Invest Ottawa’s Michelle Younes Recognized as One of Toast’s Top 25 Women in Tech

Summary: Michelle Younes Recognized for Contributions to Ottawa's Tech Community

On September 25, 2025, Invest Ottawa (IO) announced that Michelle Younes, the Director of Venture Programs, has been recognized as one of Toast’s Top 25 Women in Tech, an honor acknowledging outstanding women leaders in Canada’s technology sector. Michelle’s leadership has significantly impacted Ottawa's technology community, advancing initiatives designed for scalable programming, inclusive leadership, and community engagement.

One of her hallmark achievements is the IO Venture Path, a comprehensive suite of programs aimed at guiding over 1,300 startups and scaleups through various stages of growth. This initiative has led to Venture Path companies collectively raising more than $1.7 billion in capital and creating over 5,200 jobs, making it a vital component of Ottawa's innovation ecosystem. Under Michelle’s guidance, the IO Venture Path has become well-known in the local startup community and set a gold standard for innovation centers across Canada.

Michelle has also made substantial contributions to the gender equality aspect of the startup landscape. She has focused on increasing women’s representation among advisors by over 40%, advocating for gender parity in a traditionally male-dominated field. Furthermore, under her leadership, the average Net Promoter Score for customer success metrics has reached an impressive 74, signaling high participant satisfaction with the programs.

In her approach, Michelle adopts a "founder-first" leadership style. This mindset centers on dismantling barriers and unlocking opportunities for startups and scaleups. She serves as a trusted advisor and sounding board for many founders, often offering actionable insights during critical moments. While her role has become more strategic, she remains actively involved in the community, participating in panels, networking events, and contributing to Ottawa's startup ecosystem.

Michelle is known for her humble leadership style, which focuses on empowering her team and nurturing talent within the organization. She has mentored numerous team members, helping them advance into senior roles, and balances the demands of her career with her responsibilities as a mother. Her empathetic yet performance-driven approach has helped inspire excellence across the organization.

Invest Ottawa has publicly expressed its gratitude for Michelle’s dedication to supporting founders, her team, and the wider community, recognizing her as a deserving recipient of this honor.

Invest Ottawa itself plays a crucial role as the primary economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital Region, promoting economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. The organization's mission is to realize Ottawa’s potential as an innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city. Invest Ottawa provides a wide range of services, including small business training, mentorship, and acceleration programs for technology firms, alongside initiatives aimed at attracting foreign investment.

In addition, it manages Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub, and operates Area X.O, an R&D complex focusing on next-generation mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Since 2017, Invest Ottawa has generated a compelling economic impact, contributing $3.7 billion to GDP, creating 29,343 jobs, and generating $622 million in government revenues, underscoring its vital role in boosting the local economy.

For more information, visit Invest Ottawa’s website.