GBC Research & Innovation

Enabling the Innovation Economy

CONNECT WITH US

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Explore
    • About
    • News & Events
    • Innovation Advisory Board
    • Strategic Plan
    • Online Innovation Badges
    • GBCResearch | Projects
  • In-House Expertise
    • Meet Our Researchers
    • Meet Our Team
  • Our Research Themes
  • Our Programs
  • Resources
    • Research Policies
    • I am…
      • A Researcher
      • Industry
      • A Student
    • Funding @ GBC
      • The IGNITE Fund
  • Research Ethics
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / About / The FIRSt Team

The FIRSt Team

IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE

The FIRSt Team

BACK TO GBCFIRST.CA
Director, FIRSt

Dan Reilly

Lorenza Carandang
Finance and Admin Coordinator, FIRSt

Lorenza Carandang

Lab Operations Manager

Candace Rambert

Nuvi Dhaliwal
Project Manager, FIRSt

Nuvi Dhaliwal

Michelle Kienitz-Henderson
Manager, Industry Liaison & Business Development

Michelle Kienitz-Henderson

Lead Food Scientist, FIRSt

Pere Ramel

Director, FIRSt

Dan Reilly

Dan oversees all project management at FIRSt. Since beginning work at George Brown over a decade ago, his strategic thinking skills, commitment to process improvement, and leadership capabilities have made him integral to the effective planning, execution, and closing of countless projects. Previously, Dan managed projects of all kinds, from statistical studies for the federal government to small-town music festivals. Dan graduated from George Brown College with an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration and was the recipient of the Project Management Award of Distinction. He now teaches in the School of Management, training the next generation of Project Managers. Outside of work, Dan has completed his Professional Fromager certification and can often be found at the Rogers Centre cheering on the Blue Jays.

Areas of Expertise:project management, strategic thinking, process improvement, team leadership

Email:dreilly@georgebrown.ca

Finance and Admin Coordinator, FIRSt

Lorenza Carandang

Lorenza brings extensive experience in administration and managing operations to her position as Finance and Admin Coordinator at FIRSt. Her diverse skill set ranges from client management to financial and wealth management to investor and shareholder communications and budgeting. Prior to joining FIRSt, she worked at Kingsdale Shareholder Services and AIG Philippines. Her considerable history of office management ensures that our partners and projects are supported by streamlined operations and an efficient infrastructure. Lorenza has a B.Sc. degree in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

Areas of Expertise:Operations management and control, Financial management and budgeting, Administration and office management

Email:Lorenza.Carandang@georgebrown.ca

Lab Operations Manager

Candace Rambert

From learning family recipes to working in hotels around the world, Candace’s passion for food has been her driving force. With over 16 years of culinary and foodservice experience, she has proven skills in recipe and product development. Candace values building strong client relationships at FIRSt and has a proven track record of meeting the demands of FIRSt’s diverse and dynamic clients, who are often at the cutting edge of the foodservice and the consumer package goods industry. By collaborating with food scientists and culinary students at FIRSt, she applies her culinary and sensory science experience to meet the needs of FIRSt’s diverse clients to produce best-selling products. Her product roaster includes ready to drink beverages, sauces, healthy snacks and nutrition focused recipes which help in the recovery of certain medical conditions. Since starting her career at FIRSt, she has seen first-hand how innovation continues to push the boundaries when developing unique products, and how food continues to bring people together. Candace holds a B.A from the University of Windsor and is an alumnus of both the George Brown College (GBC) Culinary Management and Italian postgraduate programs. Candace is a member of the Research Chef Association is also a past recipient of the prestigious Ontario Hostelry Institute’s ‘Top 30 Under 30’ award.

See Candace’s projects. 

Email:CRambert@georgebrown.ca

Project Manager, FIRSt

Nuvi Dhaliwal

Nuvi has been managing projects and grants within the Healthcare and Food and Beverage Industry for 7+ years. Before joining George Brown, Nuvi managed medical research grants for the Physicians’ Services Incorporated (PSI) Foundation, and worked for the Greenbelt Fund supporting and promoting increased demand for and access to local food in Ontario. Nuvi uses project management skills heavily at FIRSt to meet business objectives while upholding exceptional customer service in order to run the best operations possible and continuously engage in projects. Nuvi has a BA from University of Guelph. She continues to nurture her passion for food and beverage by taking classes in George Brown’s Wine, Culinary and Baking Arts program.

Areas of Expertise:Project management Grant management in healthcare, agriculture, agri-food, and product development Relationship management

Email:Nuvdeep.Dhaliwal@georgebrown.ca

Manager, Industry Liaison & Business Development

Michelle Kienitz-Henderson

Currently on parental leave.
Michelle brings a value-chain approach to FIRSt, where she has supported hundreds of food entrepreneurs throughout the product development process. Her academic and professional careers have focused on primary agriculture, agri-food, and agri-technology and she even occasionally assists on her parents’ cash crop farm. With a BA in Social Development (University of Waterloo) and a MA in Political Science and International Development (University of Guelph), she uses her interdisciplinary background to bring creative and holistic solutions to clients and partnerships. Michelle enjoys eating food as much as she enjoys working in the industry and is deeply committed to growing the food value chain in Ontario and Canada and increasing opportunities for Canadian
 food & agri-food companies.

Email:Michelle.KienitzHenderson@georgebrown.ca

Areas of Expertise:Food systems, Food Entrepreneurship, Relationship Management

Lead Food Scientist, FIRSt

Pere Ramel

Pere Ramel joins FIRSt as a versatile food scientist with research and development experience in the food, cosmetics and natural health products industries. His career has applied industry experience and knowledge to the development of innovative products and solutions. He has extensive experience in product scale-up (bench to pilot to industrial scale), product analysis, quality systems design, and regulatory affairs. Pere has a PhD in Food Science from University of Guelph, Canada; MSc in Food Technology with specialization in Dairy Science and Technology from Wageningen University, The Netherlands; BSc in Food Technology from University of the Philippines.

Areas of Expertise:Food Product Development; Dairy Science and Technology; Lipids and Emulsions; Food Structure (Microscopy/Rheology); Cosmetics and Topical Natural Health Products Formulation

Email:Pere.Ramel@georgebrown.ca

BACK TO GBCFIRST.CA

startGBC

Do you have a great business idea? Want to know how to set up your own business or social enterprise? Need practical help and support to develop your business skills?

Project Portal

Curious about our projects? Learn more about what we work
on with our Project Portal. Searchable by research focus, year or PI. 

Our Services

Awarded in recognition of this hands-on, real world experience, our badges can be attached to an online profile, wherever a prospective employer may see it.

Copyright © 2021 GBC Office of Research and Innovation | All Rights Reserved