KEY SKILLS
Executive Management
Business Development
Commercialization
Innovation Strategies
IP & Licensing
Patents & Trademarks
Raising Funds
Government Grants
Pitch Preparation
P&L Finance Management
Innovation Management
Stage-Gate Product Development
Lean Six Sigma Optimization
Risk Mitigation
Recruitment & Career Development
SECTOR EXPERTISE
Medical Devices
Connected Health IoT
AI for Health Applications
Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Pharma Drug Formulation
(Bio)Chemical Processing
Dispersions & Coatings
Materials Science
Smart Materials & Sensors
Nanotechnology
CleanTech & Renewables
BioProducts
Polymers, Plastics
Personal Care Products
3D Printing
Advanced Manufacturing
Rina Carlini is an accomplished business executive with 25 years of experience in science and technology innovation, product development, commercialization and developing new tech ventures in the areas of medical devices & health IT, life sciences, advanced materials, , nanotechnology, and cleantech. Her professional experience spans diverse industries and leadership roles, including pharma drug discovery R&D (Merck, Syntex); Xerox Innovation Group (Canada) as Director for Nanotechnology and Xerox Global Tech Incubator Network; in cleantech as Director of Commercialization at GreenCentre Canada, as Executive-in-Residence at Cloud DX, a digital health and medical device company, and as President & CEO of Haltech Regional Innovation Centre where she helped tech startups transform to viable, growing ventures. Rina is the Founder and President of Optimal Innovation Group Inc., a tech innovation consultancy she established in 2012, which specializes in helping tech startups commercialize and go to market, as well advise established companies on scaleup growth.
Rina’s academic credentials includes a B.Sc. Honors degree from Concordia University, a Ph.D. degree from University of Waterloo (Science), where she was the recipient of 1998 Alumni Gold Medal. In 2017, she was recognized as the University of Waterloo 60th Anniversary Science Alumni of Honor Award. Rina is certified in Artificial Intelligence for Business Strategy (MIT), Business Model Innovation (Harvard University), Executive Management (DeGroote School of Business), Technology Commercialization and Lean Six Sigma Design for Innovation. As the inventor of more than 100 US patents, Rina has extensive expertise in IP and patent strategy and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed research articles, conference papers and workshops on product development, technology commercialization as well as career development for STEM graduates. She is deeply committed to helping tech companies, especially women in science and technology, achieve business success through her mentoring work and her service as a board member for the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, DeGroote School of Business Executive Education Board, Concordia University’s Gina Cody School of Engineering & Computer Science, and as an expert reviewer on several Canadian and Ontario grant funding committees such as OCE, NSERC, CFI and MaRS.