The Odlum Brown Forum Pitch Supporters
Learn more about the people who make this event possible.
Community Panel
The Community Panel represents a diverse cross-section of industries, backgrounds, and geographies. We're grateful to have their support through this year's programming as they lend their expertise to select the Semi-Finalists and 3 Finalists.
Diraj Goel
CEO & Managing Partner, Get Fresh Ventures
British Columbia
Diraj Goel – Founder, Growth Strategist, and Venture Builder
Diraj Goel is a serial entrepreneur, operator, and growth advisor with over two decades of experience helping startups scale from first traction to successful exits. He’s led growth strategies at companies like WebCT (exited to Blackboard for $180M), Vision Critical (scaled from $5M to $120M in revenue), and Hootsuite (scaled beyond $100M globally), overseeing the key engines of tech, operations, and analytics through each company’s evolution.
After a career of scaling, acquiring, and integrating companies on an international level, Diraj founded GetFresh Ventures (GFV) to work directly with early-stage founders.
GFV’s proprietary Growth by Design model helps build cash-efficient, high-velocity startups without relying on excessive capital burns. Under his leadership, GFV has guided over 60 companies, closed $50M+ in funding, and driven 6 successful exits.
Diraj is passionate about helping founders avoid the pitfalls of traditional startup thinking — focusing instead on building real businesses with real traction, profitable unit economics, and sustainable enterprise value. His audience today is over 50% founders, CEOs, and investors, making him a strategic voice for B2B brands, investors, and tech ecosystems focused on meaningful growth.
Recognized with the Rising Star Award from the Canadian Management Consultants Association (CMC), Diraj brings tactical experience, hard-earned insights, and a builder’s mindset to every founder and organization he works with.
Today, he continues to champion founders who aren’t just chasing valuations — they’re building generational wealth, high-value companies, and market-leading outcomes.
Jacqueline Jennings
Co-Founder & Executive Director, The Fireweed Institute
British Columbia
Jacqueline Jennings (she/her) is of mixed heritage, Nehiyaw, Anishinaabe, Red River Métis, and of European settler descent and was born in unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh lands commonly known as Vancouver, BC. She is an impact investment professional and one of very few Indigenous women in the Venture Capital field, globally. Jacqueline is the co-founder and executive director of the Fireweed Institute, a centre of excellence in Indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation. With a background in the private sector at entrepreneurially driven brands such as Microsoft, Lululemon and Aritzia, she has led the design of three Canadian accelerators; The Next Big Thing (now League of Innovators), EntrepreNorth and The Fireweed Fellowship. Jacqueline is a former Venture Partner at Raven Indigenous Capital and currently Investor in Residence at Roanhorse Consulting, a visiting professor at the SFU Beedie School of Business, a Boston Impact Initiative Fellow and a 2024 Echoing Green Fellow, and a board member of Community Futures Sunshine Coast. Jacqueline is a mother raising her family on the Sunshine Coast, BC where she lives as a guest on the unceded land of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
Meryeme Lahmami
Principal, Pender Ventures
Quebec
Meryeme Lahmami is an investor at Pender Ventures, focusing on health tech and B2B technology. She brings a blend of operating and investing experience, having co-founded a venture-backed health tech startup and led biotech, enterprise software, and digital health investments at BDC Capital. She began her venture career at a healthtech fund, started out in consulting early in her career, and holds an MBA from Laval University.
Nagar Rahmani
Special Advisor, EnerTech Capital
Ontario
Nagar Rahmani is a Special Advisor at EnerTech Capital, where she focuses on the expansion of corporate strategic partnerships, platform development, and sourcing new investment activity across the firm's funds. She will assist in the development of the firm's Corporate Residual Fund strategy (outsource management of portfolio assets for Corporates) and build key Corporate and Family office relationships across the expanding EnerTech platform.||Nagar brings 15 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and ecosystem development. She was previously a Partner at Maverix Private Equity, where she helped shape the firm's investment platform and led strategic partnerships, and capital formation. Prior to that, she co-led the Kensington Venture Funds, where she invested in both venture funds and early-stage technology companies across North America, served on numerous LP Advisory Committees, and held board positions with several Canadian technology companies.||She currently serves on the boards of 7Gen and EverKind.
Rebecca Johnson
Investment & Operations Associate, BKR Capital
Alberta
Rebecca is a business strategy professional who operates at the intersection of people, processes, and technology to help companies advance to their next level of growth. Her experience spans strategy development, operational finance, organizational structure, startup funding, mergers and acquisitions, and stakeholder management.
She is currently an Investment and Operations Associate at BKR Capital, the first institutional black-led VC fund in Canada - where she oversees the fund’s portfolio and post-investment functions. She began her career in a startup and over the years has supported several early-stage companies in different capacities across financial, operational, and strategic roles.
Beyond creating magic at work, you will find her exploring her creative side through singing, designing, and cooking.
Rhiannon Davies (she/her)
Founding & Managing Partner, Sandpiper Ventures
Nova Scotia
Rhiannon has created, acquired, and led companies in Europe, Asia, South and North America, including as CEO of GVSC B.V, which became a $2 Billion revenue subsidiary of GrandVision N.V. She was Group COO and Board Director, taking the $5.5 Billion revenue eyecare company with businesses in 45 countries, through a period of rapid growth expansion into 20 new markets through multiple acquisitions, JVs and organic growth, to a successful IPO on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. The GrandVision IPO ranked in the global top 10 IPOs in 2015. This was her second exit, following the acquisition of Royal Numico N.V. by Groupe Danone in 2007. Rhiannon serves/has served on multiple private, public, crown and NGO boards. As an active investor and mentor for early-stage technology companies, Rhiannon is motivated by the enormous untapped opportunity of investing in women and non-binary technology entrepreneurs as an underrepresented demographic that is overperforming. She is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sandpiper Ventures, a Seed/Series A stage VC that invests in women technology entrepreneurs solving the world’s wicked problems.
William Ma
Senior Director, Investments, MaRS IAF
Ontario
William is a seasoned finance and operations leader with a unique perspective of the Canadian innovation ecosystem. Prior to joining the IAF, William was a director of technology banking at Silicon Valley Bank, where he was responsible for developing new business relationships and focused on helping Canadian tech companies grow and succeed.
Before joining SVB, William was head of finance and operations at Validere, an enterprise SaaS startup focused on data analytics in the energy industry, where he led the Series B financing backed by investors that included BlackRock and Greylock Partners. He also co-founded a Y-Combinator-backed enterprise SaaS startup focused on investor relation marketing and analytics.
William launched his career in financial services with roles in corporate strategy and sales operations at BMO Financial Group and investment banking with TD Securities Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics with high distinction from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and is a CFA charter holder.
Activation Committee
The Activation Committee is a passionate group of volunteers who believe in the mission of The Forum and the power of the Pitch program. The committee is comprised of board members, past program supporters, and supporters of the organization. As dedicated members of the community, they support events and fundraising that help women entrepreneurs thrive.
Jessica Green (she/her)
Committee Co-Chair
Wendy Hartley (she/her)
Committee Co-Chair
Candy Wang (she/her)
Carly Monahan
Cassandra Clark
Christina Brown (she/her)
Haleh Alexander (she/her)
Ivy Wong
Jenny Roberts (she/her)
Katie Chandler (she/her)
Mehrsa Raeiszadeh (she/her)
Nicole Parmar (she/her)
Orla O'Malley (she/her)
Ryan Benn (he/him)
Selena Woo (she/her)
Soha Lavin (she/her)
Tamee Karim
Mentors
The program Mentors are experts in growth, investing, and accessing capital. As experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders, they act as helpful mentors to the Semi-Finalists and Finalists as they prepare and revise their pitches throughout the program.
SEMI-FINALIST MENTORS
Amoye Henry
Principal Consultant, AH Consulting Group
Ontario
Canadian with global experience living and working across the Toronto, London, Accra, Lagos and Dubai.
Investor and operator focused on startups and scale-ups. Portfolio includes a Series B cybersecurity company (AI-backed, $200M valuation) and an AI robotics company in the medtech space generating $5.5M ARR.
Formerly ran accelerators in West Africa, helping launch and scale strategic companies. Recently raised $1.5M to run an accelerator program. Currently raising a $15M fund dedicated to backing women in Canada and global markets, focused on AI infrastructure, sustainability, and clean tech.
Passionate about innovation, hypergrowth, and building ecosystems that empower founders to thrive.
Crystal Lo (she/her)
Investment Associate, InBC Investment Corp
British Columbia
Crystal Lo is an Investment Associate at InBC and has a deep-rooted belief in the power of capital to create a positive social impact. She has multi-faceted experience in gender-lens investing, impact investing, commercial lending and real estate development, with her professional experience spanning three continents.
Crystal holds a bachelor’s degree in global business from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a master’s degree in real estate from The University of Hong Kong.
Farah Jhumra (she/her)
Senior Analyst, Yaletown Partners
British Columbia
Farah Jhumra is a Senior Investment Analyst at Yaletown Partners, driving innovation by supporting bold founders and transformative technologies. With experience in private equity, she brings expertise in growth, financial analysis, and strategic execution. A former founder of Cering Technologies, a wearable safety start-up, Farah also champions purpose-driven innovation and women-led businesses.
Grant Lawrence
Co-Founder, Valhalla Private Capital
British Columbia
Grant is an active angel investor and a co-founder of Valhalla Angels, and he has a hands-on approach to supporting early-stage companies. Since 2015, Grant has been mentoring founders and providing advisory support for capital raises and operational growth as a Advisor, an Executive in Residence with Foresight Canada, a mentor for UBCO ventures and an Investor in Residence at Accelerate Okanagan.
Grant's career spans multiple startups where he held junior and senior positions in enterprise software B2B ventures with a wide range of international customers
Heather Reier (she/her)
Founder, Chief Advisor, Village Road Advisory
Ontario
Founder and entrepreneur turned advisor and investor, bringing real, lived experience in brand and business building—from idea to successful exit. I built Cake Beauty into a category-defining brand, leading it to successful acquisition. Now, through Village Road Advisory, I work with founders on their bold visions——scaling with purpose, joy and impact to build something meaningful, valuable and wildly successful.
Katrina Carroll-Foster
Partner, Kollectively Inc.
British Columbia
Katrina Carroll-Foster is Founder and Partner at Kollectively, a marketing strategy firm working with B2B ventures, venture capital firms, and ecosystem partners across Canada. With experience spanning B2B companies, national accelerators, and venture funds, she connects the dots between brand strategy and business outcomes in complex, competitive markets.
A former entrepreneur and mother to a budding young founder, Katrina brings both operator insight and empathy to her work. A long-time champion of women in venture, she serves on the Board of The Forum, is an LP with Women’s Equity Lab, an Executive-in-Residence with Foresight Canada, and a mentor with New Ventures BC.
Melissa Belbeck
Principal, Whitecap Ventures
Ontario
Melissa joined Whitecap Venture Partners, an early-stage VC firm in Toronto, in 2020. As a Principal, Melissa works on new investments and supports companies post-investment. Previously, she worked at Ritual, BMO, and Oliver Wyman. Melissa holds an HBA from the Ivey School of Business and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business.
Nadia Lachman (she/her)
Associate, Amplitude Ventures
Alberta
Nadia Lachman is an Investor at Amplitude who joined the team in 2024. She brings a diverse background in retail pharmacy, clinical trial recruitment, and extensive experience supporting early-stage health startups across therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health. Nadia is passionate about driving innovation in healthcare and has a keen interest in emerging technologies that impact patient care.
Prior to Amplitude, Nadia gained valuable expertise in B2B SaaS venture investing, which equipped her with a broad perspective on technology commercialization. She holds a BSc from Mount Royal University, a Master of Biomedical Technology (MBT) from the Cumming School of Medicine, and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary.
Sarah Willson (she/her)
Principal, Panache Ventures
Ontario
Sarah is an investor at Panache Ventures, a pre-seed and seed stage VC firm supporting inspiring Canadian founders at the earliest stages of building transformational companies. Sarah is also an active member of the Tech4SickKids advisory council, Velocity investment committee, and Schulich ExEd Pitch Deck Advisory Group.
Suzanne Knight (she/her)
CEO, mBolden
Ontario
Suzanne Knight is a global consultant and keynote speaker who has led transformation across 14 countries. As CEO of mBolden, she helps organizations simplify complexity, unlock capacity, and lead through change. A passionate advocate for women’s economic advancement, she is Co-Founder of Be Uninterrupted and an active angel investor with The Firehood, an investing community that champions women in tech and innovation.