Fundraise & scale.

Strategic Growth
Go-to-Market Strategy
Fundraising
Operational Finance and M&A

Alex is a seasoned tech executive, entrepreneur, investor and lawyer. Through the years, he developed a unique blend of experience in strategy, product, marketing, sales, fundraising, operational finance and M&A to maximize the success and valuation of tech companies.

‍

He advises startups, management consulting and private equity firms on various topics. His recent experience includes the following:
COO of one of the 10 fastest-growing companies in the country with more than $100M in revenue;

• Head of North America and member of global exec team for a French tech company that raised close to $100M;
• Partner in the fastest-growing law firm in Canada;
• Built and sold Edilex, a B2B SaaS tech company;
• Senior advisor to the fastest growing tech company in Canada.

‍

Alex also invests in growing tech-driven companies across many industries. He has an MBA from UCLA Anderson in Los Angeles and a law degree from Université de Sherbrooke in Québec.

Sales (process, deal lifecycle, competitive research)
Business Development (demand gen, lead nurturing, cadence)
Monetization and Strategy
Product

‍

Ali Kiassat is a founder, business development executive and management consultant. He is keen on helping DMZ founders identify the persona of their customers, make their first sale, develop & scale a sales playbook, find product market fit and identify focused strategies.

‍

Previously, Ali was a founding member of a PropTech startup, a consultant in the blockchain space, and a people leader at a top Silicon Valley SaaS company. Before that, he helped scale a Toronto-based startup to 170+ employees from 40. With a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and 10 years of sales and leadership experience in the tech world, Ali is passionate about giving back to the startup ecosystem.

‍

Product Development and Innovation

AI/ML

Go-to-Market Strategy

Startup Growth and Exit Strategy

Alnur Ismail is a seasoned entrepreneur and senior executive with over 20 years of hands-on experience in product development, driving remarkable business success. In 2016, Alnur co-founded Fourwalls, a leading real estate technology SaaS platform for residential real estate agents and brokerages across Canada. He shapped the company’s value proposition, product offerings, and go-to-market strategy which was instrumental to its success. Alnur possesses a unique ability to strike the perfect balance between technology investment and fulfilling the needs of the business.

‍

Under his leadership of the product and engineering teams, Fourwalls achieved an impressive 65% profit margin and pioneered significant IP developments that propelled them to the forefront of the industry. In 2021, Fourwalls underwent a strategic acquisition, and Alnur remained onboard as the Chief Technology Officer, orchestrating transformative changes within the engineering and product teams to ensure continued excellence. Prior to his tenure at Fourwalls, Alnur made significant contributions while working in engineering, product development, and as a technical evangelist at Microsoft, where he garnered numerous accolades for his outstanding contributions. Alnur is an alumnus of the University of Waterloo, holding an Honours Bachelor of Computer Science degree.

Startup Scaling and Growth Strategy

Change Management and Leadership

Founder Coaching

High Growth Coach and Advisor. Problem Solver. Multi-Exit Entrepreneur. World traveller. Raptors Fan.

‍

Andrea is a forward-thinking leader and an elite problem solver who will ask you hard questions and help you make tough decisions as you move through your growth curve. She helps companies look at problems differently, and answer complex business questions from strategy through execution faster. She has grown three start-ups from zero to successful exit – the largest was from zero to US$175 million in 24 months on three continents.

‍

Her mission is to share her experience to advise high growth start-ups on change management, to help entrepreneurs identify their blind spots, and to help their companies scale rapidly. Andrea has mentored and advised over 1,000 entrepreneurs over the past 5 years.

‍

Data Strategy and Analytics

AI and Machine Learning

Big Data Infrastructure

Data Governance and Privacy Compliance

Andrew is an accomplished founder and advisor in the Canadian Data & A.I. space. Over the past 15+ years, he has led all aspects of a modern data & analytics practice. He has helped Start-ups and Fortune 500 companies build the strategy, infrastructure and talent required to make analytics thrive and has extensive experience working with executives and shareholders to unlock value and growth.

‍

Andrew is currently focused on Autonomous(AVIN), Smart Infrastructure, Revenue Optimization, Loyalty, Big Data Infrastructure as well as Data Governance and Privacy.

Product Development
UI/UX Design
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Emerging Technologies

‍

Anthony Ilukwe is a seasoned Software Engineer and Product Leader with a strong track record of launching category-disrupting products and driving multiple 0-to-1 launches at industry-leading companies. He is the former Head of Product at PathFactory, where he led the launch of award-winning products and built high-performing teams. Anthony has also held key roles in Product and Engineering at companies like BlackBerry and Unity.

‍

In addition to his leadership roles, Anthony has served as an advisor, consultant, and trusted confidante to founders and tech leaders across North America.
His areas of expertise span Product Development, Product Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Mixed Reality, Emerging Technologies, and SaaS.

‍

Productization of software and hardware. Operationalizing teams to sell B2B and Enterprise.

‍

Sometimes, customers tell you something that sounds like a must-have, when it’s more of nice-to-have. Or the other way around. Many startups, being “customer-friendly”, just say yes and build them all so they have the “best” product out there (and yes, that includes hardware accessories too).

‍

Improperly translating of “Customer-Speak” to “Startup-Action” causes too many business-to-tech miscommunications and wastes valuable time (a.k.a. “But that’s what the customer SAID”).

‍

Anthony has spent 20+ years growing software and hardware companies to global recognition by speaking “Customer”. He started techie – developing hardware, software and enterprise-grade architectures. Then he moved to the business side and now does both when he can. All throughout, he spoke with customers, learning to translate the customer spoken-word and RFPs into meaningful dev team sprints, hardware revs and customer pricing lists.

‍

He has driven accelerated growth from new B2B and Enterprise market launches and new product innovations, and through mergers/acquisitions. He has worked with high-potential companies during their growth phases as employee, executive and board member, including Motorola, Cypress, Blackberry, Optiva, Telmediq and Medella Health where innovated new product categories and ensured that offerings fulfilled customer/market requirements.

Go-to-Market Strategy for SaaS Startups

B2B Brand and Demand Generation

Product Marketing and Messaging

Startup Marketing with Limited Resources

Arabi is a self-proclaimed “SaaSy” marketer after a decade of GTM and marketing leadership at software companies across North America. Oh, and she’s not afraid to throw in a good pun for an extra dash of spice. She’s spent most of her career building memorable B2B brands that drive pipeline and revenue, spanning product marketing, demand gen, account-based marketing, content and campaigns.

‍

Starting her career off at SAP, Arabi then took MarTech and SalesTech for a big spin, and most recently dove into leading GTM at Vertical SaaS companies whose industries (construction, transportation, legal) she’s got 0 experience in. What’s led her to be successful is being close to the customer, never relying on B2B playbooks and always striving to stand out. She also advises early-stage startups on how to set a GTM strategy and orchestrate it’s plan with limited resources and budget. She believes it’s at this stage that you get creative and crafty — priceless experiences that marketers are awarded.

UX and Product Design Strategy
UX Design Education

‍

Berjesty is a creative strategist, with 15+ years running in-house and agency design teams, working her way through the ranks to become the leader in UX design, and now UX Leader with experience in Canada’s most valuable companies like Shopify and Cineplex.

‍

Berjesty started her own company UX Faculty to empower more people with UX design skills – transforming careers through immersive courses in UX design where she helps to build schools in the Middle East with the proceeds because the future deserves world-class UX designers and tech leaders.

Product Commercialization

Product-Market Fit Strategy

Go-to-Market Planning for B2B Startups

Startup Growth and Demand Generation

Chris Bardos is a product commercialization and growth expert with 14 years of experience helping early-stage, B2B venture-backed founders achieve product-market fit. His approach shifts startups from pushing their product to creating market demand, driving sustainable growth. Teams he has worked with have landed on Deloitte’s Fast 50 and raised over $53M in funding. He works with pre-seed to Series B startups across multiple verticals, including Cleantech, foodtech, proptech and fintech.

Global Operations and Team Scaling

Business Process Design and Change Management

Startup Growth and Leadership Strategy

IT and Business Operations Alignment

Corey is a Founder, Global Chief Operating Officer, and multi-award-winning Entrepreneur with experience leading companies and teams with offices in New York, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Copenhagen, Shanghai, Toronto, and other major cities. Since 2012, he’s grown teams of employees and global creator networks from 2 to over 7200 while leading organizations he’s co-founded to become Great Place to Work® Certified™ three years in a row. He has been recognized as Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year, Top Under 30, a 40 Under 40 Finalist, Marketing Agency of The Year, Top 50 Marketing and Advertising Companies, and is recognized on the Profit 500 list and three times in a row on both the Financial Times “The Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies” list and the Report On Business’ “Top Growing Companies” list.

‍

Corey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Toronto Metropolitan University’s world-renowned Radio and Television Arts program and multiple Professional Certificates from both Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School in the fields of Change Management, Negotiation, Leadership, and Management (of People, Process and Organizational Learning); from Stanford University in Leading Collaborative Teams; and from MIT in Dynamic Business Process Design. In addition, he is Six Sigma Champion Certified (SSCC)™, a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. He has an IM&A and CPMI designation from the internationally recognized Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances (IMAA). Corey is certified and experienced in integrating IT and Business Operations across organizations, including implementing ERP systems and preparing for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 audits. He’s been an Advisor with NEXT Canada, a Mentor with TMU’s Tri-Mentoring and FCAD Career-Builder programs, a founding member of xoTO, a member of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and an EOS™&nb.

‍

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Cloud Infrastructure and Large-Scale System Deployment
NLP and Semantic Understanding
Deep Learning and Large Language Models
NFT Protocols and Open-Source Innovation

‍

Dan Meshkov is an AI leader currently driving artificial intelligence initiatives at Brex, a fintech company, where he focuses on developing advanced AI systems to optimize financial operations.

‍

Previously, Dan held key roles at Amazon, where he contributed to the Alexa Semantic Understanding Platform, enhanced deep learning models for Amazon Search, and led the infrastructure team responsible for training large language models for Amazon Retail. He is also the inventor of OpenRarity, an open-source NFT rarity protocol widely adopted by top NFT marketplaces like Binance and OpenSea. With a background in scaling AI-driven technologies across industries, Dan’s work spans semantic understanding, large-scale infrastructure, and innovative applications in AI.

Financial Services Strategy and Distribution

Executive Leadership

Revenue Growth and P&L Management

Institutional and Wealth Management Channels

After nearly two decades of impactful leadership at Franklin Templeton, culminating in his role as President and CEO of their Canadian Business in Toronto, he brings extensive experience and a passion for new challenges to his next career chapter. As an award-winning financial services executive, he has a track record of success in asset management and distribution across diverse channels including Institutional, Intermediary, Retail, and Private Wealth, encompassing both public and private markets.

‍

A skilled communicator and strategist, he excels in leading high-performing teams, driving revenue growth, and managing P&L with a keen eye on expense management. His strength lies in inspiring collaborative success and executing multifaceted distribution and business growth strategies, drawing from a deep understanding of local and global financial markets. He has had the privilege to serve on various boards, such as: Allstate Insurance Canada – 2023-present Serenia Life Financial – 2023-present The Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG) – 2017-2024 The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) – 2017-2024 Business and the Arts (B/A) – 2017-present Canadian Film Centre – 2023-present.

‍

Pitch Development and Investor Readiness

Storytelling

Angel Investing and Due Diligence

Frank Erschen is a well-known coach/mentor who helps develop and refine pitches. He uses The Artful Science of Pitching™ and VEGaS™, methods he created based on his roles as an investor (knows what investors need), entrepreneur (knows it’s like to pitch with imperfect conditions), educator, and advisor/director in the start-up space since 2006 … backed by 25 years of corporate experience (IBM, BMO) He has worked with dozens of cohorts and over 1,000 companies. His best estimate is that he’s formally critically reviewed 7,000 pitches, give or take and maybe double. His proven approach works with all industries, all stages.

‍

The roles contributing to his success as a pitch coach include: He’s held almost all C-level roles in start-ups – co-founder, chair, CEO, CFO, CIO, Chief Strategy Officer – and has raised well over $40M in these roles. As an angel, he manages a robust portfolio of investments and was named by Golden Triangle Angel Network 2011 Angel of the Year and 2013 Community Builder of the Year. He is a member of the investment committee for the Laurier Start-up Fund. As an educator, he is a member of NACO Academy where he authored the module on mentoring and has delivered modules on angel investing, valuation, due diligence, and other subjects. He has guest lectured at several universities, colleges, and innovation centres, and contributed to A Practical Guide to Angel Investing (Gedeon, Steven A., NACO, 2016). Frank typically delivers his services through various accelerators, incubators, and programs throughout Canada.

‍

His pitch philosophy is simple: “A pitch is a surface-level story about your business plan. The dots needs to connect not only on the surface, but in multiple levels below the surface. When the dots don’t connect, my role changes from pitch coach to business coach and we fix the business first, the pitch comes second.”

‍

Frank has an honours business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, attained the ICD.D through Rotman, and has completed a joint executive program by Ivey and Kellogg. He is a past director of Powernoodle, Top Hat, Wilfrid Laurier University, Angel Investors Ontario, and the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society (Richmond, BC) and advises several companies. Frank hates speling mistakes.

‍

Marketing Strategy and Positioning

Customer Acquisition and Demand Generation

Content Marketing and Messaging

Gina Bowen is an award-winning marketer who, over the past 25 years, has successfully helped organizations ranging from fledgling startups to F500s meet their marketing objectives.  She is passionate about the prospect journey / client experience and believes the key to success is in grounding strategy in audience insights supported by brilliant content marketing.

‍

Gina has evolved with the ever-changing field of marketing and has experience across key marketing disciplines including corporate and product marketing, digital demand generation, and content marketing.  At ADP, she developed the award winning community ‘The Bridge by ADP’, Canada’s first online community to engage HCM professionals and a first for ADP globally. She has done consulting and new business strategy for some of Canada’s most renowned agencie, including WPP brands and worked in technology and financial services at Borland Software, Info-Tech Research Group, ING DIRECT, Rogers and more. Gina is originally from Spruce Grove, Alberta and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary.  She resides in Toronto and is the happy owner of a puppy named Irie.  When she’s not catering to Irie’s needs, Gina enjoys keeping fit, dining at Toronto’s great restaurants, following the world of fashion, and wandering the streets of foreign cities.

Cybersecurity Strategy and Risk Mitigation

Product Management in Cybersecurity

Business Email Compromise (BEC) Prevention

Security for Scaling Startups

Hackim Farrell, originally from Trinidad but predominantly raised in Canada, is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over 17 years in the field. He began his career as a security analyst with a small U.K. email security startup, which was later acquired by Symantec. Currently, he holds the position of Senior Director of Product Management at SentinelOne, a prominent cybersecurity firm in Silicon Valley.

‍

In his role, Hackim engages with Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from major global organizations, gaining insight into their challenges with modern cyber threats. He has represented his current and former employers in roadshows and webinars discussing the increasing issue of Business Email Compromise (BEC), its financial impact, and strategies for organizations to enhance their defences.

‍

Hackim is a staunch advocate for proactive security measures. He recognizes that security is often neglected by many companies, leading to potentially devastating financial consequences, especially for businesses in the scaling phase. He emphasizes the increasingly intertwined nature of personal and business security in the current cyber threat landscape.

‍

Financial Strategy and Forecasting
Cash Flow Management and Optimization
Budgeting and Financial Planning
Financial Modeling and Investor-Ready Documents

‍

As an accomplished outsourced CFO, Irene brings over 15 years of expertise to empower small business owners with insightful financial guidance. She has been dedicated to facilitating informed decision-making that propels businesses toward sustainable success and is committed to steering companies toward financial efficiency and strategic growth.

Go-to-Market Strategy and ICP Development

Growth and Expansion Strategy

Founder Coaching and Fundraising Support

Javed Maqsood is a growth-focused executive with 20+ years of experience in Silicon Valley building and leading best-in-class growth and post-sales strategy. He is an expert in leading teams at high-performing businesses, like Algonomy, AppDynamics (acq. by Cisco), Reflektion, Box, BloomReach, Autonomy (acq. by HP), and more.

‍

Nowadays, he provides operational support and advisory services to startups and scale-ups. His passion is to help companies succeed with the right growth and post-sales strategies aligned with their journey. Javed works with startups in North America as well as Europe, MENA and APAC. He also volunteers for incubators like Imperial Enterprise Lab (part of Imperial College, London) as an EiR.

‍

How Javed can help your startup:

• Helping SaaS businesses align on the most suitable, at-the-moment appropriate GTM strategy
• Continuous refinement of your ICP, further adoption and entry into new markets
• Advise executives on becoming a more effective leader
• Unlock growth drivers i.e. the right customer marketing and growth strategy on your existing customer base
• Prevent churn and propel your growth through healthy, increasing NDR
• Help refine your pitch deck and arrange fundraising meetings with the right VCs

‍

User Experience and Product Design

Brand Experience and Visual Strategy

Jenn Nguyen is a user experience designer and founder of Jenn Studio, a consultancy specializing in product design and brand experiences for technology, commerce, and culture. Jenn Studio is powered by her years of experience working for early stage startups to Fortune 500 companies.

‍

Having launched 0-1 products, leading global redesigns for international brands, to designing in the Metaverse — she has acquired a deep ability to understand company needs in complex environments. Jenn has worked with brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Calvin Klein, Tory Burch, Gamestop, UN Women New York, Hudson’s Bay Company, Velour Beauty (as seen in Sephora), Genies, Vouch (backed by Night Labs, SevenSevenSix), Emcee Studios, and Fast Checkout (backed by Stripe). She has been featured on Microsoft News, Haute Living, Fashion Week Daily, Strategies France, and Daily Front Row. Jenn is a design mentor, mental health advocate, and speaker where she’s done guest lectures at Brainstation and York University.

Public Relations and Media Strategy
Founder Storytelling and Executive Visibility

‍

Jodi Echakowitz is founder and CEO of Boulevard Public Relations. She launched the PR agency in 2001 to work with technology startups, scaleups, and VC firms throughout North America. Under her leadership, Boulevard is recognized as one of the top technology PR firms in Canada, is valued as a strategic partner by clients, and has grown consistently through referral.

‍

A tech geek at heart, Jodi’s passion for technology began at age 11, when she used BASIC programming to create simple games. It extended to her first full-time job in her native South Africa, where setting up computer networks was among her many responsibilities. Since landing in Canada in 1994, Jodi has been fully immersed in the world of public relations. Prior to Boulevard, she held progressively senior in-house public relations roles at startups and emerging growth companies.

‍

Jodi is an angel investor in women-founded startups and an advisor and mentor to startups through technology accelerators. She volunteers with causes close to her heart, is an LGBTQ ally, and mental health and autism advocate.

‍

Customer Success Strategy and Retention

Onboarding and Adoption Optimization

Customer Journey Mapping and Engagement

Revenue Expansion Strategy

Over the past 25 years Karen has been a Customer Success, Sales and Revenue Operations leader working with start-up, growth-stage and enterprise tech companies building, scaling and transforming high performing customer-facing teams. As an executive she helped lead four successful company acquisitions and an IPO. She founded Strive Engagement consulting in 2019 to help companies create customer-centric programs and processes so their clients will renew, buy more and refer others. Karen holds an Honours B.Sc. from the University of Toronto. She is an avid hiker and cyclist, and loves to cook for her family and friends.

‍

How Karen can support your start-up:

• structuring successful customer pilots and proofs of concept
• customer journey mapping
• improving onboarding and adoption
• preventing churn and increasing retention
• growing and expanding revenue from your customer base

‍

Finance
Accounting
Capital Planning & CAPEX Strategy
FP&A
Corporate Governance & Investor Relations
ERP Implementations
Audit
Internal Controls & Compliance

‍

Lindsay is a values-driven CFO and operational leader known for helping fast-growing companies scale effectively—tightening the bolts mid-flight, so to speak. In addition to a CFO’s standard finance and accounting skillset, she specializes in driving strategic initiatives, building and leading high-performing teams, streamlining operations, implementing business systems, and managing change. Passionate about ESG, DEI, and making a lasting positive impact, Lindsay applies a sustainable and social lens while she supports founders in strengthening their financial infrastructure and scaling with purpose.

‍

Startup Finance and Fundraising Strategy

Operational Efficiency and Scaling

Strategic Financial Planning

Budgeting and Forecasting

Mandeep brings over 20 years of progressive financial and operational experience primarily working with start-up’s. Mandeep co-founded BrightIron to address the lack of support for start-up entrepreneurs on their growth journey. He’s passionate about working with early-stage startup to meet their goals and achieve success. Mandeep has a wealth of experience when it comes to working with startups. At BrightIron, he’s worked with and advised companies such as Swift Medical, OMX, Nymi (acquired by Innomninds), Lane (acquired by VTS), CryptoGlobal (RTO on TSXv), and eScribe, (acquired by OnBoard), amongst many others. He has assisted companies with everything from building and scaling their finance function, fundraising, M&A, developing operational efficiency, and business strategy.

‍

Prior to co-founding BrightIron, Mandeep managed the finance function at World Gaming where he worked with the company from their seed round to their eventual sale to Cineplex. Earlier in his career, Mandeep also served as the CFO at Hostopia and has also held management positions at Genesis Microchip and Ernst & Young during his career.

Global Brand Strategy and Positioning

Luxury Marketing and Guest Experience

Strategic Partnerships and Communications

Digital Marketing and Revenue Growth

Mansi has over 17 years of sales and marketing experience with international luxury hospitality brands. Most recently she was Global Vice President and Brand Leader for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts with Accor which includes over 85 hotels in 30 countries.
During her long career in the industry, she has been responsible for global brand strategy, guest experience, positioning and programs, worldwide campaigns as well as product and service standards.

She was also responsible for driving brand awareness, understanding, and momentum through strategic communication and partnerships. Mansi has held leadership positions in e-commerce, digital marketing, and sales where she was responsible for driving top-line revenue for brands such as Fairmont, Raffles, and other Accor hotel brands.
‍
She is a passionate advocate and mentor for women in the workplace. She previously sat on the board of Lean In Canada and is currently a professional speaker with The A Effect. Mansi’s diverse background living in multiple countries has built her appreciation and passion for the luxury, travel, and hospitality industries as well as the global marketing community.

‍

Healthcare Innovation and Commercialization

Strategic Growth and Operations

Digital Health and Biomedical Technologies

Building High-Performing Teams

Mark Angelo is an accomplished healthcare executive with a proven track record for leading high growth healthcare organizations in both the U.S. and Canada. Mark was most recently CEO of LMC Healthcare, Canada’s largest specialist care provider in diabetes and endocrinology. During his tenure, Mark led LMC’s transformation into a fully-integrated, multi-disciplinary centre of excellence, offering six diabetes-related services under one roof and caring for over 100,000 patients across 13 sites. Prior to LMC, Mark was Vice President, Innovation & Business Development at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading orthopedic hospital located in New York City.

‍

During his tenure, Mark led the creation of the HSS Innovation Institute and successfully commercialized a number of early-stage biomedical and digital health technologies. Earlier in his career, Mark was a management consultant at Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte) where he consulted to Fortune 500 companies and non-profit institutions on strategic initiatives related to growth and operations improvement. Mark holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Business Model Validation and Customer Discovery

Fundraising Strategy and Investment Readiness

Pitch Deck Development and Deal Negotiation

Financial Modeling for Startups

Dr. Martin Croteau brings over 25 years of experience as a founder, investor, advisor, and academic. He specializes in helping early-stage startups validate business models, craft go-to-market strategies, and prepare for fundraising. Martin has supported the creation of multiple deep tech ventures spun out of universities, particularly in SaaS, communications, and digital media.He works closely with founders to refine their pitch decks, negotiate deal terms, and build financial models that align with their growth story.

‍

‍How Dr. Martin Croteau can support your startup
- Helping early-stage startups validate business models through customer discovery.- Advising early-stage startups on the development of market entry strategies.- Developing fundraising strategies.- Tuning pitch decks and negotiate investment deal terms.- Advising on financial modeling.- Assisting startups translate their grow story into dollars and cents.

HR Strategy and Organizational Design
Talent Management and Development
Employee Relations and Culture Building
Recruitment and Onboarding

‍

Melissa Malcolm is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Malcolm HR Consulting. With an HR career spanning over 20 years in both the public and private sector, Melissa has built a reputation of being a trusted & respected HR partner and leader to business owners and executives at all levels.

‍

She has extensive hands-on experience leading HR initiatives, including HR planning and strategy, organizational design, recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, and talent management. In her work, Melissa aims to change the narrative around traditional HR and applies a common-sense approach to HR solutions. Her goal is to help her clients succeed in their businesses, utilizing their greatest assets – their people.

‍

Melissa graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Major in Human Resources from Toronto Metropolitan University and holds a Bachelor of Administration Diploma, HR Specialization (High Honours) from Seneca College.

‍

Melissa serves as a Director on two Boards, is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) and provides mentorship to early career professionals.

‍

Sales Planning & Strategy
Sales (Process, Operations, Competition)
Procurement (Public sector sales strategy)
Operations (SMB systems to manage and measure progress)

‍

‍

Michael Low is a founder, business development entrepreneur and management consultant. He brings a blend of strategic general management skills and experience with a focus on business development and sales, sales process, procurement strategy and operations.  He is interested in helping DMZ founders identify their ideal customer profile and develop a repeatable sales process and playbooks to reach their key personas and develop procurement strategies and operational processes to grow with confidence.

‍

Michael has been a lifelong entrepreneur having been involved with several young and growing organizations throughout his career. He has over 25 years’ experience in IT Professional services and founded a company that generated over $25m in revenue providing IT services to private and public sector organizations. Before that, he helped scale an IT Services company from $90 to over $300m in revenue.

‍

Michael has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and over 25 years of sales and SMB business growth experience.  He is experienced wearing the multiple ‘hats’ that a founder must wear to grow a business and is passionate about helping other founders get organized for growth.

‍

Product Management and Strategy
MVP Development and User-Centric Design
Agile Execution and OKR Alignment

‍

Over a decade in product management has honed Mike’s vision, drive, and dedication to creating standout digital solutions. With eleven years in the field, he has mastered the journey from ideation to delivery, always placing the customer at the heart of every decision. Agile methodologies and a strategic adoption of OKRs guide his approach, ensuring both alignment and measured outcomes. His experience has made him adept at crafting MVPs and wireframes that breathe life into innovative products aligned with market demands.

‍

As a Product Manager, his leadership transcends beyond managing products; he mentors and inspires teams to push boundaries, always upholding a data-driven, user-centric approach. He leverages OKRs to align cross-functional teams with clear objectives, fostering collaboration and driving impactful outcomes. He is not just about delivering products; he is about ensuring that they resonate, make an impact, and drive growth.

Digital Marketing and Demand Generation

Startup Marketing Strategy and Execution

Brand Building and Positioning

Marketing Process Optimization

Mira Soullen is a full-stack digital marketer with 14 years of experience in tech and consumer products. Her wheelhouse is in a broad scope of digital marketing, brand building, demand, lead generation and marketing process optimization.

‍

Mira is driven by a passion for building sustainable startup marketing engines that run and operate at a scale. She applies a pragmatic, efficient, data-driven approach and believes in the evolution of a systematic, iterative, and experimental business strategy. Mira is a Chief Marketing Officer, Educator and Growth Advisor to a dozen startups (B2B, B2C, PLG)

Digital Marketing and Growth Strategy
Marketing Automation
SEO / PPC / Growth Hacking

‍

Nathan combines his entrepreneurial spirit with a deep understanding of digital marketing and investment to support the diverse needs of our DMZ portfolio companies. His expertise spans from foundational tasks such as validating new product concepts and creating scalable marketing strategies, to advanced challenges like developing growth-hacking techniques and enhancing revenue growth. Nathan thrives on helping startups navigate both the early stages of business development and the complexities of scaling marketing operations. As a founder, he successfully built an enterprise SEO agency, growing its team to 30 before making a strategic exit. His recent role as Head of Growth at Highline Beta saw him contributing to the launch and growth of 4-5 new companies annually, while also providing growth advisory services to a portfolio of 20 ventures.

‍

Before that, Nathan played a key role in the growth and international expansion of Knowledgehook, a Canadian edtech startup. Beyond his direct marketing and growth roles, Nathan has also established a micro PE fund, successfully executing multiple deals across various sectors including SaaS, affiliate marketing, e-commerce, and advertising. This experience underscores his ability to identify and leverage opportunities for growth across a broad spectrum of industries. Nathan’s combination of hands-on startup experience, marketing expertise, and a strategic investment approach positions him as a key resource for startups aiming to scale effectively.

Fundraising
Strategy
GTM
Sales
Product Strategy

‍

Navin Kaminoulu is a seasoned entrepreneur and leader at the forefront of applying artificial intelligence to revolutionize the construction industry. In 2017, he co-founded Indus.ai, a pioneering company that rapidly scaled under his leadership before being acquired by Procore Technologies (PCOR: NYSE), the world’s largest construction SaaS platform ($12B market cap), in 2021. Navin’s experience spans successful ventures and significant growth. Prior to Indus.ai, he directed hypergrowth at GreenOwl Mobile, leading to its acquisition by Arcadis IBI Group (TSX: IBG) in 2014. At Indus.ai, he secured multiple rounds of venture capital, spearheaded hypergrowth, built and led key functions including Product, Go-To-Market, Customer Success, and Finance, and ultimately orchestrated the company’s successful acquisition by Procore.

‍

During his time at Procore, Navin led a 500M+ ARR product line, contributing significantly to the company’s market capitalization growth from $3B to $10B. Currently, Navin serves as a Corporate Development Partner at Groundbreak Ventures, a leading proptech investor. He also serves on the board of directors for PLOT Communications and Sitemax Systems Inc. Passionate about fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, he mentors at StartX (Stanford University’s technology accelerator), and sits on the advisory board for Western University’s Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey. Navin has advised numerous early-stage software companies on fundraising, product management, and go-to-market strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Liberal Arts from the University of Western Ontario.

‍

GTM Strategy
SaaS Sales and Revenue Growth
Revenue Operations (RevOps)

‍

With a decade of experience in SaaS sales and over 150+ RevOps projects under his belt, Neale specializes in building strategies and implementing revenue technology to drive measurable outcomes. He has helped startups and public enterprises optimize their go-to-market systems, ensuring they translate into real pipeline growth and revenue impact. As an Expert in Residence, he provides hands-on guidance to help teams navigate the complexities of RevOps, aligning technology, process, and strategy to maximize efficiency and ROI. Outside of RevOps, Neale is an avid sailor. If you’re in Toronto between April and September, don’t hesitate to ask him for a sail.

Crafting business cases and strategies for real estate portfolios and infrastructure projects
Communicating the value of real estate innovations through strategic storytelling
Real estate project management planning, funding and execution

‍

Nerys Parry is a seasoned strategic real estate consultant with over 20 years of expertise in managing large, complex portfolios and delivering innovative infrastructure strategies. A published and award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, Nerys leverages her storytelling expertise to craft persuasive business cases that drive transformative solutions in real estate.

‍

As Business and Portfolio Strategy Practice Lead at Tiree, a leader in real estate advisory services in Canada, Nerys leads an analytical team focused on business case and real estate strategy development including greening and climate resiliency planning for public and private sector firms.  

‍

Previously, Nerys led project management offices for multi-year real estate initiatives and directed strategic communications for a global $4B design firm, aligning strategic visions with operational goals. She also co-led a North American funding program that secured billions in infrastructure financing for clients across Canada and the U.S., empowering innovators, non-profits, and developers to leverage funding for infrastructure developments.

Strategic Partnerships

M&A and Corporate Development

Healthcare Strategy and Practice Operations

Business Transformation and Scaling

Executive Leadership and Board Governance

Embarking on a dynamic journey as a serial entrepreneur, my 20-year expedition is marked by triumphs, tribulations, and a collection of hard-earned battle scars. In the diverse startup landscape, I’ve founded ventures spanning services, technology, and even delved into retail and software. Despite a formal business education, nothing could have prepared me for the profound life lessons acquired in the school of hard knocks.

‍

Publicly donning the CEO hat, I’ve navigated the pitfalls of growth, steering a company from fewer than 5 employees and under $500K in revenue to a formidable force with over 400 employees and $100mm in revenue. This transformation challenged my capabilities and highlighted the need for skills I hadn’t anticipated. While fortunate to have had advisors and mentors, I’ve also faced instances where personal motives overshadowed genuine guidance, leading my company through tough times.

‍

My journey mirrors yours, beginning with early-morning epiphanies, rallying troops around a kitchen table, and bringing multiple ideas to life. It involves early-stage commercialization, proving business models, and leading numerous capital raises, even navigating two public listings. Despite the accolades, what resonates most are the moments that instilled humility and stressed the importance of staying grounded. While I haven’t seen it all, I’ve certainly seen a lot, fostering compassion for those currently grappling with similar situations or aiming to avoid them altogether. What sets me apart is an authentic passion for helping others succeed. Beyond celebrating your victories, I prioritize learning from mistakes and addressing blind spots.

‍

If you seek guidance beyond textbook advice, let’s collaborate to shape your success. Whether you’re a startup, in the early revenue stage, or poised for growth, I’m eager to connect, learn from your journey, and offer the personalized support you need to navigate the unpredictable terrain of entrepreneurship.

Go-to-Market Strategy and Market Expansion
Technology Adoption and Innovation Strategy
Customer Acquisition and Commercial Growth
Product Strategy and Execution Planning

‍

Rafael Antiquera brings over 20 years of experience in tech and automotive industries, working across Europe, South, and North America. With a solid foundation in Mechatronics Engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan, plus IoT and Design Thinking certifications, he combines technical know-how with strategy, leveraging his marketing experience with a commercial mindset to ensure continuous growth.

‍

As the Growth and Innovation Director at Bosch Canada, Rafael excels in shaping visions into actionable strategies. He’s the person startups need for breaking into new markets, adoption of new technologies, acquiring new customers, and mapping out long-term growth plans. His approach is all about practical execution and guiding startups toward sustainable success.

Product Development
Product Road Mapping
Tech Leadership and Team Building
Tech Development

‍

Areas of Specialization: Team Building, Product Development, Product Road Mapping, Tech Leadership, Tech Development

‍

An expert in startup-to-scale-up technologies, with over a decade of experience in various technical roles across healthtech, adtech, and fintech.

‍

Shawn loves to solve complex problems and grow the next generation of leaders. With a highly analytical growth mindset, developed over his time as a scientist and sharpened over his decade of experience, his approach is always data-driven and empathetic.

‍

From his former role as a Director at Wealthsimple (a leading Canadian fintech), Shawn has gained expertise in organizational design, operations automation, regulatory automation, security, recruitment, international expansion, business acquisitions and much more. He is happy to work through any problem; the gnarlier, the better!

‍

His passion is helping others grow in the Canadian tech scene by mentoring everyone from CTOs to students. That, and of course travelling the world with his family (he wrote this bio in the jungle in Paraguay).

HR Technology Solutions
Operational Efficiency
Strategic Recruitment
Culture Development
Performance Management
HR Compliance & Legal
Compensation & Benefits

‍

Shawna Stewart is a distinguished People & Operations leader, celebrated for cultivating people-first cultures and innovative HR practices. Her initiatives, including Recognition BINGO and Innovation Fridays, have significantly enhanced employee engagement and development. Recognized as a Top HR Pro in 2023 by Foundersbeta, Shawna’s impact extends across the tech startup landscape.

‍

In her current role at Railz, she has been instrumental in earning the company a spot on Forbes’ Best Startup Employers list for 2024. Shawna’s strategic role in PostBeyond’s acquisition and her accolades from prestigious organizations like Great Place to Work Canada and The HR Awards, further attest to her leadership in driving organizational success and excellence in HR.

Customer Experience and Lifecycle Strategy
Go-to-Market and Growth Planning
Customer Segmentation and Persona Development
Onboarding, Retention and Expansion Playbooks

‍

Shilpa, a seasoned 4x tech startup leader, excels in guiding the entire customer lifecycle, from sales and marketing to product launches and customer success and support. Her expertise ranges from nurturing seed-stage companies to steering mature products through successful acquisitions. Collaborating effectively with sales, marketing, and product teams, she ensures consistent delivery of exceptional customer experiences that build emotional connections between brands and customers. Shilpa also partners with VC funds and incubators to mentor startups on customer and growth strategies, aiming to actualize their customer experience visions. Some ways that Shilpa can support your startup: 1. Develop your ideal customer profile (ICP) and associated personas, pain points, and messaging 2. Brainstorm marketing and sales motions to drive traffic, capture leads, and turn them into customers 3. Segment your customer base and develop what the acquisition-to-expansion experience for each segment should look like 4. Create customer onboarding, adoption, retention, and expansion playbooks 5. Support hiring and training of customer experience teams.

Strategic Business Development

Growth and Scaling Strategy

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Go-to-Market Execution

Tai Silvey is the Chief Business Development Officer at KITS Eyecare, with responsibilities for operations including; supply chain, customer service, vendor relations, product development, and people development. Before joining KITS in 2022, Mr. Silvey was a founding member of Evo Car Share, and as VP at BCAA and Head of Evo, oversaw the business’ 10X growth from 2016 to 2022. Previously, Mr. Silvey had an 8-year career at Dyson. As a National Account Manager, he led Dyson’s rollout and rapid growth across many Canadian retailers such as Canadian Tire, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. Mr. Silvey is a UBC Sauder School of Business graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University.

Business and Grant Proposal Writing
Strategic Communications and Messaging
Executive Speechwriting
Content Editing and Narrative Development

‍

Ted Killin is a writer, editor, and communications specialist in downtown Toronto.

In the past 10 years, he has completed hundreds of high-priority projects as a communications consultant for corporations, startups, universities, and non-profits — including mergers, speeches, reports, essays, articles, funding proposals, and business plans.

‍