YCIF TOR - "Women Lead" series with Janet Bannister, Founder and General Partner of Staircase Ventures

Young Canadians in Finance, in partnership with FASKEN, are proud to invite you to our Breakfast Series featuring women in finance: "Women Lead". We will have the pleasure of welcoming Janet Bannister, Founder and General Partner of Staircase Ventures.

Our goal is to spark open and candid discussions between pioneering women in finance and young leaders of tomorrow. "Women Lead" aims to promote the transfer of knowledge and experience from one generation to the next, as well as stimulate discussions on opportunities in finance while celebrating and featuring each speaker invited to these meetings.

We hope to see you there! *Note that this event is designed for all, not only those who identify as female. 

If you have registered and can no longer attend, please let us know at ycifto@gmail.com

Agenda: 

• 7:30 am: Welcome, breakfast and networking
• 8:00 am: Introductory remarks by YCIF Executive
• 8:05 am: Discussion with Janet Bannister - Founder and General Partner of Staircase Ventures 
• 8:45 am: Q&A session
• 9:00 am: Closing remarks and conclusion

Janet is the Founder and General Partner of Staircase Ventures which invests in Canada’s most promising early-stage tech companies.  Staircase recognizes that founders are the bedrock upon which companies are built and therefore provides unparalleled dedication to accelerating founders’ development and performance.  

Prior to launching Staircase Ventures, Janet was Managing Partner at Real Ventures, one of Canada’s largest and most active early-stage investors.  Janet is also a graduate of the prestigious Kauffman Fellows program, a global network of the world’s top 1% of investors and innovation leaders.

In addition, Janet is very active in the Canadian tech ecosystem; she is the Co-Chair of C100 and on the Boards of the Ivey Business School and LEAP, a social venture accelerator.  She is also a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab.
Janet has won numerous awards and recognition including Insider’s 2023 “Seed 30: The Best Women Early-Stage Investors in North America”, Venture Capital Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence in Private Markets”, Pitchbook’s 2021 “Female Founders & Investors to Know”, and American Bankers’ 2019 “Most Influential Women in Payments”.

In 2004, Janet launched Kijiji.ca and grew it to become one of the most visited websites in Canada.  Subsequently, she led the Kijiji Global business, launching the website in new countries and accelerating growth in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Janet also spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley where she helped transform eBay from a Collectibles to a mainstream marketplace.  She started her career as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble and then joined McKinsey & Co. where she was an Engagement Manager.  She also founded and built a successful consulting business and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures.
 

Click here to view the calendar of upcoming events for Women Lead.