Paul Dugsin

Managing Partner

Raiven Capital

“Born global, we seek revolutionary technology built by diverse teams. We apply our deep knowledge and operational mastery to forge risk into return. We nurture in Canada and scale beyond.”

Paul co-founded Raiven in 2018 and brings 20 years of investing, operating, and strategic planning to a new and differentiated set of funds that leverage, with Raiven Fund A, the advantages of Canada’s early stage technology eco-system coupled with the operating metrics and strategy of its Silicon Valley-based team members.

With offices in Toronto, Calgary, London, New York, Singapore, Zurich, and Silicon Valley, Raiven is led by seasoned industry professionals with long tenures in building and investing in technology companies and large-scale R+D. The principals combine their deep network of successful technology leaders, experienced company operators and investors to create and capture value.

Raiven Capital is a member of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) and the Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies and Assets (CAASA).

Mark Skapinker

Co-founder and Managing Partner

Brightspark

Mark has been a serial entrepreneur and investor in the Canadian software industry since the inception of the personal computer in the 1980s. He offers entrepreneurs an insider’s view to the scope and magnitude of what it takes to create and build a company from an idea through to a thriving organization.

The proof of Mark’s expertise is in his track record:
He was co-founder and president of Delrina (TSX: DC), (NASDAQ: DTEC), which generated over $130m in annual revenues and sold to Symantec for US$400m in 1995. He also founded Balisoft Technologies (acquired by Kana Software Inc. Nasdaq: KANA), and iStopOver (Acquired by 9flats) and GaggleUp (Acquired by Buytopia), and he is the co-founder of The Upside Foundation (Canadian CSR Charity).

Mark also co-founded Brightspark Ventures in 1999. For 20 years, Brightspark has managed early stage and seed Venture Capital funds, with over $140m under management. Mark is a Managing Partner at Brightspark, and has invested in over 50 Canadian software startups.

Brightspark has always focused on working with early stage software companies. Initially, it operated a successful incubator in the early Internet days. It then focused on traditional VC by nurturing and investing in some of Canada’s best early stage software companies (such as Think Dynamics, Radian6). Brightspark has nurtured a number of companies from seed (such as Hopper, Jewlr and Hubba). More recently, Brightspark has led the charge in pivoting the traditional VC model to open new opportunities for individual accredited investors.

Brightspark Ventures has twice won the Canadian Venture Capital Association “Deal of the Year Award”, for the sale of ThinkDynamics to IBM and for the sale of Radian6 to Salesforce.com (23x).

Trevor Simpson

Director, Private Capital

FirePower Capital

Trevor Simpson leads FirePower Capital’s Private Capital division in client engagement and credit underwriting. Trevor brings extensive experience in structuring cash flow transactions and providing patient capital to clients utilizing senior term, subordinated debt and mezzanine financing. Previously, Trevor worked at Roynat Capital where he managed and grew a portfolio of clients, tailoring long-term capital solutions for mid-sized companies. Trevor received a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from McMaster University, an MBA from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Jyotin Handa

Director of Finance

Espresso Capital

Jyotin Handa is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. Prior to joining Espresso in 2016, he worked in the Corporate Finance and Investor Relations group at Maple Leaf Foods and the Assurance Services group at Ernst & Young LLP.

Keith Black

Managing Director, Curriculum & Exams

CAIA

Keith Black has over twenty-five years of financial market experience, serving approximately half of that time as an academic and half as a trader and consultant to institutional investors. He currently serves as Managing Director of Curriculum and Exams for the CAIA Association. During his most recent role at Ennis Knupp + Associates, Keith advised foundations, endowments and pension funds on their asset allocation and manager selection strategies in hedge funds, commodities, and managed futures. Prior experience includes commodities derivatives trading, stock options research and CBOE floor trading, and building quantitative stock selection models for mutual funds and hedge funds. Dr. Black previously served as an assistant professor and senior lecturer at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

He contributes regularly to The CFA Digest, and has published in The Journal of Wealth Management, The Journal of Trading, The Journal of Investing, and The Journal of Alternatives Investments, among others. He is the author of the book “Managing a Hedge Fund,” as well as co-author of the 2012 and 2015/2016 second and third editions of the CAIA Level I and Level II textbooks. Dr. Black was named to the Institutional Investor magazine’s list of “Rising Stars of Hedge Funds” in 2010.

Dr. Black earned a BA from Whittier College, an MBA for Carnegie Mellon University, and a PhD from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and was a member of the inaugural class of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) candidates.