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Schulich Startups Advisory Program
Entrepreneur in Residence
Schulich Student and Alumni Founders and Innovators can schedule concierge support or ongoing coaching sessions with our Entrepreneur in Residence (Cherry Rose Tan). Our EIR is joined in supporting our community by an active team of Schulich Alumni Volunteers (Entrepreneurs & Venture Capitalists) and our Executive Director, Chris Carder.
Meet our Advisors
Investor Advisory Council
This advisory program provides founders with direct access to seasoned investors who understand the realities of early-stage venture building. Members of the Council include leaders from venture capital firms, family offices, accelerator funds, and corporate investment teams. Their collective expertise supports founders through story refinement, fundraising preparation, pitch coaching, and strategic advisory conversations — all designed to help ventures move from early traction to meaningful growth
Meet the Advisory Council
Aashna Kumar
Senior Associate
Vis
Alexander Barclay
VP, Banking
RBCx
Feiran Zhou
Director of Commercialization
Ontario Centre of Innovation
Jaime Wong
MBA 2001
CEO
Maddison Wong Investments
Jenny L
Associate
Sixty Degree Capital
Jillian Malcolm
Senior Investment Associate
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund
Jude Sacramenthas
VP of Ecosystems
Graphite Ventures
Leah Perry
MBA 2022
Senior Associate, Innovation Fund
Wittington Ventures
Mohan Markandaier
Managing Partner
Good News Ventures
Moien Giashi
Principal
GreenSky Ventures
Mudit Rawat
MBA 2009
Head of M&A
TAO
Nikhil Nayar
MBA 2021
Senior Associate
Rogue Insight Capital
Paul Manias
BBA 1998
Partner & Co-Head
Diagram ClimateTech Fund
Peyvand Melati
EMBA 2018
General Partner
Axion Fund
Prathna Ramesh
Partner
FutureSight
Robbie Marks
Director, Investments
MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund
Sarah Willson
Principal
Panache Ventures
Shelley Li
BBA 2013 + MBA 2019
Principal
Maple Bridge Ventures
Sherry Liu
Analyst
Whitecap Venture Partners
Snita Balsara
MBA 2012
Principal
BDC Sustainability Fund
Stuart Browne
MBA 2009
CEO
Pycap
Ujwal Arkalgud
MBA 2009
Managing Partner
Investment Ark
Umair Anjum
EMBA 2024
Global Director, Private Equity
Dayforce
Usama Mostafa
EMBA 2025
CEO-in-Residence
Gulmohar Capital Partners
Founder Days
Founder Day is a recurring, in-person founder engagement initiative brought to you by AWAKE Chocolate. On Founder Days, selected Schulich Startup founders are invited into the Schulich Startups space to receive high-touch strategic support, visibility, and community integration.
Founder Day is a dedicated experience for standout teams to:
- Work out of the Schulich Startups Office for the day
- Connect 1:1 with our team and receive strategic mentorship
- Be spotlighted through a personalized marketing interview
- And contribute to our startup library with a book that's inspired your journey
All participants of Founder Days also receive a package of AWAKE Chocolate - Co-Founded by Schulich Alumni and ENTR Instructor Dan Tzotsis (MBA '10)
Schulich Startups Signature Events
Schulich Startup Night
Schulich Startup Night is a premier startup pitch competition where students and alumni from the Schulich School of Business present their startups for a chance to win cash prizes and professional services. Schulich founders pitch their ventures to a hand-selected judging panel of top industry professionals, as well as an audience of elite entrepreneurs, investors, students, and other members of the innovation community.
One of Schulich Startups’ signature events, Startup Night is hosted annually in the spring. Since the inaugural event in 2014, it has grown to over 300 attendees and is recognized as a “must-attend” pitch competition.
Meet our Latest Champions
Student Champion
Ayomikun Akintayo (Tech MBA '24)
Kian Rastegar (Tech MBA '24)
Co-Founders of Edufund
Alumni Champion
Abdel Ali (MBA '21)
Co-Founder of Kiwi Charge
People's Champion
William Jones (MBA '14)
Co-Founder of Leynek Medical
VIP Series
In the VIP series, fireside chats and keynote addresses bring you face-to-face with trailblazers from Canada's innovation ecosystem. Hosted by a leader from the Schulich Startups community, these sessions offer an intimate glimpse into the lives and minds of some of the most influential figures in the industry.
Our fireside chats are candid and engaging, featuring a blend of personal and professional insights. Founders share their passion for entrepreneurship, while venture capitalists discuss their dedication to supporting the ecosystem. From inspiring crowd-sourcing stories to the journeys of unicorn founders, our VIP Sessions showcase a rich tapestry of innovation and leadership.
Recent VIP Speakers
Trung Pham
CEO and Founder
RYSE
Kishore Moorjani
Former Senior Managing Director & Head of Tactical Opportunities
Blackstone
Janet Bannister
Managing Partner
Staircase Ventures
Uri Levine
Co-Founder
Waze
Peter Marrone
Executive Chairman and CEO
AlliedGold
Eva Wong
Co-Founder & COO of
Borrowell
Venture Series
The Venture Series brings together Toronto’s venture capital leaders for a high-caliber panel discussion. Selected for their deep experience and contributions to the event's theme, these experts represent the pinnacle of the VC world.
At Schulich, we’re proud of our extraordinary community of venture capitalists. The conversations at our Venture Series are infused with high-level insights and engaging dialogue. Each panel brings a diverse array of perspectives, sparking curiosity and providing a wealth of experience. Expect stimulating discussions that not only captivate but also inspire, offering attendees a front-row seat to some of the most compelling conversations in venture capital today.
Recent Venture Series
Women in VC Leadership
Zahin Hussain - VP, Partnerships at Ankur Capital
Sonia Lagourgue - Purpose and ESG Leadership at Georgian
Snita Balsara - Principal at BDC
Shambhavi Mishra - Director, Growth & Portfolio at Antler
Starting your Angel Investment Journey
Abdel Ali - Co-Founder of Kiwi Charge
Sarah Stevens - CEO and Founder of Innov8 Green
Jennifer Turliuk - Founder of Koru Labs
Peyvand Melati - CEO of QEA Tech
Idea Jam
Innovation meets collaboration in an electrifying brainstorming session! In these dynamic events, the founder of a high-potential startup from the Schulich Startups community takes the stage to present their top challenges—unfiltered, candid, and real.
These sessions offer a deep dive into the actual issues that founders face. As they open up about their struggles, our community of innovation leaders, armed with diverse expertise, rallies to brainstorm actionable solutions.
Recent Idea Jams
Eatable Idea Jam
Featuring Charlene and Vincent Li
Community Connection Night
Mercier Lecture
Schulich Startups Ecosystem Initiatives
Together Mission
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and Venture Competition
The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and Venture Competition features pairs of inspired Indian Student Entrepreneurs (handpicked from over 17,000+ Indian colleges and 700+ universities), working with Schulich MBA Students. Each venture team presents ideas across sectors of national importance for India and works with Canadian/Indian Mentor Pairs.
Schulich Venture Academy (SVA)
Schulich Venture Academy (SVA) is a first-of-its-kind academy empowering the next generation of Canadian startup/venture talent. Backed by $3.3M in support from the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario, SVA delivers specialized 30-hour certificate courses that accelerate tech founders and growth-stage teams through proven frameworks, practical tools, and expert-led mentorship.
We have partnered with prominent figures in the ecosystem, who serve as SVA Program Directors:
Venture Talent
Jenny do Forno
Chief People Officer at Touch Bistro and ex-Head of Talent at OMERS Ventures
Venture Operations
Izabella Gabowicz
VP of Operations at Q2 and ex-COO at Sensibill
Venture Finance
Leen Li
Ex-CEO of Wealthsimple Foundation and Ex-CFO at Wealthsimple
Venture Talent
Prashant Matta
General Partner at Panache Ventures
Venture Sales
Josh Guttman
CEO & Co-Founder
at SELLIT9
Not just a program or a certificate, Schulich Venture Academy provides these benefits:
- Access to two in-person Venture Alumni Events each year, bringing together all Program Directors, Venture Alumni, and key influencers/leaders brought by Schulich Startups
- Being part of an extended network of veteran founders and VCs, as you upgrade your job/career network in the startup/VC space
- Walk away with real world collateral - alongside the skills, processes and strategies you will acquire, each track culminates in a Practical Capstone Project applicable to your business or career.
- A Schulich Masterclass Certificate in the venture track of your choice, plus a badge to showcase on your resume/LinkedIn
Schulich Venture Scholars Program
Each cohort, there are a limited number of students who are accepted as Schulich Venture Scholars. A one-time scholarship opportunity for exceptional candidates with outstanding and/or high-potential backgrounds, we look for candidates who possess the drive and commitment to take their startup/venture career to the next level.
Want to know if you are eligible for one of our limited Venture Scholar spots? Contact Shivam Sharma, Assistant Director, to learn more.
Project JumpSTART
Schulich Startups, in collaboration with YSpace, Treefrog Accelerator, and the Town of Georgina, are leading Project JumpSTART, an international entrepreneurs accelerator with specialized support for women tech founders, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and supporting women entrepreneurship.
The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship welcomes partners committed to the advancement and education of entrepreneurship.
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