepreneurship
- Market research
- Business strategy
- Water-related expertise
- Research
- Market intelligence
- Commercialization4
Professional Background
With her PhD and status as an IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) Alumna, Usha has established herself as a respected figure in various fields. Her LinkedIn profile, under the username srinivasanusha, showcases her as an ecosystem builder and entrepreneur.1
Additional Interests
Beyond her professional pursuits, Usha is also a trained Bharatanatyam (Classical Indian) dancer and is passionate about using the arts to strengthen communities.3
Usha Srinivasan's diverse background and extensive experience make her a valuable contributor to the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community development.
Highlights
On Aug 22nd, 2022, the US Counsel General, Susan Crystal, was invited by Badar Shamim, CIM, CFP the then-incoming President of the Rotary Club of Brampton. It was a pleasure to host the counsel general and share the work we had embarked on in Brampton bringing economic growth and job creation through the work of not only Brampton Venture Zone but the entire Brampton Innovation District.
In May 2023, I got a call from one of the US Counsel General's team members Claudia L Valladolid that they would like to nominate me for the “International Visitor Leadership Program”. What is the IVLP you ask. It is U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program.
My first couple of questions why and then why me? As Claudia explained the reasons all I could think about was my first meeting with the counsel general. I introduced myself to her as “I am an accidental Canadian” must have been a memorable introduction !!
That is in fact true, for those of you who know me well have heard this story before. I was a postdoc at the USEPA in Cincinnati on a “J1” visa and since the U.S. government had treaties with countries like India to not brain drain the country I had to leave for 3 years before I sought any employment in the U.S. So instead of returning to India I chose to immigrate to Canada in 1997.
Late last year I get the news that my IVLP nomination has been approved by the US State Department and that I will be one among the chosen few to travel to the US on an all-paid three-week knowledge exchange trip to cities around the US.
Today May 13th, 2024 was Day 1 of the IVLP program “Fostering Cross-Border Collaboration within U.S. Based Minority and Indigenous Owned SME’s”. I had to chuckle to myself as I looked at the visa category that I am traveling on for the next three weeks, a “J1” visa again !! This time I will be willingly coming back to Canada my home for over 25 years.
It has been a pleasure to get to know my fellow IVLPers - Magnolia Perron, Jarrett Parker, Matt Grills, Muriel Koucoi, M.Sc,CCRP,CDMP, Chipo Nhema, BBA,CHRM, Rosalie Simard, MBA - these past couple of days and I look forward to traveling to the following cities to learn more about how they each foster economic development, entrepreneurship, and job creation in their states - Washington, Detroit, Boston, Atlanta, Portland (Maine).
Thank you John MacRitchie and my amazing Brampton Venture Zone by TMU team for your support and for letting me venture into this program.
Brampton, TMU, and Canada I will do my best to represent us well.
Stay tuned for more from south of the border…………..
Meridian International Center #IVLP United States Embassy Ottawa and Consulates in Canada #Canadaproud #Bramptonstrong #southasianwoman #womeninscience #womenininnovation #economicdevelopment City of Brampton #crossbordercollaboration #bipocentrepreneurship
It is exactly four years since I started my role with TMU. As I took on this role as the founding director of Brampton Venture Zone by TMU; I knew it was not going to be just another incubator, the community, the opportunities, and the challenges are different and unique to Brampton. I developed the strategy, defined the sector focus, hired the team, engaged the private sector, raised funding from sponsors, and most importantly spent the time to hear the community's needs.
Our vision statement is to serve as a model economic growth engine and developer of entrepreneurial talent for emerging cities of the future.
Our mission statement - Solving local problems with a global reach
Our Values -
- Diversity & Inclusion by Design
- A Culture of Experimentation & Coaching
- Engage Community & Drive Experience
- A Shared Success Model
And yesterday as my team and I received accolades from the TMU community; we were grateful for the acknowledgment of our dedication and work in the Brampton Community.
I want to take this time to acknowledge each and every member of my team some of whom have moved on to bigger and better things but yet their imprint and contribution to BVZ remains.
Yashin Shah, Nabiha Noorani, Fardan Khan, Arleana Rajkumar, Riaz Ahmed, Prabaarja Bedi, Muskaan Baraech, Nikole Lyn and of course our "Entrepreneurs in Residence" Ying Tam, Roshni Wijayasinha, CM, MBA, Gaby Fisch (she/her), Frank Erschen, Jon E Worren, Ilya Peskov 🚀, Nancy Mancini, Jeff Pontes, Danielle Brewin Graham, Prashant Phalpher and more. Their dedication to our startup's success is why we were able to graduate over 40 companies that collectively raised $10 M in dilutive capital and $7 M in non-dilutive. More about our impact can be seen in our recent impact report - https://qr.link/imeGpB
I also want to thank our Industry and community partners over the past four years. I will run out of room if I have to name them all !! But here are a few that I have to include Dynacare, Brampton Board of Trade - thank you for all your support.
Our advisory board who believed in our abilities and provided guidance - Mohan Markandaier, Cheryl Fullerton, CHRE, ICD.D, John MacRitchie, Clare Barnett, Grace Lee Reynolds, Brendon Lalonde, Johan De Greef & newly appointed Tamara Seales-Knights and Tim Dutton
Our funders at the City of Brampton and the most dedicated civil servants in economic development that I have ever had the pleasure of working with Clare Barnett, Devin Ramphal P.Eng., MBA (Mister Innovation), Martin Bohl and more
Our Innovation district partners - thank you BHive, Altitude Accelerator, Brampton Entrepreneur Centre, Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University
And lastly, TMU leadership that I have the pleasure of working with and Zone learning team members. Thank you for your wisdom, support, and continuous encouragement. These awards mean a lot to us.
Mohamed Lachemi, Dr. Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, John MacRitchie
