Velocity Expert Community
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/christina-wocintechchat-com-eF7HN40WbAQ-unsplash-940x627.jpg)
Our experts
With years of practical industry-specific knowledge across diverse sectors, our experts provide targeted advice tailored to your specific needs. Our community of experts brings real-world experience in fundraising, sales, leadership, product development, marketing and much more. Our flexible personalized coaching is here at every stage of growth to ensure you thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Check out our roster of experts below.
Determine who may be able to best meet your needs and book your session.
Cancellation policy: If you need to cancel an appointment with an expert, please make sure to do so at least 24 hours in advance by using the link in the invite or through a direct email to the expert. Those who miss more than two sessions without the required notice will no longer be eligible for sessions.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ben-07-edited-940x940.jpg)
Ben Graham
Areas of expertise
Problem / Idea Formulation, Pitch Coaching, Market Research, AI Impacts
More about Ben
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bjorn-Headshot.png)
Bjorn Dawson
Areas of expertise
Product Management, Hardware, Consumer, Executive Coaching, Fundraising
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cody_Shirriff-1-940x940.jpg)
Cody Shirriff
Areas of expertise
Biotech, Pharmaceuticals
More about Cody
Cody Shirriff is a scientist entrepreneur who founded Serenity Bio in 2017 with nothing but an idea after his graduate degree. As Serenity Bio’s chief executive officer, he successfully raised venture financing, developed an IP portfolio, transacted with pharmaceutical partners, and led the business development team. Cody is now forming his next venture in biotech and helping the next generation of Canadian biotech/deep tech leaders.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/derek_jouppi.png)
Derek Jouppi
Areas of expertise
Consumer, Social Media, Retail, B2C, Social Listening
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/desmond-choi-photo.jpeg)
Desmond Choi
Areas of expertise
Marketplace, Ad-Tech, Product Market fit, MVP, Product Growth, AI
More about Desmond
The founder of Mappedin (2013) and SparkGig (2015). Specializing in marketplace, website funnel optimization, B2B strategies, and product-market fit. Desmond successfully scaled UpNest from $2B to $4B GMV, leading to its acquisition by realtor.com. Currently, he leads product at Samsung Ads, driving expansion into new industries. Additionally, he is the creator of AI-Driven Advertiser, exploring the future of advertising with AI.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeffrey_petracca.jpg)
Jeffrey Petracca
Areas of expertise
IoT-Connected Robotic Hardware (Electromechanics, Embedded Hardware, Software), Product Management, Project Management, Strategy, and Non-dilutive Funding
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeremy-wang-2a-940x940.jpg)
Jeremy Wang
Areas of expertise
B2B & B2G Sales, All Things Operations, Non-dilutive Fundraising, Storytelling, Autonomous Systems, and Regulatory Approvals in Aerospace and Defence
More about Jeremy
Jeremy is an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur with experience founding and leading B2B/B2G companies in aviation and defence. Execution is his strength, testing ideas quickly and systematically to obtain feedback and adjust broader plans accordingly. He has served as the CTO of one of Canada’s leading commercial drone operators, and is currently co-founder and COO of Ribbit, building self-flying cargo planes to resupply hard-to-reach areas.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0379WLU64MBAheads-379-1-e1637010398485-edited.jpg)
John Dick
Areas of expertise
Early Stage Business Activities, Product Development and Research & Development, Manufacturing, Spinning out Technology From a University, Market Validation, Business Creation.
More about John
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/T634PQSBT-U04J2FPDEBD-77d59c8944c8-512.png)
Krysta Traianovski
Areas of expertise
Early Technology Development (Chemistry, Nanotechnology, Biotechnology), Business Model Validation, Customer Validation, Public Speaking, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, Health Technology
More about Krysta
Krysta supports early-stage teams with both their business and technical development through Velocity science (ESC 232). She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in Chemistry and Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology. In 2016, Krysta co-founded BrightGuide, a software company in the healthcare space.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your Pitch, Problem & Market Validation, Business Operations / Industry Experience: Product Management in Medtech, Fintech, Insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
Lawrentina has supported founders at the University of Waterloo through Velocity Science & GreenHouse, moving on to work at various medtech and fintech startups, while also winning the Velocity Pitch Competition in Spring 2020. You can find her at campus startup events – either judging pitch competitions or coaching early-stage student teams.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marine_Dumontier.jpg)
Marine Dumontier
Areas of expertise
Marketing, Early Customer Discovery, Product-Market Fit
More about Marine
Marine spent a decade working in various marketing roles in Waterloo, Canada and in Paris, France, where she is from originally. She worked with and advised bootstrapped businesses, venture-backed fast growing start-ups, large public corporations and then some in between. When she is not helping others with marketing needs, Marine runs her own software company.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/mike_miller.jpeg)
Michael Miller
Areas of expertise
Software Engineering, Software Infrastructure, Software Architecture, Engineering Management, Web Dev, SaaS
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mike-Kirkup-Headshot-2.jpg)
Mike Kirkup
Areas of expertise
Fundraising, Business strategy, Go to Market, Software
More about Mike
Mike Kirkup is the CTO of EnPowered, a software company that is revolutionizing the energy industry by providing easy access to funding, energy market insights and enormous savings opportunities. He is the former Director of Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s world-renowned startup program where he helped mentor hundreds of startups. As a big supporter of the Waterloo Region and startups in general, he is a growth coach at Communitech helping startups shape their fundraising strategies. He has also participated on a number of boards including the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation, Golden Triangle Angel Network and Intrideo.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pwm-headshot-2016-10.jpg)
Pat Martinson
Areas of expertise
Hardware, Prototyping, Problem/Idea Formulation, Pitch Coaching, Customer Discovery
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rachel-Pautler-Headshot.png)
Rachel Pautler
Areas of expertise
AI Product Management, Product Development, Customer Discovery
More about Rachel
Rachel has spent the past 5 years in startups, starting from being the CEO of an engineering fourth year project turned company, to marketing and sales, and finally to product management. She’s passionate about customer discovery and ensuring that the product you’re building is something that people actually want.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ryan_marchewka.jpg)
Ryan Marchewka
Areas of expertise
Fundraising (Targeting, Running Process, Infrastructure, Funnels, etc), Financial Projections, B2B Sales, Business Planning, Project management, R&D (Advanced Materials), Leadership Skills, Patents / IP, Pitches and Decks
More about Ryan
Ryan has a background in Nanotechnology Engineering and has worked in a variety of roles including Founder/CEO at an advanced materials startup, and R&D positions in both academia and industry. His experiences range from working in a chemical lab to managing a team, raising funds from VC and signing $100M+ partnership deals with major corporate partners.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ryan_Brown.jpg)
Ryan Brown
Areas of expertise
Deep Tech, Batteries, Chemistry, Go-to-Market in Real Estate, Energy
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sarah_Landstreet_05.jpg)
Sarah Landstreet
Areas of expertise
B2B sales, Non-Tech Businesses, Packaging, What YC is Like
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tamer-03-edited-940x940.jpg)
Tamer Shahin
Areas of expertise
Design for Manufacturing, Product Design, Electronics, Mechanical systems, Systems Engineering, Productivity Management, Project Management, AI Models
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/William-Zhou.jpg)
William Zhou
Areas of expertise
Edtech, Fintech
More about William
William Zhou is a creator, adventurer, and mentor. He has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a young age, founding his first company in high school and selling his first SaaS business in 2010, at the age of 18. Most recently, he co-founded Chalk.com, an education software company focused in K-12. Chalk was acquired by PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) in 2022.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/zac_young.jpg)
Zac Young
Areas of expertise
Environmental Technology; Water Treatment; Resources Sector (Mining, Oil and Gas, Utilities); Hardware and Science Facilities; Deeptech; Cleantech; Business Development; Industry Matching Grants and Agreements; Graduate Student Founders.
More about Zac
Zac is a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of H2nanO, an environmental technology start-up creating sustainable, low-energy water treatment solutions for the resources industry. He has led H2nanO’s operations and business growth from start to field implementation of its technologies, working with Canada’s largest mining and energy companies. H2nanO is a spin-off of the University of Waterloo, where Zac studied Nanotechnology Engineering, with operations in Ontario and Alberta.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rachel-Pautler-Headshot.png)
Rachel Pautler
Areas of expertise
AI Product Management, Product Development, Customer Discovery
More about Rachel
Rachel has spent the past 5 years in startups, starting from being the CEO of an engineering fourth year project turned company, to marketing and sales, and finally to product management. She’s passionate about customer discovery and ensuring that the product you’re building is something that people actually want.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/desmond-choi-photo.jpeg)
Desmond Choi
Areas of expertise
Marketplace, Ad-Tech, Product Market fit, MVP, Product Growth, AI
More about Desmond
Velocity Alumni Mappedin (2013) and SparkGig (2015). Specializing in marketplace, website funnel optimization, B2B strategies, and product-market fit. I successfully scaled UpNest from $2B to $4B GMV, leading to its acquisition by realtor.com. Currently, I lead Product at Samsung Ads, driving expansion into new industries. Additionally, I am the creator of AI-Driven Advertiser, exploring the Future of Advertising with AI.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tamer-03-edited-940x940.jpg)
Tamer Shahin
Areas of expertise
Design for Manufacturing, Product Design, Electronics, Mechanical systems, Systems Engineering, Productivity Management, Project Management, AI Models
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ben-07-edited-940x940.jpg)
Ben Graham
Areas of expertise
Problem / Idea Formulation, Pitch Coaching, Market Research, AI Impacts
More about Ben
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your pitch, problem & market validation, business operations // Industry experience: Product management in medtech, fintech, insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mike-Kirkup-Headshot-2.jpg)
Mike Kirkup
Areas of expertise
Fundraising, Business strategy, Go to market, software
More about Mike
Mike Kirkup is the CTO of EnPowered, a software company that is revolutionizing the energy industry by providing easy access to funding, energy market insights and enormous savings opportunities. He is the former Director of Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s world-renowned startup program where he helped mentor hundreds of startups. As a big supporter of the Waterloo region and startups in general, he is a Growth Coach at Communitech helping startups shape their fundraising strategies. He has also participated on a number of boards including the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation, Golden Triangle Angel Network and Intrideo.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0379WLU64MBAheads-379-1-e1637010398485-edited.jpg)
John Dick
Areas of expertise
Early stage business activities, Product development and R&D, Manufacturing, Spinning out technology from a university, market validation, business creation.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/T634PQSBT-U04J2FPDEBD-77d59c8944c8-512.png)
Krysta Traianovski
Areas of expertise
Early technology development (chemistry, nanotechnology, biotechnology), business model validation, customer validation, public speaking, Advanced materials, biotechnology, health tech
More about Krysta
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ryan_marchewka.jpg)
Ryan Marchewka
Areas of expertise
Fundraising (targeting, running process, infrastructure, funnels, etc), Financial projections, B2B sales, Business planning, Project management, R&D (advanced materials), leadership skills, patents / IP, pitches and decks
More about Ryan
Ryan has a background in Nanotechnology Engineering and has worked in a variety of roles including Founder/CEO at an advanced materials startup, and R&D positions in both academia and industry. His experiences range from working in a chemical lab to managing a team, raising funds from VC and signing $100M+ partnership deals with major corporate partners.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sarah_Landstreet_05.jpg)
Sarah Landstreet
Areas of expertise
B2B sales, non-tech businesses, packaging, what YC is like
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ryan_Brown.jpg)
Ryan Brown
Areas of expertise
Deep tech, batteries, chemistry, go-to-market in real estate, energy
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeremy-wang-2a-940x940.jpg)
Jeremy Wang
Areas of expertise
B2B & B2G sales, all things operations, non-dilutive fundraising, storytelling, autonomous systems, and regulatory approvals in aerospace and defence
More about Jeremy
Jeremy is an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur with experience founding and leading B2B/B2G companies in aviation and defence. Execution is his strength, testing ideas quickly and systematically to obtain feedback and adjust broader plans accordingly. He has served as the CTO of one of Canada’s leading commercial drone operators, and is currently co-founder and COO of Ribbit, building self-flying cargo planes to resupply hard-to-reach areas.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sarah_Landstreet_05.jpg)
Sarah Landstreet
Areas of expertise
B2B sales, non-tech businesses, packaging, what YC is like
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ryan_marchewka.jpg)
Ryan Marchewka
Areas of expertise
Fundraising (targeting, running process, infrastructure, funnels, etc), Financial projections, B2B sales, Business planning, Project management, R&D (advanced materials), leadership skills, patents / IP, pitches and decks
More about Ryan
Ryan has a background in Nanotechnology Engineering and has worked in a variety of roles including Founder/CEO at an advanced materials startup, and R&D positions in both academia and industry. His experiences range from working in a chemical lab to managing a team, raising funds from VC and signing $100M+ partnership deals with major corporate partners.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bjorn-Headshot.png)
Bjorn Dawson
Areas of expertise
Product Management, Hardware, Consumer, Executive Coaching, Fundraising
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/derek_jouppi.png)
Derek Jouppi
Areas of expertise
Consumer, Social Media, Retail, B2C, Social Listening
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/William-Zhou.jpg)
William Zhou
Areas of expertise
Edtech, Fintech
More about William
William Zhou is a creator, adventurer, and mentor. He has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a young age, founding his first company in high school and selling his first SaaS business in 2010, at the age of 18. Most recently, he co-founded Chalk.com, an education software company focused in K-12. Chalk was acquired by PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) in 2022.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your pitch, problem & market validation, business operations // Industry experience: Product management in medtech, fintech, insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/William-Zhou.jpg)
William Zhou
Areas of expertise
Edtech, Fintech
More about William
William Zhou is a creator, adventurer, and mentor. He has been passionate about entrepreneurship from a young age, founding his first company in high school and selling his first SaaS business in 2010, at the age of 18. Most recently, he co-founded Chalk.com, an education software company focused in K-12. Chalk was acquired by PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC) in 2022.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeremy-wang-2a-940x940.jpg)
Jeremy Wang
Areas of expertise
B2B & B2G sales, all things operations, non-dilutive fundraising, storytelling, autonomous systems, and regulatory approvals in aerospace and defence
More about Jeremy
Jeremy is an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur with experience founding and leading B2B/B2G companies in aviation and defence. Execution is his strength, testing ideas quickly and systematically to obtain feedback and adjust broader plans accordingly. He has served as the CTO of one of Canada’s leading commercial drone operators, and is currently co-founder and COO of Ribbit, building self-flying cargo planes to resupply hard-to-reach areas.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bjorn-Headshot.png)
Bjorn Dawson
Areas of expertise
Product Management, Hardware, Consumer, Executive Coaching, Fundraising
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mike-Kirkup-Headshot-2.jpg)
Mike Kirkup
Areas of expertise
Fundraising, Business strategy, Go to market, software
More about Mike
Mike Kirkup is the CTO of EnPowered, a software company that is revolutionizing the energy industry by providing easy access to funding, energy market insights and enormous savings opportunities. He is the former Director of Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s world-renowned startup program where he helped mentor hundreds of startups. As a big supporter of the Waterloo region and startups in general, he is a Growth Coach at Communitech helping startups shape their fundraising strategies. He has also participated on a number of boards including the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation, Golden Triangle Angel Network and Intrideo.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ryan_marchewka.jpg)
Ryan Marchewka
Areas of expertise
Fundraising (targeting, running process, infrastructure, funnels, etc), Financial projections, B2B sales, Business planning, Project management, R&D (advanced materials), leadership skills, patents / IP, pitches and decks
More about Ryan
Ryan has a background in Nanotechnology Engineering and has worked in a variety of roles including Founder/CEO at an advanced materials startup, and R&D positions in both academia and industry. His experiences range from working in a chemical lab to managing a team, raising funds from VC and signing $100M+ partnership deals with major corporate partners.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeffrey_petracca.jpg)
Jeffrey Petracca
Areas of expertise
IoT-connected robotic hardware (electromechanics, embedded hardware, software), product management, project management, strategy, and non-dilutive funding
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bjorn-Headshot.png)
Bjorn Dawson
Expert areas
Product Management, Hardware, Consumer, Executive Coaching, Fundraising
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your pitch, problem & market validation, business operations // Industry experience: Product management in medtech, fintech, insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeffrey_petracca.jpg)
Jeffrey Petracca
Areas of expertise
IoT-connected robotic hardware (electromechanics, embedded hardware, software), product management, project management, strategy, and non-dilutive funding
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pwm-headshot-2016-10.jpg)
Pat Martinson
Areas of expertise
Hardware, prototyping, problem/idea formulation, pitch coaching, customer discovery
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Ryan_Brown.jpg)
Ryan Brown
Areas of expertise
Deep tech, batteries, chemistry, go-to-market in real estate, energy
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cody_Shirriff-1-940x940.jpg)
Cody Shirriff
Areas of expertise
Biotech, Pharmaceuticals
More about Cody
Cody Shirriff is a scientist entrepreneur who founded Serenity Bio in 2017 with nothing but an idea after his graduate degree. As Serenity Bio’s chief executive officer, he successfully raised venture financing, developed an IP portfolio, transacted with pharmaceutical partners, and led the business develop team. Cody is now forming his next venture in biotech and helping the next generation of Canadian biotech/deep tech leaders.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/T634PQSBT-U04J2FPDEBD-77d59c8944c8-512.png)
Krysta Traianovski
Areas of expertise
Early technology development (chemistry, nanotechnology, biotechnology), business model validation, customer validation, public speaking, Advanced materials, biotechnology, health tech
More about Krysta
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marine_Dumontier.jpg)
Marine Dumontier
Areas of expertise
Marketing, early customer discovery, product-market fit
More about Marine
Marine spent a decade working in various Marketing roles in Waterloo, Canada and in Paris, France, where she is from originally. She worked with and advised bootstrapped businesses, venture-backed fast growing start-ups, large public corporations and then some in between. When she is not helping others with marketing needs, Marine runs her own software company.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/derek_jouppi.png)
Derek Jouppi
Areas of expertise
Consumer, Social Media, Retail, B2C, Social Listening
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/desmond-choi-photo.jpeg)
Desmond Choi
Areas of expertise
Marketplace, Ad-Tech, Product Market fit, MVP, Product Growth, AI
More about Desmond
Velocity Alumni Mappedin (2013) and SparkGig (2015). Specializing in marketplace, website funnel optimization, B2B strategies, and product-market fit. I successfully scaled UpNest from $2B to $4B GMV, leading to its acquisition by realtor.com. Currently, I lead Product at Samsung Ads, driving expansion into new industries. Additionally, I am the creator of AI-Driven Advertiser, exploring the Future of Advertising with AI.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Ben-07-edited-940x940.jpg)
Ben Graham
Areas of expertise
Problem / Idea Formulation, Pitch Coaching, Market Research, AI Impacts
More about Ben
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your pitch, problem & market validation, business operations // Industry experience: Product management in medtech, fintech, insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0379WLU64MBAheads-379-1-e1637010398485-edited.jpg)
John Dick
Areas of expertise
Early stage business activities, Product development and R&D, Manufacturing, Spinning out technology from a university, market validation, business creation.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/T634PQSBT-U04J2FPDEBD-77d59c8944c8-512.png)
Krysta Traianovski
Areas of expertise
Early technology development (chemistry, nanotechnology, biotechnology), business model validation, customer validation, public speaking, Advanced materials, biotechnology, health tech
More about Krysta
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pwm-headshot-2016-10.jpg)
Pat Martinson
Areas of expertise
Hardware, prototyping, problem/idea formulation, pitch coaching, customer discovery
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/lawrentina_dsouza.jpg)
Lawrentina D’Souza
Areas of expertise
Improving your pitch, problem & market validation, business operations // Industry experience: Product management in medtech, fintech, insuretech, SaaS
More about Lawrentina
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bjorn-Headshot.png)
Bjorn Dawson
Areas of expertise
Product Management, Hardware, Consumer, Executive Coaching, Fundraising
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeffrey_petracca.jpg)
Jeffrey Petracca
Areas of expertise
IoT-connected robotic hardware (electromechanics, embedded hardware, software), product management, project management, strategy, and non-dilutive funding
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0379WLU64MBAheads-379-1-e1637010398485-edited.jpg)
John Dick
Areas of expertise
Early stage business activities, Product development and R&D, Manufacturing, Spinning out technology from a university, market validation, business creation.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tamer-03-edited-940x940.jpg)
Tamer Shahin
Areas of expertise
Design for Manufacturing, Product Design, Electronics, Mechanical systems, Systems Engineering, Productivity Management, Project Management, AI Models
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/desmond-choi-photo.jpeg)
Desmond Choi
Areas of expertise
Marketplace, Ad-Tech, Product Market fit, MVP, Product Growth, AI
More about Desmond
Velocity Alumni Mappedin (2013) and SparkGig (2015). Specializing in marketplace, website funnel optimization, B2B strategies, and product-market fit. I successfully scaled UpNest from $2B to $4B GMV, leading to its acquisition by realtor.com. Currently, I lead Product at Samsung Ads, driving expansion into new industries. Additionally, I am the creator of AI-Driven Advertiser, exploring the Future of Advertising with AI.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/mike_miller.jpeg)
Michael Miller
Areas of expertise
Software Engineering, Software Infrastructure, Software Architecture, Engineering Management, Web dev, SaaS
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/jeffrey_petracca.jpg)
Jeffrey Petracca
Areas of expertise
IoT-connected robotic hardware (electromechanics, embedded hardware, software), product management, project management, strategy, and non-dilutive funding
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Mike-Kirkup-Headshot-2.jpg)
Mike Kirkup
Areas of expertise
Fundraising, Business strategy, Go to market, software
More about Mike
Mike Kirkup is the CTO of EnPowered, a software company that is revolutionizing the energy industry by providing easy access to funding, energy market insights and enormous savings opportunities. He is the former Director of Velocity, the University of Waterloo’s world-renowned startup program where he helped mentor hundreds of startups. As a big supporter of the Waterloo region and startups in general, he is a Growth Coach at Communitech helping startups shape their fundraising strategies. He has also participated on a number of boards including the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation, Golden Triangle Angel Network and Intrideo.
![](https://velocityincubator.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Linkedin-icom-web.png)