Team

Hank Venema is the CEO and Senior Engineer for Strategic Systems Engineering. He is strongly committed to sustainable development leadership, innovation, and implementation. Hank brings a strong focus on climate resilience planning and surface water management to municipal and regional landscapes. 

Hank holds a PhD in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo with a diverse technical and management background spanning climate change, renewable energy, water resources, urban planning, agriculture, operations research, public health, and environmental economics. 

Hank has extensive experience at home and abroad, having worked for and with the Inter–governmental Panel on Climate Change, The World Bank, The World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Nations Environment Program, the Global Water Systems Project, and The Energy and Resources Institute. In Canada, Hank was Chief Scientist and Vice President for Science and Innovation at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), leading several of IISD’s signature Canadian programs including the Water Innovation Centre, saving and reviving the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) research station, and helping establish the Prairie Climate Centre. Hank also has over a decade of experience consulting to the Province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada on wind power development, Lake Winnipeg Basin management, water quality trading, ecosystem services, bio-economy development, and indigenous–led ecosystem management. 

Alec Massé, Typha Co.’s co-founder & CEO, obtained his Bachelor’s of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Manitoba. Alec's experience spans from developing green infrastructure projects to supporting the launch of clean-tech start-ups, more specifically those rooted with circular bio-innovations. Alec’s professional career first started in commercial lending to agriculture producers for a cooperative, then was engaged by non-for-profit to conceive, manage, write funding applications for rural municipalities within Manitoba or Saskatchewan to undertake green infrastructure projects in waste/water management, transportation and energy efficiency.  Lastly, Alec was involved as a consultant for University British Columbia’s Bioproduct Institute (BPI) to help create an technical accelerator to evaluate emerging technologies from BPI research group’s portfolio and fostered commercialization plan to advance technology readiness level. 

Daniel Lepp Friesen, owner and principal of DLF Consulting, works with clients to create sustainable development solutions in the areas of business planning, program development and renewable energy. Clients have included Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs, Manitoba government agencies, local and international non-governmental organizations and private businesses.  Services provided include business planning, technical feasibility analyses, grant proposal writing, organizational development, program planning, project management, and international development consulting.   

Daniel enjoys art, music, and outdoor activities and is the proud father of four talented young people who have added to the family their spouses and three amazing grandchildren. His wife of 39 years, Helen Lepp Friesen, works as a professor in the University of Winnipeg. Daniel is a part of the First Nations Community Church in Winnipeg and is an active community volunteer. 

Steven Squire, Chief Technology Officer at Typha Co., has always been interested in using technology to make a positive impact on the environment. His interest in bio-based materials was one of the inspirations for studying materials engineering at McGill University. This passion led him to spend a summer working in a chemistry lab, studying biodegradable cellulose hydrogels and films that could potentially replace single-use plastics and improve agricultural watering efficiency. 

He was instantly enthusiastic about Typha Co. after learning about its potential to benefit Lake Winnipeg (the lake he spent his summers growing up), while also developing new applications for plant-based materials. Steven has been a part of Typha Co. since 2023, working on product development, operations, and scaling up. He is excited for the company's future and its potential to make waves in the horticulture industry and Lake Winnipeg. 

Riley Martin is the founder and creative force behind Riley Martin Media, a Winnipeg-based visual production company specializing in photography, videography, and design. With a keen eye for storytelling and a passion for community-driven content, Riley has built a reputation for capturing authentic moments that resonate. His work spans corporate branding, events, and personal portraits, always tailored to reflect the unique identity of each client. Through Riley Martin Media, he continues to elevate local voices and businesses with compelling visual narratives.