Canada's Path to Global Femtech Leadership
Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
Montreal, Quebec
~ This event is by invitation only ~
About Femtech Canada Forum
Join Femtech Canada for an intimate full-day forum, designed to energize and unite stakeholders in the Canadian femtech sector. This invitation-only event will bring together key opinion leaders, industry experts, and advocates to discuss the opportunities within the $1 trillion global industry.
With the right support, Canada can achieve better health outcomes, drive economic growth, and demonstrate global leadership in a large and growing industry. Whether you are with a large corporation or small business, an investor or researcher, your support will play a critical role in shaping the future of femtech and ensuring Canada remains at the forefront of this growing industry.
This invite-only event will include important discussions and quality networking opportunities.
Why should you attend?
- Network with opinion leaders, industry experts, and innovators in the femtech space.
- Learn about the current state and future opportunities of femtech as well as how Femtech Canada and other key organizations are supporting innovation.
- Understand the government’s femtech priorities and how finance experts and VC’s are viewing the sector and growth opportunities.
Enter for your chance to attend the forum!
Our network is important to us, so we are reserving a few seats just for you. Complete our short entry form for a chance to receive a ticket to attend the closed-door forum on November 26, 2024 in Montreal, QC.
Draw closes on October 30, 2024 at 11:59PM.
Agenda
Join us for a brief breakfast and networking at 7:30am.
Don’t miss the opening remarks to kickstart your morning and lead us into our keynote presentation.
Presenter: Liza Vityuk, Partner, McKinsey & Company
Stay tuned for additional details!
Enjoy a brief 30-minute networking break before the next panel.
Hear from leading femtech founders who are driving innovation in women’s health. Panellists will share their journey of starting and scaling businesses in Canada, highlighting how applied research has shaped their products and services. Gain insights into the unique experiences femtech founders face, including what critical support they’ve received and what is still missing. With a diverse Canadian population in mind, founders will also discuss how they design solutions that are inclusive and impactful for all women.
Moderator: Swati Matta, Founder & CEO, Koble
Panellists:
- Danika Kelly, CEO, My Normative
- Jackie Hanson, Co-founder & CEO, Sprout Family
- Sara Jonsdottir, CEO, Revol Cares
Featuring leaders from across the industry, the panelists will discuss their organization’s priorities and commitments to women’s health and the importance of investing in women’s health from both a business and societal perspective. Learn why a strong innovation pipeline is key to driving this transformation, what their organization’s approach is to foster new solutions in this space as well as their long-term vision for the future of women’s health innovation, both in Canada and globally.
Moderator: To be confirmed soon!
Panellists:
- Genevieve Lavertu, Director, Government Affairs & Policy – Medical Technology, Johnson & Johnson Medtech
- Parambir Bhangu, National Head, Medical Affairs, Organan
- Sun Life Canada
Join us for networking over lunch before the afternoon’s panel discussions.
Policymakers and public sector leaders will address the critical role that policy, research, and innovation play in building healthier communities for women in Canada. The panel will examine where Canada is advancing women’s health, areas where improvement is needed, and how government and industry can collaborate more closely to drive progress. This session will also highlight key resources that researchers and femtech founders should be aware of to help move their work forward in this vital sector.
Moderator: To be confirmed soon!
Panellists:
- Dr. Angela Kaid, IGH Scientific Director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- To be confirmed soon!
- To be confirmed soon!
Investors will discuss the immense value of investing in the rapidly growing femtech sector, highlighting emerging trends and opportunities. Panelists will explore what the Canadian market needs to create its own success stories, akin to companies like Maven Clinic or Modern Fertility. Attendees will learn why investing in women’s health is not only profitable but also pivotal to advancing healthcare. Additionally, the panel will offer advice to investors who have not yet capitalized on this market and share insights on the future landscape of femtech investment.
Moderator: Roxanne Leduc, CEO & Founder, Cap Inclusive
Panellists:
- Katheleen Eva, Senior Associate, Stand Up Ventures
- Annie Theriault, Managing Partner, Cross Boarder Ventures
- Hillary Kilgour, Managing Partner, Audaxa Ventures
- Shelly Kuipers, Co-founder & CEO, The 51
After the afternoon panels, we invite you to continue the great conversations and growing network with light hors d’oeuvres.
Thank you for joining us at the 2024 Femtech Forum!
Speakers
Learn more about the 2024 Femtech Forum speakers below.
Annie Thériault
Managing Partner, CBIV
Annie Thériault, Managing Partner at CBIV, has been immersed in venture capital, impact investing, royalty financing, and managing capital markets strategies throughout her career. Annie is a thought leader in the field of inclusive health technology investing with a gender and impact lens. As a lead investor, Annie serves on the board of directors of several North American and European venture-backed companies.
She is also often an advisor or speaker at health technology and global health conferences and, prior to the launch of CBIV, was Chief Investment Officer at Grand Challenges Canada following a successful career in traditional investment management. Annie obtained her PhD in Management from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, is a CFA Charterholder, and holds the ICD.D designation. She also has a Master’s degree in Business Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Chemistry from Mount Allison University.
Danika Kelly
CEO & Co-Founder, My Normative
Danika Kelly is a health and wellness professional and trained socio-cultural scholar in issues around female health and representation. For the past 14 years she’s worked globally focusing on health advancement and knowledge translation in developing economies. Danika has a strong history of leadership excellence in the social innovation space —winning awards and recognition from Telus and The Future of Good, DMZ Woman of the Year, FemTech Analytics, Femtech Focus, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, and more. Danika acts as an advisor on sex and gender equity to the Commonwealth Businesswomen Network and the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs
Dr. Angela Kaida
Scientific Director, Institute of Gender & Health
Dr. Angela Kaida is an epidemiologist and community-based researcher at Simon Fraser University where she is an SFU Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and the former Canada Research Chair in Global Perspectives on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health. She leads a global research program focused on factors and environments that increase vulnerability or protect sexual and reproductive health in the context of HIV. In 2023, she was appointed Scientific Director of the Institute of Gender and Health at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Geneviève Lavertu
Director, Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Geneviève Lavertu, LLB, BCL, MSc, is the Director, Government Affairs and Policy at Johnson & Johnson Medical Technology in Canada. She is a senior executive in the health technologies sector, who prior to joining J&J MedTech was a consultant with life sciences companies advising on their commercialization strategy, and with the government advising on their life sciences strategy.
She has also been active in the medtech, biotech and pharmaceutical sectors for over 20 years, working in and with large multinational corporations, SMEs and non-profit organizations in various senior roles in mergers and acquisitions, business development, digital health, clinical research and regulatory affairs, and as general counsel and corporate secretary and board director.
Ms Lavertu
- is a member of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Health Policy Council;
- chairs the Research Oversight Committee of two large scale digital health R&D projects overseen by the CQDM life sciences research consortium;
- is a member of the Governance Committee of Québec’s Réseau d’Évaluation de l’Innovation en Santé;
- is a founding Board member of MEDTEQ+, member of its Governance Committee, and Chair of its Investment Committee; and
- has also served on the Advisory Board of the Medical Device Research Centre of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).
Hilary Kilgour
Co-Founder, Audaxa Ventures
Hilary Kilgour is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Audaxa Ventures, a seed stage investment fund that invests early stage capital in the most promising tech solutions in climate and health.
Hilary is deeply embedded in Canada’s innovation ecosystem. She has built cutting edge accelerators and innovation programs and has guided hundreds of founders through the complexities of the capital landscape, helping them harness the country’s competitive edge. Hilary is an Entrepreneur in Residence focused on Climate and Health at MaRS Discovery District, Canada’s largest innovation hub, and a Founder Services Advisor at ventureLAB, a leading tech hub that helps Canadian startups build, grow, and scale their businesses. She was Director of Investment for Spring and Director of Future Capital (formerly Female Funders) at Highline Beta.
Previously, Hilary led sustainability and innovation for global organizations for more than a decade. Having worked across government, philanthropic, social enterprise and corporate leadership roles, she specializes in working with bold leaders at the intersection of strategy, leadership, culture, and systems change. Her 15+ years of leadership experience spans Fortune’s 100 Fastest-Growing Companies, startups, and leading high growth, global brands in diverse sectors. Hilary has been recognized by Clean50, Corporate Knights and YWCA for her leadership in scaling impact for global organizations. With an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Presidio Graduate School, she completed her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University where she was an All-Canadian athlete.
Katheleen Eva
Investor, StandUp Ventures
Katheleen Eva is an investor at StandUp Ventures, a $55M AUM venture fund that invests in early-stage, women-led, B2B SaaS, digital health, and marketplace startups across Canada and the US. Katheleen has a background in neuroscience and psychology, and being particularly passionate about women’s health, was building in the space prior to joining StandUp Ventures in 2020.
Liza Vityuk
Partner, McKinsey & Company
Liza Vityuk is a Partner at McKinsey & Company and has more than 15 years of experience in the Consumer space, and since joining McKinsey in 2012 she has focused on commercial and growth strategies, building digital businesses, and improving customer experience with retail, consumer goods and direct-to-consumer clients globally. Liza is the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in Canada which oversees programs and efforts for more than 850 McKinsey colleagues.
Parambir Bhangu
Executive Director, Organon
Parambir Bhangu, PhD., is an Executive Director, Search & Evaluation at Organon, a global healthcare company dedicated to redefining the future of women’s health and with a mission to deliver impactful medicines and solutions for a healthier every day. To help Organon deliver on the company mission and vision, Parambir engages the external innovation ecosystem to support search and evaluation, due diligence and execution of business development opportunities in strategic focus areas of Women’s Health.
Parambir has an extensive background across Medical Affairs and Clinical Development. In his previous role, as the Country Medical Director, he built and led the Canadian Medical Affairs organization at Organon. Before Organon, at Merck he was the Director, Medical Affairs in Canada leading the Vaccines, Women’s Health and New Products portfolios.
Prior to Merck, Parambir was with Pfizer, also in Medical Affairs roles, having transitioned his career path from Clinical Development, where he spent 7 years of his early career in Global Project Management.
From an educational standpoint, Parambir holds a PhD in Biology from the University of York, United Kingdom.
Roxanne Leduc
Founder, Cap Inclusive
In 2022, Roxanne founded Cap Inclusive after spending the last decade developing transformation strategies for large and small businesses worldwide. Cap Inclusive is dedicated to defining inclusive processes for its clients, primarily investment funds and partners in the financial and technology ecosystems. Previously, as Chief Operating Officer at Panache Ventures, Roxanne led strategic initiatives supporting over 100 companies in our portfolio and facilitated a $100 million fundraising round, improving operational efficiency across multiple offices. As International Director at the consulting firm EY Fabernovel, Roxanne advised international leaders such as L’Oréal and Thyssenkrupp, spearheading cultural transformation initiatives and innovative decision-making models that are now taught at Sciences Po in Paris. She also directed the launch strategies for innovative business models at Mercedes-Benz, Bell Canada, and McKesson. Additionally, Roxanne serves on the boards of Canadian Women in VC, a network of over 350 women in venture capital in Canada, and the DEI Taskforce of Startup Montréal. Roxanne holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and has training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University.
Shelley Kuipers
CEO & General Partner, The51
Shelley Kuipers is investing in the world she wants to live in. As an activist in business, entrepreneurship and investment, Shelley likes to take on the status quo, and seek out democratized business models and platforms. Shelley is currently a general partner for The51’s Fund I, Fund II, and The51 Food and AgTech Fund, with a Fund III planned for 2025.
Previous to co-founding The51, Shelley founded crowdsourcing company Chaordix and technology and marketing firm, Stormworks. She was also the co-founder of IOVIA, based in London, UK. Shelley also collaboratively runs her family office Adventure Capital, with her partner and two sons. Shelley has had the opportunity to live and work in Canada, US, Germany and the UK, as well as lead global commercialization efforts across markets in the US, UK/Europe, SE Asia/Australia and Africa.
Shelley has been early-stage investing for more than 20 years. Her investment experience started in oil and gas, but she quickly diversified her investments into the tech sector with a focus on innovation-driven companies across many sectors. To date their family office has made +30 early-stage investments.
Shelley’s most notable investment was Solium, which was acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2019 for $1.1B. Shelley supports many founders, and ventures as an advisor, board observer and director, including Bobbie Racette Founder and CEO of Virtual Gurus.
Swati Matta
Founder, Koble
Swati is driven by helping people nurture healthier lives. She is the founder of Koble, a digital health and well-being platform for women and families, which was recently acquired by Dialogue. Swati now leads Women’s Health at Dialogue where she is focused on bringing equitable healthcare access to all women.
Swati started her career as a software developer, helping neuroscientists build tools to make informed patient treatment decisions. This experience was formative in Swati realizing, firsthand, the impact tech can have on improving health outcomes.
Over the years, through various leadership roles at the University Health Network, League and TELUS, Swati has helped leading healthcare providers, employers, and pharmacy retailers launch and scale digital health solutions, supporting millions of people across the globe to manage their health.
Swati holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Bioinformatics from the University of Waterloo, along with an MBA from Ivey Business School in Canada. She resides in Toronto with her husband and their son, Kabir, and enjoys exploring the world with her family.
Accommodations
Femtech Canada has secured a special rate with the Hôtel Alt Montréal which is approximately a 10-minute walk to the event venue.
- Simply enter your stay dates, and click “Check Availability”.
- Then click, “Add a code” and enter the corporate code.
- Please note, these rates are for individual travellers only and do not apply to group travel.
Exclusive corporate rates include:
- Last room available;
- Cancellation until 4:00pm on the same day;
- Free Nespresso coffee and Camellias Sinensis tea in the room;
- Free high-speed Wi-Fi connection;
- Unlimited access to the gym.
Corporate Code: 63725432
Accessibility
While we strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all attendees, please note that our event venue sponsor, Centech has certain accessibility limitations.
To access the building, there is a ramp and push-button doors. This entrance is at 1000 rue St-Jacques. Some areas may not be fully accessible to individuals with mobility challenges due to pull/push washroom doors, steps and possibly narrow doorways. We are committed to providing support and accommodations where possible.
If you have any specific accessibility needs or require additional assistance, please contact us in advance at [email protected]. We will do our best to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone within the availability made to us from our venue host.