Venture Companies

all seeing technologies logo

AllSeeing Corp.

become logo

Become Health

High Resolution Logo Conlis Glonal Inc.

Conlis Global Inc.

Crocus Biomedical Logo

Crocus Biomedical

Heros Biotech logo

Heros Biotech

LitLife

LitLife

Naiad Lab Logo

Naiad Lab Inc.

Sonance logo

Sonance AI

Trigger Tracker logo

Trigger Tracker

Venture Coaches

LSVC Coach Gelder, Patrick van

Patrick van Gelder

Director of Marketing, Bioventus

“The most exciting aspect of API’s Life Sciences Venture Coaching Program for me is to be able to share my experiences and insights to support the growth of organizations and individuals in the sector. I have been blessed with the guidance of some incredible mentors throughout my career and having opportunities to engage with aspiring individuals and companies is my way to pay it forward.”

Patrick van Gelder is the Director of Marketing, International Markets at Bioventus. He is a results-oriented professional with decades of experience in business transformation, turnarounds and start-ups in medical technology, vaccine, and pharmaceutical businesses. In addition, Pat possesses extensive expertise in sales, marketing, finance, government relations, and global operations in Canada, the USA and the European Union. He is a University of Alberta alumni with a Bachelor of Education in History and Biology.

RMN head shots Q3 2022 Jalil Hakimi

Jalil Hakimi

Global Product Manager, Sartorious Stedim Biotech

“Helping organizations to establish, grow and succeed is my passion. I am thankful for the opportunity to connect with companies at the early stage of their development and to help them navigate through the various hurdles that they will encounter. API’s Life Sciences Venture Coaching program is a great vehicle to help startups manage the bumps in the road that lies ahead.”

Jalil Hakimi is a visionary biotech and pharmaceutical professional with more than 20 years of experience in research and development for Sanofi Pasteur, establishing and managing the core facilities for the Sunnybrook Research Institute, and the University Hospital Network.
Currently, he is the Global Product Manager for Sartorius Stedim Biotech and a board member of the QCare Health Group. Jalil is passionate about next-generation medicine, advanced therapies, and cell immunotherapy, and has been recognized for his distinctive mentoring and coaching skills. He holds an Undergraduate Degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences from the Babol University of Medical Sciences, a Postgraduate Degree in Biotechnology from the University of Toronto, and an Executive MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University.

LSVC Coach Lewis, Brian

Brian Lewis

Director of Industry and Investment Relations, EXCITE International

“Throughout my career, I have been a strong advocate for innovation and commercialization of products that have a real impact on patients, whether it was through my work at an industry association or at a biotech company involved in treating rare diseases. Participating in API’s Life Sciences Venture Coaching program is an opportunity to support the people and organizations with dreams of making a difference in the life sciences.”

Brian Lewis is the former President and CEO of Medtech Canada and Country General Manager, Sanofi Genzyme. His passion is helping medical technology innovators succeed in the quest for fast, efficient, cost-effective adoption of innovations, and maximization of financial performance. Currently, he is the President of Brian Lewis and Associates Inc. and also the Director of Industry and Investor Relations at EXCITE International, a not-for-profit focused on de-risking investment of breakthrough technologies and accelerating the global adoption of non-drug health technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University.

LSVC Coach Martin, Elodie

Elodie Martin

Digital Transformation Leader

“I am passionate about the impact of digital technology in all forms and its potential applications in the life sciences sector. I am looking forward to meeting the various companies in the API Life Sciences Venture Coaching program, and to provide any kind of advice and assistance to help start-up companies succeed.”

Elodie Martin is a Digital Transformation and Omnichannel Engagement Consultant. She is an experienced pharma professional in digital transformation strategy with a proven track record of successfully leading complex projects and driving change in a highly regulated environment. Her experience in regulatory and medical affairs ensures that regulatory constraints and compliance considerations are always on their radar. Elodie has over a decade of experience in regulatory affairs, business planning and strategy in Pharmascience, Sanofi, Hospira, and more. She holds a Bachelors of Biology from McGill University and a Masters in Molecular Biology from Université de Montréal.

LSVC Coach Petit, Nicolas

Nicolas Petit

Biotech Executive

“Our ability to innovate and move from startup to commercialization is key to build a strong Canadian Life Sciences Ecosystem. Coaching a startup is a way to contribute to this mission while discovering new technologies, partnering with a highly motivated team, and ultimately improving healthcare and patients’ outcomes.”

Nicolas Petit is a biotech executive with 15+ years’ experience in pharma, vaccines, and biotech with a focus on commercial operations, corporate development and external affairs. Until recently, he was the Vice President, Commercial Operations at Medicago. He spent a decade at Sanofi in Commercial Operations and Business Development positions across five different countries. He is also the Director at BioQuebec since 2021. He holds a Master degree in Agronomy and Life Sciences from ENSAIA School in France, and an Advanced Master Degree in International Management from ESSEC Business School.

LSVC Coach Ssenyange, Solomon

Solomon Ssenyange, PhD

CEO, RedNOX Inc.

“I had such great experience attending the University of Alberta and living in Edmonton for several years. I would like to see the life sciences ecosystem in Alberta thrive and through the API Venture Coaching program, I’ll serve as a coach for start-ups as a serial entrepreneur with a successful exit. There are a lot of real-world experiences to share with future and current budding entrepreneurs in the hardware and medical technology space.”

Solomon Ssenyange, PhD is an experienced serial entrepreneur. He is the former CEO of Spirosure Inc., co-founder and former CEO of Single Helix Genomics and Silvertip Medical, Inc., and is the current co-founder of RedNOx, Inc. Solomon developed a sensor that can diagnose asthma and COPD via a nitric oxide biomarker in exhaled breath at Spirosure, a diagnostics startup which was later acquired. He is using the same technology for his current venture RedNox Inc., where he is building sensors for emission detection. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences from the University of Manitoba, and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from University of Alberta.