Meet The Team

Venture Grade 2022

Members

Amanda Stuth

Investments

Amanda Stuth

Investments

Amanda Stuth is doing a semester abroad at Saint Mary`s University. Amanda studies Business Administration and Economics with a main focus on Finance and Accounting in her last year at the Johann-Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. During an internship at Deloitte in Audit and at Commerzbank in Debt Capital Markets Bonds, Amanda gained some experience in the working life. She joined Venture Grade to learn about Venture Capital and Start-ups and is now part of the Investment team.

Anica Jestratijevic

VCIC

Anica Jestratijevic

VCIC

Anica is an international full-time MBA student at Sobey School of Business whose academic journey started in Europe continued in the United States and will successfully end in Canada. She will graduate in January of 2023 with a Master of Business Administration at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax. She is currently working in Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary’s as a Project Coordinator and Student Consultant. Anica came to the program with an open mind and eventually figured that Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship are her major areas of interest. She entered the venture capital world by taking courses with Dr. Ellen Farrell and since then, she continuously engages in events to enhance knowledge and skills, embrace experiences, and use an entrepreneurial mindset to support the start-up ecosystem.

Avantika Gupta

Investments

Avantika Gupta

Investments

Avantika is a fourth-year Bachelor of Commerce student at Sobey School of Business, majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship. She is a member of the Investment team at Venture Grade, where she is responsible for creating investment memos, conducting due diligence, and presenting investment proposals to the Saint Mary’s Investment Committee. She has also been involved with Enactus Saint Mary’s as a project manager for three years. Her hobbies include travelling, sketching, and crafting.

Ayush Deora

Promotions & Outreach

Ayush Deora

Promotions & Outreach

Ayush Deora is a full-time MBA student at Saint Mary’s University and is a member of the Promotion and Outreach team at Venture Grade. Ayush has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a CFA level 2 candidate. His background is in finance and he aspires to become an investment banker in the future. He has several years of work experience in accounting and finance. He enjoys researching about new economic trends and upcoming companies. Apart from the usual asset classes, he likes following Cryptocurrency trends. Outside work, he loves playing games, watching movies, and hitting the gym.

Ben Roberts

Donor Relations

Ben Roberts

Donor Relations

Ben is from Bedford, NS and in his final semester of the full-time MBA program at Sobey School of Business. This past summer, he took part in the Centre for Ocean Venture and Entrepreneurship Internship Program which sparked his interest in becoming involved with Venture Grade this year. Ben is leading the Donor Relations team which involves coordinating communication with potential donors and pitching the fund. Ben obtained his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Acadia University in 2021 and plans to pursue a career in the sports industry following completion of his MBA.

Camelia Salem

Investments

Camelia Salem

Investments

Camelia is an electrical and computer engineer working on achieving her P.Eng full time while being enrolled as a part time MBA student at Saint Mary’s. The MBA program has allowed her to gain knowledge in niche areas of management and finance that only years of experience as an engineer would have allowed. She is using the knowledge she is gaining through the MBA to better understand her client’s needs and projects while providing engineering services.

Hiro Tsuchiya

Promotions & Outreach

Hiro Tsuchiya

Promotions & Outreach

Hiro Tsuchiya is a full-time MBA student at Saint Mary’s University and is a member of the Promotion and Outreach team at Venture Grade. Before starting an MBA journey, he worked as a corporate accountant and SAP implementation project lead at renowned global fast consumer packaging companies such as Red Bull. While pursuing an MBA, he has engaged in North American labor economic research at Saint Mary’s University. He has a strong interest in commercializing sustainable technologies including biotechnology and is passionate about learning technology commercialization strategies through involvement in Venture Grade. Outside of work and school, Hiro enjoys basketball, guitar, cooking, traveling and books.

Ishaan Singh

Donor Relations

Ishaan Singh

Donor Relations

Ishaan is an international student originally from Chandigarh, India. He is a third-year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship. So far, he has completed two internships with Sobeys Inc. and Finance & Treasury Board, NS Government. Ishaan can be seen actively involved in on-campus activities such as being a part of the SMU IMPACT Fund team and SMU Commerce Society. For his achievements in both academics and co-curriculars he was awarded the Sophomore of the Year award for the year 2021. In his free time, Ishaan enjoys playing and watching sports and is always up for a conversation about his favorite teams.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Katerina Msafari

VCIC

Katerina Msafari

VCIC

Katerina Msafari is pursuing her Master of Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation (MTEI) at the Sobey School of Business. She is an impact-driven professional with over six years of experience in banking, business development, and product management. She has supported the growth of businesses in education, healthcare, and financial services by providing financing and advisory services. She is particularly interested in developing the venture capital space and is passionate about supporting startups transforming the global landscape. She joined Venture Grade to learn about the Canadian venture capital ecosystem and support the growth of early-stage businesses. Katerina received her bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics from Strathmore University in Kenya; she is an advanced financial modeller and has passed CFA level two.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Keegan Wilson

Investments

Keegan Wilson

Investments

Keegan is a part-time MBA student at Saint Mary’s University and is a member of the Investment Team at Venture Grade. He currently works at Intact Insurance in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and has held various underwriting roles across multiple business lines including specialty insurance, commercial insurance, and construction bonding. Prior to joining Intact, Keegan worked at KPMG as an auditor. This diverse experience has demanded constant learning, versatility, and has resulted in the broad development of his overall knowledge, skills, and networking capabilities. Outside of work and school, Keegan enjoys hockey, golf, hiking, and playing with his daughter and Newfoundland dog!

Ngutor Ikpaahindi

VCIC

Ngutor Ikpaahindi

VCIC

Ngutor sits in the triad of business development, venture capital, and digital product development wherein he has 3+ years of experience in conceptualizing, designing, launching, and managing digital products. He is interested in serving as an operator within company’s, as well as advising on growth, business development, and product development. He enrolled as an associate in Venture Grade to grow his expertise in Venture Capital, and expand his knowledge on the entrepreneurial capital landscape.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Reece Labbe

Investments

Reece Labbe

Investments

My name is Reece Labbe and I am a senior at Saint Mary’s, double majoring in finance and entrepreneurship. This is my first year as a member of the Venture Grade team and my responsibilities with the fund include determining investment opportunities by conducting due diligence, drafting investment memos, and presenting investment memos to the Saint Mary’s Investment Committee. My hobbies include mountain biking, skiing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Sawyer Smith

VCIC

Sawyer Smith

VCIC

Sawyer is an undergraduate business student pursuing a major in marketing and a minor in entrepreneurship. He is set to graduate with his BCom at the end of December 2022. Sawyer is originally from Vancouver, BC and moved to Halifax, NS to study at Saint Mary’s. Over the last four years, Sawyer has developed a strong background in both marketing management and sales. During his final two years at Saint Mary’s, he has been working at the campus bar and has now ascended to a manager position within SMUSA (Saint Mary’s University Student Association). Sawyer is excited to discover what the business world has in store for him after graduation.

Phone:+1 (604)-626-2334
Email:sawyer7@live.ca

Sean Buchanan

Donor Relations

Sean Buchanan

Donor Relations

Originally from Riverview, NB, Sean has a background and experience in neuroscience, biochemistry, research and as a clinician in various areas of ophthalmology. One of Sean’s passions is the improvement of the efficiency and quality of care in the healthcare system, through technological advancement. While working as a clinician at a high volume, high efficiency ophthalmology clinic, he co-developed an AI-driven referral and triage software which works to improve efficiency and enable teaching. He is currently a full-time MBA student at Saint Mary’s Sobeys School of Business and slated to graduate in January 2023. Sean has pursued his MBA to blend his interest in health tech and healthcare innovation with a comprehensive business acumen and build a career in venture capital. He is now an associate of the Venture Grade fund with a focus on donor relations.

Shashwat Duggal

Donor Relations

Shashwat Duggal

Donor Relations

Shashwat is a fourth year Bachelor of Commerce student at Saint Mary’s University, majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship and is part of the donor relations team at Venture Grade. Shashwat has previously competed in the VCIC competition held in Boston, where he was part of the SMU team that bagged the second place in the competition. He has previously worked in the banking and retail industry. Outside of work, Shashwat loves Biking and playing soccer and has a keen interest in the real estate industry.

Sorav Sogy

VCIC

Sorav Sogy

VCIC

Sogy is a 3rd Year international student from Punjab, India, Pursuing a degree in finance and entrepreneurship at Sobeys School of Business. Sogy is a Financial Analyst & Research Assistant at Sandpiper Ventures under the Co-operative education program for BComm Students at Saint Mary’s University. He’s the leader of the VCIC team, responsible for hosting the annual Canadian Venture Capital Investment Competition. He is also part of the social media team responsible for promoting Venture Grade across various social media platforms. Sogy is a student representative on SMU’s Academic Senate. He serves as the finance committee chair on the Board of Directors for the Saint Mary’s university student association (SMUSA). He’s also a teaching assistant in the finance faculty. Apart from his academics, Sogy is an outgoing person who loves trying new things & unique experiences.

Ugochi West

VCIC

Ugochi West

VCIC

Ugochi is a skilled development strategist, with over a decade of experience in investment banking, business development, and innovative entrepreneurship. She is in her final semester of the Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Saint Mary’s University and is presently a Business consultant Intern at the Sobey School of Business Graduate Career Services. She is an intellectually curious professional who is self-motivated and persistently innovating ideas to create prime and viable solutions for businesses to succeed and stay ahead. Her passion for startup financing and scaling led her to Venture Grade where she contributes as an Investment Analyst and VCIC planning team member.

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Vishnu Desai

Donor Relations

Vishnu Desai

Donor Relations

Vishnu, from Hyderabad, India is a full-time MBA student at the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. Having pursued an undergraduate degree in computer science with a focus on data science, Vishnu has interests in the same which was further followed by research and work experience in data science. He’s worked in startups in the past and his interest in venture capital courses has been due to the same which was further motivated by the design of the course being more hands-on and practical in nature. He is a part of the donor relations team which oversees pitching the Venture Grade program to prospective donors, whose donations feed the fund for current and future students who take this course.

Xiaoyang Luo

Investments

Xiaoyang Luo

Investments

Xiaoyang Luo is a full-time MBA candidate at Saint Mary’s University and is a member of the Investment Team at Venture Grade. He graduated from the University of Kent with a Master’s degree in Finance, Investment & Risk. Xiaoyang worked as an Investment Project Manager for five years and accomplished several international equity investment projects with a total amount of over 200 million USD. He has a passion for the Capital Market and Investing, and the complex investment experience heightened his leadership, analysis and communication skills. Xiaoyang is an amateur musician and enjoys playing guitar and singing.

Governing Council

Andrew Ray

General Partner, Last 40 Ventures

Andrew Ray

General Partner, Last 40 Ventures

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Dr. Ellen Farrell

Venture Capital Professor | Founder | General Partner

Dr. Ellen Farrell

Venture Capital Professor | Founder | General Partner

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Harjeet Bhabra

Dean, Sobey school of Business

Harjeet Bhabra

Dean, Sobey school of Business

A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary

Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
Email:info@example.com

Nick Perrin

General Partner

Nick Perrin

General Partner

Nicholas is the current General Partner of Venture Grade. He graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce. He has previously completed a diploma in Business Administration Management at the Nova Scotia Community College. He has previously worked as a Sales Administrator for several years, for Atlantic Canada’s largest egg grading and marketing company, but left to continue his academic career. With an entrepreneurial spirit, Nicholas enjoys exploring the world of venture capital, and learning more about the local start-up ecosystem.