Fundraising Fox

Shirley Speakman

Investor

Managing Partner at BDC Venture Capital

Greater Toronto Area, Canada

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.

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Experience

  1. BDCManaging Partner, Managing Partner for the Climate Tech Fund and Sustainability Venture Fundcurrent2025 — presentToronto, Ontario, Canada
  2. Cycle CapitalSenior Partnercurrent2018 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
  3. Cycle CapitalPartner2014 — 2025Greater Montreal Metropolitan Area
  4. Kauffman FellowsKauffman Fellow Class -26current2021 — present
  5. Social Venture Connexion (SVX)Investment Committee Advisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
  6. MaRS Catalyst FundAdvisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
  7. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)Advisorcurrent2017 — presentGreater Ottawa Metropolitan Area
  8. MineSense Technologies Ltd.Member of the Boardcurrent2015 — present
  9. GreenMantra TechnologiesMember of the Boardcurrent2014 — present
  10. YWire Technologies Inc.Member of the Boardcurrent2014 — present
  11. SheEO™ IncActivatorcurrent2015 — presentToronto
  12. Infront - Impact Investing in Frontier MarketsMentorcurrent2014 — present
  13. AceTech OntarioAdvisorcurrent2015 — present
  14. To be announced soonInvestment Professional2025
  15. ESS, Inc.Board Member2017 — 2022Portland, Oregon, United States
  16. MaRS Discovery DistrictInvestment Committee Advisor, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund2014 — 2018Greater Toronto Area, Canada
  17. Investment Accelerator FundInvestment Director2008 — 2014
  18. Foragen Technologies Management Inc.Advisor2001
  19. Women in Capital MarketsMember1999 — 2001
  20. Ernst and Young Corporate FinanceCorporate Finance Analyst1997 — 1999

Education

  1. University of Toronto - Rotman School of ManagementICD.D2016
  2. Wilfrid Laurier UniversityMaster of Business Administration (MBA), finance1995 — 1996
  3. University of WaterlooBachelor of Arts - BA, Economics1987 — 1991

Skills & more

Strategy44Strategic Planning24Management8Negotiation2Entrepreneurship69Start-ups87Corporate Development25Business Planning22Business Strategy53Business Development15Venture Capital99Strategic Partnerships12
+12 moreCorporate FinanceProduct ManagementPrivate EquityInvestmentsE-commerceMarketing CommunicationsCRMNew Business DevelopmentMergers & AcquisitionsMergersDue DiligenceValuation

From Shirley's professional profile.

Same school

Also attended University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management89

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

+ 83 more

Also attended Wilfrid Laurier University49

David BorcsokPartner at Mucker CapitalSaar PikarInvestor at OMERS VenturesGurdeep PrewalCo-founder & General Partner at Rocana VenturesArmand ObrejaTalent Manager at Icon VenturesBeverly CheungLegal Counsel at HeadlineMark SteeleVenture Partner at Florida Funders

+ 43 more

Also attended University of Waterloo206

Chamath PalihapitiyaFounder & CEO of Social CapitalKarim GillaniGeneral Partner at Luge CapitalRohan MongaInvestment Associate at Luge CapitalAndrew MiklasGeneral Partner at Y CombinatorAniTalent Team at Hummingbird VenturesAlex KolicichInvestment Team at 8VC

+ 200 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Cycle Capital9

Mathieu GoudotSenior Partner at Circular Innovation FundMaya 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 Fund

+ 3 more

Also worked at Kauffman Fellows378

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

+ 372 more

Also worked at Social Venture Connexion (SVX)16

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

+ 10 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

Colleagues at BDC Venture Capital

Aditya Aggarwal
Senior Managing Partner at BDC Venture Capital
Alexander Fried
Principal at BDC Venture Capital
Alexandre Préfontaine
Principal at BDC Venture Capital
Dinar Ahmed
Partner at BDC Venture Capital
Duncan Stewart
Partner at BDC Venture Capital
Fidelité Inagajo
Associate at BDC Venture Capital
Geoff J. Catherwood
Partner at BDC Venture Capital
Jack Fraser
Partner at BDC Venture Capital