Our Team
Employee Biographies
Our team of professional, dedicated staff is committed to working with their clients. We pride ourselves on our technical expertise, the ability to make decisions locally and a superior level of customer service.
Our focus on the success of our customers, partners and employees is the best way to ensure that we will create value for our shareholders – all Yukon Aboriginal people.
Elaine Chambers
General Manager
Elaine Chambers, born and raised in Whitehorse Yukon, is a member of the Champagne & Aishihik First Nation and of the Crow Clan. She has been employed with däna Näye Ventures for the past eighteen years and is currently the General Manager.
Her career began as Office Manager for the Yukon Indian Development Corporation in 1987 where she supervised the bookkeeping and accounting activities for their subsidiary companies. In 1990 Elaine took over similar responsibilities for däna Näye Ventures and launched her career with them. She was promoted to Business Advisor, ABDP External Delivery in 1993. One year later, she became Manager, Financial Services and in 1996 was promoted to General Manager.
Since 1996 Elaine has represented the Yukon on the CANDO Board of Directors. She has served as Vice President and is currently the Secretary/Treasurer. In addition she represents däna Näye Ventures on the NACCA Board of Directors and has served as Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
Elaine currently is the Chair of the Board for RAB Energy Group Inc. (Northerm Windows).
She is a proud mother of two grown children, Odessa and Tina.
Sarah Steinberg
Manager Finance and Administration
Sarah has enjoyed living in the Yukon for the past thirteen years. She has been employed with däna Näye Ventures for seven years and is currently the Manager of Finance and Administration.
Prior to this, she worked with the White River First Nation in Whitehorse as their Finance Manager for five years and was responsible for the overall operational efficiency of the organization.
Sarah is a graduate of the Business Administration Program at Yukon College.
Sarah believes in giving back to the communities in which she lives and is involved in a number of volunteer activities. Currently she is the Treasurer for the Mae Bachur Animal Shelter, (Yukon Humane Society). She was previously on the Board of the Northern Lights Dance School and now volunteers with them and also contributes volunteer time to the Vanier High School. In the past, Sarah has served on the Holy Family Elementary School Council.
Before moving to the Yukon, Sarah managed her family’s business in New Hampshire where she was born. Raised in Fort St. John, B.C., she is the proud mother of two teenage children, Ben and Abby.
Jennifer Mederak
Self Employment Program Coordinator
Jennifer joined the team in 2005 and in the past 2 years she has performed various roles with däna Näye Ventures. She spent one year as the External Delivery Officer for Aboriginal Business Canada, an Indian and Northern Affairs Program that promotes the establishment and growth of Aboriginal businesses, through entrepreneurs and community organizations. She has also facilitated work shops for däna Näye Ventures including How to Recruit and Hire Good Employees and Proposal Writing.
Currently Jennifer is working as the Self Employment Program Coordinator. The Self Employment Program is a Service Canada program, which assists the unemployed in new business opportunities. däna Näye Ventures has a contract with Service Canada to fulfill this role on a part time basis.
Jennifer also provides administrative assistance to the Yukon First Nations Implementation Fund Trust, and as well, she travels around the Yukon and Northern BC to promote däna Näye Ventures' programs and services. She actively promotes the opportunities for repayable financial assistance, information, resource materials, and also refers individuals to other possible sources of funding and business support.
Jennifer grew up in Ontario where she completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree. After some time spent traveling the world, she worked for eight years in Vancouver B.C. as an Organizational Administrator. She enjoyed cultivating personnel and designing organizational systems and departmental roles for two affiliated and rapidly growing companies. A sports enthusiast, Jennifer also coached a B.C. Masters Swim Team in additional to designing their developmental strategy and workout regimen.
In the Yukon Jennifer has found her life mate and is thoroughly enjoying her new married life. She also enjoys hobbies such as hiking, fishing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, dirt biking, and smoking meat and fish.
Holly Underschultz
Financial Services Officer
Holly came to work with däna Näye Ventures as their Financial Services Officer in 1999. She is responsible for a client base of Yukon and Northern B.C. businesses who have, or who are in the process of receiving financial assistance from däna Näye Ventures.
Holly worked as an accounting technician with two chartered accountant firms in Edmonton, prior to coming to the Yukon. Holly also has experience in administration and in the retail industry having worked as the Office and Credit Manager with Home Hardware/ Irly Bird.
She was born and raised in Edmonton Alberta and graduated from NAIT in 1988 with a Diploma in Accounting and Business Administration.
Holly has one grown son and enjoys music, gardening and a variety of hand crafts.
Michiko Profeit
Accounting Officer
Michiko was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, and graduated from Porter Creek Secondary School in 2003. She completed two years of studies at Yukon College, focusing primarily on Psychology and Sociology.
Being an avid reader, Michiko had already read 1,000 books by the time she turned seven. Her love of reading never waned, and in addition to her regular studies, she opted to take every English course offered by Yukon College 'just for fun.' She is an unbiased reader; she will read anything she can get her hands on. Her other interests include walking, snowmobiling, shopping, and spending time with friends and her large extended family.
Blayne Epp
Loans Officer
Blayne joined däna Näye Ventures in 2006 after having worked for five years with the Royal Bank in Whitehorse in customer service and personal lending.
As a Loans Officer, he is responsible for working with his clients on a one-to-one basis, offering developmental financing to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal customers through various loans funds.
In the early 1990s he came to the Yukon on vacation. Shortly thereafter he relocated to the Yukon and joined the Royal Bank. Looking for a career change, Blayne returned to school and trained as a motorcycle technician and managed a motorcycle dealership for three years before coming to däna Näye Ventures.
Raised in southern Ontario Blayne graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Arts. He worked with the local newspaper after graduation in graphic design. He also has experience in owning and operating a home based business that produced designs and set-ups for a printing enterprise.
Blayne and his wife are avid film buffs and actively participate in many of the recreational activities that Yukon has to offer.
George Gottschall
Manager, Financial Services
George brings 19 years of business experience in the North and a wealth of expertise to däna Näye Ventures.
A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia with a Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing, he spent sixteen year as the Senior Manager - Loans with the Business Development Bank of Canada. George also worked with Finning Canada as the Finance Manager for Yukon & Northern BC and is very familiar with our client base. In addition, he worked with the Kitikmeot Economic Development Commission in Cambridge Bay delivering INAC & Aboriginal Business Canada Programs. Prior to this, he spent three years with Industry Canada in Yellowknife. George enjoys his former volunteer activities which included Yukon Crimestoppers, Boy Scouts, Christ the King Elementary School Council and being a Junior Acheivement Advisor.
Logan Freese
Micro Loan Coordinator
Logan came to däna Näye Ventures in September 2006 after two and a half years with CIBC where he gained valuable experience in Customer Service and Personal/Small Business lending programs.
As the Yukon Micro Loans Coordinator, he is responsible for the day to day facilitation of the Micro Loans Program. This includes handling new client inquiries, promoting the program to new client groups, disbursing new funding and many other day to day administrative functions that come with the position.
Born and raised in Haines Junction, Yukon, Logan decided to return to Whitehorse after attending Lethbridge Community College’s General Studies Program to seek out new employment opportunities.
Logan is an avid sports fan and outdoorsman and participates in several recreational sports leagues as well as enjoying many outdoor activities.
Ian Young
Business Support Officer
Ian joined däna Näye Ventures in 2007 as a Business Support Officer. This position has Ian working with Yukon entrepreneurs, from Whitehorse north to Old Crow, to establish, acquire or expand any type of business. The intent of the Business Support Officer is to assist business clients to develop their business ideas through feasibility studies and the development of viable business plans. Ian also provides assistance in securing financing, ongoing assistance to enhance their overall business capacity as well as accessing advice/mentoring, and after startup care, to help entrepreneurs address problems unique to their business.
Prior to becoming a part of the däna Näye Ventures team Ian was a Senior Business Banking representative with RBC Royal Bank in Whitehorse and previously ran his own financial advisory business. Ian is also well known for his many volunteer activities, especially with the Yukon Soccer Association and Sport Yukon and he looks forward to assisting those Yukoners who seek the pride and excitement of business ownership and development.
Allicon McNevin
Business Support Officer
Allison McNevin is däna Näye Ventures' new Business Support Officer for Aboriginal Business Canada. Allison has been living in the Yukon since 1973. She grew up at Lake Lebarge attended school in Mayo and Whitehorse. She has received an accounting diploma from Yukon College and completed two years of Commerce through UBC's Extension Program.
She is very much looking forward to teaching the Feasibility Workshops and helping all aboriginal entrepreneurs start or expand their business here in Whitehorse and the communities. She is coming to us from H & R Block where she worked for the last 9 years as a senior tax preparer and taught the senior tax courses.
Allison enjoys all aspects of living in the Yukon, picking berries, gardening and preserving her own food including cross country skiing.
Jerry Jones-Soltani
Business Support Officer
Jerry, who is of Athabascan descent, was born and raised in Auke Bay, Alaska, 12 miles north of Juneau. She attended and graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School. Further education took her to Vienna, Austria. Upon completion of her studies she purchased an international trucking/freight forwarding company (1982) of which she is the sole owner.
Jerry officially moved to Whitehorse in 2001. She was employed as the Business Information Officer and Export Specialist for the Canada-Yukon Business Service Centre and Yukon Chamber of Commerce for the past three years. During this time she has assisted many small businesses with their start-up; also several large companies expand their businesses into Alaska and many clients from around the world with their import/export. She brings a variety of skills and expertise to her position of Business Services Officer for dana Naye Ventures. She is fluent in several foreign languages in addition to customs and cultures of many countries.
Her hobbies include exclusive time with her family and friends, Harley riding and gardening. Jerry is a Sealaska Corporation shareholder. She has a married daughter and one son.
John Mercier
Aboriginal Business Officer
Born in Schefferville, northern Quebec, John joined the Dana Naye Ventures team in January 2008 as the External Delivery Officer for Aboriginal Business Canada.
John has a Masters of Business Administration degree from Queen's University, Kingston Ontario and brings over twenty years of diversified management experience to the Dana Naye Ventures team and customers. John moved to the Yukon in 1987 to work as the Senior Purchasing Manager for Curraugh Resources located in Faro Yukon. Since this initial challenge , John worked for Northwestel Inc. and Northwestel Mobility Inc for fifteen years. During this time John held several key management positions such as; Director Purchasing & Logistics; Director Customer Services and Director Corporate and Satellite with Northwestel Mobility Inc.
Most recently and before joining the Dana Naye Ventures team John worked for Yukon College in the role of Contracts and Procurement Officer.
John enjoys the great outdoors, golfing and traveling. He is a founding member of the Whitehorse Alpine Ski Racing Society and enjoys participating and volunteering in community events. He recently participated and volunteered as the Committee Chairman; Warehousing & Cartage; 2007 Whitehorse, Canada Winter Games. He is looking forward to working with Dana Naye Ventures customers and to ensuring their success.
