The Driven Team Behind Outwitly’s Mission

Alex M. Chong is Outwitly’s Director of Design, UX Leadership & Practice. With over a decade of experience, he supports teams and organizations in approaching design as a discipline that shapes how people think, collaborate, and create. His work often begins in the grey zones—complex systems, undefined mandates, and the spaces between disciplines. 

Trained in architectural design, Alex entered UX while the field was still forming—shaped by industrial design, psychology, HCI, and visual communication. That early ambiguity led to a career of building what didn’t yet exist: from team practices and learning environments to leadership approaches rooted in clarity, curiosity, and care.

His focus is on fostering the conditions where designers can thrive, teams cohere, and creative work gains traction across the business. The result is healthier teams, better retention, and design work that contributes meaningfully to organizational momentum.

Ares brings over 13 years of global talent acquisition experience across four continents and more than 10 industries, with a strong focus on technology and consulting. Known for his action-oriented, results-driven approach, he designs and implements strategic hiring practices that efficiently and thoughtfully connect exceptional talent with the right opportunities.

Throughout his career, Ares has led diverse talent teams across multiple countries and advised executive leadership on recruitment strategy, process optimization and candidate experience. He has held senior recruitment roles at companies like Emids, Cognizant, Idea Couture, and AMD, and has spearheaded complex executive searches for major pharmaceutical clients at S&P 100 companies, earning a reputation as a trusted headhunter.

As Outwitly’s Head of Talent, Ares drives recruitment strategy, talent operations, and client service, partnering with organizations to build high-performing teams through efficient, tailored hiring solutions that align with their business goals.

Evan is a strategic growth and client partnership leader with nearly a decade of experience across healthcare-focused technology consulting and startup MedTech environments. He has a proven track record of helping organizations scale through thoughtful design and digital transformation, partnering closely with senior leaders to identify growth opportunities and translate complex business challenges into clear, actionable solutions.

At Outwitly, Evan will focus on building trusted, long-term client relationships and positioning design not as a service, but as a strategic lever for business growth — helping our clients move from insight to impact with measurable, lasting value.

Evan holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a Graduate Diploma in International Business Management.

Vani Edwardson is a seasoned marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth for tech companies across Canada. As a fractional Chief Marketing Officer, she partners with startups and scale-ups to craft strategic marketing plans that deliver measurable results.

Vani’s expertise spans brand development, digital marketing, and sales enablement, with a focus on aligning marketing efforts with business objectives. She has held senior roles at organizations such as Nanometrics Inc. and Macadamian, where she led teams in executing comprehensive marketing strategies.

Holding an MBA from the University of Ottawa, Vani is passionate about empowering businesses to scale effectively through tailored marketing solutions. She specializes in bridging the gap between strategy, execution, and people — helping marketing teams and businesses thrive. She loves diving into the unknown, and is committed to fostering innovation and delivering value for every organization she touches.

Tanya is a Talent Coordinator with a strong background in recruitment as well as social media marketing. Leveraging her dynamic skill set, she excels at engaging top talent while ensuring a positive, seamless candidate experience. Tanya is passionate about building unstoppable teams and helping individuals find golden opportunities that match their goals and potential. 

At Outwitly, she is focused on supporting the growth of design teams by cultivating a diverse and skilled talent pool that aligns with innovative and collaborative missions. She finds joy working in a fast-paced environment and supporting ambitious people as they thrive in their careers.

Tanya holds an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Human Resources from the University of Waterloo, as well as a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation. Tanya is based in Ontario.

Rachaela Van Borek is a versatile writer and strategist with over a decade of combined experience in the marketing, entertainment and tech spheres. Her control of language and flair for impactful messaging have helped both B2B and B2C brands increase their reach and conversions via thought leadership, case studies, customer success enablement, user education, SEO, and digital advertising, among other approaches.

She holds a BA Honours in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University in Montreal, and got her start editing adaptation scripts and managing projects in animated TV, with clients and partners including LEGO, Nickelodeon and Netflix. Her passion for writing and effecting positive change then led her to pursue a full-time career in digital marketing, where she could use storytelling to help great brands grow and make people’s lives better. Behind everything Rachaela does is a fascination with human connection and a love of pushing ideas to their highest potential.

Lena is an experienced talent strategist with a background in Anthropology and Sociology, enabling her to establish authentic connections with a diverse range of talent. Transitioning to a sales role six years ago, she discovered her passion for talent acquisition, dedicating the past three years to building numerous adaptable and diverse IT teams within the private sector.

Her pride stems from guiding individuals to their desired roles and witnessing the outstanding work her consultants consistently deliver. Lena has been recognized with multiple awards for “talent retention” and “talent service experience,” consistently exceeding client and consultant expectations and ensuring sustained employment opportunities for her team.

In her current role, Lena focuses on nurturing relationships within the design community, collaborating with top-tier talent to align their career aspirations. Her joy lies in securing dream job placements for practitioners and witnessing their growth and success over time.

Lena holds a Joint Honours Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Marion Verschaeve is an accomplished sales professional with a wealth of experience, underpinned by a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from HEC Montreal, specializing in B2B sales. During her 15-year tenure at notable firms like Nespresso, DAVIDsTEA, and a renowned pharmaceutical company, Marion has excelled in leading sales and marketing teams, crafting strategies that consistently surpassed growth targets.

At Outwitly, Marion’s mission is clear: to articulate the unparalleled value of Outwitly’s services and catalyze our growth. In her current role, Marion is dedicated to understanding the intricate needs of customers and clients, ensuring a positive experience for all. Her responsibilities encompass leading client success initiatives and designing strategies, building, nurturing, and strengthening relationships, and maintaining a stellar customer/client experience. 

Aday is a Nigerian-born, Ontario-based service designer. Her work meshes human-centered design practice with her extensive background in the strategic development of interactive experiences.

She is an expert in design planning, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, and product design. Ayomide is passionate about connecting people, businesses and the world through inspiring design. Aday has had a diverse career in the public service including the Federal Immigration and Citizenship sector of Canada and pharmaceutical companies.

She holds a BASC of Industrial Design in the Department of Applied Science from the University of Toronto as well as a MDES of Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University.

Mandy is Outwitly’s Intermediate UX Designer who specializes in bridging user needs with business goals to create meaningful solutions. With a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Carleton University, she is well-versed in the end-to-end design process, from research and concept exploration to prototyping and production.

She has built her experience in agency settings, where she collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver web and product experiences for clients across technology, entertainment, e-commerce, and financial sectors. 

Mandy brings a human-centered, research-driven approach to both client projects and internal initiatives. Her practice spans service design, user research, and UX/UI, allowing her to contribute strategically as well as tactically across the design process.

Sara Fortier is a design strategist and CEO/founder of Outwitly Inc. She is an expert in ethnographic research methods, workshop facilitation, and design-thinking, and she is passionate about human-centered approaches to innovation.

Prior to founding Outwitly, Sara worked in Silicon Valley for Fortune 500 clients such as Apple, AT&T, and Microsoft. She is also the former User Experience Director for one of the top ten media companies in the United States where she led the consumer products design and research teams.

Transitioning from her experience in the tech world, she now helps organizations improve systemic issues surrounding user and customer experiences by applying the same human-centered and innovative practices used in product and service development.

Sara received a Master of Interdisciplinary Design and a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University. She continues to work closely with the University as a sessional lecturer and advisor to the School of Industrial Design.

Shanna Small is an administrative professional with 15 years of experience in bookkeeping and office management. She holds a Business Administration Certificate from the University of Victoria and is QuickBooks trained and certified.

Shanna brings balance, loyalty, and companionability to her work. She believes that “you must begin from where you are,” remaining committed to your goals while learning to enjoy the flow through the ups and downs of life.

When she is not on her yoga mat or working behind a computer, you can usually find her at the lake as she loves being on the water with friends and family.

Danielle Mallett is an experienced marketing professional who specializes in building brand awareness, crafting engaging content, and developing comprehensive marketing strategies that resonate with diverse communities. As Marketing Manager at Outwitly Inc., Danielle is responsible for leading the marketing team in the creation and execution of integrated campaigns across social media, newsletters, blogs, and other communication channels.

Danielle joined Outwitly in 2021 as a Social Media and Communications Coordinator, where she played a pivotal role in establishing a strong brand presence and thoughtful communication strategies. In her current role, she oversees the development of content that educates and engages Outwitly’s growing community and business.

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba.

Meaghan Gorchynski is a graphic designer based in Brandon, Manitoba. As Outwitly’s in-house graphic designer, Meaghan specializes in branding and creating compelling digital materials for Outwitly’s social media channels, newsletter, blog, and more.

Meaghan’s educational background includes graphic design, web design, and video production studies. She worked for five years as a designer for a growing media company and has created branding and web design projects for small businesses in her community.

Meaghan’s creative style centers around clean and sophisticated aesthetics, with a dedication to elevating clients’ experiences through a thoughtful approach to design.

Chinedum Achebe, also known as Nedu, is a talented UX & UI Designer. She specializes in delivering seamless user experiences, well-researched brand identities and beautiful user interfaces for Outwitly’s clients.

Possessing a comprehensive and multi-faceted design experience, Nedu has designed for several industries, including healthcare, fashion, law, e-commerce, and technology. In 2020, she worked with Hackworks as a UI/UX Designer, IBM as a Visual Designer, Danna Nicole, and HackerGal as a Graphic Designer.

Nedu holds a B.Eng in Information & Communication Engineering (Covenant University, Nigeria) and a Masters degree in Digital Experience Innovation (University of Waterloo, Canada). In addition, she has received qualifications as a Google Analytics Individual, an IBM Design Thinking Practitioner, and holds a certificate in Mimic Pro Digital Marketing.