Helping build the next generation of science and technology companies
Age: 37
Job Title: Provincial Leader for Technology, Media and Telecommunications at MNP
Angelo Talamayan’s family had one request when he told them of his wish to leave the Philippines and study accounting abroad — that he go somewhere close to family. Since most of his extended family lived in Alberta and Hawaii — and Talamayan wanted a change of environment from a tropical country — he picked Alberta. “I was drawn by the beautiful snow and the fall leaves,” he said. January, though, came as a bit of a shock.
A bigger challenge was forcing himself to be social and outgoing at the University of Alberta. Talamayan, who had always thought of himself as shy when he was younger, didn’t know anyone on campus. To his surprise, he was a natural connector. “It turns out that building relationships and building communities is what I love,” says Talamayan, who is now the provincial leader for technology, media and telecommunications for the national consulting firm MNP.
What that means in practice is that he helps biotech and computer science startups gain the attention and capital they need to grow and implement their potentially world-changing ideas. And he does this by building relationships on both sides — getting to know the scientists and entrepreneurs behind the ideas, and connecting them with the investor community.
Talamayan says Edmonton has become a hub for world-class science and technology, with innovations emerging from local universities and research labs. Yet the city’s strengths have long flown under the radar. As provincial leader for MNP, he’s working to change that by helping startups become “investable.” In the process, he’s also helping sell Edmonton to its own entrepreneurs as the tech hub it already is.
It allows him to build connections — to build community around the promise of what Edmonton can become. “You need entrepreneurs, ideas and innovation. But alongside that, you need a big group of people that are willing to take a risk on a decent idea,” he says. “And then you need people like us — people like us who can support both sides.”
This article appears in the November/December 2025 issue of Edify
