Meet The Team | INNoVA

Jamie Burton

CEO

Jamie combines a pragmatic focus on business strategy and outcomes with an unwavering drive to foster meaningful inclusion in organizations across Canada. The success of her uncommon and powerful approach has yielded accolades in accessibility, innovation and inclusive business practices, and advanced dialogue at all levels about what’s possible when organizations prioritize inclusion.

Transformative partnerships are at the center of Jamie’s approach, both as an organizational leader building a dynamic, resilient and high-performing team within INNoVA, and as a business advisor. With an unflinching and optimistic focus on elevating business and a profound understanding and embrace of innovation, Jamie has the ability to help business leaders transform their workplaces and boost the bottom line.

Under Jamie’s leadership, the INNoVA team helps businesses flourish by tapping into the unique strengths of real organizational diversity and active inclusion. INNoVA deploys design principles, deep experience and innovative approaches to develop solutions that ensure a healthy and dynamic workforce. This is a critical step toward meeting productivity and efficiency thresholds necessary to build sustainable business practices and foster a more equitable and resilient supply chain.

Jamie believes that organizations can thrive in a future that is innovative and inclusive – a conviction based on years of research, experience and results. She brings this knowledge to every partnership along with the grit, humor and determination to make it happen.

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Emily Jooste

Accessible Solutions Lead

With over a decade of experience working with businesses, employees, and job seekers, Emily is passionate about workplace accessibility and inclusion. Emily is an International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Professional Member and a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). Emily has additional expertise in all areas of accommodation and adjustment including assistive technology.

Emily is always looking for opportunities to both further develop her expertise in best practices for accessibility and inclusion and share that knowledge with others in any way she can.

Michelle Pandith

Business Consultant

Michelle has 15 years of experience in the field of disability and work. Her journey began as a Career Advisor to job seekers with disabilities where she took a client-centred approach to supporting job seekers in achieving their professional goals, understanding the barriers they experienced, and finding ways to remove them. In her current role, she works with businesses to improve workplace accessibility and inclusion. This includes conducting needs analyses, providing customized solutions such as training, policy review, and recommendations as well as connecting businesses to job seekers with disabilities. Michelle has had the privilege of working with businesses in various industries across Canada which has given her insight into the many ways businesses with unique needs can embed accessibility and become more inclusive workplaces for persons with disabilities.

Michelle has also recently begun conducting accommodation assessments as a part of INNoVA’s Advisor services. This work has allowed her to connect employees and businesses to cutting-edge accessible solutions for individuals who may need adjustments at work.

Michelle is someone who is eager to find solutions to barriers that meet the needs of businesses and employees alike. Michelle values the contributions employees can make to a business when they are able to bring their authentic selves to work and she is driven by finding ways to make workplaces more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone.

Michelle Castaneda

Accessibility Consultant

Michelle brings over 15 years of experience in the areas of accessibility, adult education, business & employment disability confidence. She has received a Masters of Education in Adult Education & Community Development (with a specialization in Workplace Learning and Change) from the University of Toronto. She has also worked in various sectors, including: employment support services, higher education institutions, health care, and charitable community organizations. Michelle is passionate about facilitating and leading accessible and inclusive environments. She has worked in business accessibility, vocational rehabilitation counseling, learning & development (including accessibility & inclusion education for businesses or service providers), and higher education student support & engagement (including Accessibility Services Centres). She is a lifelong learner and approaches her work from a foundation of theory and practice.

Michelle enjoys supporting businesses and organizations in their accessibility journeys, and in enabling Disability Confidence. Michelle is passionate about bringing disability confidence and inclusive by design principles into every aspect of a business or organization; from the way that new employees are recruited, to organization-wide policies and practices.

Ancy Kuruthukulangar

Research Analyst

In my role as an accessibility research analyst, I’m all about creating strategic research questions and organizing them in a way that serves up practical insights. I dive deep into literature reviews, carefully collect data via surveys, informational interviews and other modes and turn it all into easily consumable information with the support and collaboration from data analysts and accessibility consultants. My aim is making sure organizations not only meet but surpass the ever-changing demands of accessibility standards. On the achievement front,

Sawyer Burton

Innovative Solutions Developer

Innovation is at the heart of overcoming design challenges for Sawyer, who consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s achievable in the dynamic digital space. Positioned at the forefront of the rapidly evolving industry, there’s an eagerness to embrace the continuous growth and transformation within this field. In Sawyer’s perspective, the synergy between creation and advancement relies on processing information and constructing novel ideas that have yet to materialize. Emphasizing the interdependence of these actions, there’s a focus on the necessity of looking towards the potential for progress rather than dwelling solely on past achievements. By redirecting attention towards the possibilities waiting to be realized, there’s an envisioned journey towards unprecedented heights and the surpassing of current limitations.

Charan Karusala

Data Analyst

My expertise involves deriving insights by analyzing data and creating analytical models to demonstrate the impact of work, ensuring data quality and accuracy, creating surveys and collection of data from various sources, and building reports and interactive dashboards. I also have an extensive background in database management, and data analytics along with experience in accessibility, compliance, and workplace accommodations. By identifying underlying patterns and trends, my work informs the business to make evidence-based decisions. My qualifications include a master’s degree in management information systems from Florida International University.

My role at INNoVA focuses on reducing the guesswork by accessing information and simplifying/automating tasks. In the world today, it is not magic, but information captured by data processing that gives us the ability to identify what the course of the future might be and to plan accordingly. I believe by collecting data and analyzing it, every business can identify opportunities, gaps, trends, and patterns to help them grow and reduce risks.

Stephen Irish

Business Services Manager

Based in Toronto, Stephen is passionate about making a difference and driving change. With over 7 years of experience in Disability and Employment, Stephen leads INNoVA’s Business Services team to achieve and deliver inclusive solutions for all workplaces. Stephen holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Guelph and started his career in the Developmental Services sector. From there, Stephen transitioned to Employment Services, with a specific focus on the employment of people with disabilities. Stephen’s work with people with disabilities, and businesses looking to become more diverse, inclusive, and accessible has led him to his current position with INNoVA as a Business Services Manager. At INNoVA, Stephen plays a pivotal role in strategizing, implementing, and optimizing INNoVA’s services and solutions. Through collaboration with the Sales, Marketing, and Product teams at INNoVA, Stephen ensures a unified approach with a keen eye for process improvement and innovation. In business and life, Stephen believes that progress requires us to embrace change and that innovation starts with thinking differently.

Aidana Rakhimova

Creative Consultant

Aidana Rakhimova is skilled in brand development and marketing, with rich experience in both jewelry and hospitality industries. She excels in building and enhancing brand identities, a skill she demonstrated in her own brand’s growth and in her strategic role in the expansion of a Middle Eastern hotel chain. Her expertise combines creative design with strategic market analysis and project management, making her a valuable asset across various business contexts.

In her role at INNOVA, Aidana advocates for a harmonious blend of creative branding and operational efficiency. She focuses on an approach that combines branding with practical business strategies, enhancing INNOVA’s position in the market. Emphasizing adaptability and a forward-looking perspective, Aidana ensures that INNOVA stays agile and responsive to evolving market trends while maintaining its core brand values. Her goal is to integrate innovative ideas into effective business solutions, boosting INNOVA’s client engagement and overall success.

Rebekah Garriock

Virtual Administrator Coordinator

As a person with a major disability (cerebral palsy), Rebekah brings a number of life skills and business expertise to INNoVA that will help grow the business globally.

After completing her Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialty in HR, Rebekah then gained work experience in the Banking and Commercial Real Estate Industries where she provided administrative, financial, HR, and EDI ( Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) support. She also interfaced directly with customers, where she answered questions, problem-solved, and dealt with confidential matters.

In Rebekah’s volunteer roles, she has provided advice on how to best integrate persons with disabilities into the workforce, has twice been published by the Globe and Mail on what it is like to be someone with a disability in a wheelchair, has lived all across Canada and experienced different cultures and lastly traveled the world.

Rebekah is committed to accomplishing every task at INNoVA with the utmost professionalism, team spirit, timeliness, sensitivity (particularly given our role in supporting people with disabilities), and commitment to helping grow the business.

Meghan Kelly

Vice President

Ensuring that INNoVA truly stretches from coast to coast, I hold down the fort in the country’s most easterly point. Working out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, I have been leading change in the space of Disability and Employment since 2013. With a background in Psychology and Education, I apply my expertise and experience across varying levels of project, solution, and service delivery and lead INNoVA, in the solutions we design and deliver for our clients.

I consider myself a forward-thinking leader, and my career path has given me the opportunity to learn from strong women leaders. With a foundational education background in psychology, I have spent the last 10 years in the realm of disability and workforce inclusion, dedicated to reshaping the business landscape. With a passion for innovative solutions, I lead initiatives that not only foster diversity for our clients but also drive meaningful growth. My strategic approach and commitment to creating an inclusive work environment are transforming the way businesses operate, and at INNoVA, making a lasting impact on both individuals and organizations alike.

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Meet The People Who Make INNoVA Possible

Jamie Burton

CEO

Meghan Kelly

Vice President

Rebekah Garriock

Virtual Administrator Coordinator

Aidana Rakhimova

Creative Consultant

Charan Karusala

Data Analyst

Sawyer Burton

Innovative Solutions Developer

Ancy Kuruthukulangar

Research Analyst

Michelle Castaneda

Accessibility Consultant

Emily Jooste

Accessible Solutions Lead

Michelle Pandith

Business Consultant

Jamie Burton

CEO

Emily Jooste

Accessible Solutions Lead

Michelle Pandith

Business Consultant

Michelle Castaneda

Accessibility Consultant

Ancy Kuruthukulangar

Research Analyst

Sawyer Burton

Innovative Solutions Developer

Charan Karusala

Data Analyst

Stephen Irish

Business Services Manager

Aidana Rakhimova

Creative Consultant

Rebekah Garriock

Virtual Administrator Coordinator

Meghan Kelly

Vice President