At The Forge, our team is driven by a shared passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.
With diverse expertise spanning business development, technology, communications, and leadership, we are committed to empowering startups at every stage of their journey. From supporting early-stage ideas to helping established ventures scale, we’re here to provide the guidance, resources, and connections needed to succeed.
Each member of our team brings a unique perspective and skill set, united by a common goal: fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that creates real-world impact.
Leigh Wilson
Interim Director
Leigh is the Assistant Director, New Ventures for the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO). Over her career at MILO, Leigh has driven the commercialization of McMaster life sciences technologies, including negotiating license agreements, securing commercialization funding and supporting emerging McMaster startups. Leigh’s role as Assistant Director has turned her focus onto start-up support, including management of the McMaster Seed Fund (MSF). The MSF is a start-up/early-stage, seed investment fund initiated to foster research-intensive and innovative start-up companies that will have a significant economic and societal impact in the Greater Hamilton Area (GHA). The MSF has deployed over 3M in investment funds to McMaster based companies over the past 3 years.
Leigh is currently appointed as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry at McMaster University and teaches a commercialization and entrepreneurship course to Biochemistry graduate students.
Leigh holds a PhD in medical sciences from McMaster University.
Lauren Brown
Business Incubator Manager
Lauren Brown manages the Business Incubator at The Forge, where she works closely with our mentors, service providers, and innovation ecosystem partners, to provide hands-on support to the startups in our Business Incubator program to accelerate their growth.
Lauren has 15 years of experience driving special projects and programs for diverse organizations, from startups to Global Fortune 500 companies. She is also a former entrepreneur, herself, having co-founded and built two companies.
Lauren is a McMaster University alumni, with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from the DeGroote School of Business, and also holds an MBA in the Management of Innovation and Technology from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Mariya Leslie
Manager of Student Entrepreneurship
Mariya Leslie is the Manager of Student Entrepreneurship at The Forge Incubator at McMaster University, where she mentors student founders to help them launch and grow innovative technology startups. Her mission is to help build a vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem – one that empowers emerging talent and drives meaningful impact within the local community.
Before joining McMaster, Mariya led operations at Altitude Accelerator, Peel Region’s leading hub for technology startups, where she supported founders through their early growth stages. She brings a strong foundation in both science and business, holding a Master of Biotechnology from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Waterloo.
Mariya is driven by the belief that empowering young entrepreneurs today fuels the bold ideas that will shape a better tomorrow.
Marissa Principato
Marketing & Events Manager
Marissa Principato is the Marketing and Events Manager for The Forge. She is responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating the marketing and communication efforts of The Forge. She facilitates a variety of student-focused events and programs through The Forge, including Startup Survivor and McMaster’s Entrepreneurship Week.
A proud McMaster Alumni with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce, Marissa is passionate about helping other McMaster students achieve their startup dreams at The Forge.
Maria Plazas
Program Coordinator
Maria is the Program Coordinator for The Forge and MILO, where she supports the team in empowering founders to grow and succeed. She brings over a decade of experience in Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, working with early-stage entrepreneurs across government, non-profit, and post-secondary institutions.
Her previous roles at Futurpreneur, Halton Region, and Conestoga College focused on startup advisory and financing, marketing and communications, and program operations. Throughout her career, Maria has been consistently inspired by the way founders turn a single spark of an idea into a thriving venture.
She holds a Bachelor of Public Relations from Humber College and is a Certified International Trade Practitioner (CITP®).
Brittany Sostar
Forge Makerspace Lead
Brittany Sostar (they/them) is the Forge Makerspace Lead, overseeing the space and offering support for makers working on projects. They provide training on tools and equipment, troubleshoot technical issues, and offer advice to ensure projects are successful. Joining The Forge in late 2024, Brittany is committed to creating an inclusive environment where makers can develop new skills, explore their creativity, and confidently bring their ideas to life.
Jessica Rudden
Program Coordinator (On Leave)
Jessica is The Forge’s office & finance manager and ensures that operations run smoothly. She joined The Forge back in 2015 as one of the first team members and is proud to have helped form The Forge into the successful program it is today. She believes everyone should spend their lives doing what sets their soul on fire and she is delighted to support entrepreneurs doing just that. Prior to her role at The Forge, Jessica specialized in sales in both the hospitality and retail sectors.