MJ always believed in the potential of the Dobson start-ups to truly build innovative companies with a purpose. Her worldly mindset and concern to put the spotlight on the Dobson entrepreneurs has led her to advocate the impact of our programs and partner with the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation du Québec to launch the International Pre-seed Funding Tour. Through this program, select Dobson start-ups integrate governmental delegation in international conferences and present to investors. They participated in Boston’s MedTech, New York’s TechDay, Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show, London’s Tech Week, and Paris’ Viva Tech. For entrepreneurs, the tour has provided not only connections, investments, and partnerships, but also growth opportunities and the true sentiment that their ideas make a difference in problem-solving world issues. Dr. Allie Huerta, cofounder of AIM Colors highlights the Dobson community: “The International Tour has allowed me to make essential connections that have helped propel our business forward thanks to investment, contacts, and partnerships. Moreover, I became part of a community of mentors and entrepreneurs who are always willing to offer advice and support […]”. For Jose Gomez Zea, co-founder of Arkangel AI, “The Dobson International Tour allows you to accelerate and open up connections through the McGill global community. It’s a life changing opportunity”. Leveraging her experience, MJ is looking to propel change-makers in all industries with specialized Dobson programs while leveraging her network to open doors for young entrepreneurs.

Beyond the entrepreneurs and start-ups supported, under MJ’s directorship, the professional yet convivial working environment allowed many of the mainly women-led team to grow and feel confident as well as supported in taking on new challenges and roles. MJ continuously empowers her team to pursue their interests and offers a breadth of opportunities as well as continuous mentorship. Many of the team members at the Dobson Centre have been promoted under MJ’s directorship and guidance to assume more senior roles fitting with their inspirations and career goals. As an inclusive leader who promotes diversity of thinking, MJ has worked towards mirroring diversity of gender, culture, industry, geography, and generation, on the advisory board of the Dobson Centre. The diversity of governance has allowed invaluable insight into the strategic positioning and multidisciplinarity of the center’s programming. With a concern for interconnectivity and inclusion in the McGill innovation ecosystem, and based on her accomplished career, MJ was appointed on the advisory boards of (1) Healthy Brain Healthy Lives, an interdisciplinary McGill program for neuroscience and global neuroinformatic excellence, (2) the McGill Health Centres Foundation part of the McGill University Health Centre, the largest hospital system in Canada with more than six hospitals and research sites, and (3) the McGill Innovation Fund, supporting technology translation and accelerating the development of inventions and businesses. MJ is leveraging her career in landmark corporations to bridge the practical entrepreneurial mindsets into the academic setting of McGill University.

Recently, McGill University has ranked #1 in medical and health sciences research in Canada multiplying the innovations stemming from these faculties. With over 25% of Dobson start-ups working on innovations in life sciences, the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship to focus its efforts on a new pathway for life sciences start-ups. With a background in retail and technology, MJ is taking on a new challenge in the life sciences industry. Board member of the McGill Health Centre Foundation, she is focused on drawing from her expertise in entrepreneurship, innovation, and business development to uncover insights and needs in clinical commercialization to then lead Dobson teams to craft new personalized offerings for life sciences. Leveraging her accomplished career, she is expanding her network to support entrepreneurs in regulatory challenges, capital-intensive development, and clinical validation. Her continuous concern for inclusivity in entrepreneurship is pushing her to partner and connect with players in the life sciences ecosystem in Quebec and internationally, to strengthen the support offered to entrepreneurs innovating in health and health care.