Dr. Caterina Valeo is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria and a Professional Engineer in the Province of British Columbia. She has a BSc in Physics, a BASc in civil engineering (both from the University of Toronto), and a Masters and PhD from McMaster University in the area of water resources engineering. She worked as an academic at the University of Manitoba and the University of Calgary in the areas of Geomatics Engineering and Civil Engineering, and then moved to Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria in 2011 to continue her interdisciplinary research in environmental science, engineering and informatics.  She has over 200 publications including 3 co-authored books on the topics of environmental hydraulics, digital terrain modelling and hydrology, but currently focuses on the impacts of climate change on stormwater management, nature-based solutions for mitigating floods and pollutants, pollutant dispersion modelling in water bodies, and improving measurement and prediction in the environment with data driven methods. She was awarded the 2014 Award of Distinguished Scientist from the International Society for Environmental Information Sciences and is a Fellow of Engineers Canada.

Mr. Painchaud is a seasoned executive with a deep understanding of emerging technologies and their commercial applications. An accomplished problem-solver, he brings a unique blend of technical insight and business acumen to the development of effective strategies for market entry and growth. His expertise lies in positioning cutting-edge technologies for successful commercialization, always with a focus on financial sustainability and long-term impact.