VFC Alumni Summit 2026

James is an Alum of the 2018 cohort, and works for Parkinson Canada as the Government Relations Manager. Growing up on a farm in rural New Brunswick, James has always had a passion for entrepreneurship and a strong sense of community. He is a graduate of Dalhousie University with a Major in Entrepreneurship, and afterwards worked for an HR tech startup in Moncton. James’ community building skills inevitably led him to an interest in politics and government. He graduated from Carleton University’s Master of Political Management program in 2022 and now puts his political insights to work in non-profit advocacy.

Nicole is an Alum of the 2019 cohort, and a sales manager at a Toronto fintech startup, Relay, and a graduate of Ivey Business School. She started in tech sales over five years ago, after falling in love with the social innovation economy during her undergrad. Nicole discovered social enterprises through MaRS and Enactus, which fused her passion for business strategy and social welfare. She eventually launched her own successful business of upcycling wheelchairs, and this still-active venture is a part of the Western University business curriculum. Across three companies, she’s generated millions in the pipeline, rolled out training for teams of 30+, generated hundreds of thousands in payment volume, and built a new sales channel from scratch. These varied experiences allow her to bring a unique perspective from the private to public sectors — the art form of fostering collaboration and change across stakeholders with varying needs and goals.

Jacqui Yang is an Alum of the 2021 cohort, and brings four years of experience in the venture capital space. She started her career at an early-stage, healthcare-focused venture capital fund in Toronto, where she played a key role in shaping the due diligence process and collaborated closely with some incredible entrepreneurs. Over the years, she has built a strong network within Canada’s early-stage healthcare ecosystem. Jacqui has recently moved back home to Vancouver, to take on a new role as an Investment Analyst at InBC Investment, where she focuses on opportunities that drive meaningful and measurable impact across the province. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Finance and Economics. Outside of work, you can find her either on the tennis court, planning her next weekend getaway or catching up with friends over coffee.

Brittany is an Alum of the 2017 cohort, and as someone who comes from a multidisciplinary background of Psychology and Computer Science, she thrives at the intersection of humans and technology. She has held roles across sales, software development, and solutions engineering in Toronto’s startup scene before stepping away to pursue a Master’s in AI Ethics at the University of Cambridge. As her Master’s wraps up, she’s now shifting focus to technical communication and literacy. This means helping teams communicate their products more clearly, build internal technical fluency, and navigate the responsible use of AI.

Sergio Plazas is an Alum of the 2024 cohort, and is currently in his final year of a dual JD/MBA program at the University of Calgary. Throughout his studies, Sergio has held diverse roles at start-ups and venture capital firms; provided consulting on AI regulation; and will be working at a mid-sized law firm post-graduation. Sergio is concurrently pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics at Georgia Tech, building on his Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Calgary. Outside of his professional life, Sergio enjoys playing soccer and reading.

Sarah is an Alum of the 2019 cohort. While she has a background in health sciences and kinesiology, her interest in the start-up world was sparked after working on a project to tackle food insecurity in rural and northern Canada. Sarah has worn many hats in the startup world, from gov-tech to maternal health, however, has always gravitated toward client-facing roles. Now, as a Customer Success Manager at Klue, Sarah helps product marketing and GTM teams strategically win deals through competitive intelligence.

Cindy is an Alum of the 2024 cohort and works as an Academic Advisor, supporting diverse learners in their transition to post-secondary education. She previously helped build an EdTech startup focused on youth entrepreneurship, combining her passion for accessible learning with practical innovation. Born in Shanghai and raised in Vancouver, Cindy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Sustainability with a Minor in Commerce from UBC, and a Master of Education from the University of Toronto. On weekends, she’s usually dancing, learning hip-hop, or dabbling in producing music.

Abby is an Alum of the 2021 cohort. Since completing her fellowship, she has immersed herself in the startup world, working at two startups and supporting over 200 entrepreneurs through Invest Ottawa’s Ignition program. Abby’s passion lies in supporting entrepreneurs at the early stages of their journey, and she continues to stay deeply connected to the startup ecosystem. She now works as the Venture Sector Lead at Invest Ottawa, where she plays a key role in delivering programming for health tech, cleantech, cybersecurity, and smart mobility companies. Originally from Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, Abby has called Ottawa home for the past four years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her French Bulldog, Gigi, and her partner Jake.