For 25 years, New Ventures BC has stood alongside founders, helping early-stage tech startups in BC access mentorship, funding, and support. As a non-profit organization, NVBC delivers a suite of programs — from the annual competition to AccelerateIP, IP Pathways, and Capital Compass — that guide entrepreneurs through every stage of their journey. NVBC alumni include some of the province’s top tech companies, contributing to an ecosystem that has generated thousands of jobs and drawn more than $3.2 billion in investment.
Here to grow BC tech startups
Who We Are
New Ventures BC Team
Angie Schick
Executive DirectorRead More
Liz Bowell
Bookkeeper and Program ManagerRead More
Rachel Burns
Program Director, AccelerateIPRead More
Susan Tees
Intellectual Property DirectorRead More
Floyd Sijmons
Operations Director & Competition Jury ManagerRead More
Cagla Buzluk
Program ManagerRead More
Bradley Fung
Education Program ManagerRead More
Clara Ng
Program SpecialistRead More
Mackenzie Dorsey
Marketing CoordinatorRead More
Justine Nadia
Events ManagerRead More
Monique Collins
Communications & Digital Marketing CoordinatorRead More New Ventures BC Society Directors
Our Board members are leaders in the BC tech sector: venture capitalists, tech CEOs, past winners, and leaders in higher education.
Ms. Norma K. Biln is on the Board of Directors at Resverlogix Corp. and Augurex Life Sciences Corp. Ms. Biln was previously employed as a Principal by Abbott Laboratories, a Principal by Amgen, Inc., Chairman by BioTalent Canada, a Principal by Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Director-Sales & Marketing by Stressgen Bioreagents Corp.
She received her undergraduate degree from McGill University.
Ms. Biln is an past competitor in the NVBC Competition.
President, e@UBC Management Inc.
Board of Directors (chair), Acuva
Board of Directors (observer), Encepta
Board of Directors (observer), Eagle Energy Vapor
Board of Directors (chair), Acuva
Board of Directors (observer), Encepta
Board of Directors (observer), Eagle Energy Vapor
BComm in Finance,UBC
MBA, University of Bath
Software industry entrepreneur, investor and business principal with extensive software product development, sales, service delivery, and management experience.
Geordie is currently SVP, Engineering and Product Operations at Bench Accounting.
He is also active in the Vancouver software start-up community as an investor, mentor, board member and technical diligence advisor to several local investment firms.
Geordie is a past competitor in the NVBC Competition.
Wal is an award-winning business leader and visionary in innovation, sustainability and cleantech, with unique industry insights gained through deep operational experience as a venture capitalist, corporate executive, international consultant and university professor.
Founder of Chrysalix Venture Capital, one of the earliest and most recognised private equity firms focused on industrial innovation, Wal has helped raise more than $250M and participated in more than $1B in venture capital funding. He has sourced, invested in and advised numerous startups, assisting them in building breakthrough solutions for the new world economy while working hand-in-hand with large multinational companies on their innovation strategies.
Larkin MacKenzie-Ast is the Director, Chief Member Experience Office at Coast Capital Savings. A previous entrepreneur herself, she spent a large portion of her career in the Premier’s Vancouver Office as the Manager of the Board Resourcing and Development Office. Before joining FWE, Larkin was the Director, HR, Corporate Services at Canfor. Previously, Larkin was a Casting Director for many years in the Vancouver Film & TV Industry.
Larkin is also a Director of the HR MacMillan Space Centre, where she chairs the Governance Committee. She also donates her time as a Knowledge Philanthropist with Vantage Point, and spent 3 years as a Co-Chair on the Minerva Foundation of BC’s All About Girlfriends Gala Committee.
Brock Smith is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Winspear Scholar, and Entrepreneurship Area Champion at the Faculty of Business, University of Victoria.
Dr. Brock Smith is an educator of the Aboriginal Canadian Entrepreneurs Program. 137 Aboriginal Entrepreneurs have graduated from the award winning ACE Program, which focuses on bridging Aboriginal culture with the key elements of entrepreneurship and business creation. The ACE program made possible through the collective efforts of our partnering regions, communities, institutions, and faculties.
Mike Volker is New Ventures BC board chair. He is also an entrepreneur and angel investor, active in the development of new high technology ventures. After graduating from the University of Waterloo in engineering, Mike started his own company (Volker-Craig Ltd) in 1973, which he sold in 1981. Since then, he has been involved with many technology enterprises as an investor, mentor or director. In 2009, Mike was named Angel Investor of the Year by NACO, as well as as well as B.C. Angel of the Year by the BC Angel Forum.
A Vancouver technology entrepreneur and angel investor, Bob de Wit is on the board of directors for New Ventures BC. In the past Bob has served as the jury and mentor “wrangler” for the New Venture BC competition. A co-founder and past-director of TIMIA Capital Corp., Bob’s 20-year career includes experience in corporate development, corporate finance, and competitive market intelligence. An active member of the VANTEC angel network and the WUTIF angel fund, he previously founded the SFU Venture Connection entrepreneur-in-residence program.
Bob holds a BBA (marketing) and MA (economics) from Simon Fraser University. His personal interests include golf, recreational running and following professional sports, particularly hockey.
