Montreal, Quebec — Blaise Transit, a leader in the development of innovative software solutions for public transit, is excited to announce the appointment of Olivia Li as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With over two decades of experience as both a product and technical leader, Olivia brings a wealth of expertise to Blaise, in product development, AI, and scaling early-stage technology ventures. She will lead all engineering, research, and product teams, driving the company's product roadmap and ensuring timely, effective delivery of new features and solutions for the transit markets we serve.
After studying in mathematics Olivia began her career as a software engineer and has since risen to prominence as an expert in AI product development. She has worked extensively on AI-driven features and products at Unity (NYSE: U), where her leadership contributed to breakthrough innovations and delivered extensive shareholder growth. As the previous Head of Product for TrackTik(acquired by TrackForce), she deepened her knowledge of complex operations management software, while setting the product vision for a company that raised over $50M, before their acquisition. In addition to her corporate experience, Olivia is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded multiple technology startups.
In her new role at Blaise Transit, Olivia will oversee the company’s technical and product strategies, leveraging her deep understanding of AI and optimization to continue transforming public transit systems for cities across North America. Her appointment comes as Blaise Transit expands its platform to include several AI-focused features, such as demand-forecasting and advanced IVR.
"We are thrilled to have Olivia join Blaise Transit as CTO," said Ben Hudson, Co-Founder and former CTO of Blaise Transit. "Her experience in leading both technical and product teams, combined with her expertise in AI and optimization, makes her the perfect fit to take our technology and product strategy to the next level."
Ben Hudson, who co-founded Blaise Transit alongside CEO Justin Hunt, and served as the company’s CTO, has recently embarked on a PhD at the University of Montreal and Mila AI-institute, where he is concentrating on using AI to solve critical transportation challenges. While pursuing his research, Ben will continue to work part-time as an advisor to Blaise Transit and will remain an active member of the company’s board.
"I’m excited to join Blaise Transit at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth," said Olivia Li. "Blaise has already achieved incredible success in reshaping public transit for small cities, and I’m eager to lead the team as we drive forward with solutions that bring a whole new level of efficiency and accessibility to the communities we serve."
With Olivia’s leadership, Blaise Transit is poised to further solidify its role as a pioneer in using technology to help transit organizations connect more people to more places.
About Blaise Transit
Blaise Transit is a turnkey software platform that enables transport organizations to run demand-responsive transit networks. Powered by patent-pending AI routing algorithms, we empower our partner cities and transit authorities to run more cost-efficient services, while offering a better experience to riders and expanding accessibility. Founded in 2018 in Montreal, Canada, Blaise is today used by dozens of municipalities across North America for on-demand, paratransit, fixed, and flex transit, and is accessed by customers through well as a single, universal user-facing app. Blaise is also backed by world-class investors such as Anges Québec, Techstars, the Capital Angel Network, and the Gouvernement du Québec, through the Impulsion PME program of Investissement Québec.
Sales Inquiries
Sophie Le Blanc, Head of Business Development
sophie@blaisetransit.com
Media and Investor Inquiries
Justin Hunt, Chief Executive Officer
jhunt@blaisetransit.com
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