Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Most organizations approach AI backwards: they buy the technology first and figure out the strategy later. I've spent the last decade helping executives, founders, and investors do the opposite: build the strategic, operational, and ethical foundations for AI first, then scale with conviction. That's taken different forms across my career. As the first-ever Entrepreneur in Residence at MILA, the world's largest academic deep learning research centre, I work with professors and students to turn frontier AI research into fundable, scalable businesses. As SVP at Invisible Technologies (Inc. 5000's #3 fastest-growing AI company), I helped secure a $100M growth round and sat on the executive team shaping strategy for a company that trains 80% of the world's top AI models. At Sama, I raised a $70M Series B, scaled Canadian operations to 70+ people, and built what became the company's global R&D hub. At Element AI, where I was the third business hire, I helped close a C$200M Series B, generated 50%+ of company revenues through partnerships, and negotiated a global go-to-market deal with McKinsey & QuantumBlack before the company exited to ServiceNow. On the capital side, I've orchestrated $500M+ in funding for seed through Series B AI ventures, facilitated $2B+ in M&A, invested in 3 unicorns, and secured $225M in LP commitments for VC funds. But what I'm most proud of is the responsible AI work. I co-chaired the Future of Work at the Global Partnership on AI, contributed to AI legislation in Canadian parliament, have been consulted by the United Nations, and continue this work today as a Visiting Policy Fellow at Oxford Internet Institute and Entrepreneur in Residence at MILA, two of the most important AI research institutions in the world. I've been recognized as a "Power Player" by The Peak, one of the top 4 go-to-market leaders in tech by Floodgate VC, and a global AI Expert by GPAI. I work best at the intersection of ambition and accountability, with founders building something that matters, investors who want both impact and return, and organizations serious about getting AI right.
MILA is the world's largest academic deep learning research centre, co-founded by Yoshua Bengio (Turing Award, 2018). I am MILA's first-ever Entrepreneur in Residence, a role created to bridge the gap between frontier AI research and commercial application. I work directly with professors and students to help them turn academic IP into fundable, scalable businesses. Key initiative: Co-structured and helped launch the $100M Venture Scientist Fund with MILA and iNovia Capital, a first-of-its-kind vehicle designed to back researcher-founders at the earliest stages of company formation.
The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities. Built around a shared commitment to the OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence, GPAI brings together engaged minds and expertise from science, industry, civil society, governments, international organisations and academia to foster international cooperation.
RAI Institute is a membership-based, community-driven non-profit organization committed to advancing human-centric and trustworthy AI. They help members fast track their responsible AI success through our independent and accredited AI Conformity Assessments and Responsible AI Leadership Certification.
Mentor to FounderFuel startups, member of the selection committee for the Fall and Spring 2016 cohorts, and guest speaker on several topics including startup financing and deal mechanics.