About
Shirley Speakman is Managing Partner of the Climate Tech Fund and Sustainability Venture Fund at BDC, a $1.2B platform investing in Canadian companies addressing climate and sustainability challenges. Previously, she was a senior partner at Cycle Capital and Director of Investments for the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, where she led investments and transactions across sectors including clean technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Speakman holds an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo, and serves as Chair of the Research Innovation and Commercialization Center.
Contact· self-published, not guessed
Experience
- BDCManaging Partner, Managing Partner for the Climate Tech Fund and Sustainability Venture Fundcurrent2025 — presentToronto, Ontario, Canada
- Cycle CapitalSenior Partnercurrent2018 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
- Cycle CapitalPartner2014 — 2025Greater Montreal Metropolitan Area
- Kauffman FellowsKauffman Fellow Class -26current2021 — present
- Social Venture Connexion (SVX)Investment Committee Advisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
- MaRS Catalyst FundAdvisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)Advisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Ottawa Metropolitan Area
- MineSense Technologies Ltd.Member of the Boardcurrent2015 — present
- GreenMantra TechnologiesMember of the Boardcurrent2014 — present
- YWire Technologies Inc.Member of the Boardcurrent2014 — present
- SheEO™ IncActivatorcurrent2015 — presentToronto
- Infront - Impact Investing in Frontier MarketsMentorcurrent2014 — present
- AceTech OntarioAdvisorcurrent2015 — present
- To be announced soonInvestment Professional2025
- ESS, Inc.Board Member2017 — 2022Portland, Oregon, United States
- MaRS Discovery DistrictInvestment Committee Advisor, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund2014 — 2018Greater Toronto Area, Canada
- Investment Accelerator FundInvestment Director2008 — 2014
- Foragen Technologies Management Inc.Advisor2001
- Women in Capital MarketsMember1999 — 2001
- Ernst and Young Corporate FinanceCorporate Finance Analyst1997 — 1999
- Ernst and Young Corporate FinanceAnalyst1997 — 1999
Skills & more
Strategy44Strategic Planning24Management8Negotiation2Entrepreneurship69Start-ups87Corporate Development25Business Planning22Business Strategy53Business Development15Venture Capital99Strategic Partnerships12
+12 more
Corporate FinanceProduct ManagementPrivate EquityInvestmentsE-commerceMarketing CommunicationsCRMNew Business DevelopmentMergers & AcquisitionsMergersDue DiligenceValuationFrom Shirley's professional profile.
Colleagues at BDC Venture Capital
Aadit Parikh
Associate Director at BDC Fund Investments (Fund-of-Funds)
Aashna Kumar
Associate Principal at BDC Fund Investments (Fund-of-Funds)
Aditya Aggarwal
Senior Managing Partner at BDC Venture Capital
Alexa Goldhar
Senior Analyst at BDC Fund Investments (Fund-of-Funds)
Alexander Fried
Principal at BDC Venture Capital
Alexandra Hastings
Associate at BDC Fund Investments (Fund-of-Funds)
Alexandre Préfontaine
Principal at BDC Venture Capital
Alroy Almeida
Associate Principal at BDC Fund Investments (Fund-of-Funds)
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Shirley Speakman?
- Shirley Speakman is Managing Partner of the Climate Tech Fund and Sustainability Venture Fund at BDC, a $1.2B platform investing in Canadian companies addressing climate and sustainability challenges. Previously, she was a senior partner at Cycle Capital and Director of Investments for the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, where she led investments and transactions across sectors including clean technology, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Speakman holds an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo, and serves as Chair of the Research Innovation and Commercialization Center.
- Where does Shirley Speakman work?
- Shirley Speakman is Managing Partner at BDC Venture Capital.
- Where did Shirley Speakman go to school?
- Shirley Speakman studied at University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management (ICD.D); Wilfrid Laurier University (Master of Business Administration (MBA), finance); University of Waterloo (Bachelor of Arts - BA, Economics).
Same school
Also attended University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management95
Clayton MacDougaldInvestment Director - Water at Emerald Technology Ventures AgLeah MorrisExecutive Director, Encode: AI for Science at Pillar VCKaty YamGeneral Manager at Inovia CapitalGreg AllenPartner at ChrysalixIvan YuenInvestor at AgeTech CapitalPeter Seufer-WasserthalExecutives in Residence at GENERAL INCEPTION
+ 89 more
Also attended Wilfrid Laurier University67
David BorcsokPartner at Mucker CapitalSaar PikarInvestor at OMERS VenturesGurdeep PrewalCo-founder & General Partner at Rocana VenturesMike GrantisManaging Partner at Contango Digital AssetsArmand ObrejaTalent Manager at Icon VenturesBeverly CheungLegal Counsel at Headline
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+ 61 more
Also attended University of Waterloo359
Chamath PalihapitiyaFounder & CEO of Social CapitalApoorva MehtaFounder of Instacart; founder of Cloud Health SystemsAchintya ChaudhariInvestor at LightbankKarim GillaniGeneral Partner at Luge CapitalRohan MongaInvestment Associate at Luge CapitalAndrew MiklasGeneral Partner at Y Combinator
+ 353 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Cycle Capital11
Maya HassaPrincipal at Circular Innovation FundBenoit ForcierSenior Partner at Circular Innovation FundCatherine BérubéPartner at Circular Innovation FundAndrée-Lise MéthotFounder and Managing Partner, Cycle Capital at Circular Innovation FundClaude VachetManaging Partner, Cycle Capital at Circular Innovation FundBernie ZeisigManaging Partner at Mistral Venture Partners
+ 5 more
Also worked at Kauffman Fellows381
Jenny LeeSenior Managing Partner at Granite AsiaTobi CokerDeal Partner at Felicis VenturesRoi Bar-KatManaging Director at Intel CapitalAvi BharadwajInvestment Director at Intel CapitalNick WashburnSenior Managing Director, Intel Capital (North America)Vinnie LauriaFounding Partner at Golden Gate Ventures
+ 375 more
Also worked at Social Venture Connexion (SVX)17
Adam SpenceFounder, CEO, and UDP at SVXAmeeta VijayPresident at SVXKevin TaylorVice-President at SVXJames ChanAssociate Director at SVXWali ZiaFinance Manager at SVXHelen ZhouManager, Education and Technology at SVX
+ 11 more
Also worked at MineSense Technologies Ltd.7
Tim WoodwardManaging Director at Prelude VenturesAlicia LenisVice President at ChrysalixWal van LieropFounding Partner at ChrysalixJoseph ReganSenior Managing Partner at BDC Venture CapitalMarty ReedPartner at Evok InnovationsLaurence Lavoie-AubuchonAnalyst at BDC Venture Capital
+ 1 more