Venture for Canada Launches 2025-2026 Alumni Council

TORONTO / June 5, 2025 – Venture for Canada (VFC) proudly announces the 2025–2026 Fellowship Alumni Council, ushering in a new chapter of community leadership, regional engagement, and data-driven programming for more than 500 VFC Fellowship Alumni nationwide.

Now in its seventh year, the VFC Alumni Council is an application-based, volunteer-driven advisory group dedicated to delivering meaningful programming for Fellows across Canada. Council members plan the annual VFC Alumni Summit, lead mentorship and peer-support initiatives, and host both virtual and in-person regional gatherings—all to strengthen alumni connections and community impact.

Over the past year, the Council has celebrated major milestones—including the launch of the first-ever Alumni Notion page, centralizing regional events, virtual programming, and alumni resources. This new platform makes it easier than ever for alumni to access opportunities and stay engaged.

Alumni engagement remained strong this year, with 140+ registrants for Alumni Connect, VFC’s in-house mentorship program, and 91 attendees at the latest Alumni Summit.

The Council also piloted alumni-led group conversations on the Together mentorship platform, fostering peer-to-peer learning and community-driven discussion on topics that matter most. Through tailored, cohort-specific communications, every event and initiative has reached alumni with content and invitations designed around their unique interests—making engagement more personal, accessible, and relevant than ever before.

This data-driven approach extended to a comprehensive update of all alumni records, ensuring VFC staff and council members have the latest information to connect, collaborate, and celebrate alumni achievements from coast to coast. In the last year alone, the Alumni Council delivered nine virtual Fourthspace events, six Toronto regional events, three in Ottawa, two in Montreal, one virtual speaker event, and an annual Alumni Summit.

Meet the 2025-2026 Alumni Council

Nicole Plant | Alumni Council Co-Chair 

Nicole is an Alum of the 2019 cohort, and a sales manager at a Toronto fintech startup, Relay, and a graduate of Ivey Business School. She started in tech sales over five years ago, after falling in love with the social innovation economy during her undergrad. Nicole discovered social enterprises through MaRS and Enactus, which fused her passion for business strategy and social welfare. She eventually launched her own successful business of upcycling wheelchairs, and this still-active venture is a part of the Western University business curriculum. Across three companies, she’s generated millions in the pipeline, rolled out training for teams of 30+, generated hundreds of thousands in payment volume, and built a new sales channel from scratch. These varied experiences allow her to bring a unique perspective from the private to public sectors — the art form of fostering collaboration and change across stakeholders with varying needs and goals.

James Caldwell | Alumni Council Co-Chair

James is an Alum of the 2018 cohort, and works for Parkinson Canada as the Government Relations Manager. Growing up on a farm in rural New Brunswick, James has always had a passion for entrepreneurship and a strong sense of community. He is a graduate of Dalhousie University with a Major in Entrepreneurship, and afterwards worked for an HR tech startup in Moncton. James’ community building skills inevitably led him to an interest in politics and government. He graduated from Carleton University’s Master of Political Management program in 2022 and now puts his political insights to work in non-profit advocacy.

Sergio Plazas | Director of Data Analysis

Sergio Plazas is an Alum of the 2024 cohort, and is currently in his final year of a dual JD/MBA program at the University of Calgary. Throughout his studies, Sergio has held diverse roles at start-ups and venture capital firms; provided consulting on AI regulation; and will be working at a mid-sized law firm post-graduation. Sergio is concurrently pursuing a Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics at Georgia Tech, building on his Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Calgary. Outside of his professional life, Sergio enjoys playing soccer and reading. 

Jacqui Yang | Alumni Summit Director

Jacqui Yang is an Alum of the 2021 cohort, and brings four years of experience in the venture capital space. She started her career at an early-stage, healthcare-focused venture capital fund in Toronto, where she played a key role in shaping the due diligence process and collaborated closely with some incredible entrepreneurs. Over the years, she has built a strong network within Canada’s early-stage healthcare ecosystem. Jacqui has recently moved back home to Vancouver, to take on a new role as an Investment Analyst at InBC Investment, where she focuses on opportunities that drive meaningful and measurable impact across the province. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Finance and Economics. Outside of work, you can find her either on the tennis court, planning her next weekend getaway or catching up with friends over coffee. 

Abby Donald | Regional Director for Ottawa

Abby is an Alum of the 2021 cohort. Since completing her fellowship, she has immersed herself in the startup world, working at two startups and supporting over 200 entrepreneurs through Invest Ottawa’s Ignition program. Abby’s passion lies in supporting entrepreneurs at the early stages of their journey, and she continues to stay deeply connected to the startup ecosystem. She now works as the Venture Sector Lead at Invest Ottawa, where she plays a key role in delivering programming for health tech, cleantech, cybersecurity, and smart mobility companies. Originally from Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, Abby has called Ottawa home for the past four years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with her French Bulldog, Gigi, and her partner Jake.

Cindy Li | Regional Director for Vancouver

Cindy is an Alum of the 2024 cohort and works as an Academic Advisor, supporting diverse learners in their transition to post-secondary education. She previously helped build an EdTech startup focused on youth entrepreneurship, combining her passion for accessible learning with practical innovation. Born in Shanghai and raised in Vancouver, Cindy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environment and Sustainability with a Minor in Commerce from UBC, and a Master of Education from the University of Toronto. On weekends, she’s usually dancing, learning hip-hop, or dabbling in producing music.

Sarah Singh | Regional Director for Toronto

Sarah is an Alum of the 2019 cohort. While she has a background in health sciences and kinesiology, her interest in the start-up world was sparked after working on a project to tackle food insecurity in rural and northern Canada. Sarah has worn many hats in the startup world, from gov-tech to maternal health, however, has always gravitated toward client-facing roles. Now, as a Customer Success Manager at Klue, Sarah helps product marketing and GTM teams strategically win deals through competitive intelligence. 

About Venture for Canada
Venture for Canada is a national charity on a mission to accelerate the careers of Canadian youth through immersive opportunities at innovative startups and small businesses. Through our programs, young Canadians gain the skills, experience, and networks they need to lead more entrepreneurial and impactful careers.
To learn more, read our 2024 Impact Report.

Connect with Venture for Canada:
Website: ventureforcanada.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/venture-for-canada/
Instagram: @venture4canada
Twitter: @Venture4Canada
Podcast: Perspectives by VFC

Media Contact:
Jennie Wedd – Senior Manager, Marketing & Partnerships
Email: jennie@ventureforcanada.ca