Areas of expertise: Cross-functional, Real Estate, ClimateTech, AgriTech, ESG, aerospace, biotech, mining, food and health
Current role: Co-Founder & Director at Enstrati Consulting Inc.
Before moving into the corporate world, Gelly grew up in the restaurant business and eventually owned and operated an award-winning restaurant. An entrepreneur and business coach with 25+ years experience in business, he’s held multiple roles in public and private companies, including: Chair of the Board, CEO, CFO and Company Secretary, developing and delivering his expertise in strategy, finance, governance, and negotiations. His primary focus is supporting startups and early-stage ventures with a focus on idea interrogation, market validation, and commercialising strategy, supporting the evaluation of competition, and testing competitive advantage. Through his consulting company, Enstrati Consulting, Gelly has worked with numerous startups from early-stage to investment and into acquisition, and he manages his family’s investment company in Canada.
Until recently, he led the University of Oxford’s Startup Incubator for Oxford University Innovation, and prior to that, supported early and growth stage ventures through Innovate UK. Gelly is an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, a guest lecturer and tutor at Said Business School at the University of Oxford. In addition, he believes in social capital and the building of mentorship and advisory relationships, and co-developed the Engage Mentorship Programme pairing Executive MBA’s with startups and spinouts from the University of Oxford.