Halton & Hamilton, ON, February 04, 2025 – Innovation Factory is thrilled to welcome Stephanie Holko as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Growth. This strategic hire reflects Innovation Factory’s continued growth and commitment to fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem in the Hamilton-Halton region.
Representing 10% of Ontario’s GDP and 30,000+ businesses regionally, Innovation Factory plays a key role in connecting innovators to the people, resources, and networks they need to succeed. By building collaboration between businesses, investors, institutions and government partners, Innovation Factory helps start-up and scaling companies bring their innovative solutions to market and drive economic development.
In her role, Holko will focus on developing strategic partnerships, driving new programmatic offerings, and building bridges between the ecosystem stakeholders, including funders, corporate partners, and start-ups. She will lead initiatives to promote collaboration, and create new opportunities for growth.
“Stephanie’s expertise, connections and passion for innovation make her the perfect fit to support our strategic initiatives,” said David Carter, CEO of Innovation Factory. “Her ability to build meaningful partnerships will not only enhance the value we bring to our clients and stakeholders but also ensure our ecosystem remains a model for collaboration and growth.”
“Innovation Factory plays a critical role in connecting ideas, people, and resources to create meaningful impact,” said Holko. “I’m excited to join this organization and contribute to the vision of fostering a vibrant innovation hub that supports start-ups and scaling companies.”
As a business accelerator, Innovation Factory works with over 850+ clients annually, supporting businesses through every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. From refining business models and navigating commercialization challenges to scaling globally, Innovation Factory’s clients have generated $730M+ in revenues, attracted over $1.2B+ in investments, and created more than 6,800+ jobs.
Innovation Factory continues to serve as the innovation hub for the Hamilton-Halton region, and this new appointment will be instrumental in developing partnerships, accelerating growth, and driving economic impact in Ontario.
About Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory is a not-for-profit business accelerator, serving as the catalyst for technology innovation in the Brant, Halton, Hamilton and Norfolk regions since 2010. Innovation Factory provides business services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to drive market adoption, leverage intellectual property, and increase revenues, investment, and jobs. Innovators can also access sector-specific resources including exclusive smart transportation test environments and data; and a formal life science and health innovation ecosystem.
