David Ang
Co-founder and COO, Second Closet

David is the co-founder and COO of Second Closet, an on-demand self-storage company for city dwellers and businesses. Since launching in 2016, Second Closet has grown to a staff of 85, with operations in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. Second Closet closed their $13.2M Series A round in December 2019 with participation from Whitecap Ventures, Cowie Capital Partners and the Hyatt brothers.

Jacie deHoop, BCom'14
Co-founder and Head of Growth Monetization, The GIST

Jacie is a co-founder and head of growth and monetization at The GIST. She has led the growth strategy of The GIST’s engaged community of female fans to over 70,000 across North America. She is also responsible for The GIST’s revenue and growth through brands and has generated partnerships with Bumble, DAZN, BMO and Lululemon among others.

Jacie and her team have been named to Forbes 30 Under 30 2020 and have been accelerated through programs with Facebook, MLSE, Comcast NBCUniversal and Techstars. Prior to going full-time with The GIST, Jacie worked as a management consultant in financial services and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University (where she met her two co-founders!).

Sarah Marion, BCom'14
Associate, Inovia Capital

Sarah Marion is an Associate at Inovia Capital, a full-stack venture capital firm. Sarah works with Inovia portfolio companies including SnapTravel, Fellow, Darwin AI, CareGuide, and Armored Things. She was previously a founding team member of the Lazaridis Institute, which supports growth-oriented Canadian technology companies. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and a Master of International Public Policy from the Balsillie School of International Affairs.

Snita Balsara
Investor, MaRS IAF

Snita Balsara is an investor with MaRS IAF, a leading early-stage Venture Capital fund based in Toronto and StandUp Ventures, an early-stage Venture Capital fund investing in companies led or co-led by women. She is energized by passionate entrepreneurs who are developing innovative technologies, building diverse teams and scaling strong businesses. In her current role, she is involved in all aspects of venture investing, from deal sourcing, due diligence, round syndication, and supporting companies to scale as an observer on the Board of Directors. She is fuelled by opportunities to learn, collaborate, teach and drive results.

An active member of the community she is proudly engaged with a number of initiatives. She sits on the Board of the Rexdale Women’s Centre, a non-profit agency that serves high-need women and their families in Toronto. She recently joined the Board of Directors at Golden Triangle Angel Network, a members-only organization comprised of Angel Investors seeking investment opportunities in promising, early-stage businesses. She is a lead organizer with Toronto’s Women in Venture Capital community and a committee member with Scale Without Borders.

Snita holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University (Information Technology Management), an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and ESADE, a PMP designation and has completed Coach Training through the Co-Active Training Institute. In her spare time, Snita enjoys reading, photography, exploring Ontario, and connecting with fascinating people.