Get Started as an Early-Stage Investor

WITH ALISON PIDSKALNY, JENNIFER FRANCIS, & MARLON THOMPSON

Watch the Recording

So you’re ready to become an early-stage investor? We love to hear it!

But what steps should you take to break into the club?

Moderated by Alison Pidskalny, Strategic Advisor at Pixelated Ventures, and joined by Jennifer Francis, Co-Founder of SheBoot, and Marlon Thompson, CXO at Spring, we’re discussing what it takes to kickstart your investor journey.

Join us as our industry experts provide a high-level overview of early-stage investing and discuss:

Propelling your financial journey to new heights: Unlock your early-stage investing potential by getting armed with the basic concepts.

Actionable steps to draft your investment thesis: Explore what an investment thesis is (AKA your blueprint for success) and what yours might look like.
Navigating the landscape as a new investor: What you can expect as you take your first few steps as an early-stage investor.

Resources to start investing with confidence: Access a curated collection of resources shared by our speakers that they trust and recommend to equip you for success.

About the Speakers

As a strategic advisor Alison is a trusted ally to founders, CEOs and Boards.

She brings authentic insights into strategic planning to (re)invigorate and focus her clients on bold and courageous directions.

As a consultant, board director, business angel, fundraiser and philanthropist Alison brings her whole self: her vast network, her uncanny ability to synthesize big ideas, and her seemingly boundless enthusiasm for community, connectedness and inclusion.

She currently sits on the Board of Movement51 and the Board of the Indigenous Gathering Place Society of Calgary, and is the co-chair of Rosé and Croquet, an annual garden party benefitting YW Calgary's programs for vulnerable women and their children.

Alison Pidskalny

Strategic Advisor, Pixelated Ventures

Connect with Alison on LinkedIn.

Jennifer is a technology mentor, advisor and angel investor. Former executive in the information technology and services industry, with experience in Enterprise Software, SaaS, Go-to-market Strategy, Strategic Partnerships. Advocate for girls and women in STEM.

SheBoot is a bootcamp that prepares women founders to pitch their business and secure investment.

Together, Capital Angel Network and Invest Ottawa built this bootcamp to help scalable technology and technology-enabled women-led businesses tackle tough challenges like access to capital & access to mentors.

SheBoot helps build the skills, network, and pitch businesses need to land investment.

Jennifer Francis

Co-Founder, SheBoot

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.

Marlon Thompson is an angel investor, startup founder, executive and experienced advocate for diversity in business.Thompson founded Future Capital in 2020 to change the landscape of startup investing across North America. In 2023, Marlon sold Future Capital to Vancouver-base impact investing platform Spring and joined the executive team as Chief Experience Officer (CXO).

In addition to his role as CXO at Spring, Thompson as a member of the Board of Directors for QueerTech - a Montreal-based non-profit organization that aims to queer the tech ecosystem, and previously served a Venture Partner for LOI Venture - a Canadian VC fund lead by Ryan Holmes (Hootsuite Media, League of Innovators).

Thompson is also a proud community representative for the Rainbow Foundation of Hope and has served as a refugee sponsor in partnership with Rainbow Refugee Foundation & the National Film Board of Canada.

Marlon Thompson

Chief Experience Officer (CXO), Spring

Connect with Marlon on LinkedIn.

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