Melissa Allen
Founding Partner
Capital M Ventures
Prior to her venture capital career, Melissa Allen was an award-winning financial advisor at Desjardins. Before that, she worked in tech sales and marketing at companies such as Torstar and Google. Currently, Melissa is the Founding Partner at Capital M Ventures, Canada’s first Black female solo GP-led VC firm investing in BIPOC-led, pre-seed stage startups in Canada entering large international markets.
Schedule
45 mins
Meridian Hall - Lower Lobby
Roundtables - Block 1
Roundtables are exclusive to attendees with Startup Passes or access to the Startup platform. Spots are limited to 10 attendees per table, and pre-registration is required via the Startup platform.
Roundtable 1: Navigating the Funding Landscape as a Diverse Founder
Host: Melissa Allen, Founding Partner, Capital M Ventures
Roundtable 2: The Importance of Deal Structure in the Capital Raise Journey to Successful Exit
Host: Ozan Isinak, President, Keiretsu Forum
Roundtable 3: The Art of the 3-Minute Pitch
Host: Raymond Luk, Founder in Residence, Deloitte
Roundtable 4: Building Projects from Zero to DAO on the ICP Blockchain
Hosts: Athika Fatima, Technical Incubation Manager, Quantum Leap Labs & Sam Drissi, Founder, BIP Quantum
50 mins
Meridian Hall - Upper Mezzanine
Investing in Women: The Role of Venture Capital in Supporting Female Entrepreneurs
Female entrepreneurs face unique hurdles in the startup world, with women-led ventures still receiving only a small fraction of global venture funding—just 2.3%! In this lively panel, top VCs and angel investors will share their insights on how tangible steps can be taken to change that. From building investor relationships to finding the right funding partners and mastering deal negotiations, we’ll dive into the strategies that help women-led startups thrive.
