Leah Perry: Driving Growth and Innovation in Canada’s Cleantech Ecosystem

21 hours ago

The global transition to clean technology requires leaders who understand finance, innovation, and sustainability at the same time. Leah Perry has emerged as one of those professionals in Canada. Through her work with venture funds, startup accelerators, and export organizations, she has helped early-stage climate and deep-tech companies turn ideas into scalable businesses. Her career reflects a blend of strategic investment thinking and a strong commitment to environmental impact.

Table of Contents

Early Life and Educational Foundation

Academic Path Toward Impact

Leah Perry built her career on a solid academic background focused on business and sustainable development. She completed a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, one of Canada’s leading institutions for management studies. During her MBA, she developed an interest in impact investing, clean energy markets, and the role finance plays in solving environmental challenges.

Professional Certifications

To strengthen her expertise in global trade and market expansion, she earned the Certified International Trade Professional designation. This qualification provided her with practical knowledge about cross-border commerce, risk management, and export strategies—skills that later became essential when working with Canadian technology companies seeking international growth.

Professional Journey in Cleantech

Early Career at Export Development Canada

A significant part of Leah Perry’s early professional experience was gained at Export Development Canada. Within the cleantech team, she worked with small and medium-sized enterprises that were developing renewable energy, water treatment, and sustainable manufacturing solutions. Her role involved helping companies understand financing options, navigate global markets, and prepare for commercial partnerships.

Building Expertise in Startup Support

At Export Development Canada, she witnessed firsthand the difficulties innovative companies face when trying to scale. Limited access to capital, long sales cycles, and complex regulations often slow progress. These experiences shaped her later focus on venture services and investment readiness, where she could directly influence how startups connect with investors.

Leadership Role at MaRS Discovery District

Supporting High-Growth Ventures

Leah Perry later joined MaRS Discovery District, Canada’s largest urban innovation hub. As Senior Manager in Cleantech Venture Services, she worked with dozens of startups developing solutions in energy storage, carbon reduction, smart cities, and sustainable agriculture. Her responsibilities included coaching founders, reviewing business models, and helping companies prepare for fundraising.

Strengthening Investor Connections

One of her key contributions at MaRS was bridging the gap between entrepreneurs and investors. She organized pitch sessions, facilitated introductions to venture funds, and helped founders communicate their value propositions more clearly. By improving how companies presented financial and environmental impact, she increased their chances of securing growth capital.

Championing Women-Led Innovation

During her time at MaRS, Leah Perry became closely involved in programs designed to support women entrepreneurs in cleantech. These initiatives provided mentorship, networking opportunities, and tailored advisory services to founders who were often underrepresented in the investment landscape. Her work helped create a more inclusive ecosystem for climate innovation in Canada.

Current Focus at Wittington Ventures

Investing in Deep-Tech Solutions

Today, Leah Perry serves as a Senior Associate on the Innovation Fund team at Wittington Ventures. In this role she evaluates early-stage companies working in climate technology, health innovation, and other science-driven fields. Her day-to-day work involves market research, due diligence, and collaboration with founders to refine growth strategies.

From Advisor to Investor

The transition from venture services to venture capital allowed her to influence innovation from a new angle. Instead of only advising companies, she now helps decide where capital should be deployed. This position enables her to support technologies that can reduce emissions, improve resource efficiency, and create long-term economic value.

Key Areas of Interest

Climate and energy transition technologies
Circular economy business models
Industrial decarbonization
Digital tools that enable sustainability measurement
Health innovations with social impact

Professional Philosophy and Impact

Practical Approach to Sustainability

Leah Perry is known for balancing environmental ambition with commercial realism. She emphasizes that successful cleantech companies must solve real customer problems while also delivering measurable climate benefits. Her approach focuses on unit economics, strong leadership teams, and scalable technology rather than ideas alone.

Building Strong Founder Relationships

Colleagues describe her as a collaborative partner to entrepreneurs. She works closely with leadership teams to identify risks early, improve governance, and prepare for future funding rounds. This hands-on style has made her a trusted figure within Canada’s startup community.

Contribution to Canada’s Innovation Ecosystem

Through her combined experience in government finance, innovation hubs, and venture capital, Leah Perry has influenced multiple layers of the ecosystem. She understands how policy, capital markets, and entrepreneurship interact, which allows her to guide companies through complex growth journeys.

Challenges in the Cleantech Landscape

Access to Capital

One of the biggest obstacles for climate startups remains funding. Technologies often require long development timelines and significant upfront investment. Leah Perry’s work focuses on preparing companies to meet investor expectations and demonstrating clear pathways to revenue.

Market Adoption

Another challenge is convincing traditional industries to adopt new solutions. She encourages founders to engage early with customers, pilot projects, and regulators to shorten the path from innovation to real-world use.

Future Outlook

Expanding Climate Innovation

As global attention on net-zero targets grows, professionals like Leah Perry are positioned to play an even larger role. Venture funds are increasingly searching for technologies that can reduce emissions at scale, and Canada is becoming a hub for such innovation.

Mentorship and Ecosystem Building

Beyond investment decisions, she continues to contribute to mentorship networks and community initiatives. Supporting the next generation of founders remains a central part of her professional mission.

Quick Info & FAQs About Leah Perry

Who is Leah Perry?

Leah Perry is a Canadian cleantech and venture professional currently working as a Senior Associate at Wittington Ventures, focused on early-stage deep-tech and climate innovation.

What is her educational background?

She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and has earned the Certified International Trade Professional designation.

Where has she worked previously?

Her career includes roles at Export Development Canada and MaRS Discovery District, where she supported cleantech startups with financing and growth strategy.