Dawn Trautman is Director of Corporate Innovation at SVG Ventures | THRIVE, where she leads THRIVE’s open innovation initiatives for global agrifood corporates. She partners with executive teams to identify strategic growth opportunities, translate emerging technologies into actionable pathways, and build high-impact collaborations across the global agri-food ecosystem.

With more than a decade of experience spanning venture development, research commercialization, and ecosystem building, Dawn specializes in partnership development, venture formation, opportunity mapping, and startup evaluation. She has led innovation engagements that connect corporates with breakthrough startups, guided investment and partnership pathways, and supported the commercialization readiness of early-stage companies. Her work bridges strategy and execution, aligning cross-functional stakeholders across corporate, venture, and program teams to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Prior to joining SVG Ventures, Dawn was a Manager of Agriculture & Food Innovation at Alberta Innovates, where she advised industry and research partners on technology strategy and co-developed the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles in research commercialization and knowledge translation at the University of Alberta, managing multi-million-dollar innovation programs and advancing adoption of new technologies across the livestock value chain.

Dawn holds a BSc in Biological Sciences, an MSc in Agricultural Economics, and an MBA from the University of Alberta. She is a 2020 Nuffield Agricultural Scholar and currently serves on the Board of Nuffield Canada. Passionate about transforming food and agriculture systems, Dawn is committed to accelerating practical, scalable innovation that drives both commercial success and global impact.