Ricky Mehra

General Partner

Continuum Health Ventures

Ricky Mehra is an early-stage VC in the Deep Healthtech and Healthspan Longevity space. Ricky is General Partner of Continuum Health Ventures (CHV), an early stage fund based in Toronto and the Bay Area. The fund engages with best-in-class founders who are helping to democratize the future of medicine. As we continue to move away from a sickcare model, CHV has a vision to usher in the next generation of early-stage companies that will extend human healthspan. Ricky is also part of the leadership team at NextMed.Health, a global conference that brings together ideas and people connected to the future of medicine.

Previous to that Ricky was a benchtop scientist, analyst, and entrepreneur from Toronto, Canada. He had a successful exit from a big-data predictive analytics healthtech company (Q2 Metrics) and has spent 14+ years servicing intelligence globally to F500 Medical Device and Pharmaceutical companies. In parallel, Ricky maintains a deep passion for education reform and the future of education.

Ricky currently sits in advisory boards for multiple startups across the globe and serves as a Visioneer for Xprize (Health Conclave), an associate and mentor at the CDL, a judge, and mentor for numerous early stage healthtech awards and a panel speaker on the convergence of health and tech. Ricky spends a lot of time opining on the future of AI (role of innovation) in Healthcare by way of panels and talks. Ricky also volunteers time with The Knowledge Society where he has a role in mentoring gifted students with a focus in healthtech.

Fred Pye

Founder and Chairman

3iQ Corp.

Frederick Pye, Chairman and CEO: Fred kick-started his career as a precious metal and foreign exchange trader at Guardian Trust. In 1986, they were the first to list gold, silver, and platinum certificates on the Montreal Stock Exchange. Fred later joined Fidelity Investments, where he was part of a team that saw its assets rise from 85 million to over 7.5 billion. Through the launch of creative and exotic investment products, Fred started his own firm, which worked diligently with Canadian regulatory bodies to establish the first mutual fund in Canada that was allowed to take short positions. Finally, as founder and CEO of 3iQ, he and his team worked cooperatively with the Ontario Securities Commission for the last 4 and a half years to launch the first regulated Bitcoin fund in North America. In a landmark victory, 3iQ was given the green light by the regulator to file a prospectus and apply to list “The Bitcoin Fund” on a Canadian stock exchange. 3iQ is now Canada’s largest digital asset investment fund manager with more than C$3.5 billion in assets under management.

Mr. Pye obtained a master’s in business administration from Concordia University and is a member of the Board of the Anglican Funds and the West Island Youth Residence.

Sanin Mody

Managing Principal

Ojas Capital, LP (SFO)

Finance and Strategy professional with experience in Real Estate Investing, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Investment Banking, and Business Development/Management. Professional and academic background in Healthcare, Real Estate, Telecom, Renewable Energy, and Technology.

Specialties: Finance / Strategy / Operations at Early/Growth Stage Companies, Real Estate Investing, Financial Analysis & Modeling, Research Driven Industry/Market Analysis, Project Management, Sales/Marketing, Corporate Management.

Bruce M. Hodges

CEO

Parachute

Bruce has had a progressive international career in all areas of financial services; Banking, Insurance, and Investments. Over the first 10 years of his career Bruce worked in retail banking for several of Canada’s top Banks working his way up from Teller to Personal Lender, Commercial Lender, and ultimately Product Manager with a $4B credit portfolio. During this time Bruce completed his MBA, published research for the Canadian Bankers Association, and taught E-commerce Strategy in Wilfrid Laurier University’s MBA program.

In 1998, Bruce left the corporate world and joined a 20-person start-up to take on-line credit adjudication to market. The start-up built credit solutions for the likes of National Bank, Fair Isaac, and Ford Credit globally. He facilitated a sale of the company to a publicly traded entity and continued the journey including raising $40M in equity.

On leaving the dot-com world, Bruce began a 20-year corporate stretch in Insurance, initially joining Manulife to build out their global e-commerce strategy and moving to several global roles with the likes of Generali, Sunlife and ING. This journey relocated he and his family to Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, The Netherlands, and Italy in roles spanning CIO, COO, CIDO and CEO overseeing more than 60 different countries at various stages of his career.

After his final stint in Europe as CIDO (Chief Information & Digital Officer) at Generali, overseeing IT, Operations and Digital for the $70B, 60 Country Insurer, Bruce returned to Canada mid-2018. After his return, Bruce was COO of Foresters Financial, and EVP Transformation at CIBC, one of Canada’s top 5 banks. Since leaving CIBC in April 2021, Bruce founded Parachute, a start-up set to disrupt the financial wellness space taking on payday, and high interest predatory lenders, with the intent to bring at risk Canadians back from the brink to good financial health.

Prathna Ramesh

VP Operations

FutureSight Ventures

Prathna is an early-stage investor and operator in B2B SaaS companies. She is currently a VP of Operations at FutureSight, a venture builder fund that backs entrepreneurs as an institutional cofounder with capital. She is the former Managing Director of Maple Leaf Angels in Toronto, one of Canada’s most active angel networks. She served as GP (General Partner) of the MLA48 pre-seed funds and is currently the Chief Compliance Officer. She is active in the founder community as a business advisor and is an advocate for women in venture.

Lakhveer Jajj

CEO & Founder

Moselle

Diving into the venture world and having helped co-found various startups, including a commerce development shop called Sunview Labs, he joined CareGuide as a foundational member of the team and led their nanny tax payroll product called HeartPayroll.

Following CareGuide, Lakhveer joined Highline Beta to help launch their venture studio and various ventures, including Relay, which was recently acquired.

Reza Khanahmadi

Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder

Rondeivu Inc.

Alexandra Kapelos-Peters

Founder & CEO

Cansulta

Take your business to the next level with the right support. We solve the problems preventing you from thriving. Because every business deserves a world-class consultant. Better business awaits!

ARE YOU:
• Frustrated by spending top dollar and waiting months for high-level, theoretical presentations that don’t bring real results to your existing team or department?
• Burdened by an unending to-do list while trying to scale your growing business?
• Overwhelmed by the competing tasks and priorities of running a startup or scale-up?

LET ME HELP! My mission is to bring out the best in your team and your business. Let us help you identify and implement the solutions by putting in place the right people, processes, and technology.

I’m a creative, solution-oriented, passionate leader who gets things done. I am:
• DIGITAL / Unique, broad expertise in software, marketing technology & product development
• DRIVEN / Dedicated project & product owner who leads by example
• BILINGUAL in English and French

Provides direction, builds alignment and executes. Thinks strategically and plans tactically. Passionate about people, management, technology, and scaling businesses for success. Outstanding record of working with Fortune 500 companies to deliver services and solutions for 20+ years. Accomplished leader & manager who excels in building high-performing teams.

Broad experience in business: client service, customer training & support; finance, legal & operations; delivery (design, development & production); human resources (recruitment, L&D, training, change management); product management; process design & management; communications, marketing strategy.

Specializes in the delivery of high-impact, high-value, high-quality professional services & solutions within both agency/vendor (Waterfall) and development environments (agile/iterative/Scrum).

Ajay Rao

Partner

Chamberlain Advisors

Ajay, CPA, CA, is known for creating low-cost, low-risk solutions that secure intergenerational wealth for ultra-high-net-worth families, bringing over 20 years of finance and wealth management experience.

Ajay has partnered with leading global private banks and financial institutions to deliver comprehensive financial strategies. Most recently, he led the organization of a family office for a prominent UHNW Toronto family, achieving significant benefits without upfront costs.

Ajay’s expertise includes strategic thinking, financial acumen, and problem-solving, making him a valuable asset to his employers and clients. Current initiatives include potentially becoming a Founding Partner of an advisory firm focused on serving single family offices and acting as an Advisor to a high-performing, Singapore-based multi-thematic equity hedge fund now establishing its presence in North America. This fund, grounded in value investing, has consistently and significantly outperformed the MSCI World and S&P 500 indices.

Mukul Pal

Founder & CEO

Alphablock Technologies Inc.

Mukul has spent over 20 years in global financial markets, in investment management capacities, working from 2000-2004 for the Bombay Stock Exchange, HDFC, and various financial institutions in India, from 2005-2010 consulting European asset managers and securities divisions of financial institutions like Société Générale, Raiffeisen, Uniqua Insurance, Bucharest Stock Exchange, Bank of Transilvania and starting 2011 building Active Investing solutions for various wealth managers in North America. 

He has published extensively, filed several patents, holds an MBA in Finance, a master’s in applied econometrics and statistics, the CMT and CAIA designations, and has been awarded a top fintech award from MIT in 2016. In his current role, he runs AlphaBlock, a fintech company that in its first application is revolutionizing asset management by offering alpha at zero transaction costs and zero management fees to institutional and individual investors.

Chanddeep Madaan

CEO

Aya Care

Aya Care (ayacare.com) is Canada’s #1 leading healthcare spending account and wellness spending account provider, making it easier for businesses in providing their employees a better way to pay for health and wellness.

Marcus Daniels

Founding Partner & CEO

Highline Beta

Marcus Daniels is a Founding Partner & CEO of Highline Beta where he leads visionary execution, strategic deals, corporate venture co-investment and startup funding. He has 21+ years as a serial tech entrepreneur & operating executive with a top decile pre-seed investing (34 startups) track record. 12+ years working with Fortune 1000 companies advising on corporate innovation models & building a pipeline of new corporate ventures beyond the core business. Formerly the Co-Founder & CEO of HIGHLINE.vc and Managing Director of Extreme Startups, Marcus continues to help evolve accelerator models to make corporate-startup collaboration work.

Sasha Mosiichuk

Associate, Venture Investments

Aquanow

Sasha is currently serving as an Venture Capital Associate at Aquanow and is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities and formulating investment strategies in Web3 and Blockchain Technology. Her previous journey in the financial sector has been marked by roles at IG Wealth Management, and NPC Ukrenergo, each contributing to financial analysis, project investments, and private wealth management.

Tim Burgess

Co-Founder & CEO

WealthAgile

Senior financial executive, with 20 years of experience in institutional equity sales and portfolio management. Recently ran the Spartan onTREND Fund, where he built a fully systematic momentum strategy.

John Davitsky

Co-Founder

Golden Hawk Financial

John is Co-Founder of Golden Hawk Financial (GHF) based in Toronto.  The company helps clients by connecting interesting ideas to interesting capital and vice versa. GHF focuses on alternative investments including AI, Tokenization, Sustainable Energy, Digital Assets, and Real Estate Development.

John started his career as a Financial Advisor at Caldwell Securities in Toronto in 2009. In this role he was responsible for managing investments for families, corporations and other high net-worth individuals. He progressed through the organization gaining experience in alternative investments, brokering private equity deals, placing shares in late stage pre-IPO companies and investing in digital assets.  In recent years John moved into trading, becoming Head Trader, and finally Vice President, where, as a high touch trader he traded $1B-$1.5B daily for the firm’s largest client.

In 2022, he joined Echelon Wealth Partners, where he worked with their Electronic Trading group to help lead a digital asset project with Fidelity Clearing Canada. This project developed a product to hold digital assets for clients on Fidelity’s balance sheet in a traditional finance model. 

Golden Hawk Financial was born out of a vision to create exciting and unique opportunities for its clients in the alternative investment space.

Robert Guo

President

Sixty Degree Capital

Mr. Robert Guo, President of “Sixty Degree Capital”-Venture Capital investment firm,  a seasoned insightful financial executive, and business leader with international market development skills with extensive experience in public and private companies as Board member, executive and advisor. Former:  Board Director of “China Wind Power” (TSX-V: CNW), and Board Director of “Environmental Waste International Inc. “(TSX-V: EWS). CEO of Goldenmount Capital International Inc. Investment Advisor at “BMO Nesbitt Burns” and Senior Associate at “TD”,  MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University.

Joseph Micallef

Partner, Tax – National Tax Leader Financial Services

KPMG

Joseph is a financial services tax specialist and senior managing partner of KPMG’s national financial services tax practice. Joseph serves institutional allocators, wealth advisors and asset management (retail & private fund) clientele. Joseph has deep experience in serving clients in banking, capital markets, financing and leasing entities as well as broker dealer taxation matters.

Joseph has more than 28 years of experience working with regulated and non- regulated public and private clients of all sizes in the financial services, resources, utilities, life sciences and technology industries. Joseph was recognized and honored as a Fellow to the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants for his work across the industry in 2020 and is one of the youngest tax practitioners to receive this extraordinary honor.

Joseph provides tax advisory services to his clients in the following areas:
• Investment fund taxation matters from a domestic and international tax perspective.
• Investment fund & product structuring.
• Capital market products and other off-market financial instruments
• Domestic planning matters including M&A and reorganization taxation matters.
• Joseph also provides advice regarding effective structuring within the regulated banking environment to ensure tax and capital efficiencies.

International tax matters such as the following:
• Tax efficient product structuring advice for both product manufacturers and institutional investors across all asset classes such as liquid securities and alternative products (hedge, private credit, PE, REITs, Infrastructure)
• Tax advisory on international operating models (financing structures, withholding taxes & transfer pricing matters).
• Tax efficient repatriation of profits & within corporate group.
• Tax compliance & tax controversy matters with the various tax authorities, including policy advisement to the Department of Finance.

Joseph provides consultations in respect of SR&ED & other government incentives (grant funding) for domestic and foreign companies. Joseph frequently designs and consults on effective and strategic tax operating models for various entities, including consultations to meet certain regulatory & governance frameworks. Joseph has extensive experience with advising and implementation around tax performance advisory platforms. Joseph has substantial experience in accounting for income taxes under IFRS, ASPE, and US GAAP and is a frequent lecture at numerous professional forums. Joseph is a published author and speaker for various industry events, CTF, TEI and the CPA Canada.

Yaron Varona

Yaron Vorona is a business strategy advisor and executive performance coach. Yaron has spent over 20 Years working in strategy and finance leadership roles for technology companies and investors. He has co-founded companies in the cybersecurity, AI, blockchain, and defense sectors. His global network stems from his experience working in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America.

Yaron holds an MBA from the London Business School, and a BSc in Physics and Business from the University of Waterloo. He’s a Father, Explorer, Connector, and Personal Excellence Practitioner.

Matt He

Investment Analyst

Brightspark Ventures

Matt is an Investment Analyst at Brightspark Ventures, Canada’s oldest VC firm backing exceptional entrepreneurs at the early stage. Brightspark is actively investing out of its $120M Fund IV, leading Seed and Series A rounds across Canada.

Prior to Brightspark, Matt served for two years as the Director of Investments for Front Row Ventures, investing at pre-seed in the very best young founders across the Canadian ecosystem. He has previously worked at White Star Capital in New York and FounderFuel in Montreal.

Michael Branco

Founder & Chairman

Celeste Ventures

Michael specializes in bootstrap start-ups with the ability to take organizations and ideas from scratch and bring them to reality. Michael now works closely with venture partners to capitalize new organizations and deliver value to the key stakeholders.

Michael’s first self-created startup is Fireminds, a technology solutions company, headquartered in Bermuda with staff in US, Canada, Caribbean, South America and Europe, serving international clients in Bermuda, North America and the Caribbean. In 2017, Fireminds received a major investment from ATN International (Nasdaq:ATNI), Inc. to expand its operations and join the group of telco companies.

In addition, Michael founded Premier Tickets in 2009 which is now a leading ecommerce company serving Bermuda based and global clients such as America’s Cup 35, SailGP and the PGA. In 2019, PTIX merged with AAC Saatchi Saatchi a full services ad-agency based in Bermuda; Michael led the strategic acquisition of the marketing company. Furthermore, Michael secured the airport advertising contract for Bermuda Skyport under AAC Media and placed the new CEO of AAC-PTIX.

Michael also started Innovation House, a seven-story commercial property; converting it from a distressed property to a fully occupied office hub with tenants ranging from legal, insurance, tech start-ups, retail to a doctor’s office.

Michael has 20+ years’ experience in technology consulting and an extensive background in start-up businesses and initiatives. Michael has the ability to create innovative technology solutions, build people centric organizations and solve problems; fueled by coffee and hands on technology skills.

Michael earned his Computer Science degree from Western University and pursued graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Databases at Stanford University. Michael earned his MBA from the Richard Ivey Business School and completed Board of Directors College training at Stanford Law School.

Michael is a Justice of the Peace / Commissioner of Oaths in Bermuda, District Grand Officer of the Freemasons UGLE Bermuda, Past President of the Freemasons Charitable Fund Bermuda, Incoming Chair of YPO Bermuda, Board member / advisory of Fireminds, Premier Tickets, Innovation Ltd, Treefrog Consulting, AAC Saatchi Saatchi, AG Research, Bermuda First Advisory Group, Bermuda College Task Force and the Corporation of Hamilton Infrastructure Committee.

In Michael’s “spare” time he loves spending time with his wife and two daughters in their home in Bermuda. Michael is an avid golfer currently playing off a 12 handicap.

Sam Bogoch

CEO

Axle AI, Inc.

Cofounder and CEO of Axle AI – Our software combines the power of AI and machine learning to MAM, either on premise or the cloud. We launched in 2018 at NAB, and now have a full-time team of 22 people and over 1,000 customers worldwide. We’ve recently built out two major companion products: Connectr, a cross-platform video workflow automator, and Axledit, a collaborative editing platform.

I also advise a number of tech startups and am co-chair of the Boston chapter of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs’ Association.

Specialties: Media asset management and server architectures, customer interactions, third-party partner relationships, marketing and channel development. Forward-looking view of the media consumption and production landscapes.

Skills include – experienced executive in media applications and platform technologies; deep system integration background in large-scale media asset management and storage systems based on Linux and Microsoft technology suites; building startups and turnarounds which are able to attain significant revenue growth with modest capital infusions; managing development teams of 2-100 people. Equally comfortable in the corporate and startup worlds. Significant experience working closely with enterprise customers, as well as investors and management stakeholders. I enjoy (and help foster) high-growth environments.

Jana Rieger

Co-founder and CEO

True Angle

Throughout my journey from a clinician, to researcher, professor, and now entrepreneur, I have been deeply involved in developing innovative solutions for individuals worldwide who want to live better through technology. In 2017, I founded True Angle, a company born out of the University of Alberta with a core mission to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and those in need. To that end, I led the development of Mobili-T, a wearable digital health technology aimed at restoring swallowing function for the 500 million people globally affected by conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, and head and neck cancer. Now, drawing on my PhD work in respiratory kinematics, my team has progressed to create Breth, a wearable device that combines haptic technology and smart sensors to personalize breathwork sessions with tailored recommendations, promoting lasting and stress-free habits. Under my guidance, True Angle successfully completed programs at prestigious business accelerators such as the Creative Destruction Laboratory in Canada, Plug and Play, and MATTER Health in Chicago.

Beyond my entrepreneurial ventures, my academic pursuits have been marked by establishing top-tier programs, notably an acclaimed health outcomes assessment initiative recognized as the global industry standard. My strong thought leadership skills have been instrumental in my role as a director within Alberta’s healthcare system, where I brought together diverse stakeholders including clinicians, researchers, and policy-makers to drive impactful change.

Romain Dutrenois

CEO/Founder

Phalanx Capital

CEO and Founder of Phalanx Capital, which aims at providing investors with innovative financial instruments to hedge their portfolios and boost their returns.

Oded Levi

President

Epstein Enterprises

Oded is the President of Epstein Enterprises Inc., a single-family office based in Toronto. EEI is a multi-faceted investment company with direct and indirect investments in private and public corporations as well as commercial and residential real estate. EEI invests with various investment managers on a passive basis as well as providing support for technology companies that span pre-revenue through growth stage, with a preference towards late seed and early growth rounds. EEI prefers to support its companies in a non-operational way and by investing in multiple rounds.

Prior to coming to EEI in 2006, Oded worked in the international tax practice of a large accounting firm and at a boutique investment research firm. Oded is a CPA, CA and has a BBA in Accounting and MBA in Finance from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He has served on the boards of public, private and not for profit organizations.

Humaira Sheikh

Head of Operations and Co-Founder

Rondeivu

Rondeivu reimagines and modernises the process by which private market deals are transacted. Our end-to-end InvestTech platform simplifies capital formation and investment with a seamless “one platform” solution for the entire deal process. We optimise for alignment of interests by sourcing opportunities and matching issuers with institutional investors.

Joe Milam

Founder

AngelSpan

Joe Milam (MY-lum) is a recognized expert in securities analysis, valuation, portfolio design and management, venture & angel investing, and oddly enough – the Psychology of Wealth. He ran his own multi-family office for 20 yrs, and is now applying his almost 40 years of investing experience to address the inefficiencies in how we fund innovation.

At AngelSpan, we are addressing the chronic ‘information gap’ typical with early stage companies by delivering the best in class Investor Relations.

Now rolling out The Legacy Funds division of AngelSpan to address the chronic and growing funding gap across the U.S. by delivering the first institutionally rigorous solution for allocating capital to the venture asset class – regardless of the investment thesis.

In essence, we remove the gamble from funding innovation.

Amit Bhanot

Founder

Runway6.vc

Yang Wang

Head of Product

Argo Digital Gold

Yang Wang leads product development at Argo, shaping the next generation of their gold investment platform. This platform empowers users with a seamless digital experience for accessing precious metals. Prior to joining Argo, Yang cultivated a diverse background across a range of financial institutions. At AP Capital, a leading diversified investment firm, she led product development for a popular crypto trading platform in Turkey. Before AP Capital, she led innovation management and drove operational efficiency at Scotiabank Capital Market Technology Group, where she streamlined mid and back-office operations through automation.

A seasoned professional with a cross-functional background, Yang’s career journey began with UI/UX design and marketing.

This diverse experience has equipped her as a strong, well-rounded leader in the financial technology space.Driven by her own experience as a first-generation immigrant from China, Yang recognizes the global challenges of financial accessibility. Having navigated life in different countries, she understands firsthand the need for inclusive financial tools. Witnessing the obstacles faced by immigrants in building wealth, she is passionate about promoting financial equality, particularly for women and for children at the beginning of their educational journeys.

Ricky Mehra

General Partner

Continuum Health Ventures

Ricky Mehra is an early-stage VC in the Deep Healthtech and Healthspan Longevity space. Ricky is General Partner of Continuum Health Ventures (CHV), an early stage fund based in Toronto and the Bay Area. The fund engages with best-in-class founders who are helping to democratize the future of medicine. As we continue to move away from a sickcare model, CHV has a vision to usher in the next generation of early-stage companies that will extend human healthspan. Ricky is also part of the leadership team at NextMed.Health, a global conference that brings together ideas and people connected to the future of medicine.

Previous to that Ricky was a benchtop scientist, analyst, and entrepreneur from Toronto, Canada. He had a successful exit from a big-data predictive analytics healthtech company (Q2 Metrics) and has spent 14+ years servicing intelligence globally to F500 Medical Device and Pharmaceutical companies. In parallel, Ricky maintains a deep passion for education reform and the future of education.

Ricky currently sits in advisory boards for multiple startups across the globe and serves as a Visioneer for Xprize (Health Conclave), an associate and mentor at the CDL, a judge, and mentor for numerous early stage healthtech awards and a panel speaker on the convergence of health and tech. Ricky spends a lot of time opining on the future of AI (role of innovation) in Healthcare by way of panels and talks. Ricky also volunteers time with The Knowledge Society where he has a role in mentoring gifted students with a focus in healthtech.

Fred Pye

Founder and Chairman

3iQ Corp.

Frederick Pye, Chairman and CEO: Fred kick-started his career as a precious metal and foreign exchange trader at Guardian Trust. In 1986, they were the first to list gold, silver, and platinum certificates on the Montreal Stock Exchange. Fred later joined Fidelity Investments, where he was part of a team that saw its assets rise from 85 million to over 7.5 billion. Through the launch of creative and exotic investment products, Fred started his own firm, which worked diligently with Canadian regulatory bodies to establish the first mutual fund in Canada that was allowed to take short positions. Finally, as founder and CEO of 3iQ, he and his team worked cooperatively with the Ontario Securities Commission for the last 4 and a half years to launch the first regulated Bitcoin fund in North America. In a landmark victory, 3iQ was given the green light by the regulator to file a prospectus and apply to list “The Bitcoin Fund” on a Canadian stock exchange. 3iQ is now Canada’s largest digital asset investment fund manager with more than C$3.5 billion in assets under management.

Mr. Pye obtained a master’s in business administration from Concordia University and is a member of the Board of the Anglican Funds and the West Island Youth Residence.

Sanin Mody

Managing Principal

Ojas Capital, LP (SFO)

Finance and Strategy professional with experience in Real Estate Investing, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Investment Banking, and Business Development/Management. Professional and academic background in Healthcare, Real Estate, Telecom, Renewable Energy, and Technology.

Specialties: Finance / Strategy / Operations at Early/Growth Stage Companies, Real Estate Investing, Financial Analysis & Modeling, Research Driven Industry/Market Analysis, Project Management, Sales/Marketing, Corporate Management.

Bruce M. Hodges

CEO

Parachute

Bruce has had a progressive international career in all areas of financial services; Banking, Insurance, and Investments. Over the first 10 years of his career Bruce worked in retail banking for several of Canada’s top Banks working his way up from Teller to Personal Lender, Commercial Lender, and ultimately Product Manager with a $4B credit portfolio. During this time Bruce completed his MBA, published research for the Canadian Bankers Association, and taught E-commerce Strategy in Wilfrid Laurier University’s MBA program.

In 1998, Bruce left the corporate world and joined a 20-person start-up to take on-line credit adjudication to market. The start-up built credit solutions for the likes of National Bank, Fair Isaac, and Ford Credit globally. He facilitated a sale of the company to a publicly traded entity and continued the journey including raising $40M in equity.

On leaving the dot-com world, Bruce began a 20-year corporate stretch in Insurance, initially joining Manulife to build out their global e-commerce strategy and moving to several global roles with the likes of Generali, Sunlife and ING. This journey relocated he and his family to Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, The Netherlands, and Italy in roles spanning CIO, COO, CIDO and CEO overseeing more than 60 different countries at various stages of his career.

After his final stint in Europe as CIDO (Chief Information & Digital Officer) at Generali, overseeing IT, Operations and Digital for the $70B, 60 Country Insurer, Bruce returned to Canada mid-2018. After his return, Bruce was COO of Foresters Financial, and EVP Transformation at CIBC, one of Canada’s top 5 banks. Since leaving CIBC in April 2021, Bruce founded Parachute, a start-up set to disrupt the financial wellness space taking on payday, and high interest predatory lenders, with the intent to bring at risk Canadians back from the brink to good financial health.

Prathna Ramesh

VP Operations

FutureSight Ventures

Prathna is an early-stage investor and operator in B2B SaaS companies. She is currently a VP of Operations at FutureSight, a venture builder fund that backs entrepreneurs as an institutional cofounder with capital. She is the former Managing Director of Maple Leaf Angels in Toronto, one of Canada’s most active angel networks. She served as GP (General Partner) of the MLA48 pre-seed funds and is currently the Chief Compliance Officer. She is active in the founder community as a business advisor and is an advocate for women in venture.

Lakhveer Jajj

CEO & Founder

Moselle

Diving into the venture world and having helped co-found various startups, including a commerce development shop called Sunview Labs, he joined CareGuide as a foundational member of the team and led their nanny tax payroll product called HeartPayroll.

Following CareGuide, Lakhveer joined Highline Beta to help launch their venture studio and various ventures, including Relay, which was recently acquired.

Reza Khanahmadi

Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder

Rondeivu Inc.

Alexandra Kapelos-Peters

Founder & CEO

Cansulta

Take your business to the next level with the right support. We solve the problems preventing you from thriving. Because every business deserves a world-class consultant. Better business awaits!

ARE YOU:
• Frustrated by spending top dollar and waiting months for high-level, theoretical presentations that don’t bring real results to your existing team or department?
• Burdened by an unending to-do list while trying to scale your growing business?
• Overwhelmed by the competing tasks and priorities of running a startup or scale-up?

LET ME HELP! My mission is to bring out the best in your team and your business. Let us help you identify and implement the solutions by putting in place the right people, processes, and technology.

I’m a creative, solution-oriented, passionate leader who gets things done. I am:
• DIGITAL / Unique, broad expertise in software, marketing technology & product development
• DRIVEN / Dedicated project & product owner who leads by example
• BILINGUAL in English and French

Provides direction, builds alignment and executes. Thinks strategically and plans tactically. Passionate about people, management, technology, and scaling businesses for success. Outstanding record of working with Fortune 500 companies to deliver services and solutions for 20+ years. Accomplished leader & manager who excels in building high-performing teams.

Broad experience in business: client service, customer training & support; finance, legal & operations; delivery (design, development & production); human resources (recruitment, L&D, training, change management); product management; process design & management; communications, marketing strategy.

Specializes in the delivery of high-impact, high-value, high-quality professional services & solutions within both agency/vendor (Waterfall) and development environments (agile/iterative/Scrum).

Ajay Rao

Partner

Chamberlain Advisors

Ajay, CPA, CA, is known for creating low-cost, low-risk solutions that secure intergenerational wealth for ultra-high-net-worth families, bringing over 20 years of finance and wealth management experience.

Ajay has partnered with leading global private banks and financial institutions to deliver comprehensive financial strategies. Most recently, he led the organization of a family office for a prominent UHNW Toronto family, achieving significant benefits without upfront costs.

Ajay’s expertise includes strategic thinking, financial acumen, and problem-solving, making him a valuable asset to his employers and clients. Current initiatives include potentially becoming a Founding Partner of an advisory firm focused on serving single family offices and acting as an Advisor to a high-performing, Singapore-based multi-thematic equity hedge fund now establishing its presence in North America. This fund, grounded in value investing, has consistently and significantly outperformed the MSCI World and S&P 500 indices.

Mukul Pal

Founder & CEO

Alphablock Technologies Inc.

Mukul has spent over 20 years in global financial markets, in investment management capacities, working from 2000-2004 for the Bombay Stock Exchange, HDFC, and various financial institutions in India, from 2005-2010 consulting European asset managers and securities divisions of financial institutions like Société Générale, Raiffeisen, Uniqua Insurance, Bucharest Stock Exchange, Bank of Transilvania and starting 2011 building Active Investing solutions for various wealth managers in North America. 

He has published extensively, filed several patents, holds an MBA in Finance, a master’s in applied econometrics and statistics, the CMT and CAIA designations, and has been awarded a top fintech award from MIT in 2016. In his current role, he runs AlphaBlock, a fintech company that in its first application is revolutionizing asset management by offering alpha at zero transaction costs and zero management fees to institutional and individual investors.

Chanddeep Madaan

CEO

Aya Care

Aya Care (ayacare.com) is Canada’s #1 leading healthcare spending account and wellness spending account provider, making it easier for businesses in providing their employees a better way to pay for health and wellness.

Marcus Daniels

Founding Partner & CEO

Highline Beta

Marcus Daniels is a Founding Partner & CEO of Highline Beta where he leads visionary execution, strategic deals, corporate venture co-investment and startup funding. He has 21+ years as a serial tech entrepreneur & operating executive with a top decile pre-seed investing (34 startups) track record. 12+ years working with Fortune 1000 companies advising on corporate innovation models & building a pipeline of new corporate ventures beyond the core business. Formerly the Co-Founder & CEO of HIGHLINE.vc and Managing Director of Extreme Startups, Marcus continues to help evolve accelerator models to make corporate-startup collaboration work.

Sasha Mosiichuk

Associate, Venture Investments

Aquanow

Sasha is currently serving as an Venture Capital Associate at Aquanow and is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities and formulating investment strategies in Web3 and Blockchain Technology. Her previous journey in the financial sector has been marked by roles at IG Wealth Management, and NPC Ukrenergo, each contributing to financial analysis, project investments, and private wealth management.

Tim Burgess

Co-Founder & CEO

WealthAgile

Senior financial executive, with 20 years of experience in institutional equity sales and portfolio management. Recently ran the Spartan onTREND Fund, where he built a fully systematic momentum strategy.

John Davitsky

Co-Founder

Golden Hawk Financial

John is Co-Founder of Golden Hawk Financial (GHF) based in Toronto.  The company helps clients by connecting interesting ideas to interesting capital and vice versa. GHF focuses on alternative investments including AI, Tokenization, Sustainable Energy, Digital Assets, and Real Estate Development.

John started his career as a Financial Advisor at Caldwell Securities in Toronto in 2009. In this role he was responsible for managing investments for families, corporations and other high net-worth individuals. He progressed through the organization gaining experience in alternative investments, brokering private equity deals, placing shares in late stage pre-IPO companies and investing in digital assets.  In recent years John moved into trading, becoming Head Trader, and finally Vice President, where, as a high touch trader he traded $1B-$1.5B daily for the firm’s largest client.

In 2022, he joined Echelon Wealth Partners, where he worked with their Electronic Trading group to help lead a digital asset project with Fidelity Clearing Canada. This project developed a product to hold digital assets for clients on Fidelity’s balance sheet in a traditional finance model. 

Golden Hawk Financial was born out of a vision to create exciting and unique opportunities for its clients in the alternative investment space.

Robert Guo

President

Sixty Degree Capital

Mr. Robert Guo, President of “Sixty Degree Capital”-Venture Capital investment firm,  a seasoned insightful financial executive, and business leader with international market development skills with extensive experience in public and private companies as Board member, executive and advisor. Former:  Board Director of “China Wind Power” (TSX-V: CNW), and Board Director of “Environmental Waste International Inc. “(TSX-V: EWS). CEO of Goldenmount Capital International Inc. Investment Advisor at “BMO Nesbitt Burns” and Senior Associate at “TD”,  MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University.

Joseph Micallef

Partner, Tax – National Tax Leader Financial Services

KPMG

Joseph is a financial services tax specialist and senior managing partner of KPMG’s national financial services tax practice. Joseph serves institutional allocators, wealth advisors and asset management (retail & private fund) clientele. Joseph has deep experience in serving clients in banking, capital markets, financing and leasing entities as well as broker dealer taxation matters.

Joseph has more than 28 years of experience working with regulated and non- regulated public and private clients of all sizes in the financial services, resources, utilities, life sciences and technology industries. Joseph was recognized and honored as a Fellow to the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants for his work across the industry in 2020 and is one of the youngest tax practitioners to receive this extraordinary honor.

Joseph provides tax advisory services to his clients in the following areas:
• Investment fund taxation matters from a domestic and international tax perspective.
• Investment fund & product structuring.
• Capital market products and other off-market financial instruments
• Domestic planning matters including M&A and reorganization taxation matters.
• Joseph also provides advice regarding effective structuring within the regulated banking environment to ensure tax and capital efficiencies.

International tax matters such as the following:
• Tax efficient product structuring advice for both product manufacturers and institutional investors across all asset classes such as liquid securities and alternative products (hedge, private credit, PE, REITs, Infrastructure)
• Tax advisory on international operating models (financing structures, withholding taxes & transfer pricing matters).
• Tax efficient repatriation of profits & within corporate group.
• Tax compliance & tax controversy matters with the various tax authorities, including policy advisement to the Department of Finance.

Joseph provides consultations in respect of SR&ED & other government incentives (grant funding) for domestic and foreign companies. Joseph frequently designs and consults on effective and strategic tax operating models for various entities, including consultations to meet certain regulatory & governance frameworks. Joseph has extensive experience with advising and implementation around tax performance advisory platforms. Joseph has substantial experience in accounting for income taxes under IFRS, ASPE, and US GAAP and is a frequent lecture at numerous professional forums. Joseph is a published author and speaker for various industry events, CTF, TEI and the CPA Canada.

Yaron Varona

Yaron Vorona is a business strategy advisor and executive performance coach. Yaron has spent over 20 Years working in strategy and finance leadership roles for technology companies and investors. He has co-founded companies in the cybersecurity, AI, blockchain, and defense sectors. His global network stems from his experience working in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America.

Yaron holds an MBA from the London Business School, and a BSc in Physics and Business from the University of Waterloo. He’s a Father, Explorer, Connector, and Personal Excellence Practitioner.

Matt He

Investment Analyst

Brightspark Ventures

Matt is an Investment Analyst at Brightspark Ventures, Canada’s oldest VC firm backing exceptional entrepreneurs at the early stage. Brightspark is actively investing out of its $120M Fund IV, leading Seed and Series A rounds across Canada.

Prior to Brightspark, Matt served for two years as the Director of Investments for Front Row Ventures, investing at pre-seed in the very best young founders across the Canadian ecosystem. He has previously worked at White Star Capital in New York and FounderFuel in Montreal.

Michael Branco

Founder & Chairman

Celeste Ventures

Michael specializes in bootstrap start-ups with the ability to take organizations and ideas from scratch and bring them to reality. Michael now works closely with venture partners to capitalize new organizations and deliver value to the key stakeholders.

Michael’s first self-created startup is Fireminds, a technology solutions company, headquartered in Bermuda with staff in US, Canada, Caribbean, South America and Europe, serving international clients in Bermuda, North America and the Caribbean. In 2017, Fireminds received a major investment from ATN International (Nasdaq:ATNI), Inc. to expand its operations and join the group of telco companies.

In addition, Michael founded Premier Tickets in 2009 which is now a leading ecommerce company serving Bermuda based and global clients such as America’s Cup 35, SailGP and the PGA. In 2019, PTIX merged with AAC Saatchi Saatchi a full services ad-agency based in Bermuda; Michael led the strategic acquisition of the marketing company. Furthermore, Michael secured the airport advertising contract for Bermuda Skyport under AAC Media and placed the new CEO of AAC-PTIX.

Michael also started Innovation House, a seven-story commercial property; converting it from a distressed property to a fully occupied office hub with tenants ranging from legal, insurance, tech start-ups, retail to a doctor’s office.

Michael has 20+ years’ experience in technology consulting and an extensive background in start-up businesses and initiatives. Michael has the ability to create innovative technology solutions, build people centric organizations and solve problems; fueled by coffee and hands on technology skills.

Michael earned his Computer Science degree from Western University and pursued graduate studies in Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Databases at Stanford University. Michael earned his MBA from the Richard Ivey Business School and completed Board of Directors College training at Stanford Law School.

Michael is a Justice of the Peace / Commissioner of Oaths in Bermuda, District Grand Officer of the Freemasons UGLE Bermuda, Past President of the Freemasons Charitable Fund Bermuda, Incoming Chair of YPO Bermuda, Board member / advisory of Fireminds, Premier Tickets, Innovation Ltd, Treefrog Consulting, AAC Saatchi Saatchi, AG Research, Bermuda First Advisory Group, Bermuda College Task Force and the Corporation of Hamilton Infrastructure Committee.

In Michael’s “spare” time he loves spending time with his wife and two daughters in their home in Bermuda. Michael is an avid golfer currently playing off a 12 handicap.

Sam Bogoch

CEO

Axle AI, Inc.

Cofounder and CEO of Axle AI – Our software combines the power of AI and machine learning to MAM, either on premise or the cloud. We launched in 2018 at NAB, and now have a full-time team of 22 people and over 1,000 customers worldwide. We’ve recently built out two major companion products: Connectr, a cross-platform video workflow automator, and Axledit, a collaborative editing platform.

I also advise a number of tech startups and am co-chair of the Boston chapter of the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs’ Association.

Specialties: Media asset management and server architectures, customer interactions, third-party partner relationships, marketing and channel development. Forward-looking view of the media consumption and production landscapes.

Skills include – experienced executive in media applications and platform technologies; deep system integration background in large-scale media asset management and storage systems based on Linux and Microsoft technology suites; building startups and turnarounds which are able to attain significant revenue growth with modest capital infusions; managing development teams of 2-100 people. Equally comfortable in the corporate and startup worlds. Significant experience working closely with enterprise customers, as well as investors and management stakeholders. I enjoy (and help foster) high-growth environments.

Jana Rieger

Co-founder and CEO

True Angle

Throughout my journey from a clinician, to researcher, professor, and now entrepreneur, I have been deeply involved in developing innovative solutions for individuals worldwide who want to live better through technology. In 2017, I founded True Angle, a company born out of the University of Alberta with a core mission to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and those in need. To that end, I led the development of Mobili-T, a wearable digital health technology aimed at restoring swallowing function for the 500 million people globally affected by conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, and head and neck cancer. Now, drawing on my PhD work in respiratory kinematics, my team has progressed to create Breth, a wearable device that combines haptic technology and smart sensors to personalize breathwork sessions with tailored recommendations, promoting lasting and stress-free habits. Under my guidance, True Angle successfully completed programs at prestigious business accelerators such as the Creative Destruction Laboratory in Canada, Plug and Play, and MATTER Health in Chicago.

Beyond my entrepreneurial ventures, my academic pursuits have been marked by establishing top-tier programs, notably an acclaimed health outcomes assessment initiative recognized as the global industry standard. My strong thought leadership skills have been instrumental in my role as a director within Alberta’s healthcare system, where I brought together diverse stakeholders including clinicians, researchers, and policy-makers to drive impactful change.

Romain Dutrenois

CEO/Founder

Phalanx Capital

CEO and Founder of Phalanx Capital, which aims at providing investors with innovative financial instruments to hedge their portfolios and boost their returns.

Oded Levi

President

Epstein Enterprises

Oded is the President of Epstein Enterprises Inc., a single-family office based in Toronto. EEI is a multi-faceted investment company with direct and indirect investments in private and public corporations as well as commercial and residential real estate. EEI invests with various investment managers on a passive basis as well as providing support for technology companies that span pre-revenue through growth stage, with a preference towards late seed and early growth rounds. EEI prefers to support its companies in a non-operational way and by investing in multiple rounds.

Prior to coming to EEI in 2006, Oded worked in the international tax practice of a large accounting firm and at a boutique investment research firm. Oded is a CPA, CA and has a BBA in Accounting and MBA in Finance from the Schulich School of Business at York University. He has served on the boards of public, private and not for profit organizations.

Humaira Sheikh

Head of Operations and Co-Founder

Rondeivu

Rondeivu reimagines and modernises the process by which private market deals are transacted. Our end-to-end InvestTech platform simplifies capital formation and investment with a seamless “one platform” solution for the entire deal process. We optimise for alignment of interests by sourcing opportunities and matching issuers with institutional investors.

Joe Milam

Founder

AngelSpan

Joe Milam (MY-lum) is a recognized expert in securities analysis, valuation, portfolio design and management, venture & angel investing, and oddly enough – the Psychology of Wealth. He ran his own multi-family office for 20 yrs, and is now applying his almost 40 years of investing experience to address the inefficiencies in how we fund innovation.

At AngelSpan, we are addressing the chronic ‘information gap’ typical with early stage companies by delivering the best in class Investor Relations.

Now rolling out The Legacy Funds division of AngelSpan to address the chronic and growing funding gap across the U.S. by delivering the first institutionally rigorous solution for allocating capital to the venture asset class – regardless of the investment thesis.

In essence, we remove the gamble from funding innovation.

Amit Bhanot

Founder

Runway6.vc

Yang Wang

Head of Product

Argo Digital Gold

Yang Wang leads product development at Argo, shaping the next generation of their gold investment platform. This platform empowers users with a seamless digital experience for accessing precious metals. Prior to joining Argo, Yang cultivated a diverse background across a range of financial institutions. At AP Capital, a leading diversified investment firm, she led product development for a popular crypto trading platform in Turkey. Before AP Capital, she led innovation management and drove operational efficiency at Scotiabank Capital Market Technology Group, where she streamlined mid and back-office operations through automation.

A seasoned professional with a cross-functional background, Yang’s career journey began with UI/UX design and marketing.

This diverse experience has equipped her as a strong, well-rounded leader in the financial technology space.Driven by her own experience as a first-generation immigrant from China, Yang recognizes the global challenges of financial accessibility. Having navigated life in different countries, she understands firsthand the need for inclusive financial tools. Witnessing the obstacles faced by immigrants in building wealth, she is passionate about promoting financial equality, particularly for women and for children at the beginning of their educational journeys.

Kerem Kolcuoğlu

Managing Partner

Penrose Partners

Kerem is an MBA and the Managing Partner of Penrose Partners, a blockchain-focused consulting firm advising startups, enterprises, governments and investors on navigating the blockchain and digital assets space.

Kerem is an advisor to the Canadian Technology Accelerators and to the Premier’s Office of FinTech for the Bermuda Government. He is also a Founding Board Member of the Bermuda Innovation & Technology Association (BITA) and a Founding Partner of the i3 Innovation Incubator in Bermuda.

Previously at PricewaterhouseCoopers and at MLG Blockchain, he has consulted multinational enterprises, governments and educational institutions on understanding and adopting blockchain technology. Bridging his experience in multiple industries, he has foreseen change and advised clients on navigating digital transformation in an age of disruption.

Revathy Venugopal

VP of Digital Product Management

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

I am currently the VP, Digital Product Management of Picton Mahoney Asset Management. I bring over 23 years of Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Wealth Management, Fintech, and consulting experience with data driven product and digital transformation leadership experience. I have launched successful products while solving for both customer and business objectives. I’m passionate about solving problems and delivering results that create value for stakeholders.

I hold an MBA from Rotman School of management, University of Toronto, and MMA from Smith school of Business, Queen’s University.

Pawan Vatvani

Director of Portfolio Construction, Portfolio Construction Consultation Services

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

I joined PMAM in Nov 2021 as Director of Portfolio Construction within the Portfolio Construction Consultation Services (PCCS) team.

My start in the industry began in Sydney, Australia in the custody division of RBC DexiaInvestor Services and BNP Paribas Securities Services. I joined BlackRock in Jan 2008 as a middle office analyst and rose up the ranks to be a trader on the execution desk and eventually as Portfolio Manager within the Multi-Asset Strategies Team.

I moved to Toronto in June 2016 to lead the build out of the Portfolio Consulting Services function within iShares (BlackRock Canada’s ETF division).

In 2003, I graduated from the University of Western Australia with Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and Bachelor of Commerce degrees with majors in Information Technology, Investment Finance and Management. I also hold the CFA charter and FRM designations.

Henry Chau

Associate Vice President

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

What drew me to the world of finance was my desire to help individuals take control of their financial lives. After spending several years as an adviser to HNW individuals, I’m now an Associate Vice President with Picton Mahoney Asset Management, Canada’s largest alternative investments provider with approximately $10B in assets under management. Our mission is simple: help investors achieve their goals with greater certainty.

In my role, I am a trusted expert on all things portfolio construction related and on alternative investments for Investment Advisors, Portfolio Managers, and Family Offices across Ontario. Markets are changing — portfolio construction is too. I work with a team of experts to provide my clients’ with a quantitative framework to build better portfolios. I am a CFA Level III candidate and I graduated McMaster University in 2016 with a Bachelors in Economics.

Garima Gupta

Manager, People & Culture

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

I am currently the Manager, People & Culture at Picton Mahoney Asset Management. For more than 5 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working for growth-oriented organizations such as Picton Mahoney with an emphasis on talent management, organizational development and employee engagement. I am a very passionate Human Resources professional with an interest and core focus on cultivating high-value experiences for employees throughout the employee life cycle. I am very proud to be working for an organization such as Picton Mahoney who have consistently been recognized as one of Canada’s “Top Employers” and “Great Places to Work.”

Over the years, I have also volunteered in the community with Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, Kids Help Phone, Toronto’s Distress Centers and many more organizations. I enjoy giving back and I’m deeply committed to creating an environment of support and trust which has always been something I strive for in my career.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Seneca College, and I’m currently working towards the CHRL designation with HRPA.

Stacey Blyth

Director, Risk Advisory

KPMG International Financial Centers

Stacey is an IIROC qualified Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), certified anti-money laundering specialist (CAMS) and certified crypto currency investigator (CCI). As Director, Risk Advisory for KPMG International Financial Centers, based in Nassau, Bahamas she brings over 20 years’ experience in wealth management and related financial services. She is a regulatory and financial crime expert and founding member of KPMG Islands Group (KIG) Digital Assets team.

Prior to joining KPMG, Stacey held senior regulatory roles including Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer, and Chief Privacy Officer. After launching her career in Canada, she has since had the opportunity to live and work in a variety of international locations.

Head of Marketing

CIBC Mellon

Brent Merriman leads the team responsible for CIBC Mellon’s corporate external communications, including content marketing, product marketing, media relations, client events, and employer-of-choice communications. He also oversees the company’s market research, industry intelligence and client feedback programs.

Brent has more than 20 years of experience as a corporate storyteller, marketing strategist and educator. Since joining CIBC Mellon in 2008, Brent has held progressively senior communications and marketing roles within the company.

Brent is active in the communities where he lives and works. He sits on the Matching Committee for the Mentorship Program of the Canadian Association for Alternative Strategies and Assets, and volunteers with the Canadian Capital Markets Association’s T+1 Communications and Education Working Group. He is past chair of CIBC Mellon’s corporate social responsibility steering committee, past chair of its governance and ethics CSR subcommittee, and a founding member of the company’s parenting network.

Brent holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University and a Master of Education from York University.

Abdul Sheikh

Vice President, Fund and Portfolio Services

CIBC Mellon

With a particular focus on alternative asset, derivatives and daily valuations, Abdul has a long history of finding solutions for clients, whether hedge funds, pension plans or mutual funds, regionally and globally. His prime responsibilities include client service delivery and relationship management for CIBC Mellon’s institutional clients in Canada.

Previously Abdul was VP & Head of Client Service and Relationship Management at State Street responsible for client satisfaction, retention and growth for asset owners and assets managers globally.

Abdul has more than 25 years’ experience developing client strategies and service models for some of the world’s most sophisticated managers and investors.

Matt Shandro

President and Portfolio Manager

Fulcra Asset Management

Matt founded Fulcra Asset Management in 2009. Matt has 19 years of investment management experience, with an extensive background in fixed income and corporate investing. His previous experiences include managing corporate bond funds at Great Pacific Capital Corp, CI Investments and Marret Asset Management. In 2004, the $2 billion Signature High Income Fund that he co-managed at CI Investments was awarded the “Canadian Income Trust Fund of the Year” by Morningstar. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia.

Mike Mangione

Director, Family Offices & Advisor Relations

Group RMC

Mike is the Director of Family Offices and Advisor Relations at Group RMC. He is responsible for establishing, developing and maintaining business relationships with Family Offices and Investment Advisors. He is also responsible for marketing the business in Canada and in the US. Prior, he held various positions in finance at prominent Insurance companies Standard Life and Manulife (John Hancock). Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce with a concentration in accounting from the John Molson School of Business. He holds the CPA, CMA designation.

Jedidiah Liu

Chief Executive Officer

Cacoeli

Jedidiah has been an experienced real estate investor in the residential rental market since 2003. She started investing in the single-family residential market with tremendous success. Very shortly, she entered the multifamily residential market, owning and managing small and medium rental complexes. Professionally trained as a CPA, CA in Canada, Jedidiah possesses strong analytical and relationship management skills that are critical in evaluating appropriate real estate opportunities and ensuring the success of each real estate investment.

Elena Sinelnikova

Chief Executive Officer

Metis

Elena Sinelnikova is a former Government of Canada solutions architect turned entrepreneur and co-founded several startups. Metis.io: a scalability and low-code solution for DeFi, NFT and dApps on Ethereum, and CryptoChicks.ca – educational hub and accelerator for women in blockchain in 56 countries.

Michael Graham

Executive Director, Relationship Management (Quebec)

CIBC Mellon

Michael Graham is Executive Director, Relationship Management (Quebec).
Michael is responsible for leading the relationship management team in Quebec, overseeing the existing client relationships and partnering with our business development team to grow CIBC Mellon’s regional footprint. He also develops and manages initiatives that enhance client partnerships.

Prior to joining CIBC Mellon in 2013, Michael worked in progressively senior roles at a large, diversified financial institution in Canada, most recently as a relationship manager for domestic and international institutional investors.
In addition to his 20+ years of experience in the financial services industry, Michael is a CFA charterholder and earned his bachelor of commerce degree from Concordia University, with a major in finance at the John Molson School of Business.

Andy Smith

Chief People & Communication Officer

SGGG Fund Services

Andy Smith brings a wealth of experience in unitholder recordkeeping and transfer agency services dating back to 2000.

Andy’s career began at RBC Global Services providing administrative support to some of Canada’s largest mutual funds. He then moved to BNY Mellon Alternative Investment Services (Bermuda) where he spent seven years and became a vice-president. While at BNY Mellon, his department oversaw transfer agency services for offshore hedge funds with $125 billion in assets under administration. At BNY Mellon, Andy became an expert on alternative product offerings, series-based accounting, master-feeder structures and offshore regulatory compliance.

After returning to Canada in 2010, Andy joined SGGG-Fund Services Inc. In his roles here, Andy was focused on investor reporting, client communications, and meeting the needs of evolving industry requirements including FATCA, CRM2 and more. Today, Andy puts more focus on building relationships and knowledge across departments, with clients, and other stakeholders. He will continue the Human Resources initiatives he has started and will align some of our HR practices to deliver a consistently positive experience for SGGG-FSI’s employees.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a post-graduate diploma in public relations from Ryerson University.

Christi Hayes

Chief Compliance Officer

Invico Capital Corporation

As the Chief Compliance Officer at Invico Capital Corporation, Christi Hayes brings over 15 years of experience in investment banking and corporate finance — and her organizational prowess — to seamlessly oversee the closings for all Invico managed funds and the day-to-day operations of the entire organization. Before joining Invico, Christi served as a Syndication and Accounting Analyst at FirstEnergy Capital Corporation, where she worked closely with the corporate finance team on public and private financings, including brokered and non-brokered offerings and grey market trades.Beyond her role at Invico, Christi is also a member of the Calgary Corporate Challenge Governance Committee, a non-profit providing community-focused team building events, and advises the Board on matters pertaining to strategic planning, governance, and human resource matters. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Archeology and a double minor in history and anthropology.

Ron Lloyd

Partner & Senior Advisor

Waratah Capital Advisors

Ron joined Waratah Capital Advisors in 2015. He brings over 30 years of leadership in pension consulting and investment management to Waratah. Prior to joining Waratah, Ron was President of Hewitt Associates Canada (now known as AON Hewitt) and held senior executive positions at various Canadian asset management firms.

Ron graduated from Queen’s University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Masters of Industrial Relations degree. Ron has also completed executive courses at the Harvard Business School and University of Toronto, in addition to the Fundamentals of Alternative Investment Certificate Program by the CAIA Association. He received his CIM designation and is registered as a Dealing Representative.

Harley Gold

Managing Director

Peakhill Capital

Peakhill Capital is a commercial real estate lender and equity provider to leading real estate developers and investors. Peakhill Capital was founded by Harley Gold, Partner and Managing Director. Harley brings extensive experience in financing on all asset types including multi-family, senior housing, retail, industrial, hospitality, and land development, and has closed in excess of $15 billion in loans over the past 15 years in Canada and the US. His client base includes developers, REITs, pension funds, and high net worth individuals.

Harley’s focus has traditionally been on delivering strong returns with opportunistic investment strategies through utilizing competitive and flexible financing. Prior to founding Peakhill Capital, Harley was the Vice-President of Business Development at CMLS Financial. Harley graduated from the University of Toronto and holds an MBA from Canisius.

Daniel Conti

Principal

HarbourVest Partners

Daniel Conti joined HarbourVest’s investor relations team in 2018 and focuses on coordinating, monitoring, and enhancing relationships with new and existing Canadian investors and consultants.

Dan joined the Firm from CI Institutional Asset Management, where he was most recently a vice president responsible for institutional business development and client service for consultants, pension plans, foundations, family and multi-family offices as well as banks and insurance company platforms. Prior to this, he was an investment counsellor for CI’s Private Counsel division. His prior experience includes roles for a single family office and a multi-family office in Eastern Canada.

Dan received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Economics from École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montreal. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planning designations. Dan currently serves as co-director of the CFA Montreal Mentoring Program.

Yavor Nikov

Director, Sales – Quebec Region

Avenue Living

Mr. Nikov holds a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Concordia University in the John Molson School of Business. In addition, Mr. Nikov has a Financial Planner Diploma from the Institut québécois de planification financière (IQPF). Over the past years, Mr. Nikov has held positions with companies from both the public and private sectors. He has been in financial sales for his entire career, working in Montreal, Quebec.

Kathy Kozak

Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Finance, Vancouver, BC

Trez Capital

Kathy joined Trez Capital in 2017 and is responsible for strategy and portfolio financing for the Trez Capital investment funds. She brings over 20 years of financial services expertise to the role. Prior to joining Trez, she worked at GCM Grosvenor with various roles in due diligence, treasury, accounting, financial reporting and tax. She began her career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen.

Kathy graduated with honors from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, and with distinction from DePaul Kellstadt Graduate School with a Master of Business Administration. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the United States, Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant in Canada, Chartered Financial Analyst, and Certified Fraud Examiner.

Celeste Warren

Head of Human Resources

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

Celeste Warren is the Head of Talent & Culture at Picton Mahoney Asset Management. For more than 20 years, Celeste has been partnering with highly dynamic and growth-oriented organizations to build their leadership teams, workplace wellness programs, and culture and engagement initiatives. She has a reputation for consistently cultivating best workplace environments with a core focus on enhancing the health and well-being of the leaders and employees that she works with. Celeste is a committed leader herself and the results of her efforts have led to significant increases in employee engagement and company morale for the firms she has partnered with, including consistently becoming recognized as one of Canada’s “Top Employers” and “Great Places to Work”.

Celeste is a Certified Coach Practitioner (CCP), Health and Wellness Specialist (HWS) and graduate from the Strategic Human Resources Management Program (SHRMP) with the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management. Celeste holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Psychology from the University of Waterloo, in addition to a post-graduate diploma in Human Resources Management.