Hula
Hula is a 14-acre coworking campus, innovation hub, and venture ecosystem on the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington’s South End Innovation District. Aba joined when the concept was an ambitious vision and, as COO and CFO, led execution through design and construction to bring that vision into a fully operating reality. She built the operating and financial foundation that helped align design decisions, construction realities, and long-term sustainability. The result is a place where coworking, events, community programming, and venture activity can grow together under one cohesive campus model.
Learn more at hulalakeside.com.
Wizely
Wizely was James’s first venture as an entrepreneur. It began as a consulting practice focused on helping automotive teams use customer data and analytics to improve digital marketing performance and decision-making. As the work matured, he rediscovered a passion for building software and created SaaS products that operationalized the consulting approach for dealer groups. In 2020, Wizely earned two AWA recognitions: Innovator in Dealership Management for Co-op Accelerator and Rising Star in Business Intelligence for Dollars and $ense. Following that momentum, James sold the software business in late 2020 (with the transaction finalized at the start of 2021).
Burlington Bio
Burlington Bio is a Vermont food-innovation company focused on recapturing nutrition from underused byproducts and engineering clean-label ingredients for the future of food. Co-founded by Dr. Rachael Floreani and Cassidy Petit, the company pairs systems engineering with practical commercialization to build a more resilient food ecosystem. After Cassidy’s tragic death in a January 2024 plane crash, Aba stepped in alongside Rachel to help stabilize operations, strengthen the company’s forward plan, and protect the long-term vision Cassidy helped create. In parallel, Aba helped establish a memorial legacy effort in Cassidy’s name so her commitment to entrepreneurship and impact could continue beyond the company itself.
Learn more at burlington.bio.
AET Automotive
AET Automotive is a dealership marketing technology company focused on helping automotive teams create, launch, and manage digital campaigns with more speed and control. As a Co-Founder, James held multiple leadership roles over time — including President, CFO, and CTO — helping shape company strategy, operations, finance, and product direction through key growth phases. The business established a visible presence in the automotive ecosystem through industry partnerships, event activations, and platform expansion. In 2024, James chose to divest from AET to pursue new entrepreneurial ventures, while his remaining co-founders continued operating and growing the company.
Stowe Communications
Stowe Communications is a decades-old Vermont telecom utility that has been connecting local communities for more than 40 years, with deep roots in Stowe, Jeffersonville, and Cambridge. Aba was hired by the ownership group to serve as CEO, focused on modernizing operations, improving delivery discipline, and helping scale fiber-optic expansion across the region. The work blends utility reliability, local customer trust, and long-horizon infrastructure planning. It also reflects Canopy’s operating model: combining practical transformation leadership with hands-on execution in essential community-serving businesses.
Learn more at stowecomm.com.
Chimney Pond Capital
Chimney Pond Capital is an investment management firm pursuing risk-adjusted returns through sub-institutional real estate acquisitions, joint venture partnerships, and strong day-to-day operations—with a thesis centered on supply-constrained asset classes such as small-bay industrial and manufactured housing communities. Aba helped operationalize the family office fund: launching a clear public presence at chimneypondcap.com, tightening foundational fund documents and internal workflows, and standing up a more professional investor experience using Juniper Square for communications, reporting, and ongoing engagement. The work is a good example of how Canopy supports principals when strategy has to be credible not only on paper, but in how investors experience the fund in practice.
Learn more at chimneypondcap.com.
MeCaptcha
MeCaptcha is a founder-led venture James started to restore trust and accountability in digital interactions by helping people prove they are human in a way that can be reused across the web. The concept draws on his early internet experience building online communities and recognizing how meaningful verified human presence can be. The product turns everyday verification moments into durable trust signals that can support healthier online conversation and identity confidence. While James has led the product vision and technical direction, Aba has provided substantial behind-the-scenes support across operations, execution, and company-building.
Learn more at mecaptcha.com.
Villamochi
Villamochi is Canopy’s sister company in Panama, carrying a mission parallel to Canopy’s U.S. work: combining disciplined execution with long-term venture building. The first project focused on purchasing and renovating a property in Santa Catalina, a surf town about five hours from Panama City, with work spanning planning, design iteration, and on-site construction. While the project naturally reflected James and Aba’s personal passion for surfing and diving, it also became an operating base for broader opportunity development. Today, Villamochi serves as a springboard for additional commercial real estate and technology startup initiatives across the region.
Handsdown
Handsdown is a community-commerce platform built around trusted recommendations — especially for moms and caregivers sharing products they actually use. As CTO, James led technology strategy and product development while the company refined its app experience, recommendation workflows, and platform foundations. Handsdown was selected for the 2023 Techstars Boulder class, where the team sharpened go-to-market positioning and accelerated product execution with mentor and investor feedback. The venture reflects Canopy’s approach to pairing practical software architecture with strong founder-led storytelling and market learning.
