Don Freschi
Don has been KAST’s lead business coach and Executive in Residence for our Venture Acceleration Program since its inception in 2013. As co-founder/CEO of Firebird Technologies, Don has helped bring millions of research and development dollars into the region, managed a shareholder exit, developed a new product for international markets, and increased sales from $3 million to $9 million over two years.
Don has 20-plus years of experience in high tech manufacturing, operations, P&L management, sales/marketing, technology development and strategic planning. He recently co-founded a new venture, Fenix Advanced Materials, which is an anchor tenant at the MIDAS facility in Trail. Don also owns and stars in Sport Fishing on the Fly.
Clay Braziller
Over the last 25 years, Clay Braziller (B. Eng., MBA), has worked with businesses, nonprofits, associations and government to bring innovative products and services to the market in the science and technology, engineering and health sector.
In addition to consulting, Clay lectures at SFU’s Beedie School of Business on marketing and science commercialization, sits on the board of the East End Food Coop and is an executive in residence with Foresight Clean Technology Accelerator and SFU’s Venture Connection.
Clay is the past Chair of the Neil Squire Society, former president of the B.C. Medical Device Association, as well as a founding director of the Ocean Renewable Energy Group (OREG) and the Power Technology Alliance. He has also lived through three startups, two mergers, a downsizing, and hockey stick growth.
Steve Fisher
Steve began his entrepreneurial career at eight years old with a kindling business, selling split wood to his neighbours. Forty years and seven start-ups later, he is focused to help entrepreneurs where he can and, oddly enough, still likes to split wood!
Most recently, the co-founder and CEO of VEERUM, a geo spatial Digital Twin platform based out of Calgary, Steve has been through a capital raise in Silicon Valley, grants galore, shareholder exits and major corporate contracts. He also spent five years working out of the start-up ecosystem in Calgary being mentored by an incredible ecosystem of highly successful professionals. With an early career in the ski and bike industry, Steve understands the Kootenay lifestyle and the challenge of finding a work/life balance.
He recently moved back to Nelson to raise his family with Kootenay values and has a goal to make Nelson a top 10 Canadian city to launch a start-up!
Henry Kutarna
Henry L. Kutarna, B.A. (Hons); C.D.M.E., KHS, is an experienced business executive and mentor. He is Chair of a private family investment fund concentrating on manufacturing and real estate. Investments are mainly in real estate and manufacturing. He has personally capitalized 22 early stage technology deals.
He has been a Deputy Minister of Economic Development, President of the
Saskatchewan Diversification Corporation, and a Deputy Minister of Social
Services. He has served on numerous private, public and not for profit boards.
Henry was an executive in residence at the Banff Centre for Leadership, has led
CEO peer groups, and was president and CEO of the Calgary Convention & Visitors Bureau. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President of
Investment and Market Development at Innovate Calgary where he led an active angel investor group as an A100 member.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Economics from the
University of Saskatchewan, has done post-graduate work in Economics at the
University of Regina, and has a Certified Destination Management Executive
designation [C.D.M.E.] from Purdue University/University of Calgary.
He is an acknowledged leader in the western Canadian angel finance community and mentors CEOs in B.C. and Alberta.
Beth Gallup
Early experience with the Asian Institute of Technology launched Beth on a career of bringing new ideas to life. Her own entrepreneurial track record is the result of her curiosity, interest in people, and willingness to take risks. Through her many ventures, Beth worked directly with CEOs of publicly-traded companies, presidents of post-secondary institutions, and executive directors of NGOs. As a mentor, she truly enjoys bringing her strategic thinking to start-ups.
Beth makes it a priority to help clients identify and connect with viable market opportunities. She excels at the practical steps necessary to make sales, generate cash flow and develop loveable, scalable innovations and technologies. Her range of experience includes: agritech, foodtech, and fintech; manufacturer to consumer supply chains; outdoor safety, sport, and wearable technologies; making things work in remote areas, off the grid; plus, environmentally-intelligent development, construction, and adaptive re-use.
Beth is based out of Fernie, B.C. She has MBA, studied at the European Summer School for Advanced Management, and is an emerging contemporary artist.
Kamren Farr
Kamren has held positions as Startup Founder, Sales Executive, Management Consultant, Division Lead, and Business Analyst over the past 15 years. He’s worked in Information Technology, Serious Gaming, Transportation and Telematics, Clean-Tech, Nutritional and Health Sciences, and Nanotechnology. Kamren has also been involved in growing venture financing opportunities in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and is a contributor to the 2022 Kootenay Investment Challenge. Kamren is well versed in Market Assessments, Strategic Planning, Lean Startup Methodology, Customer Development, Organizational Design, and Venture Financing. Since 2014 Kamren has served as Business Faculty at Selkirk College where he teaches Finance, International Business, Marketing, and Organizational Behaviour. Kamren holds a BSc. and MBA from the University of Alberta.
Kamren currently serves as Chair of the Columbia Basin Sports Society and is an avid skier, mountain biker, trail runner, and coach. Kamren has called the Kootenays home since 2013 where he and his wife are raising their two boys.
Christian Rawles
Christian joined KAST as an EiR to work specifically with the growing number of rec-tech businesses within the Kootenays. He is focused on helping entrepreneurs in the outdoor industry successfully launch and grow their businesses.
Christian has over 20 years of experience in the outdoor industry ranging from retail sales, production management and wholesale sales management. He has owned Ambler, an outdoor apparel accessory brand, since 2009. Through the growth and development of Ambler, Christian has gained extensive experience in branding, marketing, ecommerce, wholesale sales, international distribution and outsourced production and fulfillment.
He has spent the last few years working with other entrepreneurs to share what he has learned from his own entrepreneurial journey. He believes that it is important for every entrepreneur to clearly define what success looks like for the business, and for the business owner, and then to strategically work towards it. His key priorities are to help entrepreneurs establish their core values and then utilize frameworks to create a strong foundation for growth.
Christian is a board member of the Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Initiative. He lives in Nelson, BC with his wife and their two sons.
